Long time ago, in Tibet was born a great master called as “Jetsün Mila-Zhadpa-Dorje” which means “A pleasure to hear” like a sweat melody later called the great master Milarepa. He was born in the village of Kya Ngatsa in a rich family, he had one sister. The family misfortune started from the day His father died, the people of the village where jealous about their well being, started talking bad about the mother of Milarepa, unfortunately he was not yet ready to be the successor of his father, so his uncle take in possession of their wealth, and left in misery the family of Milarepa, so his mother sent him to study great magic in a far away land, when he came back he had learned powerful magic, so for revenge he destroyed his uncle house including all the people present which were having a party, but his uncle and his wife did not die.

So they took too revenge and completely destroyed his house leaving complete misery to his family, but his mother become so angry, and begged Milarepa to destroy the village, so he did, with the power of black magic, he sent the power of hailstorm, and destroyed all the villagers crops completely, leaving them in to misery.

After He has done this Milarepa, felt guilty about it, and asked himself why he had done this, he decided from that day he would never kill, and do something good.He started to search a teacher which would teach him the way of the dharma of Buddhism.Until one day he heard there was a great master called Marpa which he too was a student of great master Tilopa.

Which Marpa means “Translator” he was the master which helped to purify Milarepa bad Karma to have killed these people in the village.

From the first day He met Milarepa, he knew he would become a great master, but his negative karma where so much so he needed to get purification.

From the first day Marpa was very strict with Milarepa, he would ask to build Stupa , three feet tall with his bare hand and then demolish again. The poor Milarepa he build three Stupa in one single day, he got some much agony until his ribbon would come out of his back.

This shows what we have to do when we do bad action to purify in one lifetime.

Milarepa the next hoped he would get the teaching about meditation but every time he would be kicked out by Marpa, by rude words or also beating him, he cried alone in his room and asked the Buddha to forgive him about his bad deeds.

Fortunately Marpa wife would look after him and help to heal the wounds, give him food and shelter.

Marpa did not care, also one day when he was so strict that almost Milarepa died due to much physical work, and his wife begged him not to be so strict and give him the Buddha teaching. But he would listen and continue to be as rude as the day before.

One day Milarepa got so disheartened that he made a plan to escape and search another teacher that would teach him meditation.

So Marpa wife helped him , gave him the rosary of Tiropa as a gift without the allowance of Marpa.

So he left Marpa place and went to this another master for the teaching, after getting empowerment and blessing , he was so happy to start meditation, but didn’t work, didn’t have any effect.

So he asked why, because Marpa was His master he wanted or not it was Karmic related.

So he had to go back, when he arrived Marpa was very angry that his student did not listen him. He scolded Milarepa and beat him with a broom. Scolded too his wife and told her to bring immediately back his rosary that gave him his master Tiropa, and bring also the teacher which taught Milarepa, he wanted to give him a lesson.

After this Marpa felt guilty about it, and had great compassion to Milarepa, because all he did was purify all his negative karma.

So he then invited Milarepa to get the initiation for the spiritual practice.

After the blessing and the teaching, Milarepa learned the dharma teaching, he then went into retreat in a cave nearby.

He used to stay in deep meditation for many days without eating and without walking around.

But after some time he missed his mother and wanted to see her again.

So he asked to Marpa if he could have the permission to go back to the place where he was born, to see his mother again, before she dies.

Marpa predicted that at his childhood village nobody would wait for him, and there was nothing to look after. Because his sister left the village long time ago and her mother was dead.

So then when Milarepa arrived at his village it was as same as Marpa had predicted, his home was abandoned and there was nothing inside, but he wanted to go inside and find his mother ashes.

After long searching he found her ashes and did some prayers.

After that he left the village and went to the cave of Dragkar-Tso, to meditate. Here he had very long retreat, and deep meditation for many years.

He used to eat one grain of rice in a week. But many time he would refuse to eat because he thought it is suffering, because our body needs the food so we suffer when we don’t have to eat. His also been represented in many “Thanka” – Tibetan painting- like a Green Male Budda.

Milarepa was greeb because he used to cook nettle and eat it often so then he would become eventually green.

Milarepa deep meditation and regret about his bad deeds and great compassion, let him in the end become one of the first Buddha in Tibet.

He got enlighten before he died and was regarded by the Tibetans a Great Teacher and Guru.

Specially the “Kagyupa” lineage regard him as a Buddha. Milarepa with His Guru Marpa expanded Buddhism in Tibet. In those days Tibet was influenced by Muslim culture.

So there after Milarepa the Tibetan aspect changed in too Buddhist Dharma.

One of disciple of Milarepa, was the first Karmapa, the founder name was “Karma-pa Ramtchung-Dorje”, this lineage is very strict about its practices, and usually they do retreat in a cave and look for inner peace alone without the presence of many people, usually isolated from the world, deep in the Himalayas and different Tibetan holy caves,  to search happiness and inner peace and in the end obtain enlightenment.

The first Karmapa was also the King of Tibet, he did start the system of Reincarnation “the one which is born after have lived a life full of dedication in Buddhist dharma and has freed himself from Samsara.”

H.H. the First Karmapa expanded Buddhism in Tibet, like the previous Guru like Guru Rinpoche, Milarepa, Marpa, Tilopa and Zhonkapa.

The meaning of “Kagyu-pa”is the one which delivers the teaching of Lord Buddha to the sentient being.

The “Kagyupa-pa”lineage is one of the main four Buddhist school , there are also,

“Nyinma”, “Gelug-pa” and “Sakya”.

So this is just a brief sentence of how “Kagyupa” started and the brief story of the great master Milarepa, for further information you can read the book of the “Life of Milarepa” there are different writers of this book in different languages.