Great Black

Was founded around the 2nd century in northern India near the town of Rajgir.  For more than 1000 years it serves as centre to keep  Mahayana  Buddhism alive and to spread it.

[Skt. Ushnishavijaya] The Victorious One, long-life aspect

The open clear limitlessness that is the basis off all phenomena.

[1016 - 1100] Naropa was born in Lahore, India. He was a disciple of Tilopa and the teacher of Marpa. Naropas family was very rich and powerful. In his early years Naropa studied everything according to the Brahmin tradition. But he also got Buddhist teachings at home. One day he asked his father to become a monk, but he refused.

So he married and lived as a house holder till he was 25. Then he and his wife both agreed to get ordained and he went to Nalanda University. There he studied Buddhist philosophy and became the greatest scholar of Nalanda.
One day while he was sitting and reading his texts an old ugly woman came and asked him what he was doing. He said that he was reading a Tantra and the woman became happy and started to dance. She asked him if he understood the meaning of the text and he answered "yes". Suddenly the woman stopped dancing and started to cry. She told him that she was crying because he lied to her. The one who really understands the ultimate meaning of the teachings is her brother Tilopa, she told him. When hearing this name he felt a strong devotion and wanted to meet Tilopa. But he had to stay at Nalanda until his teachings were finished. Then he left to find Tilopa.
Before he eventually met him he had to overcome the 12 minor hardships. This took several years. Without ever seeing Tilopa, Tilopa confronted Naropa with 12 different situations which were very direct teachings in order to give up laziness, develop Bodhicitta, give up the clinging to a really existing I and so on. Naropa had to learn that there is a difference in understanding the teachings in an intellectual way and realizing their ultimate meaning.

Finally Naropa met Tilopa. The next 12 years he received empowerments and had to overcome the 12 major hardships. One of these was that Tilopa and Naropa were standing on the roof of a building and Tilopa said "If I had a devoted student, he would jump". Naropa jumped and nearly died. Tilopa healed him and told him that he has to realize that whatever appears is illusory. Similar situations followed. One day Naropa ask for another instruction. But Tilopa slapped his shoe on his head. After that the last veils felt from his mind and Naropa accomplished Mahamudra. After that he stayed 21 years in Pulahari and taught the Dharma. Naropa collected the most important transmissions he received from Tilopa under the name of the "Six Teachings of Naropa".

Losar

Mantra

Preliminary Practices

Twelve Links of Interdependent Origination

Emanation state Tulku

[Tib. nga ngän lä dä pa]: Generally the liberation from the  cycle of existence (one-sided Nirvana). Especially in  Mahayana the state of complete Buddhahood (Parinirvana)

See Truth, Noble

As a child Nyang Tingdsin Sangpo was a playmate of the Tibetan King Trisong Detsen (Phowa Lineage). It is said that he was able to sit motionless in meditation for seven years. He persuaded the king to invite the Master Drime Shenyen (Vimalamitra) to Tibet. Nyang Tingdsin Sangpo was a student of Drime Shenyen and Guru Rinpoche, and received the highest transmission from him. Later on he tamed the demon Dorje Legpa, who had devastated East Tibet with hailstorms. This is how Dorje Legpa became a Dharma protector.

The oldest of the four main tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, founded by the India master Padmasambhava in the 8th century. One distinguishes the Kama-tradition, the school of direct transmission from teacher to student, and the Terma-tradition, the transmission of the  hidden treasures (Terma) that have been rediscovered and published later.

The tibetan king Langdarma destroyed the monasteries of the Nyingma-lineage and the lineage itself. By the hidden termas the Nyingma teachings survived. A discoverer of termas is called Terton. A lot of them were Kagyus. This explaines the close connection between Kagyu- and Nyingma-lineage.