In Tibetan Buddhism, there is another kind of Field of Merit similar to the Members of Sangha are yogis or yoginis. Buddhist Yogis or Yoginis (known as Ngagpa in Tibetan) are mostly found in the Himalayan Regions and Tibet. Nowadays, you may also find them in Europe and Ameirica. The main cause of this establishment is due to the fact most of the Schools of Buddhism in Tibet are founded by the Ngagpa-lamas. They were the Indian Mahasiddhas. Most of these Ngagpa-Lamas have families. Like the monks or nuns, the ngagpa-lamas have strict rules to follow. Through this way, they become more careful at all times to watch out their outer actions and inner motivations. Many ngagpa-lamas attain high realization. They are an excellent field for us to sow our seeds of Merit Accumulations. The greatest yogi ever lived on this earth is Milarepa. He was a Tibetan. He attained full enlightenment within one lifetime. His life story has inspired many Buddhists through out the ages. Many people, especially in Europe and America, became Buddhists after reading the life story of Yogi Milarepa. They were inspired by Him. I was inspired by Milarepa too.Buddhism in Tibet was well established and become flourished by a ngagpa-lama. His name is Padmasambhava, known as Guru Rinpoche (Precious Guru) by the Tibetans. Guru Rinpoche was the founder of Buddhism in Tibet. (I met many Japanese who had mistaken that Tibetan Buddhism was founded by Dalai Lama.) Guru Rinpoche was an Indian Mahasiddha (highly accomplished practitioner). He brought Buddhism from India to Tibet in the 8th Century AD. He was invited by the Tibetan King, Trisong Deutsen. The first Buddhist Monastery, Samye Ling, built by The King with the help of Guru Rinpoche's occult power, still stands out majestically in Tibet. Samye Ling is considered as one of the most Holy Places in Tibet.
King Trisong Deutsen later became one of the disciples of Guru Rinpoche. Guru Rinpoche’s main disciple was Dakini Yeshe Tsogyal. She became his consort and became the first female lineage holder in Tibet. Dakini Yeshe Tsogyal was partly responsible for the Ter-
Teachings (Treasure Teachings) given by Guru Rinpoche. These Ter-Teachings are being revealed from time to time by the Tertons who are the ngagpa-lamas. These Ter-Teachings have made Tibetan Buddhism unique until today. Guru Rinpoche founded the Nyingma Lineage. This is the oldest lineage of Tibetan School of Buddhism. Many of the Nyingma practisioners including the Tulkus (Incarnated Lamas known as Rinpoches) follow the foot-step of Guru Rinpoche by having consorts.Guru Rinpoche, being a nganpa-lama, is highly revered by all Tibetans and those who practice Tibetan Buddhism. They consider Him as the second Buddha. The 84 Mahasiddhas in Buddhist history were ngagapa-lamas too. Four of them were female ngagpas or yoginis. They practiced the unconventional Tantric Buddhism. Mahasiddhas are Maha (Great) Bodhisattvas who have the ability to choose to enter into nirvana but instead through their bodhicitta (compassion), choose to take rebirth in samsara to help others. These 84 Mahasiddhas were made up of diversified family backgrounds consisting of kings and ministers, priests and yogins, healers, poets, musicians, family house holders, farmers and whores. These Mahasiddhas have occult powers or siddhis. As Siddhas, their main emphasis in Dharma practice is the direct experience of the sacred practice through spiritual discipline of the highest level.
Besides the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism, we can also find ngagpas in Kagyu and Sakya School. Yogi Virupa, an Indian sage who lived in the 9th century, was one of the most beloved Mashasiddhas. He had inspired the founding of Sakya Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. The present Head of the Sakya Lineage, His Holiness Sakya Tenzin has a family. His son will be the future Head of the Sakya Lineage. In this Sakya tradition, the Seat of the Lineage Head is passed from father to son.
His Holiness Karmapa (Link: http://www.kagyuoffice.org/ ) is the Head of Kagyu Lineage. The present Head of Kagyu Lineage is H.H.17th Karmapa, Urgyen Trinley Dorje. The unique Tulku System (incarnated lama system) of Tibetan Buddhism was founded by 1st Karmapa Dusun Khenpa.
The Kagyu School was founded by Mahasiddha Tilopa, an Indian sage. Marpa , a Tibetan Ngagpa-lama went to India to bring the Kagyu School of Buddhism to Tibet from Mahasiddha Naropa, a disciple of Mahasiddha Tilopa. Marpa translated the Teachings written in Sanskirt into Tibetan. At the time of Passing-away, Marpa with his consort Dakmema, flew into the sky and disappeared. Both Tilopa and Naropa were Ngagpa-lamas too.
The 15th Karmapa was a monk but later He took a consort to be ngagpa lama. Many Tibetans were unhappy about this. However, before His Passing-away, He left a letter describing His future birth, just like all past Karmapas had done. The letter was written in Dakini language and He left it with His attendant monk with a specific instruction. The letter was handed to His Eminence, 11th Tai Situ Rinpoche much later. When it was translated, the content in the letter, describing His future birth, matched perfectly to the 16th Karmapa whom was found and enthroned earlier by H.E.,11th Tai Situ Rinpoche.
(Click this link to know more about Tai Situ Rinpoche’s Lineage, http://www.palpung.org/english/taisitupa/brief_brief.htm)
Venerable Khenpo Tsutrim Rinpoche, a highly accomplished master, is one of the 17th Karmapa’s teachers. He is a great ngagpa-lama. He had lived a life like Yogi Milarepa while he was in Tibet. He wondered throughout Central and Eastern Tibet, staying in caves doing solitary retreats. If you are interested to know more about Venerable Khenpo Tsutrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, click this link, www.ktgrinpoche.org/biography.html
It is not an easy way to practice Tibetan Buddhism as ngagpa. We require a lot of Merit Accumulations in order to be able to practice dharma successfully as ngagpa. Besides having an authentic lama from an unbroken lineage to be our guide, we need a heart of renunciation, compassion and bodhicitta, sincere motivation with unwavering faith and devotion to our Root Guru. We must possess high level of mental discipline, determination, tolerance, perseverance, patience and hard work. It is dangerous to practice without a qualified master. I have met many of them with cuckoo minds because they have practiced without a master or a qualified master. Some of them told me that Buddha became enlightened under the Bodhi tree at Bodhgaya without a master! Hence, they could do likewise. These people were wrong. They were ignorant indeed. Buddha says," In this Fortunate Eon, there will be a thousand Buddhas appearing on this earth. All of them have gurus to guide them until they become Buddhas.” Therefore, we need authentic lamas (masters) to guide us, lives after lives, in order to become Buddhas to benefit all sentient beings.
