The four schools of Tibetan Buddhism are the major traditions that have developed within Tibetan Buddhism, each with its own unique lineage, teachings, and practices. These four schools are:

1. རྙིང་མ Nyingma — “The Ancient School”

The Nyingma School is the oldest of the four Tibetan Buddhist schools and traces its origins back to the teachings of Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) in the 8th century, who is credited with introducing Buddhism to Tibet.

Key Features:

• Nyingma places great emphasis on Dzogchen (Great Perfection), which focuses on the direct realization of the nature of mind and the inherent purity of all phenomena.
• It emphasizes the Kama (oral teachings) and Terma (treasure teachings), believed to be hidden teachings rediscovered by Tertons (treasure finders).
• The Nyingma school divides its teachings into nine vehicles, with the highest being the Ati Yoga, or རྫོགས་ཆེན Dzogchen.
• Prominent Figures: Padmasambhava, Yeshe Tsogyal, Longchenpa.

2. བཀའ་བརྒྱུད Kagyu — “The Oral Lineage”

The Kagyu School is known for its focus on meditation and oral transmission of teachings. It originated with Marpa the Translator (1012–1097) and his student Milarepa (1052–1135), and emphasizes experiential knowledge over textual study.

Key Features:

• Kagyu is best known for its practice of Mahamudra (“The Great Seal”), which emphasizes realizing the nature of the mind through direct experience.
• There are two main branches of the Kagyu tradition: Dagpo Kagyu, which includes the Karma Kagyu and Drikung Kagyu lineages, and the Shangpa Kagyu.
• The practice of Six Yogas of Naropa is an important aspect of Kagyu training.
• Prominent Figures: Marpa, Milarepa, Gampopa, the Karmapas (heads of the Karma Kagyu lineage).

3. ས་སྐྱ་ Sakya — “The Grey Earth School”

Sakya School was founded in the 11th century by Khön Könchok Gyalpo and is closely associated with the Khön family, who have provided the leadership for the school over centuries.

Key Features: