On Monday, 19 March 2018 at 17:08:03 UTC+5:30,
norbu....@gmail.com wrote:
On Sunday, February 25, 2018 at 9:00:09 PM UTC-8, david.st...@gmail.com wrote:
There is a brief outline of the different schools of Tibetan Buddhism at: http://isis.infinet.com/rinpoche/fivet.htm
and at: http://www.tibet.com/Buddhism/budintro.html
all of those links no lonheg active, sad.
Big big topic....but in short -
The Nyingma pactioneers were from the first exchange of Indian techers and Tibetan students circa 630, although there were ealier exchanges...They are the “Old (Translation) Tradition” (nying.ma) – not originally a collective school....
Then there was King Langdarma who persecuted buddhists and tried to eradicate these teachings (circa 836) –
Then around 900 – 1000 a new wave of Tibetans went to India to study (Marpa, etc) and returned with new texts and and translation of the basic sutras etc – This became the “Sarma” “New Translation” traditions of Kagyu, Sakya, Jonang etc. A
major difference was that Nyingma highest teaching were based on the dzog.chen (“completeness”) texts the new traditions were based on Saraha’s “Mahamudra” (“pointing to openess”) teachings – the Kagyu, Sakya, and Jonang having some
Indian teachers in common, and some different.
Dzogchen and Mahamudra teachings have much in common (along with Hwa-Yen,Chan/Zen etc), and were later harmonized and practiced together.
The odd thing out here is the Geluk tradition. The so-called founder of that is Tsong Khapa (1357-1419) who was a Kagyu monk, and never claimed to break from the Kagyu or found anything different. What he did do different was to go against the advice
of his teachers and return to an early interpretation of the Prajnaparamita teachings as interpreted by Nagarjuna – as interpreted by Indian Madyamika philosophers – a theorical speculation philosophy that had died out in India many centuries ago.
Simple version: All buddhists teaching say an unexamined life is like an illusion; the Geluk say life is an illussion – a collective halucination.
But, as even Tsong Khapa wasn’t the founder of some Geluk sect, nither were his students – The Geluk sect being founded by a Mongol warlord Altan Khan aith the “third Dalai Lama” Sonam Gyatso (circa 1577) – the previous two “Dalai Lamas”
being declare postumousouly, as was Tsong Khapa as the founder of the new sect. The Mongols then used this sect to gain control of Tibet, persecuting the Nyingma, driving many Kagyu into Bhutan, nearlt oblitariting the Jonang, burning their monestaries
and librarie (their tradition was thought extinct until it was rediscovered in Westen China).
Contol of the Geluk sect passed from Mongol to Chinese warlords until Tibet became free of both in the early 1900s. At that time Geluk, Kagyu, Nyingma, Sakya scholars agreed to study and compare each others traditions as well as all Asian buddhadharma (
relecting back on a movement of around 1890.. )– the result was the nis.med (“no one way”) non-sectarian movement. Many Tibetan teachers are from this non-sectarian tradition....and a few are not. So best to learn your history and sutras etc as
there are some folks holding old entrenched dogma and views...
🅰️ What are Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyu and Geluk ?
🅱️ What are the differences between Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyu and Geluk traditions ?
———————————————
First, let’s understand the overview of the Tibetan Buddhism.
There are mainly four traditions namely;
1. Nyingma tradition
2. Sakya tradition
3.Kagyu tradition
4. Geluk tradition
Buddhism reached Tibet from erstwhile Nalanda University, India in the 8th century AD. In fact it was Abbot Shantarakshita supported by Guru Padmasambhava who introduced Mahayana or what is called Sanskrit tradition of Buddhism in Tibet for the first
time during the Emperor Trisong Detsen.
The basic four practices called ‘Ngon dro’ (pre-requisite) which is the preliminary practices for all the traditions are exactly same and identical. The common practices for all four traditions are;
1. Renunciation
2. Bodhicitta
3. Wisdom of emptiness
4. Samadhi in general
Therefore, some scholars say that Tibetan Buddhism as (4+1) tradition, meaning that the first four is common among all the traditions and the only differences is on the fifth level which is also called TANTRA Practice.
