Although Marpa’s tradition is referred to as Marpa Kagyu, in general, Kagyu crystallized into a distinctive tradition under the hands of Gampopa (sgam po pa, 1079-1153). Gampopa’s Kagyu is known as the Dakpo Kagyu (dwags po ‘bka brgyud) tradition - named after Gampopa’s place of origin in Central Tibet (Dwagspo region). Gampopa was the chief disciple of Milarepa (mi la ras pa, 1040-1123) who was in turn the heart-disciple of Marpa. Dakpo Kagyu blossomed into twelve sub-lineages after the time of Gampopa (four originating from Gampopa's immediate disciples and eight stemming from one of Gampopa's foremost disciples - the so-called "major four and minor eight.").

Since the 12th century, the various Kagyu lineages have seen their ups and downs. Presently four of the sub-lineages (i.e. the Karma, Drukpa, Taklung and Drigung) continue to exist and flourish as independent lineages with their own monastic institutions, hierarchies and traditions while the other sub-lineages only survive as transmissions of teachings and practices within the context of the four independent lineages (and among other non-Kagyu lineages).

Tilopa's Transmissions

In supplications to the lineage masters of the various Kagyu lineages, Vajradhara Buddha is honored as the ultimate origin of the lineage. Thus, from the famous Drigung Kagyu "Song of Rainfall" supplication:

"In the expansive sky of the glorious Dharmadhatu, Pervading all phenomena without a center or periphery, Is the Dharmakaya, the Great Vajradhara - repeatedly remembering you, I pray with single-minded yearning, Please bless me so that I may become like you!"

In this context, Vajradhara Buddha is the Dharmakaya Buddha and to say that the Kagyu lineage comes from Vajradhara Buddha is to say that it originated from the very essence of reality itself and thus transcends all space and time. The next in this lineage succession is the human master Tilopa who was a great Indian Buddhist master of the 10th century. After Tilopa, the lineage continued with Naropa who subsequently passed the transmission to Marpa.

Although the understanding that Tilopa received the lineage transmission from Vajradhara might lead one into concluding that Tilopa did not have any human teachers, this was not the case. Instead, in the various biographies of Tilopa, he is said to have both a direct transmission from Vajradhara Buddha and an indirect transmission that he received from several different human teachers. Thus on some occasions when he was asked by others where he received his transmission, he said, "I have no parents and no country, I have no spiritual master and no preceptor, I am a self-arising Buddha...." while on other occasions he identifies four Indian masters - Nagarjuna, Saraha, Lavapa and Sumati - as his teachers. These two answers are not contradictory but represent two levels of understanding.

Tilopa's insistence that he had "no parents and no country... no spiritual master and no preceptor" emphasizes the fact of his attainment of buddhahood. From the perspective of the unconditioned nature of Buddhahood, Tilopa could truthfully declare that that he had no parents, country, spiritual master or preceptor. But from the perspective of practice or the path, Tilopa indeed had many different human masters who transmitted to him the various teachings and practices that led to liberation. Furthermore, when Tilopa's transmission is linked directly to Vajradhara, it is called the "direct transmission" but when Tilopa's transmission is traced to Nagarjuna, Saraha and others, it is referred to as the "indirect transmission." These masters of the indirect transmission provide the direct, unbroken link back to the historical Buddha.

The Four Oral Instructions

The four human teachers of Tilopa were each the source of a specific body of teachings that Tilopa received. These transmissions that Tilopa received from his human masters are collectively known as "The Four Oral Instructions" (bka' babs bzhi) and some etymologies of the name “Kagyu” considers it as a contraction of “Lineage of Four Oral Instructions” (bka' babs bzhi brgyud pa). Although Tilopa's possession of "The Four Oral Instructions" is commonly accepted by all traditional sources, different sources provide different listings of the content of "The Four Oral Instructions."

According to one source, from Saraha, Tilopa received the Mahamudra instructions. From Nagarjuna he received the Guhyasamaja teachings (a father-tantra specializing in illusory body and clear-light practices), from Sumati Dakini he received the Hevajra teachings (a mother-tantra) and from Dombi-Heruka he received the Chakrasamvara teachings (that emphasizes practices of the winds, channels and drops). In the biography of Marpa, Tilopa is said to have received the illusory body practices (of the Guhyasamaja) from Nagarjuna and Matangipa. From Caryapa he is said to have received the transmission of dream yoga practices and from Lavapa he received the clear-light practices. Finally, from Sumati Dakini he received the transmission of inner-heat practices of the Chakrasamvara. From yet another source (which emphasized the transmission of the “Six Dharmas of Naropa”), Tilopa is said to have received illusory-body practices from Nagarjuna, inner-heat and dream-yoga practices from Caryapa, clear-light practices from Lavapa and transference of consciousness and intermediate state practices from Sumati Dakini. These transmissions form the core of the precepts and secret instructions of the Kagyu lineage that is transmitted from generation to generation, uninterrupted from master to disciples. The contents of the “Four Oral Instructions” include both the path of means and the path of liberation.