Aro gTér
Encyclopedia
Aro is a lineage within the Nyingma tradition
of Tibetan Buddhism
. It has several unusual characteristics. The terma
on which it is based teaches all Buddhist topics from point of view of Dzogchen
, and so is characterized by uncommon simplicity. The lineage is entirely non-monastic (Ngagpa
), and so emphasizes householder practice and non-celibate ordination. All of its contemporary teachers are ethnically non-Tibetan.
or "revelation" of Khyungchen Aro Lingma. The Aro gTér has several distinctive characteristics: it treats all Buddhist subjects from point of view of Dzogchen; as a consequence its practices are simpler than the elaborate sadhana
s typical of Tantric Buddhism
; and it includes practices of semde
and longde
as well as the more common men-ngag-de
. These characteristics make it particularly suitable for those with jobs and families, and therefore limited practice time, which accords with the Aro lineage's non-monastic orientation.
(approach) that takes one's own intrinsic enlightened nature as the basis of practice. From the point of view of Dzogchen, all beings are always already enlightened. The goal of Tibetan Buddhist practice is to recognize and manifest that pre-existing enlightenment as a Bodhisattva
in benefiting others. There is, therefore, nothing that needs to be created or removed, and no special conditions are required. The only difference between ordinary existence and Buddhahood is in the way experience is perceived: as dualistic or non-dual.
The Dzogchen point of view permeates Aro. The lower yanas (Sutrayana
and Tantrayana) are re-presented in Dzogchen terms, and take on its characteristic style of simplicity, clarity, and expansiveness. Enlightenment needs only to be recognized, and is not produced by artificial means. Aro is therefore primarily concerned with bringing meditative awareness into ordinary life, rather than with elaborate, intellectualized, and time-consuming liturgical chanting. For Dzogchen, the ultimate practice is "living the view," i. e. experiencing and acting in the world as non-dual.
, and non-duality is central to Aro. Unusually, Aro takes the Heart Sutra
(conventionally part of Mahayana rather than Dzogchen) as the central text on this topic. The Heart Sutras statement that "form is emptiness and emptiness is form" is regarded as the essence of the matter.
Within the Aro gTér, the Sutra of the Owl-Headed Dakini (Wylie
: 'ug gdong snying thig mkha' 'gro mdo; Sanskrit: Ulukha-mukha Dakini Upadesha Sutra) treats the major topics of Sutrayana from point of view of Dzogchen. It includes unusual presentations of the Four Noble Truths
and Eightfold Path
, and of the Five Precepts. The Five Precepts are said to have inner meanings at the level of Dzogchen, as follows:
texts, and lengthy rituals). This is viewed as a reflection of the simple style of the Indian Mahasiddhas in the earliest days of Tantra.
In terms of the two Inner Tantras
not counting Dzogchen, Aro is concerned primarily with Anuyoga
, emphasizing tsa lung
and completion practice
rather than with Mahayoga
, which emphasizes ritual performance and generation practice
. As in the Anuyoga style generally, yidams are practiced without a textual sadhana, but simply by self-arising with mantra
. The practice of lhatong, from the semde ngöndro (see below), is also viewed as encompassing Tantra, so that accomplishing lhatong has the same value as accomplishing Tantric sadhana.
Aro emphasizes "yogic song," a mainly Dzogchen practice. Yogic songs are short texts (such as mantras) set to melodies, and sung repeatedly.
(generosity, clarity, compassionate appreciation, accomplishment, and unboundedness). It teaches both Tantric methods of transforming the neuroses into wisdoms and the Dzogchen trekchöd
method of liberating neuroses into their natural condition.
, longde
, and men-ngag-de
. Historically all three were important, but in recent centuries men-ngag-de has largely displaced the other two, as it is considered more advanced. Men-ngag-de is also, however, the least approachable in its own terms, and typically therefore Dzogchen has been made available only to those who have mastered Tantra. Aro includes material in all three series.
