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Nyingma



 
 
The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhism religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India ....
 (the other three being the Kagyu
Kagyu

The Kagyu or Kagyupa school, also known as the "Oral Lineage" or Whispered Transmission school, is today one of four main schools of Himalayan or Tibetan Buddhism, the other three being the Nyingma , Sakya , and Gelug ....
, Sakya
Sakya

The Sakya school is one of four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the others being the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Gelug. It is one of the Red Hat sects along with the Nyingma and Kagyu....
 and Gelug
Gelug

The Gelug or Gelug-pa, also known as the Yellow Hat sect, is a school of Buddhism founded by Tsongkhapa , a philosopher and Tibetan religious leader....
). "Nyingma" literally means "ancient," and is often referred to as the "school of the ancient translations" or the "old school" because it is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit
Sanskrit

Sanskrit is a historical Indo-Aryan language, one of the liturgical languages of Hinduism and Buddhism, and one of the 22 official languages of India....
 into Tibetan
Tibetan language

The Tibetan languages are a cluster of mutually unintelligible Tibeto-Burman languages spoken primarily by Tibetan peoples who live across a wide area of eastern Central Asia bordering South Asia, including the Tibetan Plateau and the northern Indian subcontinent in Baltistan, Ladakh, Nepal, Sikkim, and Bhutan....
, in the eighth century.






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Guru Rinpoche   Padmasambhava Statue
The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhism religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India ....
 (the other three being the Kagyu
Kagyu

The Kagyu or Kagyupa school, also known as the "Oral Lineage" or Whispered Transmission school, is today one of four main schools of Himalayan or Tibetan Buddhism, the other three being the Nyingma , Sakya , and Gelug ....
, Sakya
Sakya

The Sakya school is one of four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the others being the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Gelug. It is one of the Red Hat sects along with the Nyingma and Kagyu....
 and Gelug
Gelug

The Gelug or Gelug-pa, also known as the Yellow Hat sect, is a school of Buddhism founded by Tsongkhapa , a philosopher and Tibetan religious leader....
). "Nyingma" literally means "ancient," and is often referred to as the "school of the ancient translations" or the "old school" because it is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit
Sanskrit

Sanskrit is a historical Indo-Aryan language, one of the liturgical languages of Hinduism and Buddhism, and one of the 22 official languages of India....
 into Tibetan
Tibetan language

The Tibetan languages are a cluster of mutually unintelligible Tibeto-Burman languages spoken primarily by Tibetan peoples who live across a wide area of eastern Central Asia bordering South Asia, including the Tibetan Plateau and the northern Indian subcontinent in Baltistan, Ladakh, Nepal, Sikkim, and Bhutan....
, in the eighth century. The Tibetan script
Tibetan script

The Tibetan script is an abugida of Brahmic family origin used to write the Tibetan language as well as the Dzongkha language, Ladakhi language and sometimes the Balti language....
 and grammar was actually created for this endeavour. In modern times the Nyingma lineage has been centered in Kham
Kham

Kham , is a region presently divided between the China provinces of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, and Sichuan where Khampas, a subgroup within the Tibetan ethnicity, live....
 in eastern Tibet.

The Nyingma tradition actually comprises several distinct lineages that all trace their origins to the India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
n master Padmasambhava
Padmasambhava

Padmasambhava The Lotus Born, is said to have transmitted Tantric Buddhism to Bhutan and Tibet in the 8th century. In those lands he is better known as Guru Rinpoche or Lopon Rinpoche, where followers of the Nyingma school regard him as the second Buddha ....
, who is lauded in the popular canon as the founder of Tibetan Buddhism and is still propitiated in the discipline of reciprocity that is guru yoga sadhana
Sadhana

Sadhana is a Hindi term for "a means of accomplishing something" or more specifically "spiritual practice". It includes a variety of disciplines from Hinduism and Buddhism traditions that are followed in order to achieve various spirituality or ritual objectives....
, the staple of the tradition(s).

Historically, Nyingmapa are categorised into Red Sangha and White Sangha. Red Sangha denotes a celibate, monastic practitioner; whereas White Sangha denotes a non-celibate practitioner who abstains from vows of celibacy. At different times in ones life due to changing circumstances and proclivities, individuals historically moved between these two Sanghas. Rarely was either determination of Red or White for the duration of one's life.

Nyingma maintains the earliest tantric
Tantric

Tantric can refer to:*Tantra, especially Hindu Tantra and tantric yoga*Neotantra, a term used to describe the modern, western use of the word Tantra...
 teachings which have been given the popular nomenclature of Vajrayana
Vajrayana

Vajrayana Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayana, Mantranaya, Mantrayana, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and the Diamond Vehicle ....
. Early Vajrayana that was transmitted from India to Tibet may be differentiated by the specific term 'Mantrayana' (Wylie: sngags kyi theg pa). 'Mantrayana' is the Sanskrit of what became rendered in Tibetan as "Secret Mantra" (Wylie: gsang sngags): gsang sngags is the self-identifying term employed in the earliest literature, whereas Nyingma became associated in differentiation from the "New Schools" Sarma
Sarma (Tibetan Buddhism)

Sarma In Tibetan Buddhism, the Sarma schools include the three newest of the four main schools, comprising:*Kagyu*Sakya*Kadam /Gelukand their sub-branches....
.

History


Geographical dissemination of Buddhism into the Tibetan plateau

Dargyay (1998: p.5) provides a sound case that:
...at least in Eastern Tibet, there existed during and after the time of Lha-tho-tho-ri [Fl.173(?)-300(?) CE] a solid knowledge of Buddhism and that the upper classes of the people were faithfully devoted to it. But the border regions in the north and west probably had also come into contact with Buddhism long before the time of Srong-btsan-sgam-po. Buddhist teachings reached China via a route along the western and northern borders of the Tibetan culture and language zone; the same route was travelled by Indian Pandits and Chinese pilgrims in their endeavour to bring this Indian religion to China. There used to be contacts with the Tibetan population in these border regions. It is possible that the knowledge gained from these encounters was spread by merchants over large areas of Tibet. Thus, when Srong-btsan-sgam-po succeeded to the throne of Tibet in the year 627, the country was ready for a systematic missionary drive under royal patronage.