Now the fifth one or at the Tantra level, every tradition has different methods and different labels such as;
Nyingma— has Dzogchen practice.
Sakya— has Seltong Zungjug practice.
Kagyu— has Mahamudra practice.
Geluk—has Nyukma lhenchik Keypey Woesel practice.
The above four methods of Tantra practices are to activate Subjective Clear lights.
Nyingmas - employ “Dzogchen” (great completion) to achieve mere awareness meditation.
Sakyas - employ “Seltong Zungjug” which is union of clarity and emptiness. Kagyus - employ “Mahamudra/Chakchen” (great gesture) to achieve awareness of awareness meditation.
Geluks - employ “Nyukma Lhenchik Keypey Woesel” which is union of bliss and emptiness.
Once the Subjective Clear light is achieved then employ this to activate Objective Clear light in union. Thereby the Cognitive obscuration which is very subtle stains of Afflictive obscuration is cleared and then the Mind flows freely in space and time.
By then, Infinite ease or Infinite Happiness is achieved. That is the state of Buddha-hood.
Therefore, in order to achieve the fifth that is Tantra part, a path is required and this path is non other than the four common preliminary practices of Renunciation, Bodhicitta, Wisdom of emptiness and Samadhi. In other words, one cannot jump to Tantra
practice without the qualification of the four preliminary practices. Many a times people have wrong notion that they can jump into Tantra practice and quickly achieve Buddha-hood. But actually for such a wish, the person must be a very special person
with lots of past Karmic deeds and Karmic connections requiring just a trigger in this life otherwise, it is impossible. Therefore generally speaking one must qualify the four preliminary practices first and then go for Tantra practice.
Brief back grounds of the four traditions:-
Nyingma—meaning old translation system, and in this context it got started in the 8th Century by Acharya Shantarakshita and Guru Padmasambhava. In the 11th Century, Sakya and Kagyu they are almost contemporary with a gap of few years came into being.
Kagyu—Ka means teachings of Buddha and Gyu mean lineage. Another version is Ka which also means white as they (Kagyupa) wear white robes. It was started by Jetsun Marpa Lotsawa who was the student of Jetsun Naropa of Nalanda University. Jetsun Marpa
was also the teacher of famous Jetsun Milarepa who achieved Buddhahood in one life time.
Sakya —Sa means land and Kya means kind of a barren land. A Monastery constructed on such a land so the name Sakya Monastery. It was started by Sachen Kunga Nyingpo as forefather and other Sakya Panditas.
Another tradition called Kadampa (meaning supreme teaching) also came into being in the 11th Century started by Lama Atisha Dipankara Srijnana as the forefather. Then later in the 14th Century with the arrival of Lama Tsongkhapa the Kadampa tradition got
more intensified especially in the practice of Wisdom of emptiness. Some people called it Kadamserma meaning new Kadampa or intensified Kadampa tradition. Later, with the coming up of Gaden Monastery this tradition headed by Lama Tsongkhapa became Geluk
tradition. Initially it was called Galuk meaning happy tradition but then later on it became Geluk. Some says Galuk didn’t sound nice in tibetan phonetic so it got changed to Geluk meaning virtuous tradition. Today we have Gaden Tri rinpoche who
maintains this linage and he is also considered as the head of Geluk tradition.
All these four traditions somehow have some basic links to the Kadampa tradition. For example in the Nyingma tradition which is oldest has “Kunzang Lamey Sheylung” (words of my perfect teacher) by Zapatrul rinpoche is from Kadampa tradition.
Today all four traditions that is Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyu and Geluk have standard teachings and teachers with solid ground on the Kadampa tradition. All these are such a beautiful path to Buddha hood.
Unfortunately today some people, on the line of these traditions create some sort of sectarianism. These are totally on the basis of not knowing the traditions well. The best antidote to such sectarianism is education. The more you learn about the
different traditions, the more you see how they all fit together even if they describe things differently. Therefore, respecting all the traditions is very important.
Thank you.🙏🙏🙏
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