Gampopa

Biography & Significance

Gampopa was a physician turned monk who first studied the Kadampa tradition of Lojong (mind training) before meeting Milarepa and becoming his foremost student. He is credited with synthesising the Kadampa graduated path (Lam-Rim) with the direct experiential practices of the Kagyu, creating a complete path that combined both gradual and sudden approaches. His masterwork, the Jewel Ornament of Liberation, remains the standard textbook of Kagyu teachings. He also founded the first Kagyu monastic institution, Daklha Gampo Monastery, transforming the Kagyu from a lineage of wandering yogis into a formal monastic tradition. He is considered the third great pillar of the Kagyu, after Marpa and Milarepa.

Key Teachings 主要教法

• ▸Jewel Ornament of Liberation (systematic Dharma path)
• ▸Mahamudra in the context of monasticism
• ▸Integration of Lojong and tantra