Origins

Germano (2002: unpaginated) states:
While Buddhist figures and movements surely were active on the Tibetan plateau long before, Tibetan religious histories concentrate on events in the latter half of the eighth century as marking a watershed during which Buddhism definitively established itself within Tibetan culture. With the official sponsorship of the emperor Trisong Detsen (khri srong lde btsan), the first major monastery was established at Samye (bsam yas), a broad scale translation project of the Buddhist canon into a newly minted Tibetan literary language was initiated, and a variety of lineages began to take hold. The explosive developments were interrupted in the mid-ninth century as the Empire began to disintegrate, leading to a century-long interim of civil war and decentralization about which we know relatively little.


Around 760, King Trisong Detsen invited Padmasambhava
Padmasambhava

Padmasambhava The Lotus Born, is said to have transmitted Tantric Buddhism to Bhutan and Tibet in the 8th century. In those lands he is better known as Guru Rinpoche or Lopon Rinpoche, where followers of the Nyingma school regard him as the second Buddha ....
 and the Nalanda
Nalanda

Nalanda is the name of an ancient university in Bihar, India.The site of Nalanda is located in the States and territories of India of Bihar, about 55 miles south east of Patna, and was a Buddhism center of learning from 427 to 1197 CE....
 University abbot Shantarakshita
Shantarakshita

was a renowned 8th Century Indian Buddhist pandit and abbot of Nalanda University. Shantarakshita founded the philosophical school known as the Yogacara-Svatantrika-Madhyamaka which united the Madhyamaka tradition of Nagarjuna, the Yogacara tradition of Asanga with the logical and epistemological thought of Dharmakirti....
 (Tibetan Shiwatso) to Tibet to introduce Buddhism in the "Land of Snows." King Trisong Detsen ordered the translation of all Buddhist Dharma
Dharma

The term , is an Indian Indian philosophy and Indian religions term, that means one's righteous duty or any virtuous path in the common sense of the term....
 Texts into Tibetan. Padmasambhava, Shantarakshita, 108 translators, and 25 of Padmasambhava's nearest disciples worked for many years in a gigantic translation-project. The translations from this period formed the base for the large scriptural transmission of Dharma teachings into Tibet. Padmasambhava supervised mainly the translation of Tantra
Tantra

Tantra , or tantram is a religious philosophy according to which Shakti is usually the main deity worshipped, and the universe is regarded as the divine play of shakti and shiva....
; Shantarakshita concentrated on the Sutra
Sutra

Sutra , literally means a rope or thread that holds things together, and more metaphorically refers to an aphorism , or a collection of such aphorisms in the form of a manual....
-teachings. Padmasambhava and Shantarakshita also founded the first Buddhist monastery Samye
Samye

The Samye Monastery or Samye Gompa is the first Buddhist monastery built in Tibet, constructed in approximately 775 AD under the patronage of King Trisong Detsen of Tibet who sought to revitalize Buddhism, which had declined since its introduction by King Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century....
 on Tibetan ground. It was the main center for dharma transmission in Tibet during this age.

25 disciples

The miracle-powers of the 25 disciples of Padmasambhava are widely accepted among Tibetan Buddhists. These disciples were: King Trisong Detsen
Trisong Detsen

Trisong Dets?n or Trisong Detsen ???????????????? , was one of the List of emperors of Tibet and ruled from 755 until 797 or 804 CE. Trisong Detsen was the second of the Three Dharma Kings of Tibet, playing a pivotal role in the introduction of Buddhism to Tibet and the establishment of the Nyingma, or 'Ancient' school of Tibetan Buddhism....
, Namkhai Nyingpo, Nub Chen Sangye Yeshe
Nub Chen Sangye Yeshe

Nubchen Sangye Yeshe was one of the twenty-five principal students of Lama Padmasambhava, founder or the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism.Nubchen Sangye Yeshe is considered an important person for development of the White Sangha of lay yogis ....
, Gyalwa Choyang, the princess of Karchen Khandro Yeshe Tsogyal
Yeshe Tsogyal

Yeshe Tsogyel, also known in the Nyingma tradition as the Great Bliss Queen, is a semi-mythical female deity or figure of Enlightenment in Tibetan Buddhism....
, Palgyi Yeshe, Palgyi Senge, the great translator Vairotsana
Vairotsana

This article is about the Tibetan translator. For the primordial Buddha Vairocana, please see VairocanaVairotsana of 'Pagor' was a Tibetan translator living during the reign of King Trisong Detsen ....
, Nyak Jnanakumara, Gyalmo Yudra Nyingpo, Nanam Dorje Dudjom, Yeshe Yang, Sokpo Lhapal, Nanam Zhang Yeshe De, Palgyi Wangchuk, Denma Tsémang, Kawa Paltsek, Shupu Palgyi Senge, Dré Gyalwe Lodro, Drokben Khyenchung Lotsawa, Otren Palgyi Wangchuk, Ma Rinchen Chok, Lhalung Palgyi Dorje, Langdro Konchog Jungné and Lasum Gyalwa Changchup.

Early period

From this basis, Tantric Buddhism was established in its entirety in Tibet. From the 8th until the 11th century, the Nyingma was the only school of Buddhism in Tibet. With the reign of King Langdarma
Langdarma

Langdarma was the last Tibetan emperor, who reigned from 838-841 CE.By tradition Langdarma is held to be have been anti-Buddhist and a follower of the B?n religion....
 (836–842) a time of political instability ensued which continued over the next 300 years, during which time Buddhism was persecuted and largely forced underground. From the 11th century onwards, the Nyingma tradition flourished along with the newer Sarma schools, and it was at that time that Nyingmapas began to see themselves as a distinct group and the term "Nyingma" came into usage.

Political ethos


Historically, the Nyingma tradition is unique amongst the four schools in that its supporters never held political power, and therefore it stood at a greater remove from the political machinations of Tibet. Indeed, the Nyingma traditionally had no centralized authority and drew significant power from not having one. Only since the Tibetan diaspora following the Chinese annexure of Tibet have the Nyingma had a head of the Tradition and this seat was only invested at the polite request of the Dalai Lama. Even so, the Nyingma tradition is still politically decentralized and often decisions are made in an oligarchy
Oligarchy

Oligarchy is a form of government where political power effectively rests with a small Elitism segment of society distinguished by royalty, wealth, family, military influence or occult spiritual hegemony....
 or community of the senior sangha within a given jurisdiction or locale. Nyingmapa are also historically characterized and distinguished by decentralization and by their general wider political disinterest, with a lesser emphasis on monasticism relative to the other schools, with a correspondingly greater preponderance of ngakpas, uncelibate householders and yogins.

