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| The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. "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 into Tibetan, in the eighth century. |
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| The Whispered Transmission school. one of the Sarma (གསར་མ) or "New Transmission" schools since it primarily follows the Vajrayāna or Tantric teachings based on the so-called "New Tantras" i.e. those which were translated during the second diffusion of the Buddha Dharma in Tibet. |
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| One of the four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism, taking its name from its original monastic centre at Sakya (‘grey earth’) in southern Tibet. It was founded in 1073 by members of the Khon family who, though laymen, have traditionally acted as the heads of the school. While the Sakya school preserves the lam-dre (‘path and result’) teachings transmitted by Virūpa, it is is also renowned for a keen interest in Buddhist logic (pramāṇa) and epistemology which derives from the seminal work of Sakya Paṇḍita (1182-1251). |
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| The largest of the four main orders of Tibetan Buddhism, and that to which the Dalai Lamas belong. Founded by Tsongkhapa in the 14th century, the school became dominant in the 17th century under Dalai Lama V and has remained the most influential down to modern times. This tradition integrates the methodical study and practice of the sūtras and mantras developed by Tsongkhapa and his successors, based in part upon the older Kadampa lineage which derived from the teachings of Atiśa. |
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| The Nonsectarian Movement |
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| A movement in the late 19th Century where several influential lamas began requiring their students to study Indian Sutras and philosophical texts |
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| "Shendong." Belief that emptiness is the ultimate truth and is conceived as a self-existent, unchanging reality that pervades all phenomena |
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| Lineages and Translations and Texts (Nying Ma) |
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| Nyingmapas trace the beginning of their translation lineage to Samye, the 1st monastic center in Tibet. Nyingma systems all trace back to the historical Buddha. |
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| Transmission of the Teaching Tradition |
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| The believed lineage of the transmission of the texts and teachings from the historical Buddha until the present in Nying Ma tradition. |
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| Tibetan: Guru Rinpoche. 8th Century AD. The most influential of Nying Ma teachers. His missionary work spread the lineage into Tibet. Considered to be an emanation of the Buddha Amitabha. |
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| Padmasambhava's Conversion of Tibet |
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| A story on how Padmasambhava brought Buddhism into Tibet fighting off evil spirits on the way to the nation's conversion. |
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| The Nyingma school's special classificatory system of Buddhist teachings. The nine vehicles comprise the three ‘outer vehicles’ of the Śrāvakayāna, Pratyekabuddhayāna, and Bodhisattvayāna; the three ‘outer’ tantric vehicles of kriyā-tantra, ubhaya-tantra, and yoga-tantra; and the three ‘inner’ tantric vehicles of mahāyoga, anuyoga, and atiyoga. |
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| Nying Ma Tantric Lineages |
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| Three primary lineages recognized by Nyingma |
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| Representative of the four categories of the nine vehicles: Basis Continuum, Path Continuum, Result Continuum, ad Method Continuum |
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| key Tibetan Buddhist and Bön teachings, which the tradition holds were originally esoterically hidden by various adepts such as Padmasambhava and his consorts in the 8th century for future discovery at auspicious times by other adepts, known as tertöns. As such, they represent a tradition of continuing revelation in Buddhism. The majority of terma teachings are tantric in nature, although there are notable exceptions. |
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| Transmission Lineage (Nying Ma) |
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| Two recognized methods of transmission for Nyingma traditions -- distant lineage of teachings and close lineage of terma |
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| A terma outlining the discovery of various treasures, lined out by Padmasambhava |
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| Dzogchen is the natural, primordial state or natural condition of the mind. Dzogchen, or "Great Perfection", is a central teaching of the Nyingma school, that is also practised by adherents of other Tibetan Buddhist sects. According to Dzogchen literature, Dzogchen is the highest and most definitive path to enlightenment |
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| Three Classes of Great Perfection Tantras |
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| Mental, Spatial, Esoteric Secret Instruction |
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| Born in the district of Nyel in 1079, he initially worked as a skilled physician (lha-rje), and is also known as ‘The Doctor of Takpo’ (Dwags po lha-rje). In 1110, he received the Kagyü lineage from Milarepa. After some years of private practice, he founded Daklha Gampo in 1121 and resided there. He combined together the gradual path of the Kadampa school and the Great Seal (mahāmudrā) instructions of Milarepa, and consequently composed the Jewel Ornament of Liberation. He died in 1153 at the age of 75. Thereafter, his teaching lineage became known as the Dakpo Kagyü. |
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| (1) Tummo (gtum mo) or ‘heat yoga’, a technique of heating the body by visualizing fire and the sun in the meditator's body; (2) Gyulü (sgyu lus), an illusory or subtle body endowed with the qualities of a Buddha, including the Six Perfections (ṣaḍ-pāramitā); (3) Milam (rmi lam) or ‘dream yoga’, in which the meditator learns to maintain conscious awareness in the dream state; (4) Osal ('od gsal) or ‘clear light’, by which the natural luminosity of emptiness (śūnyatā) is apprehended; (5) Bar-do or ‘intermediate state yoga’ which trains the meditator to withstand the disorienting experiences of the intermediate state between death and rebirth; (6) Phowa ('pho ba) or transference of consciouness, in which the ability to separate the consciousness from the body is attained. |
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| Meditative Technique designed to separate out the ego used in Kagyu |
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