Semde, the Series of the Nature of Mind, is the most approachable series, because it contains a ngöndro
or "preparation" consisting of four meditation practices that bring the student to level of experience required to practice Dzogchen proper. These are shi-nè, lhatong, nyi-mèd, and lhundrüp. Shi-nè ("calm abiding") is the meditation practice that leads to the experience of emptiness, and corresponds to Sutrayana. Lhatong ("further vision") leads to the experience of form arising from emptiness, and corresponds to Tantrayana. Nyi-mèd ("non-duality") produces the recognition of the sameness of emptiness and form. Lhundrüp ("spontaneity") is the experience of enlightenment itself.
or "energetic body." It contains various systems of physical exercises that produce unusual sensations in which the practitioner may find rigpa
. Aro sKu-mNyé is one such.
Aro sKu-mNyé is a set of 111 exercises divided into six series, the movements of the lion, the vulture, the tiger, the eagle, the garuda, and the dragon. They range from simple and gentle to vigorous and extremely difficult. They disorient the conceptual mind and galvanize the body's subtle energies, in order to give access to non-ordinary experience. The system is also taught as a general exercise regimen to non-Buddhists, and for other non-religious benefits, rather as hatha yoga
is.
(vows) is for men always to regard women as the embodiment of wisdom and never to disparage them. Aro, with a predominance of female practitioners, makes the symmetry explicit: women vow to regard men as the embodiment of compassion and never to disparage them. The Aro Tantra of the Mirror that Reflects the Sun and Moon of the Khandros and Pawos discusses the consequences of this Tantric vow from point of view of men-ngag-de. It describes perceptual practices that are possible only within the context of romantic relationship.
Aro is explicitly gay-friendly, although not all of its teachings on romance are applicable to same-sex relationships.
Buddhism. gTér is a spelling of terma (Wylie
: gter ma). The Aro gTér is not known to have any connection with the much earlier Aro system of Dzogchen semde promulgated by Aro Yeshé Jungné.
stretching back to Yeshe Tsogyal
, in the early days of Buddhism in Tibet, and forward to Aro Lingma (1886-1923), who discovered it.
Aro Lingma, also sometimes called Jetsunma Khandro Yeshe Rema, is said to have transmitted the lineage to her only son, named Aro Yeshe (1915-1951). One of the present Aro gTér lineage holders, Ngak'chang Rinpoche, was recognized as the tulku of Aro Yeshe by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, and as the incarnation of Aro Yeshe's predecessor, 'a-Shul Pema Legden, by Khordong gTerchen Tulku Chhi'med Rig'dzin Rinpoche. In the 1970s, Ngak'chang Rinpoche studied with Chhi'med Rig'dzin Rinpoche, Dudjom Rinpoche
, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche, Khamtrül Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche and Konchog Rinpoche.
s of the lineage were also Western-born, and teach in the United States and various European countries. The lineage's primary legal organization, given the name Sang-ngak-chö-dzong by Dudjom Rinpoche
, is located in Britain.
In Tibet, Aro was a non-monastic lineage, practiced by lay people and by holders of Ngak'phang
(non-monastic, non-celibate) ordination. Its modern structure reflects continuing commitment to these two groups.
Aro strongly upholds the centrality of the Lama-student relationship in Vajrayana. Aro Lamas typically teach as married couples.
Apprenticeship is an intermediate stage between typical householder religious adherence and ordination. For serious students, it provides the frequent personal guidance from Lamas that is generally unavailable to non-ordained people. On the other hand, it does not require Tantric samaya or the Ngak'phang commitments.
To ensure that close relationships with Lamas remain possible, Aro adopted limits on the number of students any Lama teaches. It has a "lateral" mode of growth, "with a greater number of teachers, rather than one teacher with an unwieldy number of students."
, the familiar monastic
ordinations and the less well known Ngak'phang
or Tantric ordinations. Ngak'phang ordination is non-monastic and non-celibate, but not "lay." It entails its own extensive system of vows, distinct from the monastic vows.
Aro was the first lineage to offer Ngak'phang ordination outside Asia, and now has several dozen ordained practitioners. A number of other lineages now also confer Ngak'phang ordination in the West.
