Tracing history, or lineage, is a traditional practice. Lineage is the continuous relationship between master and student from the Buddha up to now. By tracing our history, we give credit to the Buddha for the practices and teachings that we have today.
Lineage preserves the main purpose of the teachings. It also ensures that the practices are kept intact. This prevents us from just inventing some new methods that may look and sound “Buddhist”, but motivated by a different purpose.
From Buddha Shakyamuni to Arya Nagarjuna
When Buddha Shakyamuni was about to pass away into nirvana, he instructed the arhat monk Mahakasyapa to preserve his teachings. Mahakasyapa then became the first holder of the Buddha’s teachings. The Buddha also entrusted his teachings to the Sixteen Elders. They helped propagate the teachings to different parts of Asia.
After the Buddha, and his two greatest disciples, Sariputra and Maudgalyayana, passed into nirvana, a council of 500 arhats convened. They decided to compile the Buddha’s teachings. Upali compiled the Vinaya, Ananda the Sutra and Mahakasyapa compiled the Abhidharma. King Ajatasatru sponsored this event, and it became known as the “First Buddhist Council”.
Ananda (second) then became the holder of the Buddha’s teachings after Mahakasyapa. Sanavasika (third) succeeded Ananda. King Ashoka, one of the greatest patrons in the entire history of Buddhism, was the benefactor of Sanavasika.
110 years after the First Buddhist Council, the arhat Yasah convened the “Second Buddhist Council”, through the sponsorship of King Kalasoka. It was a response to the corruption of the teachings by some monks in the city of Vaisali. 700 arhats convened for this council.
Then, Upagupta (fourth) succeeded Sanavasika. It is said that Upagupta brought more sentient beings to enlightenment than any other successors of the Buddha’s teachings. Dhitika (fifth), Krishna (sixth) and Sudarsana (seventh) followed successively. Finally, Nagarjuna received the teachings.
The “Third Buddhist Council” was convened under the patronage of King Kaniska in response to the corruption of the Buddha’s teachings again. The Vinaya was finally written down, while those parts of the Sutra and Abhidharma that have not been previously written down, were finally written down. This was the purpose of this council.
From India’s Nalanda University to Tibet’s Samye Monastery
The Sutra of the Great Drum (pakpa ngawo che chenpo le’u she jawa thek pa chenpo do) predicted Nagarjuna’s (150 CE – 250 CE) birth and activity.
(Coming Soon)
From Tibet up to the present
The Mahayana Sutra and Vajrayana Tantra traditions arrived in Tibet. This occurred in the 8th Century. The teachings that came to Tibet arrived in two separate periods. They also developed into five schools. The first period gave birth to the first school, the Nyingma school. It means “the old one”.
The second period gave birth to the four other schools: the Kagyud, Sakya, Geluk and Jonang schools. The Nyingma school developed into six major monasteries, or ‘mother monasteries’, in Tibet. Two Nyingma monasteries called “the Upper Two” are Minling and Dorje Drak Monasteries. The “Middle Two” are called Shechen and Dzogchen. The “Lower Two” are called Kathok and Palyul. Those titles are due to their locations on the Tibetan map. Palyul Monastery was established in 1665.
This Manila temple is under the Palyul lineage. Palyul is the name of the monastery and of the region. It is found in Ganze, Sichuan province, China. Rinzin Kunzang Sherab is Palyul Monastery’s first ‘throne holder’. His teachers were Karma Chagme Rinpoche and Terton Migyur Dorje.
A throne holder is someone who is responsible for keeping the Buddhist teachings intact from Buddha Shakyamuni up to the next generation. There have been 12 continuous Palyul throne holders.
After escaping Tibet in 1959, the Third Penor Rinpoche (1932 – 2009), the 11th Palyul throne holder, established Namdroling Monastery in South India. Palyul Monastery in Tibet and Namdroling Monastery in India now carry on the Palyul lineage. This Manila temple was opened in 1992 by Penor Rinpoche.
At present, Karma Kuchen Rinpoche is the current lineage throne holder of Palyul. He is the 12th holder.