Who is Tilopa?

 

Tilopa's Song of Realization: The View of Mahamudra Retreat with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche Aug 11–14 Who is Tilopa? Tilopa was a great yogi or mahasiddha living in India in the 10th and 11th centuries CE. He is most famous for being the founder of the Mahamudra lineage and the founding forefather of the Kagyu lineage. His most famous work is the Ganges Mahamudra, and his closest student was Naropa. Tilopa (988–1069) was an Indian tantric adept counted among the eighty-four mahāsiddhas and venerated in Tibet as an important source of tantric instruction and a founder of the Bka' brgyud sect. Little historical information exists regarding Tilopa's life. According to his traditional biographies, Tilopa was born a brāhmaṇa in northeast India. As a young man, he took the vows of a Buddhist monk but later was compelled by the prophecies of a ḍākinī messenger to study with a host of tantric masters. He lived as a wandering yogin, practicing tantra in secret while outwardly leading a life of transgressive behavior. For many years Tilopa acted as the servant for the prostitute Barima (in truth, a wisdom ḍākinī in disguise) by night while grinding sesame seeds for oil by day. The name Tilopa, literally "Sesame Man," derives from the Sanskrit word for sesamum. Finally, Tilopa is said to have received instructions in the form of a direct transmission from the primordial buddha Vajradhara. Tilopa instructed numerous disciples, including the renowned Bengali master Naropa, who is said to have abandoned his prestigious monastic position to become Tilopa's disciple, undergoing many difficult trials before receiving his teachings. Those teachings were later received by Marpa, who brought Tilopa's teachings to Tibet. Join the first retreat of the new transmission, Tilopa’s Song of Realization: The View of Mahamudra, August 11-14, where Mingyur Rinpoche will guide us through the view of Mahamudra, centering his teachings around Tilopa’s root verses from his song of realization, The Ganges Mahamudra. Note that there are prerequisites to attend this retreat. Learn More and Register Here Learning every moment, Tergar Learning Community