Nyingma
The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism . "Nyingma" literally means "ancient," and is often referred to as Nga'gyur or the "old school" because it is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan, in the eighth century...
of Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
. It has several unusual characteristics. The terma
Terma (Buddhism)
Terma are key Tibetan Buddhist and Bön teachings, which the tradition holds were originally esoterically hidden by various adepts such as Padmasambhava and his consorts in the 8th century for future discovery at auspicious times by other adepts, known as tertöns. As such, they represent a...
on which it is based teaches all Buddhist topics from point of view of Dzogchen
Dzogchen
According to Tibetan Buddhism and Bön, Dzogchen is the natural, primordial state or natural condition of the mind, and a body of teachings and meditation practices aimed at realizing that condition. Dzogchen, or "Great Perfection", is a central teaching of the Nyingma school also practiced by...
, and so is characterized by uncommon simplicity. The lineage is entirely non-monastic (Ngagpa
Ngagpa
In Tibetan Buddhism and Bon, a Ngakpa is a non-monastic practitioner of Vajrayana, shamanism, Tibetan medicine, Tantra and Dzogchen amongst other traditions, disciplines and arts....
), and so emphasizes householder practice and non-celibate ordination. All of its contemporary teachers are ethnically non-Tibetan.
The terma
The Aro lineage is based on the Aro gTér, a termaTerma (Buddhism)
Terma are key Tibetan Buddhist and Bön teachings, which the tradition holds were originally esoterically hidden by various adepts such as Padmasambhava and his consorts in the 8th century for future discovery at auspicious times by other adepts, known as tertöns. As such, they represent a...
or "revelation" of Khyungchen Aro Lingma. The Aro gTér has several distinctive characteristics: it treats all Buddhist subjects from point of view of Dzogchen; as a consequence its practices are simpler than the elaborate sadhana
Sadhana
Sādhanā literally "a means of accomplishing something" is ego-transcending spiritual practice. It includes a variety of disciplines in Hindu, Sikh , Buddhist and Muslim traditions that are followed in order to achieve various spiritual or ritual objectives.The historian N...
s typical of Tantric Buddhism
Vajrayana
Vajrayāna Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and the Diamond Vehicle...
; and it includes practices of semde
Semde
Semde translated as "mind division", "mind class" or "mind series" is the name of one of three scriptural and lineage divisions within Atiyoga, Dzogchen or the Great Perfection which is itself the pinnacle of the ninefold division of practice according to the Nyingma school of Tibetan...
and longde
Longde
Longde is the name of one of three scriptural divisions within Atiyoga, also known as Dzogchen or the Great Perfection which is itself the pinnacle of the ninefold division of practice according to the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism.The name Longde is translated as 'Space Division' or 'Space...
as well as the more common men-ngag-de
Menngagde
In Tibetan Buddhism and Bön, Menngagde , , is the name of one of three scriptural and lineage divisions within Dzogchen, teachings...
. These characteristics make it particularly suitable for those with jobs and families, and therefore limited practice time, which accords with the Aro lineage's non-monastic orientation.
Pervasive Dzogchen approach
Dzogchen is the Buddhist yanaYana (Buddhism)
Yāna refers to a mode or method of spiritual practice in Buddhism, and in particular to divisions of various schools of Buddhism according to their type of practice.-Nomenclature, etymology and orthography:...
(approach) that takes one's own intrinsic enlightened nature as the basis of practice. From the point of view of Dzogchen, all beings are always already enlightened. The goal of Tibetan Buddhist practice is to recognize and manifest that pre-existing enlightenment as a Bodhisattva
Bodhisattva
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is either an enlightened existence or an enlightenment-being or, given the variant Sanskrit spelling satva rather than sattva, "heroic-minded one for enlightenment ." The Pali term has sometimes been translated as "wisdom-being," although in modern publications, and...
in benefiting others. There is, therefore, nothing that needs to be created or removed, and no special conditions are required. The only difference between ordinary existence and Buddhahood is in the way experience is perceived: as dualistic or non-dual.
