Longchen Nyingtik

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ཀློང་ཆེན་སྙིང་ཐིག
klong chen snying thig
Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse

Brief History

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The Longchen Nyingthig is a Terma cycle revealed by the master Jigme Lingpa. Since its inception in the late 18th century, it has become one of the most widespread sets of teachings in the Nyingma tradition. It is particularly known and loved for its extensive commentarial literature, which includes practice manuals such as the famed Yeshe Lama.

These teachings were originally transmitted by the master Padmasambhava to King Trisong Deutsen, the Dakini Yeshe Tsogyal and the Lotsawa Vairochana at Samye Monastery in central Tibet. As the time for these teachings to spread was not yet right, they were then written in symbolic script by Yeshe Tsogyal, entrusted to the Dakinis, and hidden to be revealed at a later time. The king later reincarnated as the Treasure Revealer Jigme Lingpa, who recalled the teachings he had received and, recognizing the time was ripe for them to be practised, put them down in writing and began to teach.

Jigme Lingpa, the Terton who revealed this cycle of teachings, was a reincarnation of two important masters, Vimalamitra and King Trisong Deutsen. As the embodiment of these two figures, Tibet's two primary Dzogchen lineages were combined in Jigme Lingpa -- the Vima Nyingthig and Khandro Nyingthig, both of which are contained in the Nyingthig Yabshi. Hence, the Longchen Nyingthig terma cycle is considered a condensation of these profound teachings.

The texts that were revealed by Jigme Lingpa, in their present-day form, comprise three volumes, known as the Nyingthig Tsapod (snying thig rtsa pod). The numerous treatises, sadhanas and prayers it contains deal primarily with tantric practice, in particular the stages of Development Stage and Dzogchen.

Lineage

  • The Present day lineages transmitted down from the many students of Rigdzin Jigme Lingpa have spread and are practice throughout every corner of this realm, however there where four main "Heart Sons" that became crucial to the dissemination of the lineage, which in turn created a number of lineages of transmission down to present masters.

The primary lineage is as follows

The Four Main Lineage Holders

From Jigme Lingpa's heart son Jigme Trinle Ozer to the present Dodrupchen Rinpoche

From Jigme Lingpa's heart son Jigme Gyalwe Nyugu to the present Chatral Rinpoche

From Jigme Lingpa's heart son Jigme Gyalwe Nyugu to the present Penor Rinpoche

Other Lineage Masters

Primary Sadhanas

The Longchen Nyingthig cycle relates primarily to the teachings of Dzogchen, particularly the Innermost Essence teachings. Though there are various practices and Sadhanas found in this tradition, such practices are often approached from this Dzogchen perspective. These practices include:







Primary Texts


The main Tantras and Pith-instructions

Preliminary Practice Instructions

    • The Steps to Liberation (thun mong gi sngon 'gro sems sbyong rnam pa bdun gyi don khrid thar ba'i them skas thar ba'i them skas)
    • Establishing Practice (rdzogs pa chen po klong chen snying thig gi thun mong gi sngon 'gro khrid kyi lag len la 'debs lugs)
    • Establishing Mindfulness (rdzogs pa chen po klong chen snying thig gi thun mong ma yin pa'i sngon 'gro'i khrid yig dran pa nyer gzhag)

Development Stage Instructions

Completion Stage Instructions

Prayers and Aspirations

Present Day Teachers of the Longchen Nyingthig

Longchen Nyingthig Literature in Translation

  • Works on the Longchen Nyingthig Ngondro:
    • Patrul Rinpoche (1994). Words of My Perfect Teacher. Translated by the Padmakara Translation Group. San Francisco: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-1570624124
    • Ngawang Pelzang, Khenpo (2004). A Guide to the Words of My Perfect Teacher. Translated by the Padmakara Translation Group. Boston: Shambhala Publications. ISBN 978-1590300732
    • An Elucidation of The Path To Excellent Omniscience. Translated by the Vajravairochana Translation Committee. Halifax: Vajravairochana Translation Committee, 1996.
    • Thondup, Tulku (1982). Dzogchen: Innermost Essence Preliminary Practice. India: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives.
  • Works on Dzogchen:
    • Yeshe Lama. Translated by Sangye Khandro.
    • Van Schaik, Sam (2004). Approaching the Great Perfection. Boston: Wisdom Publications.
  • Sadhana Practices:
    • The Queen of Great Bliss of Long-Chen Nying-Thig. Translated by Tulku Thondup. Sikkim: Published by Dodrup Chen Rinpoche, 1992. A translation of the Yumkha Dechen Gyalmo sadhana.
    • The Assemblage of Vidyadharas of Long-Chen Nying-Thig. Translated by Tulku Thondup. Sikkim: Published by Dodrup Chen Rinpoche, 1992. A translation of the Rigdzin Dupa sadhana.

Other References

  • Thondup, Tulku (1996) Masters of Meditation and Miracles. Boston: Shambhala Publications. - The most complete reference on the lineages and practices of the Longchen Nyingthig in the English language.
  • Gyatso, Janet (1998). Apparitions of the Self. Princeton: Princeton University Press. - Contains translations of two biographies of Jigme Lingpa.

Alternate Names and Spellings

  • Heart Essence of the Vast Expanse
  • Heart Essence of the Great Expanse
  • Heart Essence of Longchenpa

External Links

  • TBRC page on the Longchen Nyingthig
  • TBRC listing of the treatises contained in the Longchen Nyingthig root texts
  • The Tibetan versions of many of the Nyingtig prayers and sadhanas. The ones from [BL] are RTF also a very nice collection in TibDoc. [1]
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