Kagyu Kgak Dzod

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One of Jamgon Kongtrul the Great's "Five Treasuries".

Kagyu Ngak Dzod:

"A collection of Marpa's tantric teachings. The Shay-gyun or 'explanation stream' teachings of Marpa Lotsawa, were transmitted to his three foremost disciples and were scattered in many sub-schools and traditions. The Drup-gyun or 'practice stream' of teachings guides the disciple to perfection in his practice, and was transmitted in totality to Milarepa."

(Source: unknown and questionable)



"Fwd: Drikung -Important" reads in part:

"Kagyu Ngak Dzod is an anthology of tantric- cycles compiled by Jamgon Kongtrul in the years 1853-1855 and is believed to be the first of his five collections. The heart of the Kagyu Ngak Dzod consists of thirteen major tantric mandalas transmitted by Marpa to Ngog Chöku Dorje (Rngog Chos sku rdo rje); one of his four main disciples. The Kagyu Ngak Dzod brings together the oral transmissions (lung), empowerments (dbang), instructions (khrid) and ritual practices/sadhanas (cho ga) of the Marpa Kagyu as transmitted by Ngog Choku Dorje and his family lineage. Consequently, these teachings are treasured by all the lineages of the Kagyu tradition surviving to this day - the Karma Kagyu, Drukpa Kagyu, Taklung Kagyu and Drikung Kagyu."

from kagyu mail-list at Yahoo.com; "Kagyu is for the discussion of Buddhism, particularly the Kagyu and Rime (non-sectarian) traditions"

see also Dam-ngak Dzo


The Kagyü Ngak Dzöd (bka brgyud sngags mdzöd) or Treasury of Kagyü Tantras is one of the Five Treasuries (mdzöd lnga) of Jamgön Kongtrul Lodro Tayé (‘jam mgon kong sprul blo gros mtha’ yas, 1813-1899) and is believed to be the first of the Five Treasuries, collected between the years 1853-1855. At the core of the Kagyü Ngak Dzöd are the thirteen highest yoga tantras that Marpa (mar pa chos kyi blo gros, 1012-1097) transmitted to Ngok Chöku Dorjé (rngog chos sku rdo rje, 1036-1102). Aside from these major tantras, Jamgon Kongrul also included in this anthology other minor Marpa-tradition tantras and some tantras that Rechungpa (ras chung pa) brought back from India.

In general, the tantric teachings of Marpa are divided into two types – the so-called “she-gyun” (bshad brgyun) or “explanatory stream” and the “drup-gyun” (sgrub brgyun) or “experiential stream.” The she-gyun refers to the formal teachings on the theory, ritual details, and symbology in the tantras while the drup-gyun contains the essential instructions that are needed for experiencing the attainments taught in the tantras. Among the four chief disciples of Marpa – the “Four Main Pillars” – Ngok Chöku Dorjé received the she-gyun of all the tantras transmitted by Marpa while Milarepa (mi las ras pa, 1040-1128) was the main recipient of the drup-gyun. The only she-gyun that Milarepa received from Marpa was the she-gyun of the Cakrasaṃvara system.

Later, when the various Kagyü orders arose among the disciples of Gampopa (sgam po pa, 1079-1153), the only Marpa-tradition she-gyun they received from Milarepa (via Gampopa, that is) was the she-gyun of the Cakrasaṃvara tantra. Over time, the various Kagyü orders collected the different Marpa-tradition she-gyuns from various different sources and to varying degrees. Meanwhile, the Ngok family-lineage continued to transmit the complete she-gyun of Marpa for at least seven generations but eventually this family-lineage ended and their transmission of the compete she-gyun of Marpa was scattered among various monastic-lineages both within and without the Kagyü family. It was not until the 19th century that most of the Marpa-tradition she-gyun and drup-gyun transmissions were brought together in one single collection as the Kagyü Ngak Dzöd.

Jamgön Kongtrul divides the Kagyü Ngak Dzöd into three main parts: the “virtue at the beginning,” “virtue at the middle,” and “virtue at the end.”

The “virtue at the beginning” includes the following empowerments:

1. White Tārā 2. Siddharajñī-tradition Amitāyus (from Rechungpa) 3. Three Special Deities of Marpa: Vajrasattva (Dorjé Sempa) 4. Three Special Deities of Marpa: Uṣṇīṣavijayā (Namgyalma) 5. Three Special Deities of Marpa: Green Tārā 6. Caṇḍa Vajrapāṇi (from Rechungpa) 7. Vajradhara Guru-puja (from Drukpa Kargyü tradition)

The “virtue at the middle” consists of the main thirteen highest yoga tantras brought back from India by Marpa and two other highest yoga tantras:

1. Nine-deities Hevajra 2. Fifteen-deities Nairātmyā 3. Hevajra of the Vajrapañjāra-tantra 4. Cakrasaṃvara-Vajrasattva of the Saṃpuṭa-tantra 5. Five-deities Vajrayoginī 6. Five-deities Cakrasaṃvara 7. 71-deities Saṭcakravarti Saṃvara 8. 25-deities Buddhakapāla 9. Mahāmāyā 10. Vajra Catuḥpiṭha – Father-deities 11. Vajra Catuḥpiṭha – Mother-deities 12. Guhyasamāja 13. Mañjuśrīnamāsaṇgīti 14. Raktayamāntaka (from Virūpa) 15. Nine-deities Vajrabhairava 16. Five-deities Caṇḍa Vajrapāṇi (from Rechungpa)

The “virtue at the end” contains the following empowerments:

1. Four-armed Mahākāla of the Cakrasaṃvara-tantra 2. Pañjāranatha Mahākāla of the Vajrapañjāra-tantra 3. Sri Dhūmāvatī 4. Tseringma Five-sisters

[Note: Although this is the entire list of empowerments in the Kagyü Ngak Dzöd, the presiding Vajra-master might sometimes decide not to transmit the entire list of empowerments. It is not uncommon for some of the empowerments of the Dharma-protectors to be withheld.]

(Source: http://hunwanderings08.blogspot.in/2009/10/kagyu-ngak-dzod_10.html)