page_title: Nyingma
section_title: Practices
hierarchical_section_title: Nyingma / Teachings, practices, and texts / Practices
caption_attribution_description: Vajrakilaya
context_page_description: The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The other three are the Kagyu school, the Sakya school, and the Gelug school. "Nyingma" literally means "ancient," and is often referred to as Ngangyur, "school of the ancient translations" or "old school". Nyingma is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Old Tibetan in the eighth century, during the reign of King Trisong Detsen. The Tibetan alphabet and grammar was created for this endeavour.
  The Nyingma school has a kama lineage and a terma lineage. The kama lineage is the oral transmission lineage, and is called the "source of Nyingma tradition" by Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche. It is further stated, "From the time of Guru Padmasambhava and for at least three centuries afterwards, everyone who attained enlightenment in Tibet did so by practicing the kama lineage teachings of the Nyingma school." The kama lineage remained predominant from the 8th to 11th century, and kama masters taught from the lineage's teachings.
  The terma lineage is the revealed transmission lineage where tertons, or treasure revealers, realize the teachings.
caption: Vajrakilaya
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