nine gradual vehicles of the Nyingma school: Shravaka, Pratyekabuddha, Bodhisattva, Kriya, Upa, Yoga, Maha, Anu, and Ati. They are meant to be alternative approaches to liberation and enlightenment for people of various types of capacity and inclinations. +
second son of King Trisong Deutsen; close disciple of Padmasambhava, attained enlightenment and took the vow to come back repeatedly to reveal the hidden treasures of the Lotus-Born master; later incarnated as Chokgyur Lingpa. +
powerful long-lived serpent-like beings who inhabit bodies of water and often guard great treasure. Nagas belong half to the animal realm and half to the god realm. They generally live in the form of snakes, but many can change into human form. +
transcendent knowledge; Mahayana teachings on insight into emptiness, transcending the fixation of subject, object and action; associated with the Buddhas second turning of the wheel of Dharma. Since Prajnaparamita eliminates the most subtle obscuration, this insight is often called Mother of All Buddhas. +
(1124-1192) — first of five king-like tertöns and a reincarnation of King Trisong Deutsen. Several of his revealed treasures are included in the ''Rinchen Terdzö'', among which the most well known is the ''Kabgye Deshek Dupa'', a cycle of teachings focusing on the ''Eight Commands'', and the biography of Guru Rinpoche called ''Sanglingma'', now published as ''The Lotus-Born''. Nyang Ral means 'Braided one from Nyang,' and Nyima Özer means 'Ray of sun light.' +
respectfully referred to as the Drukchen Jamgön. His monastery's name is Druk Sang-Ngak Chöling. The Drukchen incarnation in residence during Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's early childhood was Mipham Chokyi Wangpo (1884-1930) whose principal guru was the great siddha, Drubwang Shakya Shri. +
monastery, seat of the Panchen Lama in Shigatse; founded in 1447 by Gedun Drub (1391-1475), Tsongkhapa's nephew and disciple; used to house up to four thousand monks. +