The Nyingma School, the oldest sect of Tibetan Buddhism was established as a wisdom legacy by the earliest Buddhist pioneers and masters around end of the 8th century. The lineage of Nyingmapa is basically based on the teachings of the two great Mahayana masters from Nalanda in India – Shantarashita and Kamalashila; as well as the tantric essence established by the precious Guru – Padma Sambhava (Tib: Guru Rinpoche).
Padma Sambhava was a renowned and accomplished Mahasiddha, who came and subdued evil and harmful spirits in Tibet and made them protectors of the Dharma. During the reign and under the great support of the Great King Trisong Detsen (790-858), these three wondrous masters established the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet, the Samye Monastery. Together, they ordained the first group of Tibetan Sangha, the renowned 25 disciples.
 |
 |
Later during the reign of the evil King Landarma, Buddhadharma and its legacy were seriously damaged. Buddhist teachings and doctrine faced its dark age for about a hundred years. In the mid of 10th Century, Buddhism was again revived and entered into its Second Transmission Era. Nyingma School thus became a unique tradition by itself, renowned by the name of ‘The Old School’ (Ancient Transmissions). The uniqueness of the Nyingmapa School is its special teaching called “Dzogchen” (Tib:Dzogpachenpo, Eng: Great Perfection) which includes both Trekcho (Cutting Through) and Togal (Great Leap)and some other tantric practices, which are still enthusiastically learned and practiced even by some famous Gelukpa lamas i.e. His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Another uncommon feature of the Nyingma School is its special transmission method called Terma – sacred texts concealed mainly by Guru Rinpoche, to be revealed at the time most appropriate for their discovery by tertons – the treasure revealers. One of these texts are the popular and wide-spread sacred text by the name of “Tibetan Book for the Dead”, which reveals the secret and sacred states of mind of the deceased during his or her time of transition i.e. Bardo, from this life to the life of another.
“As I now take leave in a miraculous way,
You cannot follow me with your material bodies.
Exert yourself constantly in making
supplications, and you will always be
in my presence.”
~ Guru Padmasambhava ~
|