There was never a single "head of the lineage" in the manner of the Ganden Tripa
Ganden Tripa

The Ganden Tripa or Gaden Tripa is the title of the spiritual leader of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, the school which controlled central Tibet from the mid-1600s until 1950s....
 (or Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama is a lineage of religious leader of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism and was the political leader of Lhasa-based Tibetan government between the 17th century and 1959....
) of the Gelugpa, the Karmapa
Karmapa

The Karmapa is the head of the Karma Kagyu, the largest sub-school of the Kagyupa , itself one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism....
 of the Karma Kagyu
Karma Kagyu

Karma Kagyu , or Kamtsang, is the largest Lineage within the Kagyu school, one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The spiritual head of the Karma Kagyu is the Gyalwa Karmapa....
, and the Sakya Trizin
Sakya Trizin

The Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism refers to its head as the Sakya Trizin.The spiritual leadership of the Sakya school is controlled by the descendants of the K?hn family, who around 750, when Kh?n Jekundag was a minister of Trisong Detsen, got into contact with Buddhism and who were taught by Padmasambhava....
 of the Sakya
Sakya

The Sakya school is one of four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the others being the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Gelug. It is one of the Red Hat sects along with the Nyingma and Kagyu....
. It was only recently in exile in India that this role was created at the request of the Tibetan Government in Exile, and it is largely administrative. Nevertheless, the lamas who have served in this role are among the most universally highly regarded. They are:

  • Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche
    Dudjom Rinpoche

    Dudjom Rinpoche is the title of a prominent line of tulkus of the Nyingmapa order of Tibetan Buddhism. The most recent Dudjom Rinpoche was born in 1904 in South Tibet in a region called the "hidden land" of Bome County....
     (c. 1904–1987), served from the 1960s until his death.
  • Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (c. 1910–1991), served from 1987 until his death.
  • Penor (Pema Norbu) Rinpoche
    Penor rinpoche

    Kyabj? Drubwang Pema Norbu Rinpoche is the 11th throne holder of the Palyul Lineage of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, and is said to be an incarnation of Vimalamitra....
     served from 1991 until retirement in 2003.
  • Mindroling Trichen Rinpoche (c. 1930–2008), served from 2003 until his death. His successor is .


Philosophy and doctrinal tenets

Capriles (2003: p.100) elucidates the Nyingma Dzogchenpa view which qualifies the doctrinal position of the Madhyamaka
Madhyamaka

Madhyamaka is a Buddhist Mahayana tradition systematized by Nagarjuna. Nagarjuna may have arrived at his positions from a desire to achieve a consistent exegesis of Gautama Buddha's doctrine as recorded in the Nikayas....
 Rangtongpa (Prasangika and Swatantrika) in relation to the 'absence of self-nature' (Sanskrit: swabhava shunyata
Shunyata

Sunyata, ??????? , Su??ata , stong pa nyid , K?ng/Ku, ? , Gong-seong, ?? , qo?usun meaning "Emptiness" or "Voidness", is a characteristic of phenomena arising from the fact that the impermanent nature of form means that nothing possesses essential, enduring identity ....
):
Though the teachings of the Nyingmapa agree that all phenomena lack a self-nature and a substance, according to many Nyingma teachings reducing voidness to a mere absence would be an instance of nihilism, and identifying absolute truth with such an absence would imply that this truth cannot account for the manifestation of Awakening, or even for the manifestation of phenomena; therefore, they explain voidness as lying in the recognition of the absence of mental constructs that is inherent in the essence of mind in which space and awareness are indivisible, and define absolute truth as consisting in the indivisibility of emptiness and appearances, or of emptiness and awareness.


Features of the Nyingma lineage


Nine Yana

The structure of tantric teachings of Nyingma is significant aside from the terma
Terma (Buddhism)

Terma are key Tibetan Buddhism and B?n teachings, which the tradition holds were originally esoterically hidden by various adepts such as Padmasambhava and his wikt:consort in the 8th century for future discovery at auspicious times, etc....
-tradition. Nyingma-Schools distinguish 6 levels of tantric teachings; in other schools, 4 levels are common.

Outer tantra
  • Kriya
    Kriya

    Kriya most commonly refers to a technique or practice within a yoga discipline, also the outward physical manifestations of awakened kundalini....
  • Carya
    Carya

    Carya can mean the following:* Carya , hickory trees* Carya, an archaic nut-tree goddess: see Caryatis.* Caryatis, a type of moth, see Arctiinae....
     or Ubhaya
  • Yogatantra
Inner tantra
  • Mahayoga
    Mahayoga

    Mahayoga is the designation of the first of the three Inner Tantras according to the Yana #The nine yanas of practice used by the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism....
  • Anuyoga
    Anuyoga

    Anuyoga is the designation of the second of the three Inner Tantras according to the Yana #The nine yanas of practice used by the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism....
  • Atiyoga/Dzogchen
    Dzogchen

    According to some schools of Tibetan Buddhism and B?n, Dzogchen is the natural, primordial state or natural condition of every Sentient beings , including every human being....
     (The "Great Perfection")
In the later schools the inner tantric teachings are known as Anuttarayogatantra, which corresponds to Mahayoga in the Nyingma system, while the Mahamudra
Mahamudra

Mahamudra literally means 'great seal' or 'great symbol'. Mahamudra is an advanced form of Buddhism meditation practice, comprising methods of attaining a direct introduction to the nature and essence of the mind....
 teachings of the later schools are said to lead to similar results as the Dzogchen teachings.

Dzogchen Rinpoche
Dzogchen Rinpoche

Dzogchen Rinpoche - The head lama of Dzogchen Monastery, one of the largest monasteries in eastern Tibet before the Chinese liberation.The current Dzogchen Rinpoche, who is counted as the seventh in the line of incarnations, Jikme Losal Wangpo , was born in Gangtok, Sikkim in 1964, as the younger brother of Sogyal Rinpoche....
 (2007: p.89) holds that:
When we study and practice the so-called lower and higher yanas, we might hear that the most sublime, or the pinnacle of all teachings are those of dzogchen, and this is true. The "lower" yanas of the shravaka and bodhisattva paths, the "higher" paths of the tantras, and the "pinnacle" path of dzogchen are distinguished from one another in this way. This gradation shows the various ways in which it is appropriate for beings of differing propensities to proceed upon the path. Ideally, a practitioner proceeds from the lower levels of practice to the higher levels, and then to the summit. This does not mean that the lower levels of practice are to be disparaged or ignored. We should not focus on the higher paths at the expense of the lower paths...".


