Nyingma

thumb|Statue of [[Padmasambhava, founder of the Nyingma school, in Bhutan|alt=|262x262px]]

Nyingma (, ), also referred to as Ngagyur (, ), is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The Nyingma school was founded by Padmasambhava as the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Pali and Sanskrit into Tibetan occurred in the eighth century. The establishment of Tibetan Buddhism and the Nyingma tradition is collectively ascribed to Khenpo Shantarakshita, Guru Padmasambhava, and King Trisong Detsen, known as Khen Lop Chos Sum (The Three: Khenpo, Lopon, Chosgyal).

The Nyingma tradition traces its Dzogchen lineage from the first Buddha Samantabhadra to

Garab Dorje, and its other lineages from Indian mahasiddhas such as Sri Singha and Jnanasutra. Yeshe Tsogyal recorded the teachings. Other great masters from the founding period include Vimalamitra, Vairotsana, and Buddhaguhya. The Nyingma tradition was physically founded at Samye, the first monastery in Tibet.

The period of the 9–10th centuries also saw increasing popularity of a new class of texts which would later be classified as the Dzogchen "Mind series" (Semde). Some of these texts present themselves as translations of Indian works, though according to David Germano, most are original Tibetan compositions. These texts promote the view that true nature of the mind is empty and luminous and seem to reject traditional forms of practice. An emphasis on the Dzogchen textual tradition is a central feature of the Nyingma school.

In a series of articles, Flavio Geisshuesler explores the persecution of the proponents of the Nyingma school from multiple perspectives, including trauma studies. In a monograph, he suggests that Dzogchen might actually be a pre-Buddhist tradition indigenous to Tibet. Exploring a series of motifs that are found pervasively throughout the contemplative system, such as the hunting of animals, he argues that the tradition was originally associated with shamanism and the Eurasian cult of the sky-deer.

Second dissemination and New translations

From the eleventh century onward, there was an attempt to reintroduce Vajrayana Buddhism to Tibet. This saw new translation efforts which led to the foundation of new Vajrayana schools which are collectively known as the Sarma "New translation" schools because they reject the old translations of the Nyingma canon. It was at that time that Nyingmapas began to see themselves as a distinct group and the term "Nyingma" came into usage to refer to those who continued to use the "Old" or "Ancient" translations. Nyingma writers such as Rongzom (ca. 11th century) and Nyangrel were instrumental in defending the old texts from the critiques of the Sarma translators and in establishing a foundation for the mythology and philosophy of the Nyingma tradition.

Rongzom Chokyi Zangpo was the most influential of the 11th century Nyingma authors, writing "extensive exoteric and esoteric commentaries." He upheld the view that sutra teachings such as Madhyamaka were ultimately inferior to the teachings found in the Buddhist Tantras and Dzogchen. Rongzom also wrote a commentary on the Guhyagarbha tantra, which is the main tantra in the Nyingma tradition.

thumb|Drapa Ngonshe, 11th century terton

thumb|Nyangrel Nyima Ozer, 11th century terton

The period of the new dissemination of Buddhism which saw the rise of the Sarma schools also saw the proliferation of fresh Nyingma Dzogchen texts with fresh doctrines and meditative practices, mainly the 'Space class' (Longdé) and the 'Instruction class' (Menngagde) (11th–14th century), particularly important were the seventeen tantras. The foundation of this monastic school was a major shift in the Nyingma tradition, and is seen as a response to the growth of the Gelug school's hegemony which was based on a well organized system of monastic scholasticism and education.

Carya or Ubhaya ( or spyod pa'i rgyud), Tantra of Conduct — equal amounts of meditation and symbolic rituals. The Kama lineage remained predominant from the 8th to 11th century, and Kama masters taught from the lineage's teachings. The 'red sangha' is composed of ordained monks and nuns, usually residing in monasteries and nunneries; the 'white sangha' is composed of vow-holding ngakmapas, who can be householders.

Tertons

The appearance of terma ("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 and Yeshe Tsogyal, 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 of the terton.

The terma tradition had antecedents in India; Nagarjuna, for example, rediscovered the last part of the "Prajnaparamita-Sutra in one hundred thousand verses" in the realm of the Nāgas, where it had been kept since the time of Buddha Shakyamuni. Special terma lineages were established throughout Tibet. The foremost revealers of these termas were the five terton kings from the eleventh to the fourteenth century and the eight Lingpas in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.

