MAIN SEAT OF THE SHANGPA LINEAGE    A A A
Jan 01

The Five Cycles

The principal teachings of the Shangpa Kagyu, heart of the transmission and practices for Shangpa 3Y retreat, received by Khyungpo Naljor

Niguma

From Niguma

The Five Golden Teachings [Five Golden Dharmas] [Five Precious Dharma of Shangpa] [Five Jewels of Niguma] (gser chos lnga). These five golden doctrines of the Shangpa are likened to a tree:

  1. The six roots are The Six Yogas of Niguma [The Six Doctrines of Niguma] (rtsa ba ni gu chos drug, Nigu Chö Druk): 1) inner heat (gtu mo), 2) illusory body, 3) dream state, 4) sheer clarity [clear light], 5) transference (phowa), 6) bardo (the intermediary state between death and birth)
  2. The main trunk is the tradition of the Mahamudra of Niguma, Maitripa and Sukhasiddhi: The Mahamudra of the Amulet Box [Vajra Lines of the Amulet Mahamudra] (sdong po phyag chen ga’u ma) (phyag chen ga’u ma by Tāranātha)
  3. The three branches are the three methods of carrying one’s understanding in meditation into daily activities (yal kha lam khyer rnam gsum) 
  4. The flowers are the practice of development and completion of white and red dakinis [Khechari] [White Sukhasiddhi kha cho kar mo / Red Sukhasiddhi kha cho mar mo] [Vajrayogini in her secret form] (me tog mkha’ spyod dkar dmar)
  5. The fruit is the realization of mind as deathless and unerring (bras bu ‘chi med chugs med)
Sukhasiddhi--

From Sukhasiddhi

The Six Yogas of Sukhasiddhi [The Six Doctrines of Sukhasiddhi] and Mahamudra

Mahakala SP

From Maitripa

The protector Mahakala Chagdrupa, Six-armed Mahakala

The Swift-acting Six-armed Awareness Protector, the special protector of the Shangpa Kagyu tradition and its followers, commonly known as the Six-armed Mahakala, a wrathful emanation of the Great Compassionate One, Arya Avalokiteshvara, a dharmapala whose transmission originated with the Indian Mahasiddha Shavaripa. The transmission was received by Khyungpo Naljor, both in India and Tibet, from his teachers Maitripa and Rahula.

Five Tantra sde lha lnga

From Dorje Denpa (Vajrasanapa)

The Five Tantra Classes [Deities of the Five Tantra Classes] [Five Tantric Deities] (gyu de lha nga)

The main yidam practice bringing the deities of the Chakrasamvara, Guhyasamaja, Mahamaya, Hevajra, and Vajrabhairava tantras into a single mandala, imagined within the body of Chakrasamvara

4 deities

From Rahula

The Joint Practice of the Four Deities [The Combined Practice Of the Four Deities] (lha bzhi dril grub)

Vajradhara in union with his consort Vajradatavesvari, surrounded by 6 Armed Mahakala [Chagdrupa], Vajra Yogini, 2 Armed Avalokatesvara and Green Tara.

Rahula transmitted it directly to Kyungpo Naljor. Kyungpo Naljor then passed it on to Mokchokpa and it has been continually passed down through the lineage until the present day.