Karma Kagyu is one of the major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. As a lineage of direct oral transmission, it especially emphasises meditation, and through interaction with a qualified teacher can bring about the full and direct experience of the nature of mind.The Karma Kagyu methods were taught by the historical Buddha Shakyamuni to his closest students. These methods were later passed on through the Indian Mahasiddhas Padmasambhava, Tilopa, Naropa, Maitripa, and the famous Tibetan Yogis Marpa and Milarepa. In the 12th century, the monk Gampopa gave the teachings to the first Gyalwa Karmapa, whose successive conscious rebirths have kept the teachings alive and powerful to the present day.
Today, great Tibetan lamas and Western lay ‘travel teachers’ transmit this unbroken tradition when visiting the many Karma Kagyu Diamond Way Buddhist centers around the world.