The Dzogchen point of view permeates Aro. The lower yanas (Sutrayana
Sutrayana
Sūtrayāna, in the Indo-Tibetan three-fold classification of yanas, is the yana that leads to the realization of emptiness. It consists of Hinayana and Mahayana. The other two yanas, according to this classification, are Tantrayana and Dzogchen, which together constitute Vajrayana....
and Tantrayana) are re-presented in Dzogchen terms, and take on its characteristic style of simplicity, clarity, and expansiveness. Enlightenment needs only to be recognized, and is not produced by artificial means. Aro is therefore primarily concerned with bringing meditative awareness into ordinary life, rather than with elaborate, intellectualized, and time-consuming liturgical chanting. For Dzogchen, the ultimate practice is "living the view," i. e. experiencing and acting in the world as non-dual.
The Heart Sutra and the Sutra of the Owl-Headed Dakini
As in Dzogchen generally, understanding of the relationships between form, emptinessShunyata
Śūnyatā, शून्यता , Suññatā , stong-pa nyid , Kòng/Kū, 空 , Gong-seong, 공성 , qoγusun is frequently translated into English as emptiness...
, and non-duality is central to Aro. Unusually, Aro takes the Heart Sutra
Heart Sutra
The Heart Sūtra is a Mahāyāna Buddhist sūtra. Its Sanskrit name literally translates to "Heart of the Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom." The Heart Sūtra is often cited as the best known and most popular of all Buddhist scriptures.-Introduction:The Heart Sūtra is a member of the Perfection of...
(conventionally part of Mahayana rather than Dzogchen) as the central text on this topic. The Heart Sutras statement that "form is emptiness and emptiness is form" is regarded as the essence of the matter.
Within the Aro gTér, the Sutra of the Owl-Headed Dakini (Wylie
Wylie transliteration
The Wylie transliteration scheme is a method for transliterating Tibetan script using only the letters available on a typical English language typewriter. It bears the name of Turrell V. Wylie, who described the scheme in an article, A Standard System of Tibetan Transcription, published in 1959...
: 'ug gdong snying thig mkha' 'gro mdo; Sanskrit: Ulukha-mukha Dakini Upadesha Sutra) treats the major topics of Sutrayana from point of view of Dzogchen. It includes unusual presentations of the Four Noble Truths
Four Noble Truths
The Four Noble Truths are an important principle in Buddhism, classically taught by the Buddha in the Dharmacakra Pravartana Sūtra....
and Eightfold Path
Noble Eightfold Path
The Noble Eightfold Path , is one of the principal teachings of the Buddha, who described it as the way leading to the cessation of suffering and the achievement of self-awakening. It is used to develop insight into the true nature of phenomena and to eradicate greed, hatred, and delusion...
, and of the Five Precepts. The Five Precepts are said to have inner meanings at the level of Dzogchen, as follows:
| Sutrayana presentation | Aro presentation |
|---|---|
| To refrain from killing sentient beings. | To refrain from killing the efflorescence of rigpa Rigpa Rigpa is the knowledge that ensues from recognizing one's nature i.e. one knows that there is a primordial freedom from grasping his or her mind . The opposite of rigpa is marigpa .... as it sparkles through the fabric of duality. |
| To refrain from stealing. | To refrain from stealing opportunities for realization. |
| To refrain from sexual misconduct. | To remain always in ecstatic embrace with the khandro Dakini A dakini is a tantric deity described as a female embodiment of enlightened energy. In the Tibetan language, dakini is rendered khandroma which means 'she who traverses the sky' or 'she who moves in space'. Sometimes the term is translated poetically as 'sky dancer' or 'sky walker'. The dakini, in... or pawo Pawo In Vajrayana Buddhism, Pawo is translated "hero" or "warrior". Depending on context, it can refer to the ideal of a Vajrayana practitioner; to living people ; to legendary or mythical figures from the past; or to purely spiritual beings."Pawo" translates the Sanskrit terms daka... . |
| To refrain from lying. | To refrain from expressing the lie of dualism. |
| To refrain from intoxicants. | To refrain from the intoxication of duality, and to become drunken with primordial wisdom. |
Essential Tantric practice
Dzogchen practices are typically much simpler than those of Tantra. Aro describes its Tantric practices as "essential," meaning that they lack the typical complexities of Tantra (elaborate mandala visualizations, extensive sadhanaSadhana
Sādhanā literally "a means of accomplishing something" is ego-transcending spiritual practice. It includes a variety of disciplines in Hindu, Sikh , Buddhist and Muslim traditions that are followed in order to achieve various spiritual or ritual objectives.The historian N...
texts, and lengthy rituals). This is viewed as a reflection of the simple style of the Indian Mahasiddhas in the earliest days of Tantra.
