Kagyus Lose Mahamudra Tradition?

The following quote from a teaching called Introduction to Mahamudra by Gen Thubten Gyatso (aka Neil Elliott) back in 1994 has been unjustly cited time and again as evidence of sectarianism on the part of the New Kadampa Tradition:

So therefore, this I would like to say, when Geshe Kelsang says that he established the New Kadampa Tradition so as to preserve and protect the Dharma that was transmitted from the Wisdom Buddha Manjushri to Je Tsongkhapa, this is what he is talking about, the Mahamudra. This is the actual inner practice of the New Kadampa Tradition, the only practice of the New Kadampa Tradition. And we can say these days, previously you could find the practice of the Mahamudra outside this tradition; other traditions held this practice. But these days we can say definitely it doesn’t exist outside of our tradition. Only this tradition holds the lineage, the pure lineage, of the Vajrayana Mahamudra. So this is what we need to preserve, this is what we need to protect. Geshe-la has carried this entire lineage.

This is clarified in Mahamudra Tantra (pp. 71-74). Geshe Kelsang Gyatso is referring to the lineage of practice that comes through the Ganden Oral Lineage given to Je Tsongkhapa by Manjushri: “Therefore, our uncommon Mahamudra Tantra practice begins with meditating on the central channel of the heart channel wheel. The transmission, teachings and lineage of this uncommon instruction are not possessed by any other tradition.” The Kagyupas still have the lineage of Vajrayana Mahamudra wherein the practice begins at the navel chakra, which is also shared by the Gelugpas and taught by Geshe-la in Clear Light of Bliss.

However, since the time of Je Tsongkhapa, the New Kadampas have been the sole possessor of the uncommon Varjrayana Mahamudra practice wherein one begins to meditate on the central channel of the heart channel wheel (as contrasted with the navel channel wheel). Other traditions have their own lineages of Mahamudra, but they do not share this particular one. If that fact is a sectarian statement, then the Gelugpa tradition has been sectarian from the start!

Although originally taught by Buddha Vajradhara in the Ambhidana Tantra, the lineage of this instruction was eventually lost by all Tantric traditions, until it was passed down again to Je Tsongkhapa through Buddha Manjushri, who still held the lineage. So, in Root Tantra of Manjushri, when Buddha Shakyamuni predicts Manjushri’s emanation in Tibet as Je Tsongkhapa: “After I pass away and my pure doctrine is absent, you will appear as an ordinary being, performing the deeds of a Buddha and establishing the Joyful Land, the great Protector, in the Land of the Snows,” he is referring to this special Mahamudra. Buddha himself regarded this uncommon practice as superior to other forms of Mahamudra; the reasons are given in Tantric Grounds and Paths (pp. 121, 123).

All of the lineage Gurus of this uncommon Mahamudra practice have been Gelugpas—followers of Je Tsongkhapa—and for the past two centuries they have recognized and relied on Dorje Shugden as an enlightened being. (You can read about some of them on the Dorje Shugden History website.) If they are now no longer regarded as authentic Buddhist Masters but mere “spirit worshippers,” then what happens to the blessings of that uncommon practice lineage? What happens to Je Tsongkhapa’s tradition? “And my pure doctrine is absent” once again!

ADDENDUM

Someone recently wrote to me, asking for clarification about this post. This was great because it gave me the opportunity to delve into things a little deeper and to show the thought process behind my conclusions. The title of the post, Kagyus Lose Mahamudra Tradition?, was taken from an old Google Groups discussion by the same name, initiated by Avyorth Rolinson. Avyorth’s interpretation was:

[N]obody even considered the possible implications of what Thubten was saying!! … I guess all you Kagyu practitioners will be signing up with the NKT to receive the only pure lineage of the Mahamudra!!!

So, we have to decide how to interpret Gen-la’s teaching, either as (a) the Kagyu tradition has lost its Mahamudra lineage, or just (b) the Gelug tradition has lost its Mahamudra lineage. Regarding these two possible interpretations—that Gen-la was referring to Mahamudra in general, or to the uncommon Mahamudra in particular—I have a few reasons negating the former and supporting the latter.

(a) Was Gen-la referring to Mahamudra within the Kagyu tradition?

• No. The first sentence that Avyorth gives us from the recording is “So therefore, this I would like to say, when Geshe Kelsang says that he established the New Kadampa Tradition so as to preserve and protect the Dharma that was transmitted from the Wisdom Buddha Manjushri to Je Tsongkhapa, this is what he is talking about, the Mahamudra.” Given this context, from this point on when Gen-la speaks about “the practice of Mahamudra,” he is specifically referring to the uncommon Mahamudra tradition—the one transmitted to Je Tsongkhapa—not Mahamudra in general.
• No. Otherwise, this would contradict Geshe-la’s teachings in Tantric Grounds and Paths that the Kagyupas and Gelugpas share the common Mahamudra practice: “In Clear Light of Bliss, I explain only the common tradition, not our uncommon tradition.” If the Kagyu tradition had lost its Mahamudra lineage, it wouldn’t be a “common tradition” anymore (perhaps a “once common tradition”?). Besides, I cannot imagine why Geshe-la would ever say that they no longer have this lineage as well, or that he as anything ‘against’ the Kagyu tradition. Even David Kay (p. 88) agrees that, as a Gelugpa, Geshe-la has only ever been critical of fellow Gelugpas.

(b) Was Gen-la referring to Mahamudra within the NKT vs. Gelug traditions?

• Yes. In light of (a) above, when Gen-la says that “previously you could find the practice of the Mahamudra outside this tradition,” he must, therefore, be referring to the NKT versus other Gelugpa groups. This is because only the Gelugpas have held the uncommon Mahamudra practice, so how could Gen-la’s remarks refer to non-Gelug traditions if they never had it in the first place? A Tibetan saying goes, “Every Lama is his own tradition,” so by tradition Gen-la likely just means the NKT (“The New Kadampa Tradition is an entirely independent Buddhist tradition…”) as distinct from other Gelugpa groups.
• Concerning Gen-la’s words when he says, “previously you could find the practice of the Mahamudra outside [the NKT],” this must refer to a recent change, something that occurred within the past generation that we ourselves could have witnessed. Certainly, the Karmapa controversy has not caused the Kagyupas to lose their Mahamudra lineage. The only explanation that makes sense, then, is if we’re talking about the implications of the Dalai Lama’s views on Dorje Shugden. As Geshe-la said to Newsweek, “If these three are not pure Teachers [Je Phabongkhapa and Trijang Rinpoche being Mahamudra lineage Gurus] then there is no doubt that the entire practice of the Gelug Tradition is invalid. This is the main issue that needs clarification.”