Our Mission & History
Karma Kagyu Buddhist Meditation Centre of Niagara is a traditional Tibetan Buddhist practice community dedicated to cultivating mindfulness, loving-kindness, and compassion. We are an extension of Karma Sonam Dargye Ling Buddhist Temple in Toronto, which is the Canadian seat of His Holiness The 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje. For 30 years we have operated under the guidance and teachings of the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism.
The Kagyu Lineage
The teachings of the Kagyu lineage have been passed down for nearly a thousand years within Tibet. As one of Tibetan Buddhism’s four main lineages, the Kagyu School is especially known for its profound meditative practices, its tradition of strict retreat, and the countless awakened individuals it has produced.
The teachings of the Kagyu lineage stretch back to ancient India, where the accomplished yogi Tilopa received transmissions from the primordial buddha Vajradhara. Tilopa gave these teachings to the great scholar Naropa, abbot of the famed Nalanda Monastery. In the 11th century, the great Tibetan translator Marpa made the first of three trips to India, where he met and studied with Naropa. Marpa then brought these teachings back to Tibet and eventually transmitted the lineage to Milarepa, his most important student, who practiced the teachings until he attained enlightenment. Milarepa, in turn, passed the lineage to Rechungpa and Gampopa.