In terms of the two Inner Tantras
Inner Tantras
The Inner Tantras are the final three divisions in the ninefold division of practice according to the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. They comprise the Mahayoga, Anuyoga and Atiyoga...
not counting Dzogchen, Aro is concerned primarily with Anuyoga
Anuyoga
Anuyoga is the designation of the second of the three Inner Tantras according to the ninefold division of practice used by the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism...
, emphasizing tsa lung
Lung (Tibetan Buddhism)
Lung is a word that means wind or breath. It is a key concept in the Vajrayana traditions of Tibetan Buddhism and as such is part of the symbolic 'twilight language', used to non-conceptually point to a variety of meanings. Lung is a concept that's particularly important to understandings of the...
and completion practice
Completion stage
The completion stage is one of the two stages of Anuttarayoga Tantra. Completion stage may also be translated as perfection stage or fulfillment mode...
rather than with Mahayoga
Mahayoga
Mahayoga is the designation of the first of the three Inner Tantras according to the ninefold division of practice used by the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism....
, which emphasizes ritual performance and generation practice
Generation stage
In Tantric Buddhism, the generation stage is the first phase of meditative Buddhist sādhana associated with the 'Father Tantra' class of anuttara-yoga-tantras of the Sarmapa or associated with what is known as Mahayoga Tantras by the Nyingmapa...
. As in the Anuyoga style generally, yidams are practiced without a textual sadhana, but simply by self-arising with mantra
Mantra
A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...
. The practice of lhatong, from the semde ngöndro (see below), is also viewed as encompassing Tantra, so that accomplishing lhatong has the same value as accomplishing Tantric sadhana.
Aro emphasizes "yogic song," a mainly Dzogchen practice. Yogic songs are short texts (such as mantras) set to melodies, and sung repeatedly.
Emotions and Trekchöd
Aro teaches the Dzogchen system of the five elemental neuroses (territoriality, aggression, neediness, anxiety, and depression) and five corresponding wisdomsFive Dhyani Buddhas
In Vajrayana Buddhism, the Five Dhyani Buddhas , also known as the Five Wisdom Tathāgatas, the Five Great Buddhas and the Five Jinas , are representations of the five qualities of the Buddha...
(generosity, clarity, compassionate appreciation, accomplishment, and unboundedness). It teaches both Tantric methods of transforming the neuroses into wisdoms and the Dzogchen trekchöd
Kadag Trekchö
Kadag Trekchö is a Dzogchen term and practice meaning "thorough cut" or "cutting through". 'Kadag' may be rendered as 'purity' and specifically "primordial purity"...
method of liberating neuroses into their natural condition.
Semde
Dzogchen encompasses three "series," or approaches: semdeSemde
Semde translated as "mind division", "mind class" or "mind series" is the name of one of three scriptural and lineage divisions within Atiyoga, Dzogchen or the Great Perfection which is itself the pinnacle of the ninefold division of practice according to the Nyingma school of Tibetan...
, longde
Longde
Longde is the name of one of three scriptural divisions within Atiyoga, also known as Dzogchen or the Great Perfection which is itself the pinnacle of the ninefold division of practice according to the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism.The name Longde is translated as 'Space Division' or 'Space...
, and men-ngag-de
Menngagde
In Tibetan Buddhism and Bön, Menngagde , , is the name of one of three scriptural and lineage divisions within Dzogchen, teachings...
. Historically all three were important, but in recent centuries men-ngag-de has largely displaced the other two, as it is considered more advanced. Men-ngag-de is also, however, the least approachable in its own terms, and typically therefore Dzogchen has been made available only to those who have mastered Tantra. Aro includes material in all three series.
