Aro Dictionary

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Naljorma
A female Tantric practitioner. Particularly, an ordained Tantrika who concentrates on physical and energetic practices from Anuyoga and long-dé.
The Tibetan spelling is rNal ’byor ma.
The equivalent Sanskrit term is yogini.
Naljorpa
A male Tantric practitioner. Particularly, an ordained Tantrika concentrating on physical and energetic practices from Anuyoga and long-dé.
The Tibetan spelling is rNal ’byor pa.
The equivalent Sanskrit term is yogi.
Naropa
Naropa, an Indian mahasiddha, was a key figure in the early history of the Sarma lineages.
Ngakma
A female Tantric practitioner. Particularly, an ordained Tantrika concentrating on mantra and practices from Mahayoga.
The Tibetan spelling is sNgags ma.
Ngakpa
A male Tantric practitioner. Particularly, an ordained Tantrika concentrating on mantra and practices from Mahayoga.
The Tibetan spelling is sNgags pa.
Ngala
A Lama who is a Ngakpa or Ngakma; a non-monastic, Tantric Lama. Used as a title.
The Tibetan spelling is sNgags bLa.
ngöndro
A ngöndro is a set of ‘preliminary practices’ that bring you to the base (starting point) of a yana. Within Aro, the most common ngöndro is the four naljors, a series of meditation practices.
The Tibetan spelling is sNgon ’gro.
Read more about: ngöndro
non-duality
The indivisibility of reality. Its unwillingness to conform to the rigid categories we attempt to apply to it. In general Buddhism this usually refers to the non-separateness of self and other. In Dzogchen, it usually refers to the non-separateness of form and emptiness; or more subtly the non-separateness of duality and non-duality. The non-dual state is rigpa, in which we perceive non-duality directly.
Read more about: non-duality
nyam
Experience. In the Buddhist context, usually refers to any unusual experience that occurs during meditation.
The Tibetan spelling is nyams.
Nyida Mélong
The Aro teachings on vajra romance: love as an advanced Buddhist practice. These teachings are a térma of Aro Lingma, the founder of the Aro lineage. The full title of the térma is ‘Khandro Pawo Nyida Mélong Gyüd’ – ‘the tantra of the mutual reflection of the Sun and Moon of female and male Tantrikas’.
Read more about: Nyida Mélong
Nyingma
The ‘old’ tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Aro is a Nyingma lineage. The Nyingma tradition was founded by Padmasambhava and Yeshé Tsogyel in the Eighth Century. It is based on the ‘old translations’ of Indian Tantras and on térma. Compare Sarma (the ‘new’ schools).
The Tibetan spelling is rNying ma.