Six Yogas of Naropa

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Six Yogas of Nāropa (Tib. na-ro'i-chos-drug), literally the six dharmas, or doctrines, describe a set of advanced Tibetan Buddhist tantric meditation practices compiled in and around the time of the Indian monk and mystic Nāropa (1016-1100 CE), and conveyed to his student Marpa the translator. The Six Yogas were intended in part to help in the attainment of enlightenment in an accelerated manner.

Contents 1 Classification 2 Related traditions 3 Notes 4 See also 5 External links

[edit] Classification

Though variously classified, up to ten yogas, the Six Yogas generally conform to the following conceptual list:

(Tibetan Wylie transliteration and Sanskrit in parentheses)

• Tummo (T:gtum-mo; S:caṇḍālī) — the Yoga of Inner Heat (or Mystic heat).

• Gyulu (T:sgyu-lus; S:māyākāyā) — the Yoga of the Illusory Body.

• Ösel (T:hod-gsal; S:prabhāsvara) — the Yoga of the Clear Light.

These three first are considered the main practices of the completion stage (dzog rim) in the Anuttara Yoga Tantra . ^{[1] [2]}

• Milam (T:rmi-lam; S:svapnadarśana) — the Yoga of the Dream State.
• Bardo (T:bar-do; S:antarābhava) — the Yoga of the Intermediate State. This is well-known through the Bardo Thodol. It is sometimes treated as an extension of the Illusory body yoga.
• Phowa (T:hpho-ba; S:saṃkrānti) — the Yoga of the Transference of Consciousness, to a pure Buddhafield.

Other yogas, sometimes grouped with those above, or set as auxilliary practices, include:

• Forceful projection, into another body. This technique has probably died out, or is kept secret. It is a variation of the transference yoga.
• Karmamudrā. (T:las kyi phyag rgya) This is the infamous tantric sexual yoga. Like all other yogas, it cannot be practiced without the basis of the inner heat yoga, of which karmamudrā is an extension.
• Nāropa himself, in the Vajra Verses of the Whispered Tradition, adds the practice of self-liberation in the "wisdom of non-duality" ^[3], which is the highest view of Mahāmudrā and Dzogchen. But this is always considered as a distinct path.
• There are many preliminary practices, and physical exercises called yantras, to the inner heat yoga. A good example of this is the visualization on the body as being hollow: "here the body and the energy channels (nadis) are to be seen as completely transparent and radiant". ^[4] This essential technique releases tensions and give suppleness to the prāna channels.

As Nāropa is a Kagyu lineage holder, the six meditative practices are strongly associated with the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. The teachings of Tilopa (988-1069 CE) are the earliest known work on the Six Yogas. Nāropa learned the techniques from Tilopa. Nāropa's student Marpa taught the Tibetan Milarepa, renowned for his yogic skills. Milarepa in turn taught Gampopa. Gampopa's student, the future first Karmapa, Düsum Khyenpa, attained enlightenment while practicing the Six Yogas.

The Karmapa, the first figure in Tibetan Buddhism to reincarnate, has been strongly associated in certain reincarnations with particular yogic attributes. Many Gelukpa practitioners, including the Dalai Lama, are expert in the Six Yogas of Nāropa.

[edit] Related traditions

The Six Yogas of Niguma are almost identical to the Six Yogas of Nāropa. Depending on the sources, Niguma was either his sister or his spiritual consort. Her teachings were transmitted to yogin Sukhasiddhī and then to Khyungpu Neldjor, the founder of the Shangpa Kagyu lineage.

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Philippe Cornu, Dictionnaire encyclopédique du Bouddhisme. Editions du Seuil, Paris, 2001. 843 p./ p.541.
2. ^ And also: Readings on The Six Yogas of Naropa. Translated, edited and introduced by Glenn H. Mullin. Snow Lion Publications, Ithaca (USA), 1997. 175p./ p.14. This latter is also the main source of the other informations contained herein.
3. ^ Ibid.2, p.39
4. ^ Ibid.2, p.58. See also: Gueshé Kelsang Gyatso, Clear Light of Bliss : The Practice of Mahamudra in Vajrayana Buddhism Tharpa Publication, 2nd rev.ed.,1992. 308 p.

[edit] See also

• Bardo Thodol (Tibetan Book of the Dead)
• Tsa lung Trul khor (Tibetan Yoga)
• [[]]

[edit] External links

• The Art of Dying: Esoteric Instructions on Death and Liberation
• The Six Yogas
• Vajrayana Yoga