TheDrikungpa, or more formally theDrikung Kyabgön, is the head of theDrikung Kagyu, a sub-school of theKagyu (བཀའ་བརྒྱུད,Wylie:bka' brgyud), itself one of the four major schools ofTibetan Buddhism.

Like all otherKagyu lineages, the origins of Drikung Kagyu can be traced back to the Great Indian MasterTilopa who passed on his teachings to MahasiddhaNaropa who lived around the 10th and 11th century. The founder of the Drikung Kagyu lineage wasJigten Sumgön (1143-1217) of the Kyura clan,^[1] who was the disciple ofPhagmo Drupa. According to historical account from the time, Jigten Sumgön's teachings attracted more than 100,000 people at a time, with the highest number of attendance recorded at 130,000.^[2]

From the founding of Drikung Thil Monastery in 1179 to the present day, the Drikung Kagyu lineage has been led by a succession of spiritual heads ("throne-holders"). One of the two current heads of the lineage, Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang Rinpoche,^[3][4] Könchok Tenzin Kunzang Thinley Lhundrup (b. 1946),^[5] the 37th Drikungpa resides at Drikung Kagyu Institute at Dehra Dun, India.^[4] The other head of the Drikung Kagyu Lineage, the 36th Drikungpa, Drikung Kyabgön Chungtsang Rinpoche, Könchok Tenzin Chökyi Nangwa (b. 1942) lives in Lhasa, Tibet.^[6]

According toThe Great Kagyu Masters, the lineage succession is as follows:^[7]

• Karmapa
• Shamarpa

• Drikung Kagyu Order (2005)."A Brief History of the Drikung Kagyu".Drikung.org.A system of two lineage holders was established, that of the elder (Chetsang) and the younger (Chungtsang) brother.
• Drikung Kagyu Order (2005a)."His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang".Drikung.org.
• Drikung Kagyu Order (2005b)."His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgön Chungtsang".Drikung.org.
• Gruber, Elmar R. (2010).From the Heart of Tibet: The Biography of Drikung Chetsang Rinpoche, the Holder of the Drikung Kagyu Lineage. Boston: Shambhala.ISBN 978-1-59030-765-6.
• Gyaltsen, Khenpo Könchog (2006). Huckenpahler, Victoria (ed.).The Great Kagyu Master: The Golden Lineage Treasury (2nd ed.). Snow Lion Publications.ISBN 1-55939-244-4.
• Gyaltsen, Konchok (2013). "Chapter 10".Opening the Treasure of the Profound: Teachings on the Songs of Jigten Sumgon and Milarepa. Snow Lion.ISBN 978-1611800708.
• Weissman, Richard (September 8, 2010)."His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche, Head of the Drikung Kagyu Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, will visit St. Petersburg September 14-15, 2010".Tampa Bay Times. Archived fromthe original on 2012-10-13.

• Drikungpas
• Drikung Kagyu tulkus
• Tibetan Buddhist titles
• Tulkus

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