Kadampa

Kadampa (བཀའ ་ གདམས ་ པ ་; bka'-gdams-Pa) of bka “words Buddha”, and gdams “teaching”, is a tradition of the Bouddhisme Tibetan born at the 11th century with the disciples of Atisha, in particular Dromtönpa (1005-1064). First organized school having a strong monastic discipline, it thrived, divided into various branches; its last monasteries disappeared between XVe and the XVIIe century, absorptive by the current Gelug then in full rise. Many of its texts and lesson, of which most known are the lojong and the lamrim , are preserved in the contemporary traditions, particularly Kagyu and gelug, sometimes called “new kadampa” (sarma kadampa).

Origin

According to the tradition, it is to discipline the tantric practice and to clear up contradictions between the various texts that Atisha, former abbot of Nalanda, was invited to Tibet by the prince of Guge Djang Jup. It would have had as a disciple principal Dromtonpa (Drom-tön Gyal-we Jungne), who offered to him a residence with Nyetang close to Lhasa. Dromtonpa founded in 1057 with Reting or Radreng (VAN-sgreng) in the north of Lhassa the first monastery kadampa. Two other important disciples of Atisha were Khutön Tsöndru Yungdrang and Ngok Legpe Sherap (r-Ngog I-shes-rab Legacy-pa'). This last establishes in 1071 the institute of Sangphu Neuthok which will become the first will shedra (center of advanced studies) country. With his nephew the translator Ngok Loden cloth Sherap (rNgog Blo-ldan-shes-rab), he is the instigator of the scholastic Tibetan, or “logical news”.

Teaching

Dromtonpa is the principal diffuser of the teaching of Atisha, which it structured in a system named “the seven dharmas divine of Atisha”, the number seven representative four deities (Avalokiteshvara, Shakyamuni, Tara, Acala) and three Dharma S (Tripitaka or summons tripartite teaching of the Buddha). The idea of the Indian Master, taken again by his disciple, was that the various doctrines of the Sutra S and Tantra S and are not contradictory between them, but can be combined according to the needs to arrive at the illumination. All in recognition the interest of will tantras, it conditions their practice with a good knowledge of will sutras, attaching an particular importance to the literature Prajnaparamita.

The gradual way towards the awakening proposed by Atisha, lamrim , class practitioners in three classes increasing quality: those which seek a better rebirth, those which seek only their own release and those which seek the release of all the beings. The concept of Bodhicitta and the wishes of Bodhisattva play a big role there. The lamrim was taken again by the Masters of other currents like Gampopa (kagyu) and Tsongkhapa (gelug), which developed it in an integral complete system many other concepts like the Nature of Buddha, importance of the Guru and the exceptional value of the rebirth under human form. The lamrim offers a certain resemblance to the lamdre of the current Sakyapa. It is based on the most famous work of Atisha, the Lamp on the way of the awakening (sansk. Bodhipathapradīpa; tib. Byang chub lam gyi sgron my).

Three lines

Dromtonpa would have transmitted to the various parts of its teaching to three disciples called “the three noble brothers”, at the origin of the three lines kadampa: shungbawa, mengapa and lamrimpa.

Geshe Putowa (Puto Rinchen Sal) accepted scriptural teaching, made up of the six treaties and the hidden transmission of will sutras and tantras. They will be transmitted later to the current gelugpa via Sharawa (1070-1141) and of Chekhawa (1101-1175).
Geshe Chenngawa (Chengawa Tsultrim Bar) accepted the oral transmission, which it passed to its Jayulwa disciple. Later, Ghenga kague integrated it in the teaching of the school Dagpo Kagyu.
Geshe Phuchungwa (Phuchungwa Shönu Gyaltsen) accepted secret teaching made up of the sixteen circles, oilings and the instructions and secrecies of the Lamp on the way of the awakening . Narthang Shönu Lodrö will raise the secrecy later and the sixteen circles will be integrated in the currents kagyu and gelug.