Tantra and Dzogchen texts and praxis in the Nyingma tradition

With the advent of the transmission of Sarma
Sarma

Sarma may refer to:*Sarma , Brahmin surname in India*Sarma , a dish found primarily in the cuisines of the Middle East and central Europe*Sarma , three newest schools of Tibetan Buddhism...
 traditions into Tibet, various proponents of the new systems cast aspersions on the Indic origins of much of the Nyingma esoteric corpus. Indic origin was an important component of perceived legitimacy at the time. As a result, much of the Nyingma esoteric corpus was excluded from the Tengyur
Tengyur

The Tengyur or Tanjur is the Tibetan collection of commentaries to the Buddhist teachings, or "Translated Treatises". The Beijing version covers 3,626 texts in 224 volumes, but numbers vary depending on the version....
, a compilation of texts by Buton Rinchen Drub that became the established canon for the Sarma traditions.

In response, the Nyingmapas organized their esoteric corpus, comprising mostly Mahayoga
Mahayoga

Mahayoga is the designation of the first of the three Inner Tantras according to the Yana #The nine yanas of practice used by the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism....
, Atiyoga (Dzogchen) Mind class Semde
Semde

Semde translated as "mind division", "mind series" or "mind school" is the name of one of three scriptural and lineage divisions within Atiyoga, Dzogchen or the Great Perfection which is itself the pinnacle of the Yana #The nine yanas of practice according to the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism....
 and Space Class (Longde
Longde

Longde is the name of one of three scriptural divisions within Atiyoga, also known as Dzogchen or the Great Perfection which is itself the pinnacle of the Yana #The nine yanas of practice according to the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism....
) texts, into an alternate collection, called the Nyingma Gyubum (the Hundred Thousand Tantras of the Ancient School, Wylie: rnying ma rgyud ‘bum). Generally, the Gyubum contains Kahma (Wylie: (bka' ma) and very little terma
Terma

Terma can refer to:*Terma , a concept in Tibetan Buddhism*Terma A/S, a Danish company.*Terma Foundation, American charity working in Tibet*Terma , an episode of The X-Files...
 (Wylie: gter ma). The third class of Atiyoga, the Secret Oral Instructions (Menngagde), are mostly terma texts.

Various editions of the Gyubum are extant, but one typical version is the thirty-six Tibetan-language folio volumes published by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche in New Delhi, 1974. It contains:

  • 10 volumes of Ati Yoga (Dzogchen)
  • 3 volumes of Anu Yoga
  • 6 volumes of the tantra Section of Mahayoga
  • 13 volumes of the sadhana Section of Mahayoga
  • 1 volume of protector tantras
  • 3 volumes of catalogues and historical background


Eighteen great tantras of Mahayoga

There are 'eighteen great tantras' (Wylie: bshad pa dang cha mthun gyi rgyud tantra sde bco brgyad) at the heart of the Mantrayana 'Mahayoga
Mahayoga

Mahayoga is the designation of the first of the three Inner Tantras according to the Yana #The nine yanas of practice used by the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism....
' (Wylie: rnal 'byor chen po) tradition, grouped into 'five root tantras' (Wylie: rtsa ba sku gsung thugs yon tan phrin las kyi rgyud chen po lnga), 'five practice tantras' (Wylie: sgrub pa lag len du bstan pa rol pa' rgyud chen po lnga), and 'five activity tantras' (Wylie: spyod pa'i yan lag tu 'gro ba'i rgyud chen po lnga), and the 'two supplementary tantras' (Wylie: ma tshang kha bskong ba'i rgyud chen po gnyis). Together they are known as the Mayajala. They are as follows:

The "Guhyagarbha Tantra
Guhyagarbha tantra

The Guhyagarbha Tantra is the main Buddhist Tantra of the Mahayoga class and the primary Tantric text studied in the Nyingma tradition as a key to understanding empowerment, samaya, mantras, mandalas and other Vajrayana topics....
" (Wylie: rDo rje sems dpa' sgyu 'phrul drwa ba; gSang ba snying po) is the foremost of all of these and it abridges the content of the seventeen others as follows:

Root tantras:
  • Equalizing Buddhahood (the tantra of the body) (Wylie: Sangs rgyas mnyam sbyor gyi rtsa ba mkha' 'gro ma bde mchog rtsa ba'i rgyud)
  • The Secret Moon, (the tantra of speech) (Wylie: dPal Zla gsang thig le rtsa ba'i rgyud)
  • The Assembly of Secrets (Guhyasamaja Tantra
    Guhyasamaja tantra

    Guhyasamaja Tantra, or Esoteric Community Tantra,...
    ) (the tantra of mind) (Wylie: dPal gSang ba 'dus pa)
  • The Glorious Supreme Primal Tantra (the tantra of qualities) (Wylie: dPal mchog dang po)
  • The Activity Garland Tantra (the tantra of activities) (Wylie: Kar ma ma le)


Practice tantras:
  • The Heruka
    Heruka

    Heruka is also a name for the Tantric deity Chakrasamvara, for which see.Heruka or "blood drinker", is the name of a category of wrathful deities, enlightened beings in Vajrayana Buddhism that adopt a fierce countenance to benefit sentient beings....
     Practice Tantra (Wylie: He ru ka rol pa'i rgyud)
  • The Hayagriva
    Hayagriva

    Hayagriva is a horse-headed deity that appears in both Hinduism and Buddhism....
     Supreme Practice Tantra (Wylie: rTa mchog rol pa'i rgyud)
  • The Compassion Tantra (Wylie: sNying rje rol pa'i rgyud)
  • The Nectar Practice Tantra (Wylie: bDud rtsi rol pa'i rgyud)
  • The Arising of the Twelve Kilayas Tantra (Wylie: Byit to ta ma rol pa'i rgyud; Phur pa bcu gnyis)


Activity Tantras:
  • The Mountain Pile (Wylie: Go 'phang dbang gis bgrod pa ri bo brtsegs pa'i rgyud)
  • The Awesome Wisdom Lightning (Wylie: La spyod pas dor ba rngam pa glog gi 'khor lo'i rgyud)
  • The Array of Samayas (Wylie: gZhi dam tshigs gis bzung ba bkod pa rgyal po'i rgyud)
  • The One-Pointed Samadhi (Wylie: Nyams su ting 'dzin gyis blangs pa rtse gcig bsdus pa'i rgyud)
  • The Rampant Elephant (Wylie: Phang lta bas bcad pa glang po rab 'bog gi rgyud)


