Six Yogas of Naropa

Six Yogas of Nāropa

Six Yogas of Nāropa (Tib., nāro chos drug). Common term for six dharmas or doctrines transmitted by the tantric adept Nāropa to the founder of the Kagyü school, Marpa. The Six Yogas have remained an important part of the teachings of the school since its foundation and are standard practice in the three-year, three-month, and three-day retreat undergone by trainee Kagyü lamas. They consist of: (1) Tummo (gtum mo) or ‘heat yoga’, a technique of heating the body by visualizing fire and the sun in the meditator's body; (2) Gyulü (sgyu lus), an illusory or subtle body endowed with the qualities of a Buddha, including the Six Perfections (ṣaḍ-pāramitā); (3) Milam (rmi lam) or ‘dream yoga’, in which the meditator learns to maintain conscious awareness in the dream state; (4) Osal ('od gsal) or ‘clear light’, by which the natural luminosity of emptiness (śūnyatā) is apprehended; (5) Bar-do or ‘intermediate state yoga’ which trains the meditator to withstand the disorienting experiences of the intermediate state between death and rebirth; (6) Phowa ('pho ba) or transference of consciouness, in which the ability to separate the consciousness from the body is attained. Sometimes a seventh yoga is mentioned known as ‘transference’ (grong 'jug), by means of which a meditator can transfer his consciousness into a recently deceased body in the event of premature death. This enables him to continue his meditational practice without the interruption caused by being reborn as a baby.

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DAMIEN KEOWN. "Six Yogas of Nāropa." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

DAMIEN KEOWN. "Six Yogas of Nāropa." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-SixYogasofNropa.html

DAMIEN KEOWN. "Six Yogas of Nāropa." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-SixYogasofNropa.html

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Six yogas of Nāropa

Six yogas of Nāropa (six doctrines of Nāropa): see NĀRO CHOS DRUG.

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JOHN BOWKER. "Six yogas of Nāropa." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN BOWKER. "Six yogas of Nāropa." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-SixyogasofNropa.html

JOHN BOWKER. "Six yogas of Nāropa." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-SixyogasofNropa.html

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The practice of the six yogas of Naropa.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
Magazine article from: Reference &amp; Research Book News; 11/1/2006
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