Longchen Nyingthig - History and Background

History and Background

Atiyoga is traditionally conveyed as a triunic teaching, that is, it has three indivisible sections. The tradition holds Mañjushrīmītra to have first codified Atiyoga into these three indivisible sections, namely: Semde (mind class/cycle); Longde (space class/cycle); and Mengagde (direct/oral instruction class/cycle). One of the principal polysemic symbols of Dzogpa Chenpo or Atiyoga is the Gankyil which is clearly a visual example of a triune and sometimes also a quadrune or a svastika (the sauvastika is also the principal symbol of the Bönpo which shares in the Dzogchen tradition along with the Nyingmapa and Kagyupa). In turn, Shri Singha divided the Mengagde into a further four cycles: the outer, inner, esoteric, and innermost esoteric cycle. These four cycles of the Mengagde are of one kind in that they are teachings on the 'primordially pure nature' (or Kadag; Wylie: Ka Dag) which is called 'cutting through' (or Trekchö; Wylie: Khregs Ch'od) all the grasping, clinging and apprehending obscuring the primordially pure substrate of the mindstream: refer Kadag Trekchö. The 'innermost esoteric cycle' of the Mengagde is focused upon the 'spontaneous perfection of appearances' (Lhündrub; Wylie: Lhun Grub) which is known as the 'direct approach' (Tögal; Wylie: Thod rGal): refer Lhündrub Tögal. There are many Mengagde traditions and teachings although there are two principal historical redactions and elucidations given the nomenclature 'Nyingthig'. These principal two are the Vima Nyingthig brought to Tibet by Vimalamitra and the Khandro Nyingthig brought to Tibet by Padmasambhava. Into the mindstream of Jigme Lingpa merged the mindstream tributaries of Vimalamitra and King Trisong Detsen of whom he, Jigme Lingpa, was a joint 'emanation' (Tibetan: tulku) or 'embodiment' (Sanskrit: nirmanakaya). Now as was previously stated Vimalamitra brought the Vima Nyingthig to Tibet. Padmasambhava, who brought the Khandro Nyingthig to Tibet, transmitted this to King Trisong Detsen. So both the Khandro Nyingthig and the Vima Nyingthig were within the mindstream of Jigme Lingpa and were realised by him as 'mind ter' or 'mind terma' (Wylie: dgongs-gter). As Thondup & Talbott state (1996: p. 44):

Jigme Lingpa was a reincarnation of both Vimalamitra himself and King Trisong Detsen, who was a recipient of Nyingthig teachings from Guru Rinpoche and Vimalamitra. So the Nyingthig teachings of two major lineages flowed together in Jigme Lingpa. Longchen Nyingthig is the essence or embodiment of the two Nyingthig traditions, Vima Nyingthig and Khandro Nyingthig.