Lojong

According to the first Dalai Lama, itself a reincarnation of Dromtonpa, Atisha would have inherited three Masters: Suvarnadvipa, Maitriyogi and Dharmarakshita or Dharmakirti (Serlingpa). The teaching of the two first was integrated in the lamrim as of the time of the three noble brothers , but that of Serlingpa, the oral tradition of the lojong (blo-ljong), “formation of the bodhicitta spirit”, still called Instructions for the drive of the spirit in the tradition mahayana (Theg-chen-blo-sbyong-gi-gdampa-Pa) was transmitted secretly until Geshe Kham Lungpa which published Eight lessons to form the spirit (bLo-sbyong-thun-brgyad-my), first text of the literature lojong; Eight verses followed to form the spirit (bLo-sbyong-tshig-brgyad-my) of Geshe Langri Tangpa (1054-1123), public Explication (Tshogs-bshad-my) of Sangye Gompa, Seven points to form the spirit (bLo-sbyong-gift-bdun-my) of Geshe Chekhawa (1102-1176), and others. There exists an anthology Hundred texts to form the spirit (bLo-byong-brgya-rtsa).

Kadampa in the other traditions

Gampopa, which followed the line kadampa during six years before becoming disciple of Milarepa, integrated the lojong and the lamrin inside the current kagyu. It was based on this last system of thought to compose the Invaluable Ornament of the release . Chenga Kague integrated the oral transmission in the branch Dagpo Kagyu. Pal Tsuglak Trengwa incorporated the secret lesson in the branch Karma Kamtsang Kagyu. The branch Ngatso Kagyu incorporated lesson of Atisha transmitted to another of its disciples, Ngatso Lotsawa Tsultrim, one of the translators responsible for his arrival in Tibet.

Tsongkhapa, founder of the school gelug, took again on its account most of the lesson kadampa by printing its mark there, giving rise to new the kadampa. The first Dalai Lama would be a reincarnation of Dromtonpa. Tsongkhapa wrote three treaties on the lamrim of which shortest, the Lam Rim Dudon , is recited regularly by spangled gelug.

Important texts

the six treaties, which belong to the philosophy of conventional reality and the action of the bodhicitta:

Grounds of bodhisattva (sansk. Bodhisattvabhumi; tib. Its sde lnga) of Asanga
the Ornament of will sutras mahayana (sansk. Mahayanasutraalamkara; tib. Theg Pa chen Po mdo sde' I rgyande) of Maitreyanatha /Asanga
the Sum of the drive the way of bodhisattva (Shikshasamucchaya) of Shantideva
Walk towards the awakening (Bodhisattvacharyavatara) of Shantideva
the Garland of the rebirths (former lives of the Buddha) (Jatakamala) of Aryasura
the dires of the Buddha (Udanavarga) Tibetan equivalent of the Dhammapada of Dharmatrata

Paroles of the saints of kadampa (Bka'-gdams gces-bsdus), collection of dires poetic of spangled kadampa
the Lamp on the way awakening (sansk. Bodhipathapradīpa; tib. Byang chub lam gyi sgron my) which presents the stages of progression towards the awakening, bases lamrim
essential Instructions for the practice of the sixteen spheres (thig the bcu drug)

It is with a LAMA kadampa end of the 13th century, btslom-ian-ral-gri, that one owes to the first Buddhist gun Tibetan, divided into kagyur (lesson of Boudha) and tangyur (comments and various), compiled according to the contents of the library of the monastery of Narthang. The monastery, passed to the gelugs at the 17th century, regularly republished it until in 1959.

New Kadampa Tradition

The new term kadampa indicates also the movement New Kadampa Tradition founded in 1991 in the United Kingdom by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso (Dge-shes Bskal-bzang Rgya-mtsho), monk gelug of the monastery of Will be. Practitioner the worship of Dordjé Shugden condemned officially by the Dalaï Lama, the movement organized in the Nineties of the demonstrations against this last and would have protested near Amnesty International for religious persecution. Shown sectarianism and of rebellion, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso was excluded from its monastery from origin. The partisans of Dorjé Shugden were suspected of being at the origin of the murder of 3 monks (of which an adviser of the Dalaï Lama). Their participation in this crime however could not be established,

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