Nyingma

Nyingma (Tibetan: རྙིང་མ་, Wylie: rnying ma, Lhasa dialect: [ɲiŋma], lit. 'old school'), often referred to as Ngangyur (Tibetan: སྔ་འགྱུར་རྙིང་མ།, Wylie: snga 'gyur rnying ma, Lhasa dialect: [ŋaɲɟuː], lit. 'order of the ancient translations'), is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism.^[1] The Nyingma school is founded on the first lineages and translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan in the eighth century, during the reign of King Trisong Detsen (r. 710–755).^[1]

Nyingma traditional histories consider their teachings to trace back to the first Buddha Samantabhadra (Güntu Sangpo) and Indian mahasiddhas such as Garab Dorjé, Śrī Siṃha and Jñānasūtra.^[2] Traditional sources trace the origin of the Nyingma order in Tibet to figures associated with the initial introduction of Buddhism in the 8th century, such as Padmasambhava, Yeshe Tsogyal, Vimalamitra, Vairotsana, Buddhaguhya and Shantaraksita.^[3] The Nyingma tradition is also seen having been founded at Samyé, the first monastery in Tibet.^[4] Nyingma teachings are also known for having been passed down through networks of lay practitioners or ngagpas (Skt. mantrī).^[5]

While the Nyingma contains most of the major elements of Tibetan Buddhism as do the other Tibetan schools, they also have some unique features and teachings. Nyingma teachings include a distinctive classification of Buddhist vehicles to liberation, called the nine vehicles. This schema places the Nyingma teachings of the "Great Perfection" (Dzogchen) as the highest of all Buddhist teachings.^[6] As such, the Nyingmas consider the Dzogchen teachings to be the most direct, profound and subtle path to Buddhahood. The main Dzogchen sources (like the Seventeen tantras) are seen as communicating a path that goes beyond the methods of Highest Yoga Tantra (which are seen as supreme in other schools of Tibetan Buddhism).^[7] The most influential Nyingma scholar yogi of the Great Perfection is Longchenpa (1308–1364), and his voluminous works mark a turning point in the scholastic systematization and refinement of the Nyingma Dzogchen system.^[8]

The Nyingma school also has an important tradition of discovering and revealing "hidden treasure texts" called Termas, which allows the treasure discoverers or tertöns to reveal new timely scriptures.^[9] Many Nyingma lineages are based on particular termas. For example, Mindroling Monastery focuses on the revelations of Nyangrel Nyima Özer, while Dorjé Drak is based on the Northern Treasures of Rigdzin Gödem.^[10]

^ ^a ^b Powers 2007, p. 367.
^ Powers 2007, pp. 367–369.
^ Powers 2007, pp. 367–368, 371.
^ Powers 2007, pp. 367–368.
^ Sherpa 2008, p. ^{[page needed]}.
^ Powers 2007, p. 375.
^ Powers 2007, pp. 383–85.
^ Germano 1994, p. 301.
^ Powers 2007, pp. 375–380.
^ Powers 2007, p. 383.

[FOOTNOTEPowers2007367-1] Powers 2007, p. 367.

[FOOTNOTEPowers2007367–369-2] Powers 2007, pp. 367–369.

[FOOTNOTEPowers2007367–368,_371-3] Powers 2007, pp. 367–368, 371.

[FOOTNOTEPowers2007367–368-4] Powers 2007, pp. 367–368.

[FOOTNOTESherpa2008[[Category:Wikipedia_articles_needing_page_number_citations_from_December_2022]]<sup_class="noprint_Inline-Template_"_style="white-space:nowrap;">&#91;<i>[[Wikipedia:Citing_sources|<span_title="This_citation_requires_a_reference_to_the_specific_page_or_range_of_pages_in_which_the_material_appears.&#32;(December_2022)">page&nbsp;needed</span>]]</i>&#93;</sup>-5] Sherpa 2008, p. ^{[page needed]}.

[FOOTNOTEPowers2007375-6] Powers 2007, p. 375.

[FOOTNOTEPowers2007383–85-7] Powers 2007, pp. 383–85.

[FOOTNOTEGermano1994301-8] Germano 1994, p. 301.

[FOOTNOTEPowers2007375–380-9] Powers 2007, pp. 375–380.

[FOOTNOTEPowers2007383-10] Powers 2007, p. 383.

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