10.2 Tibetan Buddhist schools and lineages

Tibetan Buddhism encompasses four main schools: Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, and Gelug. Each school has unique origins, practices, and philosophical views, yet they share common goals and incorporate Vajrayana techniques. These traditions emphasize lineage, passing teachings from master to disciple.

Key figures like Padmasambhava, Milarepa, and the Dalai Lamas have shaped Tibetan Buddhism. While schools differ in their approaches, they all aim for enlightenment and the benefit of all beings. Lineage transmission ensures the authenticity and preservation of teachings across generations.

Tibetan Buddhist Schools

Schools of Tibetan Buddhism

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• Nyingma (Old Translation School)
  • Oldest school of Tibetan Buddhism founded in the 8th century by Padmasambhava, an Indian tantric master who helped establish Buddhism in Tibet
  • Traces its lineage back to Padmasambhava and emphasizes the practice of Dzogchen (Great Perfection), which focuses on the innate purity and perfection of the mind
  • Known for its Terma tradition, where hidden teachings are revealed by tertöns (treasure revealers) at appropriate times
• Kagyu (Oral Lineage School)
  • Founded in the 11th century by Marpa Lotsawa, a translator and teacher who brought Mahamudra teachings from India to Tibet
  • Focuses on the practice of Mahamudra (Great Seal), which emphasizes the nature of mind and reality through direct experience and meditation
  • Subdivided into several branches, including Karma Kagyu headed by the Karmapa and Drukpa Kagyu known for its yogic practices
• Sakya (Gray Earth School)
  • Founded in the 11th century by Khön Könchok Gyalpo at Sakya Monastery in Tibet
  • Known for its emphasis on scholarship and the Lamdre (Path and Fruit) teachings, a comprehensive system of theory and practice
  • Played a significant political role in Tibetan history, with Sakya Pandita serving as a diplomat to the Mongol court in the 13th century
• Gelug (Virtuous School)
  • Founded in the 14th century by Je Tsongkhapa, who synthesized sutra and tantra teachings
  • Emphasizes the study of Buddhist philosophy, particularly Prasangika Madhyamaka, and logic through rigorous debate
  • Dalai Lamas, the spiritual and political leaders of Tibet, are from this school, especially the influential 5th and 14th Dalai Lamas

Philosophical views across schools

• Nyingma
  • Dzogchen view: the innate purity and perfection of the mind is the ultimate nature of reality
  • Practices aim to recognize and rest in this natural state of mind
• Kagyu
  • Mahamudra view: the nature of mind and reality are inseparable and can be directly experienced through meditation
  • Emphasis on meditation and direct experience over intellectual study
• Sakya
  • Lamdre system: a comprehensive approach that balances scholarly study and meditation practice
  • Madhyamaka philosophy: the ultimate truth is the emptiness of all phenomena
• Gelug
  • Prasangika Madhyamaka: the highest view of emptiness, refuting inherent existence of all phenomena
  • Emphasis on logical reasoning and debate to establish the correct view
• All schools
  • Share the common goal of attaining enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings
  • Incorporate Vajrayana (Tantric) practices, such as deity yoga and mantra recitation, to swiftly achieve Buddhahood

Lineage in Tibetan traditions

• Lineage
  • Unbroken chain of teachings passed from teacher to disciple, ensuring the authenticity and purity of the teachings
  • Each school traces its lineage back to Indian masters (Padmasambhava, Naropa, Virupa) and Tibetan founders (Marpa, Khön Könchok Gyalpo, Je Tsongkhapa)
• Transmission
  1. Oral transmission: direct instructions from teacher to student, often in the form of pith instructions or essential points
  2. Empowerments (initiations): necessary for engaging in certain Vajrayana practices, bestowed by qualified masters
  3. Textual transmission: passing on of sacred texts and commentaries, ensuring the preservation of the teachings
• Importance
  • Preserves the integrity and authenticity of the teachings as they are passed down through generations
  • Establishes a personal connection between the student and the lineage of enlightened masters, fostering devotion and inspiration

Key figures of Buddhist schools

• Nyingma
  • Padmasambhava: 8th-century Indian tantric master who helped establish Buddhism in Tibet, known for taming local spirits and hiding terma teachings
  • Longchenpa: 14th-century scholar and Dzogchen master, author of the Seven Treasuries, which systematized Dzogchen teachings
• Kagyu
  • Marpa Lotsawa: 11th-century translator and teacher who brought Mahamudra teachings from India, known for his strict discipline and transmission of practices to Milarepa
  • Milarepa: 11th-century yogi and poet, famous for his songs of realization and ascetic lifestyle, achieved enlightenment in one lifetime
• Sakya
  • Sakya Pandita: 13th-century scholar and diplomat who spread Buddhism to the Mongols, known for his works on logic and language
  • Gorampa Sonam Senge: 15th-century philosopher who emphasized the Madhyamaka view, critiqued the Gelug school's interpretation of emptiness
• Gelug
  • Je Tsongkhapa: 14th-century founder of the Gelug school, known for his synthesis of sutra and tantra, and emphasis on monastic discipline and study
  • Dalai Lamas: lineage of spiritual and political leaders of Tibet, particularly the 5th Dalai Lama who unified Tibet and the 14th Dalai Lama, the current leader in exile