Ngagpa
Encyclopedia
In Tibetan Buddhism
and Bon, a Ngakpa (Tibetan: སྔགས་པ ; Wylie: sngags pa; IAST
: mantrī; Sanskrit Devanagari: मन्त्री ) is a non-monastic practitioner of Vajrayana
, shamanism
, Tibetan medicine, Tantra
and Dzogchen
amongst other traditions, disciplines and arts.
Ngagpa is an alternative phonetic transcription; the Wylie
is sngags pa. These terms are grammatically masculine; the feminine equivalent is Ngakma or Ngakmo. Ngakphang is a gender neutral word that covers ngakpa and ngakmo, though this may be of relatively recent construction.
Traditionally, ngakpas wear uncut hair and white robes. From this they are referred to as gö kar chang loi de or "the white-robed and matted-haired group" (gos dkar lcang lo'i sde).
and in enacting ritual
s when requested by, or on behalf of, members of the community
.
There are family lineages of Ngagpa, with the practice of a particular yidam
being passed through family lineages. That said, a Ngagpa (inclusive of both sexes) may also be deemed anyone thoroughly immersed and engaged in the practice of the teachings and under the guidance of a lineage-holder, and who has taken the appropriate vows or samaya
and had the associated empowerments and transmissions.
Significant lineage transmission is through oral lore.
While Ngagpas may perform many different rituals and energetic workings; many are rites of passage
, they are particularly known for performing birth rituals, weddings, funerals, divination
s, and pacification of ghosts or nature spirits and exorcisms. Typically, Ngagpas live with their families in villages; but many Ngagpas also congregate in Bonpos, the Ngagpa equivalent of a monastery
. Some Ngagpa are comparable in practice to the Mahasidda; indeed, the Mahasidda may be correctly referred to as Ngagpa.
As scholar Sam van Schaik
describes, "the lay tantric practitioner (sngags pa, Skt. māntrin) became a common figure in Tibet, and would remain so throughout the history of Tibetan Buddhism." Scholar Gyurme Dorje defines ngakpas as "a practitioner of the mantras, who may live as a lay householder rather than a renunciate monk."
Kunga Gyaltsen, the father Dalai Lama
II Gendun Gyatso, was a non-monastic ngakpa, a famous Nyingma
tantric
master. His mother was Machik Kunga Pemo, they were a farming family. Their lineage transmission was by birth.
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...
and Bon, a Ngakpa (Tibetan: སྔགས་པ ; Wylie: sngags pa; IAST
IAST
The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration is a transliteration scheme that allows a lossless romanization of Indic scripts as employed by the Sanskrit language.-Popularity:...
: mantrī; Sanskrit Devanagari: मन्त्री ) is a non-monastic practitioner of Vajrayana
Vajrayana
Vajrayāna Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and the Diamond Vehicle...
, shamanism
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
, Tibetan medicine, Tantra
Tantra
Tantra , anglicised tantricism or tantrism or tantram, is the name scholars give to an inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, expressed in scriptures ....
and 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...
amongst other traditions, disciplines and arts.
Ngagpa is an alternative phonetic transcription; the 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...
is sngags pa. These terms are grammatically masculine; the feminine equivalent is Ngakma or Ngakmo. Ngakphang is a gender neutral word that covers ngakpa and ngakmo, though this may be of relatively recent construction.
Traditionally, ngakpas wear uncut hair and white robes. From this they are referred to as gö kar chang loi de or "the white-robed and matted-haired group" (gos dkar lcang lo'i sde).
Description and definitions
Ngakpas typically marry, have children and work in the world, though they are required to devote significant time to retreat and practicePractice
Practice may refer to:* Practice , a method of learning by repetition* Practice , a theoretical term for human action in society* Spiritual practice...
and in enacting ritual
Ritual
A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value. It may be prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. The term usually excludes actions which are arbitrarily chosen by the performers....
s when requested by, or on behalf of, members of the community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
.
There are family lineages of Ngagpa, with the practice of a particular yidam
Yidam
In Vajrayana Buddhism, an Ishta-deva or Ishta-devata is a fully enlightened being who is the focus of personal meditation, during a retreat or for life. The term is often translated into English as tutelary deity, meditation deity, or meditational deity...
being passed through family lineages. That said, a Ngagpa (inclusive of both sexes) may also be deemed anyone thoroughly immersed and engaged in the practice of the teachings and under the guidance of a lineage-holder, and who has taken the appropriate vows or samaya
Samaya
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...
and had the associated empowerments and transmissions.
Significant lineage transmission is through oral lore.
While Ngagpas may perform many different rituals and energetic workings; many are rites of passage
Rites of Passage
Rites of Passage is an African American History program sponsored by the Stamford, Connecticut US public schools. The program consists of an extra day of schooling on Saturday for 12 weeks, service projects, and a culminating educational trip to Gambia and Senegal. Gambia and Senegal are the...
, they are particularly known for performing birth rituals, weddings, funerals, divination
Divination
Divination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic standardized process or ritual...
s, and pacification of ghosts or nature spirits and exorcisms. Typically, Ngagpas live with their families in villages; but many Ngagpas also congregate in Bonpos, the Ngagpa equivalent of a monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
. Some Ngagpa are comparable in practice to the Mahasidda; indeed, the Mahasidda may be correctly referred to as Ngagpa.
As scholar Sam van Schaik
Sam van Schaik
Sam Julius van Schaik is an English Tibetologist. He obtained a PhD in Tibetan Buddhist literature at the University of Manchester in 2000, with a dissertation on the translations of Dzogchen texts by Jigme Lingpa...
describes, "the lay tantric practitioner (sngags pa, Skt. māntrin) became a common figure in Tibet, and would remain so throughout the history of Tibetan Buddhism." Scholar Gyurme Dorje defines ngakpas as "a practitioner of the mantras, who may live as a lay householder rather than a renunciate monk."
Kunga Gyaltsen, the father Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
II Gendun Gyatso, was a non-monastic ngakpa, a famous Nyingma
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...
tantric
Vajrayana
Vajrayāna Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and the Diamond Vehicle...
master. His mother was Machik Kunga Pemo, they were a farming family. Their lineage transmission was by birth.
See also
- Aro gTérAro gTérAro 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 , and so...
- Kyil khor
- MantraMantraA mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...
- Mantrayana
- NamkhaNamkhaNamkha , also known as De; is a form of yarn or thread cross composed traditionally of wool or silk and is metonymic of the Endless knot of the Ashtamangala. In certain rites, the Namkha becomes a pure land abode or temenos of a thoughtform...
- PhurbaPhurbaThe kīla is a three-sided peg, stake, knife, or nail like ritual implement traditionally associated with Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Bön, and Indian Vedic traditions. The kīla is associated with the meditational deity The kīla (Sanskrit Devanagari: कील; IAST: kīla; , pronunciation between pur-ba and...
- Trul khorTrul khorTsa lung Trul khor known for brevity as Trul khor is a Himalayan tantric discipline which includes breathwork , meditative contemplation and precise dynamic movements to centre the practitioner and to...
External links
- Ngakpa Update News and analysis of current academic research on ngakpas
- SangNgak Chökor Ling Ngakpa Training
- Vajranatha on defense of ngakpas by Nubchen Sangye Yeshe
- The Ngakpa Tradition Interview with Khetsun Sangpo Rinpoche
- Some material here on Bon ngagpas
- Nyernga Ngakde Ngakpa Community headed by Lopon Urgyen Rinpoche