Last Tantras that complete whatever is incomplete:
  • The Vairochana Net of Magical Display (Wylie: rNam par snang mdzad sgyu 'phrul drwa ba'i rgyud)
  • The Noble, Skilful Lasso, the Concise Lotus Garland (Wylie: Thabs kyi zhags pa pad mo'i phreng ba'i rgyud)


"Eighteen" Texts of the Mind Division (Semde)

The mind class (semde) of Dzogchen was also said to comprise eighteen tantras, although the formulation eventually came to include slightly more. Tantras
Vajrayana

Vajrayana Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayana, Mantranaya, Mantrayana, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and the Diamond Vehicle ....
 belonging to the Mind Division include:
  • Rigpa'i Khuchug (Cuckoo of Presence)
  • Tsalchen Trugpa (Great Potency)
  • Khyungchen Dingwa (Great Garuda in Flight)
  • Dola Serzhun (Refining Gold from Ore)
  • Minubpa'i Gyaltshen Dorje Sempa Namkhache (The Victory Banner that Does Not Wane - Total Space of Vajrasattva)
  • Tsemo Chung-gyal (Supreme Peak)
  • Namkha'i Gyalpo (King of Space)
  • Dewa Thrulkod (Jewel-Encrusted Bliss Ornament)
  • Dzogpa Chiching (All-Encompassing Perfection)
  • Changchub Semtig (Essence of Bodhicitta)
  • Dewa Rabjam (Infinite Bliss)
  • Sog-gi Khorlo (Wheel of Life)
  • Thigle Trugpa (Six Spheres)
  • Dzogpa Chichod (All-Penetrating Perfection)
  • Yidzhin Norbu (Wish-Fulfilling Jewel)
  • Kundu Rigpa (All-unifying Pure Presence)
  • Jetsun Tampa (Supreme Lord)
  • Gonpa Tontrub (The Realization of the True Meaning of Meditation)
  • Kunjed Gyalpo (Sanskrit: Kulayaraja Tantra; The All-Creating King)
  • Medchung Gyalpo (Wonderous King)
  • Dochu (The Ten Concluding Teachings)


Of these, the first five are the "Five Earlier Translated Tantras", translated by Vairotsana
Vairotsana

This article is about the Tibetan translator. For the primordial Buddha Vairocana, please see VairocanaVairotsana of 'Pagor' was a Tibetan translator living during the reign of King Trisong Detsen ....
. The next thirteen were translated primarily by Vimalamitra. Of the remaining three, the Kunjed Gyalpo is taken to be the primary or root tantra of the Mind Series.

Termas and tertons

The appearance of
terma
Terma (Buddhism)

Terma are key Tibetan Buddhism and B?n teachings, which the tradition holds were originally esoterically hidden by various adepts such as Padmasambhava and his wikt:consort in the 8th century for future discovery at auspicious times, etc....
("hidden treasures") is of particular significance to the Nyingma tradition. Although there have been a few Kagyupa "tertons" (treasure revealers) and the practice is endemic to the Bönpo as well, the vast majority of Tibetan Buddhist tertons have been Nyingmapas. It is held that past masters, principally Padmasambhava, secreted objects and hid teachings for discovery by later tertons at appropriate and auspicious times such that the teaching would be beneficial. These teachings may be physically discovered, often in rocks and caves, or they may be "mind terma," appearing directly within the mindstream
Mindstream

Mindstream is a compound term composed of mind and stream used to translate a term from Buddhist philosophy.The mindstream doctrine, like most Buddhist doctrines, is not homogeneous and shows historical development, different applications according to context and varied definitions employed by different Buddhist traditions....
 of the terton.

Terma
Padmasambhava and his main disciples hid hundreds of scriptures, ritual objects and relics in secret places to protect Buddhism during the time of decline under King Langdarma. These termas
Terma (Buddhism)

Terma are key Tibetan Buddhism and B?n teachings, which the tradition holds were originally esoterically hidden by various adepts such as Padmasambhava and his wikt:consort in the 8th century for future discovery at auspicious times, etc....
 were later rediscovered and special terma lineages were established throughout Tibet. Out of this activity developed, especially within the Nyingma tradition, two ways of dharma transmission: the so called "long" oral transmission from teacher to student in unbroken lineages and the "short" transmission or "whispered transmission" of "hidden treasures". The foremost revealers of these termas were the five terton kings and the eight Lingpas
Eight Lingpas

Eight Lingpas . Sangye Lingpa , Dorje Lingpa , Rinchen Lingpa, Pema Lingpa , Ratna Lingpa , Kunkyong Lingpa , Do-ngag Lingpa and Tennyi Lingpa....
.

The terma tradition had antecedents in India; Nagarjuna
Nagarjuna

File:Nagarjuna at Samye Ling Monastery.JPGFile:Nagarjuna.JPGAcharya Nagarjuna was an Indian philosophy and the founder of the Madhyamaka school of Mahayana Buddhism....
, for example, rediscovered the last part of the "Prajnaparamita-Sutra
Perfection of Wisdom

"Perfection of Wisdom" is a translation of the Sanskrit term praj?a paramita The Perfection of Wisdom Sutras or Praj?aparamita Sutras are a genre of Mahayana Buddhist scriptures dealing with the subject of the Perfection of Wisdom....
 in one hundred thousand verses" in the realm of Naga, where it had been kept since the time of Buddha Shakyamuni
Gautama Buddha

Siddhartha Gautama was a Spirituality teacher in the northern region of the Indian subcontinent who founded Buddhism. He is generally seen by Buddhists as the Supreme Buddhahood of our age....
.

Tertons
According to Nyingma tradition, tertons are often incarnations of the 25 main disciples of Padmasambhava. A vast system of transmission lineages developed through the ages. Nyingma scriptures were updated when the time was appropriate. Terma teachings guided many Buddhist practitioners to realisation and enlightenment.

