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The Nyingma Lineage Of The Buddhism Of Tibet
The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche
Compiled specially for the web (2000)
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lineage identifies three specific lines of transmission of the Vajrayana teachings of the tantras:
- the Thought Lineage of the Buddhas;
- the Symbolic Lineage of the Awareness Holders or Vidhyadharas; and
- the Human Ear-whispered Lineage.
The lineage transmission that was carried by Padmasambhava originated with the teachings of Samantabhadra, Vajrasattva and the Prince Prahevajra or Garab Dorje, who transmitted the Dzogchen Atiyoga teachings. The
latter lived in India a few centuries after the parinirvana (death) of the Buddha. Garab Dorje transmitted those teachings to Manjusrimitra and from him to Shrisimha, and then to the Indian-born teachers, Padmasambhava,
Jnanasutra, and Vimalamitra. They, together with the Tibetan-born teacher Vairochana, received the transmission of this lineage directly from the aforementioned lineage holders, and in turn transmitted and brought
the lineage and teachings to Tibet, thus commencing in Tibet the lineage which continues to the present day. The Nine Yana Path
Teachings of the Nyingma lineage classify the entire Buddhist teachings into Nine Yanas or Vehicles. The Three Common Vehicles: 1) Shravaka Yana, 2)
Pratyekabuddha Yana, and 3) the Bodhisattva Yana; the Three Outer Tantras of: 4) Kriya Tantra, 5) Upa or Charya Tantra, and 6) Yoga Tantra; finally, the Three Innermost Tantras: 7) Mahayoga, 8) the Annuyoga, and 9) the
Atiyoga. The first six of these nine yanas or vehicles are common to all schools of Tibetan Buddhism, whereas the last three are unique to the Nyingma lineage. Nyingma Institutions In Tibet And India Initially, the lineage traditions of the Nyingma was based less on
institutional structures than on individual lineage transmission, but the Nyingma lineage became more institutionalized later in its history. Nyingma teachers began building great Nyingma monastic centers in the 15th
century. The most renowned centers are the Six Great Seats of the Nyingma lineage, which consist of:
Central Tibet:
1) Mindrol Ling, founded in 1676;
2) Dorje Drak, founded in 1632;
Eastern Tibet:
3) Dzogchen, founded in 1685;
4) Shechen, founded in 1735;
Lower Eastern Tibet:
5) Kathok, founded in 1159;
6) Palyul, founded in 1665. After 1959, masters who fled to India established their traditional seats in exile
and continue the unbroken lineage teachings to this day. For example, Dzogchen Monastery was reestablished in southern India. To learn more, go to the Dzogchen Monastery website.
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