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Kagyu
The “oral lineage” school emphasizing mahāmudrā meditation and guru transmission, including Karma Kagyu and related branches.
Kagyu (bka' brgyud) means “oral lineage.” The school descends from Indian mahāsiddhas such as Tilopa and Nāropa through Marpa the Translator, Milarepa, and Gampopa. Its hallmark is experiential meditation — especially mahāmudrā — transmitted closely from teacher to student.
Major branches include Karma Kagyu (headed by the Karmapa), Drikung, Drukpa, and others. Practice often combines ngöndro, deity yoga (notably Vajrayoginī and Chakrasaṃvara cycles), and mahāmudrā instructions. Western centers associated with Kalu Rinpoche, Chögyam Trungpa, and successive Karmapas have made Kagyu teachings widely available.
Practices
Mahāmudrā
Meditation on the nature of mind, often taught after completion of preliminaries.
Six Yogas of Nāropa
Advanced yogic practices including tummo and dream yoga in traditional curricula.
Guru yoga
Devotional meditation connecting the practitioner with the blessings of the lineage.
Texts
The Life of Milarepa
Tsangnyön Heruka
Foundational hagiography of the great yogin.
Mahāmudrā: The Moonlight
Dakpo Tashi Namgyal