The rediscovering of terma began with the first terton, Sangye Lama (1000–1080). Tertons of outstanding importance were Nyangral Nyima Oser (1124–1192), Guru Chowang (1212–1270), Rigdzin Godem (1307–1408), Pema Lingpa
Pema Lingpa

Pema Lingpa or Padma Lingpa was a famous saint and siddha of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. He was a preeminent terton , and is considered to be foremost of the Five Terton Kings....
 (1450–1521), Migyur Dorje
Migyur Dorje

Migyur Dorje is the Terton who recognized Kunzang Sherab as the Lineage Holder of Nam Cho terma in the Palyul Lineage. Terton Migyur Dorje first revealed these treasures when he was a thirteen years of age from Senge Dradog ....
 (1645–1667), Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo
Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo

Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo was a renowned teacher, scholar and tert?n of 19th century Tibet. He was a leading figure in the nonsectarian Rime movement....
 (1820–1892) and Orgyen Chokyur Lingpa (1829–1870). In the 19th century some of the most famous were the Khen Kong Chok Sum referring to Jamyang Khyentse, Jamgon Kongtrul
Jamgon Kongtrul

Jamgon Kongtrul was a prominent Tibetan Buddhist teacher and is also the name shared by members of a lineage held by tradition to be his subsequent reincarnations ....
 and Chokgyur Lingpa. Orgyen Kusum Lingpa
Orgyen Kusum Lingpa

Orgyen Kusum Lingpa is a terton and Nyingma lineage holder within Tibetan Buddhism. He teaches Dzogchen at the The San Francisco Bay Area Vajrakilaya Centers he established in May 1995....
 is a living terton.

Various traditions and important historical figures

It is generally agreed that Longchenpa and Mipham are the two most important scholars to the Nyingma lineage.

Longchenpa (1308-1363)

During the ages, many great scholars and tantric Masters appeared within the Nyingma lineage. Most famous of all is the master and scholar Longchenpa (Longchen Rabjam), who, along with Rongzom Pandita, and Jigme Lingpa
Jigme Lingpa

Jigme Lingpa was one of the most important terton of Tibet. He was the promulgator of the Longchen Nyingtig, the Heart Essence teachings of Longchenpa, from whom, according to tradition, he received a vision in which the teachings were revealed....
 are known as
kun kyen or "omniscient ones" - a rare title denoting doctrinal infallibility. He wrote many scriptures on the whole Nyingma-dharma. He is especially known for his presentation of the Nyingma philosophical view, that of Dzogchen
Dzogchen

According to some schools of Tibetan Buddhism and B?n, Dzogchen is the natural, primordial state or natural condition of every Sentient beings , including every human being....
 in particular. His main works are the "seven treasuries" (
Dzö dün), "three cycles of relaxation" (Ngalso Korsum), "three cycles of natural liberation" (Rangdröl Korsum) and the three "inner essences" (Yangtig Namsum). Longchen Rabjam also systematized the transmission of Dzogchen, the Great Perfection, in a collection of texts called "The Four-fold Heart Essence" (Nyingthig Yabzhi).

Jigme Lingpa (1730-1798) and the Longchen Nyingthig

Jigme Lingpa
Jigme Lingpa

Jigme Lingpa was one of the most important terton of Tibet. He was the promulgator of the Longchen Nyingtig, the Heart Essence teachings of Longchenpa, from whom, according to tradition, he received a vision in which the teachings were revealed....
 further condensed the
Nyingthig Yabzhi of Longchenpa
Longchenpa

Longchenpa or Longchen Rabjampa was a major teacher in the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. Along with Sakya Pandita and Je Tsongkhapa, he is commonly recognized as one of the three main manifestations of Manjushri to have taught in Central Tibet....
 into a cycle of termas called the
Longchen Nyingthig
Longchen Nyingthig

Longchen Nyingthig is a systematic explanation of Dzogchen within the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. Like the world famous Bardo Thodol, the Longchen Nyingthig is a seminal example of the Terma tradition....
, or "Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse". The Nyingthig Yabshi and the Longchen Nyingthig are known, respectively, as the earlier and later "heart essence." The Longchen Nyingthig became both the foundation of the main Dzogchen teachings in the contemporary period and of the Rime movement
Rime movement

Rim? is a Tibetan word which means "no sides", "non-partisan" or "non-sectarian". In a religious context, the word ri-m? is usually used to refer to the "Eclectic Movement" between the Buddhist Nyingma, Sakya, and Kagyu traditions, along with the non-Buddhist B?n religion, wherein practitioners "follow multiple lineages of practice." T...
. Jigme Lingpa's teaching lineage flourished in Kham
Kham

Kham , is a region presently divided between the China provinces of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, and Sichuan where Khampas, a subgroup within the Tibetan ethnicity, live....
 (eastern Tibet) around Dege
Dêgê

D?g? is a town in D?g? County in Garz? Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in China's Sichuan province. It was once the center of the Kingdom of D?g? of Eastern Tibet....
, and after his death three incarnations were recognised as being his emanations: Do Khyentse (1800?-1859?), Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo
Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo

Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo was a renowned teacher, scholar and tert?n of 19th century Tibet. He was a leading figure in the nonsectarian Rime movement....
, (1820-1892) and Patrul Rinpoche
Patrul Rinpoche

Patrul Rinpoche was a prominent teacher and author of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism....
, (1808-1887), all of whom were central to the Rime movement.

Rinchen Terdzod

The Rinchen Terdzod is, along with the Longchen Nyingthig
Longchen Nyingthig

Longchen Nyingthig is a systematic explanation of Dzogchen within the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. Like the world famous Bardo Thodol, the Longchen Nyingthig is a seminal example of the Terma tradition....
, the most important terma treasure to Nyingmapas today. It is the assemblage of thousands of rare terma texts from all across Tibet by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo
Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo

Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo was a renowned teacher, scholar and tert?n of 19th century Tibet. He was a leading figure in the nonsectarian Rime movement....
, Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye, and Chogyur Dechen Lingpa in the 19th century.

Mipham Jamyang Gyatso (1846–1912)

Mipham Jamyang Gyatso
Mipham Jamyang Gyatso

Jamg?n Ju Mipham, or Mipham Jamyang Namgyal Gyamtso was a master of the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism and one of the leading figures in the Rime movement in Tibet....
 (“Mipham the Great”) was born into an aristocratic family in 1846 in Kham
Kham

Kham , is a region presently divided between the China provinces of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, and Sichuan where Khampas, a subgroup within the Tibetan ethnicity, live....
, a province of eastern Tibet. His name, Mipham Gyatso, means “Unconquerable Ocean,” and as a scholar and meditator he was so accomplished that he was enthroned as an emanation of the Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom. As such, he was asked to compose a definitive articulation of the philosophical outlook of the Nyingma lineage. This had never been systematized in the manner of the other four lineages and, as a result, was vulnerable to attack by hostile scholars.

