Nyingma

‧Written by Master Sheng-yen Lu‧
    My personal study of Tantrayana began with an empowerment from Reverend Liaoming. Later, Reverend Liaoming told me that he belonged to the Nyingma school (of Tibetan Buddhism) under Norlha Rinpoche.
    This is the lineage: Norlha Rinpoche > Reverend Liaoming > Living Buddha Lian-sheng.
    Regarding the relationship between Padmasambhava and me, I have written an account of it in my early books:
        1. Guru Rinpoche brought me to a cave in an ancient tomb for empowerments.
        2. Guru Rinpoche swallowed me with his mouth and released me through his secret chakra.
        3. Guru Rinpoche emitted brilliant lights to give me empowerments of the hundred wrathful and peaceful deities.
        4. Guru Rinpoche placed the Nine Stages of Great Perfection Dharma into the depths of my mind using the terma (hidden treasure) method.
    To be frank, when I first received the empowerments of the Nine Stages of Great Perfection Dharma from Reverend Liaoming, I did not entirely understand them.
    But, Reverend Liaoming said to me, “In the future you will naturally understand. In the future you will achieve accomplishments. This is because you have a deep and profound affinity with all the various Tantrayana schools.”
    
    Then a further miracle happened:
    One day, I placed my own hand on top of my head.
    I empowered myself with my own hand.
    Then images started to appear, one after another:
    In Nyingma, I was King Trisong Detsen.
    In Kagyu, I was Precious Intent Kumara.
    In Sakya, I was Biwapa.
    In Gelugpa, I was Tsongkhapa.
    Oh heavens!
    I really could not believe it. These four famous Tantrayana lineage gurus’ shadows indeed appear in the terma of my mind-stream.
    The vision of my incarnations is not simple and appears more and more complicated with time, surpassing my own imagination.
    Yet now my understanding of the Nine Stages of Great Perfection Dharma becomes more and more lucid.
    Yamantaka Practices.
    Mahamudra Practices.
    Lamdre Practices.
    Nine Stages of Great Perfection.
    During the time I gave the discourse on the Nine Stages of Great Perfection Dharma, the essence of these teachings emerged one by one to the surface of my mind.
    Presently, by using my hand to empower my own mind-stream, I understand the following:
    The Nyingma school is more scattered.
    The three masters of the Zur clan were the ones who established the Nyingma school after Padmasambhava.
    There was an eminent Nyingma master Longchenpa who lived in the fourteenth century.
    Jigme Lingpa was an important terma revealer of the Nyingma school.
    The nine vehicles of the Nyingma tradition are:
    The three Sutrayana vehicles: shravakayana, pratyekabuddhayana, and bodhisattvayana.
    The three Outer Tantras: kriya tantra (action tantra), charya tantra (performance tantra), and yoga tantra.
    The three Inner Tantras: mahayoga tantra, anuyoga tantra, and atiyoga tantra.
    Included in the nine vehicles are:
    Hinayana, Mahayana, Yoga Tantra, and Highest Yoga Tantra.
    Personally, I find the following figures to be most important in the early development of the Nine Stages of Great Perfection Dharma:
    Shri Singha
    Padmasambhava
    Vimalamitra
    Santaraksita
    Trisong Detsen.
    
    Now, the teachings of the Nine Stages of Great Perfection Dharma will take off and spread throughout the world.