Kagyu refuge tree

[lisasimmarco]

Anyone can point me to a online detailed description of the Kagyu refuge tree?

Starting Ngondro. It's going to take a while, chronic health problems.

Also, anyone here performed Ngondro yet? Any experiences they would like to share?

Thank you!

Lisa

[Malcolm]

Anyone can point me to a online detailed description of the Kagyu refuge tree?

Starting Ngondro. It's going to take a while, chronic health problems.

Also, anyone here performed Ngondro yet? Any experiences they would like to share?

Thank you!

Lisa

Which Kagyu lineage?

[lisasimmarco]

Oops! My bad.

Drigung Kagyu

[Malcolm]

[crazy-man]

Karma Kagyu Refuge Tree
http://www.dharmadownload.net/pages/eng ... k_0003.htm
http://www.thranguhk.org/buddhism/en_ngondro.html
http://palpung.org/english/special/line ... zation.htm

Drikung Kagyu Refuge Tree
http://www.dharma-media.org/wogmin/mahamudra.html
http://www.floridadharma.org/lineage.htm

[lisasimmarco]

Wonderful, thank you!

My teacher, Garchen Rinpoche, achieved his realization under a Nyingma lama, Khenpo Munsel, while secretly practicing in prison in Tibet. so I guess I'll put him there, too.

[Fortyeightvows]

I know that Achi is one of them because she was Jigten Sumgon's grandmother. But how about Acala?
Also, does Acala appear in the refuge tree's of the other Kagyu lineages?

[lisasimmarco]

I am not a scholar, but I've been around the Drikung Kagyu lineage for awhile and I have never heard of him before today, so probably not one of ours.

[Fortyeightvows]

I am not a scholar, but I've been around the Drikung Kagyu lineage for awhile and I have never heard of him before today, so probably not one of ours.

Pretty sure Acala appears opposite Achi in the picture above

[Palzang Jangchub]

The empowerment for Acala is part of the Jewel Garland of Fifty Deities (Wyl. sgrub thabs nor bu'i phreng ba'i rjes gnang lnga bcu pa), a cycle of empowerments first collated by Rigdzin Chökyi Drakpa (a.k.a. Drikung Dharmakirti), the 1st Chungtsang Rinpoche. The current 7th Chetsang Rinpoche (a.k.a the 37th Drikung Kyabgön), Trinley Lhundrup, has given this cycle of empowerments on occasion, and Lamchen Gyalpo Rinpoche has bestowed the Acala empowerment by itself as well.

Additionally, Acala features in some visualizations during certain HYT deity empowerments, though for the sake of samaya it's probably not appropriate for me to explain further. Suffice it to say that Acala certainly has a place in the Drikung Kagyu tradition, though not nearly as prominent as our main Dharmapala, Achi Chökyi Drölma.

Not sure whether Acala is represented on the Drikung Mahamudra refuge tree or not. It looks more like four-armed Mahakala Chaturbhuja (Wyl. mgon po phyag bzhi pa) down there with the other Dharmapalas at the bottom of the long/elaborated tsok shing thangka to me, which makes sense, as that's the main Mahakala practiced in Drikung Kagyu.

The thangka above is the refuge tree used in the Lama Chöpa sadhana of Kyöbpa Jigten Sumgön, and as such is a more essentialized version of the longer one. It's probably still four-armed Mahakala next to coemergent Chakrasamvara Yab-Yum, opposite Achi, though. Can't imagine the main form of Mahakala practiced in the lineage being left off when all the primary figures are present.

Acala isn't among the protectors specifically associated with the Yangzab Dzogchen terma in any of the thangkas I've seen.

[Palzang Jangchub]

I am not a scholar, but I've been around the Drikung Kagyu lineage for awhile and I have never heard of him before today, so probably not one of ours.

Pretty sure Acala appears opposite Achi in the picture above

Aside from some missing lineage lamas, this thangka of Kyöbpa Jigten Sumgön on the Rubin Museum's website is nearly identical.

http://www.himalayanart.org/items/1034

They identify the figure as four-armed Mahakala, who holds a heart and skullcup in his main two hands at his chest, a sword in his upper right, and a khatvanga trident in his upper left.

To my knowledge, Acala is usually depicted in two-armed form, with his left at his chest and his right holding a sword aloft, similar to Manjushri's pose with the Sherab Raldri high above his head.

[Fortyeightvows]

You are right. It is Mahakala in the image above... I have an image of chakasamvara from the drikung lineage which I am pretty sure shows Acala and Achi... Always wondered about it.....

[Palzang Jangchub]

When in doubt, always check the iconography, limbs, and pose. Acala is usually standing in hero posture or kneeling on one leg, and almost always with sword aloft, whereas four-armed Mahakala is often sitting down, and has those additional limbs and tantric implements.

In your case, it might be an example of HYT visualization employing Acala. I'd be happy to discuss this further via PM, and would be interested to see the pic.

[Palzang Jangchub]

I know that Achi is one of them because she was Jigten Sumgon's grandmother. But how about Acala?

Acala features in the Meditation on the Three-Layered Protection Wheel of Chandali by Jigten Sumgön.

This sadhana, composed by Jigten Sumgön (1143-1217), contains the practices of Avalokitesharva, the wrathful deity Achala, and Vajrayogini woven into one. It is designed to be practiced when doing the practices of chandali (tummo or inner fire meditation). (4 pages).
http://www.buddhavisions.com/yidam-deit ... ion-stage/