Semde, the Series of the Nature of Mind, is the most approachable series, because it contains a ngöndro
Ngöndro
Ngöndro refers to the preliminary, preparatory or foundational 'practices' or 'disciplines' common to all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism and also to Bön...
or "preparation" consisting of four meditation practices that bring the student to level of experience required to practice Dzogchen proper. These are shi-nè, lhatong, nyi-mèd, and lhundrüp. Shi-nè ("calm abiding") is the meditation practice that leads to the experience of emptiness, and corresponds to Sutrayana. Lhatong ("further vision") leads to the experience of form arising from emptiness, and corresponds to Tantrayana. Nyi-mèd ("non-duality") produces the recognition of the sameness of emptiness and form. Lhundrüp ("spontaneity") is the experience of enlightenment itself.
Longde and sKu-mNyé
Longde, the Series of Space, is concerned primarily with the experience of the tsa lung systemLung (Tibetan Buddhism)
Lung is a word that means wind or breath. It is a key concept in the Vajrayana traditions of Tibetan Buddhism and as such is part of the symbolic 'twilight language', used to non-conceptually point to a variety of meanings. Lung is a concept that's particularly important to understandings of the...
or "energetic body." It contains various systems of physical exercises that produce unusual sensations in which the practitioner may find rigpa
Rigpa
Rigpa is the knowledge that ensues from recognizing one's nature i.e. one knows that there is a primordial freedom from grasping his or her mind . The opposite of rigpa is marigpa ....
. Aro sKu-mNyé is one such.
Aro sKu-mNyé is a set of 111 exercises divided into six series, the movements of the lion, the vulture, the tiger, the eagle, the garuda, and the dragon. They range from simple and gentle to vigorous and extremely difficult. They disorient the conceptual mind and galvanize the body's subtle energies, in order to give access to non-ordinary experience. The system is also taught as a general exercise regimen to non-Buddhists, and for other non-religious benefits, rather as hatha yoga
Hatha yoga
Hatha yoga , also called hatha vidya , is a system of yoga introduced by Yogi Swatmarama, a Hindu sage of 15th century India, and compiler of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika....
is.
Romance as Buddhist practice
One of the Tantric samayaSamaya
The samaya , is a set of vows or precepts given to initiates of an esoteric Vajrayana Buddhist order as part of the abhiṣeka ceremony that creates a bond between the guru and disciple.According Keown, et al., Samaya may be defined as:*A particular system of teaching or...
(vows) is for men always to regard women as the embodiment of wisdom and never to disparage them. Aro, with a predominance of female practitioners, makes the symmetry explicit: women vow to regard men as the embodiment of compassion and never to disparage them. The Aro Tantra of the Mirror that Reflects the Sun and Moon of the Khandros and Pawos discusses the consequences of this Tantric vow from point of view of men-ngag-de. It describes perceptual practices that are possible only within the context of romantic relationship.
Aro is explicitly gay-friendly, although not all of its teachings on romance are applicable to same-sex relationships.
The name "Aro gTér"
Aro means "taste of the primordial A" in Tibetan; this letter has special significance as a seed syllable in VajrayanaVajrayana
Vajrayāna Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and the Diamond Vehicle...
Buddhism. gTér is a spelling of terma (Wylie
Wylie transliteration
The Wylie transliteration scheme is a method for transliterating Tibetan script using only the letters available on a typical English language typewriter. It bears the name of Turrell V. Wylie, who described the scheme in an article, A Standard System of Tibetan Transcription, published in 1959...
: gter ma). The Aro gTér is not known to have any connection with the much earlier Aro system of Dzogchen semde promulgated by Aro Yeshé Jungné.
Lineage history
According to the terma, Aro has antecedents in a "Mother Essence Lineage" of female tertönsTertön
A tertön is a discoverer of ancient texts or "terma". Many tertöns are considered incarnations of the 25 main disciples of Padmasambhava. A vast system of transmission lineages developed...
stretching back to Yeshe Tsogyal
Yeshe Tsogyal
Yeshe Tsogyal , was the consort of the great Indian tantric teacher Padmasambhava, the founder-figure of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Nyingma tradition considers her equal in realization to Padmasambhava himself. The meditational practices related to her, stress her enlightened...
