The 4 Vajrayana Schools

By H. H. The 14th Dalai Lama

From Nyingma to Gelug

In Tibetan Buddhism, there are four major traditions: Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyu and Gelug.

From the point of view of practice, they are all Mahayanists following the unity of Sutrayana and Tantrayana on the basis of Hinayana. But they do not differ from the points of view of action or philosophy.

Their differences are due to the time of their coming to Tibet, the different lineage of Lamas who have introduced them, the different emphasis on the various aspects of practice and the terminologies by which their teachings are transmitted.

All four lead to Buddhahood. Therefore, it is absolutely wrong to say one is better than another, or to disparage any of them.

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Jonang Tradition

His Holiness the Dalai Lama's prayer for the Jonang Tradition

Having thoroughly meditated upon the altruistic mind for
Immeasurable eons,
The incomparable Shakyamuni, who is skilled at pouring down
The rain of holy Dharma to fulfill the aspiration of limitless beings,
To Him, I supplicate to protect these beings with the
Glory of virtuous goodness

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

The Doctrine of the Jonang School, a branch of multifarious doctrinal systems,
Stemmed from many scholar-adepts’ elaborations
On the thought of the Three Dharma Wheels
May the Doctrine of the Jonang School flourish

Amidst the lotus grove of the Victorious One’s Doctrine                                   
Hundreds of petals of the scriptural and meditative
Doctrinal aspects stemmed forth
Amongst them exists the Jonang School that emphasised
The thought of the Final Wheel
May the Doctrine of the Jonang School flourish

The Jonang Doctrine which has been authorised
To spread and preserve without being subject to deterioration
The Kalachakra transmission, the great chariot way that
Differs from the Expositions of other Sutras and Tantras
May the Doctrine of the Jonang School flourish

His Holiness Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa,

The Jonang School elaborates on the primordially existent ultimate
The permanent and stable Sugatagarbha which is the
Indivisibility of basis and fruit,
The meaning of Tathagatagarba Sutra and Nagarjuna’s texts
May the Doctrine of the Jonang School flourish

The Jonang School is endowed with the grand expositon on
Achieving the Truth Body,
Through the practice of the Six Yogas, the meaning of Tantras,
And the Middle Way of Other-emptiness, the view of Sutras
May the Doctrine of the Jonang School flourish

Through the blessing of the Victorious One and the Bodhisattvas,
The objects of refuge,
Through the power of the immutable ultimate reality,
And through the force of the virtuous deities and our faith
May this prayer be fulfilled accordingly

This prayer was composed by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso on November 23, 2001 in Dharmasala, Himachal Pradesh, upon the request of Khenpo Ngawang Dorjee and other Jonang followers for the spread of the Doctrine of the Jonnang School

His Holiness Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa is the head of the Jonang Tradition & spiritual leader of Mongolia.

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Living Buddha

According to the lower schools of Buddhist thought, when a being, like Sakyamuni Buddha, attains mahaparinirvana and passes away, he ceases to exist, there is no further continuity of consciousness. Therefore, according to the Vaibhasika school, for example, after this point there is no more being, no more consciousness. Only the name remains. And yet, they believe that this being who has now disappeared can influence the course of those who follow him due to the virtues that he created in the past.

This is not accepted by the higher schools of thought, however, that instead believe that there are two kinds of bodies, those that are pure in nature and those that are impure. The latter is more gross, whereas a body that has been purified is more subtle. Now, for example, when Sakyamuni Buddha gave up his body, there still remained the more subtle one. So, according to these schools of thought, at the stage of Buddhahood, there are two bodies: a mental body and a physical one.

I don't know whether the English word "body" is the most appropriate one. In Sanskrit, the words used to signify these two bodies of the Buddha are dharmakaya and rupakaya. The first is of the nature of mind, whereas the latter is material. So when the Buddha passes away, there is still this more subtle body, which is of the nature of mind, and since the mental continuum is also present, we can say that the personality is still there. Even today, the Buddha remains as a living being. I think this is better, don't you?(p.91)

--from Answers: Discussions with Western Buddhists by the Dalai Lama, edited by Jose Ignacio Cabezon, published by Snow Lion Publications