Teaching lineage, whose teachings and practices are passed down through a succession of realized teachers. The Kagyu traces its lineage back to the mahasiddha Tilopa, who received the teachings directly from Vajradhara. The Kagyu are particularly known for their many great yogis as well as the monastic tradition that began with Gampopa (1079–-1153). One of the four main lineages of Buddhism in Tibet and one of the three main schools of the New Translation school, the Kagyupa school is subdivided into four greater and eight lesser lineages, not all of which have survived to the present day.