As requested, Mipham Rinpoche composed authoritative works on both the Sutra
Sutra

Sutra , literally means a rope or thread that holds things together, and more metaphorically refers to an aphorism , or a collection of such aphorisms in the form of a manual....
 and Vajrayana
Vajrayana

Vajrayana Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayana, Mantranaya, Mantrayana, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and the Diamond Vehicle ....
 teachings as understood in the Nyingma tradition, writing particularly extensively on dzogchen. He is said to have composed these vast works effortlessly. They reinvigorated and revitalized the Nyingma lineage enormously, and he soon became one of the most renowned lama
Lama

Lama is a title for a Tibetan teacher of the Dharma. The name is similar to the Sanskrit term guru . The title can be used as an honorific title conferred on a monk, nun or advanced tantric practitioner to designate a level of spiritual attainment and authority to teach, or may be part of a title such as Dalai Lama or Panchen Lama a...
s in Tibet, attracting disciples from all traditions, many of whom became lineage holders. Mipham's works have become the foundation of study for not only the Nyingma lineage, but the Kagyu
Kagyu

The Kagyu or Kagyupa school, also known as the "Oral Lineage" or Whispered Transmission school, is today one of four main schools of Himalayan or Tibetan Buddhism, the other three being the Nyingma , Sakya , and Gelug ....
 lineage as well. They hold a central position in all Nyingma monasteries and monastic colleges. Along with Longchenpa
Longchenpa

Longchenpa or Longchen Rabjampa was a major teacher in the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. Along with Sakya Pandita and Je Tsongkhapa, he is commonly recognized as one of the three main manifestations of Manjushri to have taught in Central Tibet....
, he is considered the source of the Nyingma doctrine.

Six mother monasteries

Tradition has held that there are six monasteries known as "mother monasteries" of the Nyingma lineage, although there have been slightly different formulations of the six. At one time they included Dorje Drak
Dorje Drak

Dorje Drak monastery was one of the primary Nyingma monasteries in Tibet. It was destroyed in the Communist invasion and later partially reestablished....
, Mindroling
Mindroling

Mindroling Monastery is one of the six major monasteries of the Nyingma school in Tibet. It was founded by Rigzin Terdak Lingpa in 1676. Tendrak Lingpa's lineage is known as the Nyo lineage....
 monastery and Palri monastery in Upper Tibet; and Kathok, Palyul
Palyul

Palyul is one of the six mother monasteries of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Founded in 1665 by Rigdzen Kunzang Sherab, the monastery is the seat of the Nam Cho Terma of Terton Migyur Dorje....
 and Dzogchen
Dzogchen Monastery

Dzogchen Monastery is one of the six great monastery of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. It is located in Eastern Tibet in the China province of Sichuan....
 monasteries in Lower Tibet. After the decline of Chongye Palri Thegchog Ling monastery and the flourishing of Shechen
Shechen Monastery

The Shechen Monastery is one of the primary Nyingma monasteries in Tibet. It was founded in 1695. There are also now Shechen monasteries in Nepal and India....
, the mother monasteries became Dorje Drag and Mindroling in the upper region, Shechen and Dzogchen in the center, and Kathok and Palyul
Palyul

Palyul is one of the six mother monasteries of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Founded in 1665 by Rigdzen Kunzang Sherab, the monastery is the seat of the Nam Cho Terma of Terton Migyur Dorje....
 in the lower part of Tibet. Dodrubchen is often substituted for Kathok in the list. Out of these "main seats of the Nyingma" developed a large number of Nyingma monasteries throughout Tibet
Tibet

Tibet is a Tibetan Plateau in Asia, north of the Himalayas, and the home to the indigenous Tibetan people and its related ethnic groups. With an average elevation of 4,900 metres , it is the highest region on Earth and has in recent decades increasingly been referred to as the "Roof of the World"....
, Bhutan
Bhutan

The Kingdom of Bhutan is a landlocked nation in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalaya Mountains and is bordered to the south, east and west by India and to the north by the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China....
 and Nepal
Nepal

Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia and is the world's youngest republic. It is bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by India....
.

Also of great importance to the Nyingma lineage is Samye, the first Tibetan monastery, founded by Shantarakshita
Shantarakshita

was a renowned 8th Century Indian Buddhist pandit and abbot of Nalanda University. Shantarakshita founded the philosophical school known as the Yogacara-Svatantrika-Madhyamaka which united the Madhyamaka tradition of Nagarjuna, the Yogacara tradition of Asanga with the logical and epistemological thought of Dharmakirti....
.

Contemporary lineage teachers

Authentic contemporary Nyingma teachers include His Holiness Thinley Norbu Rinpoche
Thinley Norbu Rinpoche

Thinley Norbu Rinpoche, a major modern teacher in the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism is the eldest son of Dudjom Rinpoche , former head of the Nyingma lineages....
, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche
Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche

Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche . A contemporary Buddhist master of the Kagy? and Nyingma lineages, who lived at Nagi Gompa hermitage in Nepal. His main transmissions were the Chokling Tersar and the pointing-out instruction....
, His Holiness Penor (Pema Norbu) Rinpoche
Penor rinpoche

Kyabj? Drubwang Pema Norbu Rinpoche is the 11th throne holder of the Palyul Lineage of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, and is said to be an incarnation of Vimalamitra....
, Chogyal Namkhai Norbu
Chogyal Namkhai Norbu

Ch?gyal Namkhai Norbu is a Dzogchen teacher who was born in Derge, Kham district on 8 December 1938. When he was two years old, Namkhai Norbu was recognized as the 'mindstream tulpa', a tulku, of the great Dzogchen teacher, Adzom Drugpa , at five he was also recognized as a mindstream emanation of an emanation of Ngawang Namgyel ....
, filmmaker Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche
Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche

Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche , also known as Khyentse Norbu, is a Bhutanese lama, filmmaker, and writer. His two major films are The Cup and Travellers and Magicians ....
 (son of H.H. Thinley Norbu Rinpoche), Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche
Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche

H.E. Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche was a renowned teacher of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism. He was known and respected in the West for his teachings, his melodic chanting voice, his artistry as a sculptor and painter, and his skill as a physician....
, Tarthang Tulku Rinpoche, Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo
Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo is an enthroned tulku within the Palyul lineage of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. In the late 1980?s, she gained international attention as the first Western woman to be named a reincarnate lama....
, Terton Orgyen Kusum Lingpa
Orgyen Kusum Lingpa