According to Nyingma tradition, tertons are often mindstream emanations 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 (1450–1521), Mingyur Dorje (1645–1667), Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (1820–1892) and Orgyen Chokyur Lingpa (1829–1870). In the nineteenth century some of the most famous were the Khen Kong Chok Sum referring to Jamyang Khyentse, Jamgon Kongtrul and Chokgyur Lingpa.

Contemporary organizations

Some of the largest international Nyingma organizations are Namkhai Norbu's Dzogchen community and Sogyal Rinpoche's Rigpa organization.

Besides the major monasteries in Tibet, there are also now various Nyingma institutions of the Tibetan exile community in India including Thekchok Namdrol Shedrub Dargye Ling, in Bylakuppe, Karnataka State; Ngedon Gatsal Ling, in Clementown, Dehradun; Palyul Chokhor Ling, E-Vam Gyurmed Ling, Nechung Drayang Ling, and Thubten E-vam Dorjey Drag in Himachal Pradesh.

Six Mother Monasteries

thumb|Mindrolling Monastery, Tibet

Of great importance to the Nyingma lineage is Samye monastery (787), the first Tibetan and Nyingma monastery, which was founded by Śāntarakṣita. In addition, the Nyingma tradition has held that there were also "Six Mother Monasteries" out of which developed a large number of branch monasteries throughout Tibet, Bhutan, and Nepal. Of these six, Katok Monastery is credited with being the original monastery, after which the five grew. Between 1656 and 1685, four of the six major monasteries—Katok, Palyul, Mindrolling, and Dzogchen—were founded. Following several decades of turbulence, the Nyingma tradition continued to expand during the 18th century. Mindrolling and Dorje Drak were rebuilt, and Shechen, the sixth monastery, was established in 1734. What had previously been a largely decentralized network of small hermitages was now anchored by monastic centers capable of supporting a respected academic and clerical tradition.

There have been slightly different formulations of the six. At one time they included Dorje Drak Monastery (14th century, relocated 1632), Mindrolling Monastery (1676), Palri Monastery (1571; formal name Chonggye Pelri Thekchen Ling) in Upper Tibet, Katok Monastery (1159), Palyul Monastery (1665), and Dzogchen Monastery (1684), in Lower Tibet. After the decline of Palri and the flourishing of Shechen Monastery (1695), the Six Mother Monasteries were Dorje Drak and Mindrolling in the upper region, Shechen and Dzogchen in the center, and Kathok and Palyul in the lower part of Tibet. The last four monasteries were all located in Kham while Shechen Monastery was rebuilt in Nepal in 1985 after the Chinese destroyed the monastery in Tibet during the 1950s.

The Nyingma's Six Mother Monasteries are located across Tibet while institutions have been centered in Kham. Many monasteries were destroyed before and after the Cultural Revolution, and most recently demolished at Larung Gar and Yarchen Gar while nuns and monks face arrests and re-education camps. Nyingma monasteries have been rebuilt in Nepal and throughout India, while the Tibetan diaspora has also spread Nyingma Vajrayana masters to the west and in Europe and the Americas. It has also been associated with the Rimé movement.

{| class="wikitable sortable static-row-numbers static-row-header-text"

! Name

! Location

! Tradition

! Established

! Destroyed

! Note

| Samye

| Ü

| Nyingma

| 775 - 779

| First monastery in Tibet, established by Padmasambhava and Shantarakshita. Heinrich Harrer in 1982 flew over "Samye; it was totally destroyed. One can still make out the outer wall, but none of the temples or stupas survives."

| Katok

| Garze

| Nyingma

| 1159

| One of the six "Nyingmapa mother monasteries".

| Dorje Drak

| Lhoka

| Nyingma

| 1400, 1720, 1960s in India

| 1717, 1960s

| One of the six "Nyingmapa mother monasteries."

| Palyul

|Palyul

| Nyingma

| 1665

| One of the six "Nyingmapa mother monasteries". Other branch "Namdroling Monastery" established by Penor Rinpoche in India, in 1963

| Mindrolling

| Lhokha

| Nyingma

| 1676

| One of the six "Nyingmapa mother monasteries."

| Dzogchen

| Kham

| Nyingma

| 1684

| One of the six "Nyingmapa mother monasteries."

| Shechen

| Kham

| Nyingma

| 1695

| One of the six "Nyingmapa mother monasteries".

References

Citations

Works cited

fi:Nyingmapa

Second dissemination and New translations

Tertons

Contemporary organizations

Six Mother Monasteries

See also

References

Citations

Works cited

Further reading

External links