Tilopa belonged to the tantric Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism.
As a tantric practitioner and mahasiddha, he lived along the Ganges River. In order to accelerate the process of attaining Buddhahood, he practiced Anuttarayoga Tantra, a set of spiritual practices designed to accelerate the attainment of Buddhahood. He became a holder of all the tantric lineages, possibly the only person in his day to do so. As well as the way of insight, and Mahamudra he learned and passed on the Way of Methods, today is known as the 6 Yogas of Naropa, and guru yoga.