Orgyen Kusum Lingpa is a terton and Nyingma lineage holder within Tibetan Buddhism. He teaches Dzogchen at the The San Francisco Bay Area Vajrakilaya Centers he established in May 1995....
, Sogyal Rinpoche
Sogyal Rinpoche

Sogyal Rinpoche is a Tibetan Dzogchen Lama of the Nyingma tradition. He has been teaching for over 30 years and continues to travel widely in Europe, United States, Australia and Asia....
, Palden Sherab Rinpoche, Khenpo Sherab Sangpo
Khenpo Sherab Sangpo

Khenpo Sherab Sangpo Khenpo Sherab Sangpo was trained by Khenpo Petse Rinpoche and Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche, two of the greatest masters of the Nyingma tradition in recent history....
, Chamtrul Rinpoche
Chamtrul Rinpoche

Chamtrul Lobsang Gyatso is a rinpoche and teacher of Tibetan Buddhist philosophy. Trained by many High Masters of different Tibetan Buddhist traditions, his main Root Guru was His Holiness Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche from the Nyingmapa School....
 and Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche, among others.

See also

Organizations
  • Rigpa
    Rigpa

    Rigpa is the primordial, Nonduality advocated by the Dzogchen and Mahamudra teachings....
Teachings
  • Chokling Tersar
    Chokling Tersar

    In Tibetan Buddhism the Chokling Tersar are a collection of formerly hidden teachings or Terma revealed by Chokgyur Lingpa. These teachings were often revealed in combination with Jamyang Khyentse and Jamgon Kongtrul....
  • Longchen Nyingthig
    Longchen Nyingthig

    Longchen Nyingthig is a systematic explanation of Dzogchen within the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. Like the world famous Bardo Thodol, the Longchen Nyingthig is a seminal example of the Terma tradition....
  • Nam Cho
    Nam Cho

    Nam Cho, is the "sky / space treasure" terma of the Tibetan Buddhist Nyingma Palyul Lineage as revealed by Terton Migyur Dorje and transmitted to Kunzang Sherab and compiled by Kagyud master, Karma Chagmed....
Traditions
  • Ngagpa
    Ngagpa

    In Tibetan Buddhism and B?n, Ngagpas or male practitioners are non-monastic practitioners of such disciplines as Vajrayana, shamanism, Tibetan medicine, Tantra and Dzogchen amongst other traditions, disciplines and arts....


Further reading

Introduction
  • Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche. The Opening of the Dharma. Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamsala 1974
  • Keith Dowman. Skydancer - The Secret Life and Songs of the Lady Yeshe Tsogyal. Snow Lion Publ., Ithaca-New York 1996, ISBN 1-55939-065-4
  • Ngawang Zangpo. Guru Rinpoché - His Life and Times. Snow Lion Publications, Ithaca-New York 2002, ISBN 1-55939-174-X
  • Sogyal Rinpoche
    Sogyal Rinpoche

    Sogyal Rinpoche is a Tibetan Dzogchen Lama of the Nyingma tradition. He has been teaching for over 30 years and continues to travel widely in Europe, United States, Australia and Asia....
    .
    The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying
    The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying

    The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, written by Sogyal Rinpoche, gives a comprehensive presentation of the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, exploring: the message of impermanence; evolution, karma and rebirth; the nature of mind and how to train the mind through meditation; how to follow a spiritual path in this day and age; the practice o...
    , ISBN 0-06-250834-2
Dzogchen
  • Dudjom Lingpa. Buddhahood Without Meditation, A Visionary Account known as Refining Apparent Phenomena. Padma Publishing, Junction City 1994, ISBN 1-881847-07-1
  • Reynolds, John Myrdhin
    John Myrdhin Reynolds

    John Myrdhin Reynolds, whose initiated name is Vajranatha is a scholar, linguist, author, translator, mystic and initiated ngagpa of the Nyingmapa....
    ,
    Self-Liberation through seeing with naked awareness. Snow Lion Publications, Ithaca-New York 2000, ISBN 1-55939-144-8
  • Longchen Rabjam. A Treasure Trove of Scriptural Transmission, a Commentary on The Precious Treasury of the Basic Space of Phenomena. Padma Publishing, Junction City 2001, ISBN 1-881847-30-6
  • Longchen Ragjam. The Practice of Dzogchen. Snow Lion Publications, Ithaca-New York 1996, ISBN 1-55939-054-9
  • Longchen Rabjam. The Precious Treasury of the Basic Space of Phenomena. Padma Publishing, Junction City 2001, ISBN 1-881847-32-2
  • Longchen Rabjam. The Precious Treasury of the Way of Abiding. Padma Publishing, Junction City 1998, ISBN 1-881847-09-8
  • Longchenpa. You Are the Eyes of the World. Snow Lion Publications, Ithaca-New York 2000, ISBN 1-55939-140-5
  • Manjushrimitra. Primordial Experience, An Introduction to Dzogchen Meditation. Shambhala Publications, Boston & London 2001, ISBN 1-57062-898-X
  • Nudan Dorje, James Low. Being Right Here - A Dzogchen Treasure Text of Nuden Dorje entitled The Mirror of Clear Meaning. Snow Lion Publications, Ithaca-New York 2004, ISBN 1-55939-208-8
  • Padmasambhava. Advice from the Lotus-Born. Rangjung Yeshe Publications, Hong-Kong 1994, ISBN 962-7341-20-7
  • Padmasambhava. Natural Liberation - Padmasambhava's Teachings on the Six Bardos. Wisdom Publications, Boston 1998, ISBN 0-86171-131-9
  • Reynolds, John Myrdhin
    John Myrdhin Reynolds

    John Myrdhin Reynolds, whose initiated name is Vajranatha is a scholar, linguist, author, translator, mystic and initiated ngagpa of the Nyingmapa....
    .
    The Golden Letters. Snow Lion Publications, Ithaca New York 1996, ISBN 1-55939-050-6


External links

  • headed by Tharthang Tulku, with centres in Berkeley, and Rio de Janeiro
  • from Simhanada
  • Translations of Tibetan texts into English.
  • Site with reading room - Guru Yoga of Padmasambhava in English and Polish, Secret Teachings of Padmasambhava in Polish.