User:PadmaPhala/Darma

Tiphupa was an Indian Buddhist teacher from 11 – 12 century considered to be the rebirth of Darma Dode, son and student of Tibetan lama Marpa Lotsawa. When young Darma Dode died in accident his father with the special abilities of realized lama managed to prolong his son’s life for a while. It was enough for Marpa to teach him practice of transferring the consciousness in dead body – in this case of dead pigeon. Following detailed instructions of the teacher pigeon flew to India and died next to sixteen years old boy who recently lost his life. Transferring again the consciousness this time to young boy’s body gave life to Indian teacher Tiphupa (from Ti Phi – pigeon). When he turned back home it became evident that Tiphupa is very different from previous boy. He kept taking care of his aging parents as normal son and they considered him as a guru. Tiphupa intensively practiced methods taught from Marpa and other, received in India from Naropa’s students and other masters and he reached realization of a Mahasiddha. He became famous teacher himself and gave numerous teachings to Milarepa’s student Rechungpa. Probably the most important of them for the future of Kagyu lineage was “nine-fold cycle of the formless Dakinis”.

Literature

 * The Life of Marpa the Translator. By Nalanda Translation Committee, Shambhala Publications, Inc. 1982.  ISBN 1-57062-087-3, ISBN 1-56957-112-0