, in the early days of Buddhism in Tibet, and forward to Aro Lingma (1886-1923), who discovered it.
Aro Lingma, also sometimes called Jetsunma Khandro Yeshe Rema, is said to have transmitted the lineage to her only son, named Aro Yeshe (1915-1951). One of the present Aro gTér lineage holders, Ngak'chang Rinpoche, was recognized as the tulku of Aro Yeshe by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, and as the incarnation of Aro Yeshe's predecessor, 'a-Shul Pema Legden, by Khordong gTerchen Tulku Chhi'med Rig'dzin Rinpoche. In the 1970s, Ngak'chang Rinpoche studied with Chhi'med Rig'dzin Rinpoche, Dudjom Rinpoche
Dudjom Rinpoche
Dudjom Rinpoche is the title of a prominent line of tulkus of the Nyingmapa order of Tibetan Buddhism. Dudjom Rinpoche was born in 1904 on the tenth day of the sixth month in the year of the wood dragon in Southern Tibet in a region called the "hidden land" of Pema Ko. He died on January 17, 1987...
, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche, Khamtrül Yeshé Dorje Rinpoche and Konchog Rinpoche.
Aro in the contemporary West
The current Aro lineage holders, Ngak'chang Rinpoche and Khandro Déchen, are ethnically non-Tibetan. Other LamaLama
Lama is a title for a Tibetan teacher of the Dharma. The name is similar to the Sanskrit term guru .Historically, the term was used for venerated spiritual masters or heads of monasteries...
s of the lineage were also Western-born, and teach in the United States and various European countries. The lineage's primary legal organization, given the name Sang-ngak-chö-dzong by Dudjom Rinpoche
Dudjom Rinpoche
Dudjom Rinpoche is the title of a prominent line of tulkus of the Nyingmapa order of Tibetan Buddhism. Dudjom Rinpoche was born in 1904 on the tenth day of the sixth month in the year of the wood dragon in Southern Tibet in a region called the "hidden land" of Pema Ko. He died on January 17, 1987...
, is located in Britain.
In Tibet, Aro was a non-monastic lineage, practiced by lay people and by holders of Ngak'phang
Ngagpa
In Tibetan Buddhism and Bon, a Ngakpa is a non-monastic practitioner of Vajrayana, shamanism, Tibetan medicine, Tantra and Dzogchen amongst other traditions, disciplines and arts....
(non-monastic, non-celibate) ordination. Its modern structure reflects continuing commitment to these two groups.
Aro strongly upholds the centrality of the Lama-student relationship in Vajrayana. Aro Lamas typically teach as married couples.
Apprenticeship
A journal article describes the evolution of the Aro "apprenticeship" program, an institutional form not found in Tibet. It was designed to make extensive interaction with Lamas possible for people with families – more than is typically possible either in Tibet or with Tibetan Lamas in the West.Apprenticeship is an intermediate stage between typical householder religious adherence and ordination. For serious students, it provides the frequent personal guidance from Lamas that is generally unavailable to non-ordained people. On the other hand, it does not require Tantric samaya or the Ngak'phang commitments.
To ensure that close relationships with Lamas remain possible, Aro adopted limits on the number of students any Lama teaches. It has a "lateral" mode of growth, "with a greater number of teachers, rather than one teacher with an unwieldy number of students."
Ordination
Tibetan Buddhism contains two systems of ordinationOrdination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
, the familiar monastic
Monasticism
Monasticism is a religious way of life characterized by the practice of renouncing worldly pursuits to fully devote one's self to spiritual work...
ordinations and the less well known Ngak'phang
Ngagpa
In Tibetan Buddhism and Bon, a Ngakpa is a non-monastic practitioner of Vajrayana, shamanism, Tibetan medicine, Tantra and Dzogchen amongst other traditions, disciplines and arts....
or Tantric ordinations. Ngak'phang ordination is non-monastic and non-celibate, but not "lay." It entails its own extensive system of vows, distinct from the monastic vows.
Aro was the first lineage to offer Ngak'phang ordination outside Asia, and now has several dozen ordained practitioners. A number of other lineages now also confer Ngak'phang ordination in the West.