NYINGMA BUDDHISM

- Founder of the Sect, Location, Time period

Nyingma was started by Guru Padmasambhav who came to Tibet in 817 C.E. at the invitation of King Trisong Duetsan (742-797) in order to subdue the evil forces then obstructing the spread of Buddhism.

Bodhisattva Abbot Shantarakshita and Guru Rinpochey built the Samyey monestary, which became a principal center of learning and the site where many of the texts that would make up Tibet's vast Buddhist literature were first translated into Tibetan.

Symbols, iconography, figures, deities

Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso)

Yama

YAMA - The wrathful looking head is Yama, the one with many names such as Lord of Death and Lord of Illusion. Yama is the emanation of Deity of Wisdom Manjushri. Yama represents the impermanent and illusory nature of all phenomena.

Symbols, iconography, figures, deities

Avalokitesvara (Chenrezig in Tibetan), the buddha of compassion, is the patron deity of Tibet. The Dalai Lama is considered his embodiment. Shown here with 1000 arms that represent his capacity to relieve suffering.

Symbols, iconography, figures, deities

Guru Rinpoche or Padmasambhava (Pema Jungne in Tibetan) is the main founder of Buddhism in Tibet. He is a key figure in Tibetan history and is shown here

Symbols, iconography, figures, deities

A model of Buddhist cosmology based on the Abhidharma literature. Yama, the central figure, holds the circular wheel of existence in his jaws. Scenes within the circle depict the six realms of existence.

Symbols, iconography, figures, deities

Images of two figures in sexual union are common in Tibetan Buddhist art. These yab-yum or father-mother works depict the inseparability of wisdom and compassion.

Symbols, iconography, figures, deities

Wrathful female protector of the Dalai Lama and his monastic college. This work was selected in order to better understand how non-experts perceive wrathful imagery (e.g., skulls, weapons)

Symbols, iconography, figures, deities

If you are interested, there are a lot more here:

http://yeo.vox.com/library/photo/6a00d09e6b0f52be2b00e3989fc28c0002.html

Attainment of Enlightenment

Guru Rinpochey also gave widespread teachings from the highest classes of tantra and in particular to his twenty-five principal disciples. These first Tibetan adepts are renowned for their spiritual accomplishments.

Guru Rinpochey thought that his disciples are immature and the time was yet inappropriate for many of the other teachings he had to reveal. So Guru Padmasambhava hid hundreds of Treasures in the forms of scriptures, images and ritual articles, with instructions for their revelation for the benefit of future generations. Subsequently, more than one hundred masters have revealed these Treasures and taught them to their disciples. So, besides the tantric teachings, it is these lineages of revealed teachings combined with the Great Completion or Dzogchen doctrine taught and disseminated successively by Garab Doyjer, Shri Simha, Guru Rinpochey, Jnana Sutra, Vimala Mitra, which are distinguished in Tibet as Nyingma doctrine.

Attainment of Enlightenment

The Nyingma tradition divides the entire Buddhist teachings into Nine Vehicles: the Three Common Vehicles comprising the Hearer, Solitary Realizer, and Bodhisattva vehicles dealing with those categories of teachings included in the sutras taught by Buddha Shakyamuni; the Three Outer Tantras consisting of (1)Kriya Tantra which places greater emphasis on practising proper external behaviour, physical and verbal conduct aimed at purification and simple visualisation practice; (2)Upa Tantra which lays more emphasis on developing both external and internal faculties with the goal of achieving a deeper affinity with the meditational deity; and (3)Yoga Tantra, which I mainly aimed at developing the strength of inner psychophysical vitality as taught by Vajrasattva.

Attainment of Enlightenment

Finally, the Three Innermost Tantras comprising (1)Mahayoga, primarily emphasising the Generation Stage practice in which the ordinary level of perception and attachment are eliminated through sacred vision and divine pride; the (2)Annuyoga, emphasising Completion Stage practice in which the vajra body is used as a serviceable means to actualise primordial awareness and the (3)Atiyoga, in which all emphasis is directed towards full activation of the generation and completion stage practices, enabling the yogi to transcend all ordinary time, activity and experience, as taught by Samantabhadra Buddha.

Works Cited Founder of the Sect, Location, Time period and attainment of Enlightenment from 1. Http://www.tibet.com/Buddhism/nyingma.html The Government of Tibet in Exile: The Nyingma Tradition, This site is maintained and

updated by The Office of Tibet, the official agency of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in London, Last updated: 10-Nov-97. Used Oct 1st, 08 from Korea International School.

2. http://blog.naver.com/taucross?Redirect=Log&logNo=100009890619 지켜보기 : 티벳불교종파 – 닝마파 , updated 2005/ 02/ 02 00:54 Used Oct 1st, 08 from Korea

International School. Pictures and information about the pictures from 1. Picture of Tenzin Gyatso (Dalailama) -> yahoo! Korea

http://kr.search.yahoo.com/search?fr=kr-autotype_fp&KEY=&p=%B4%DE%B6%F3%C0%CC+%B6%F3%B8%B6 . Used Oct 1st, 08 from Korea International School

2. http://www.archimuse.com/mw2008/papers/mannion/mannion.html Mannion, S., Seeing Tibetan Art Through Social Tags, in J. Trant and D. Bearman (eds.).

Museums and the Web 2008: Proceedings(CD-ROM), Toronto: Archives & Museum Informatics. Published March 31, 2008. Used Oct 1st, 08 from Korea International School.

Information about Yama from http://www.karmachakragame.com/game.html, Karma Chakra Copyright Chodak Tashi Ghartsang. Used Oct 1st, 08 from Korea International School.