Nyingma, often referred to as Ngangyur, is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The Nyingma school is founded on the first lineages and translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan in the eighth century, during the reign of King Trisong Detsen.
Statue of Padmasambhava, a founder of the Nyingma school, in Bhutan
Part of the Dzogchen text The cuckoo of awareness, from Dunhuang
Drapa Ngonshe, 11th century terton
Nyangrel Nyima Ozer, 11th century terton
Tibetan Buddhism is a form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet, Bhutan and Mongolia. It also has a sizable number of adherents in the areas surrounding the Himalayas, including the Indian regions of Ladakh, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh, as well as in Nepal. Smaller groups of practitioners can be found in Central Asia, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and some regions of Russia, such as Tuva, Buryatia, and Kalmykia.
Inside of a Tibetan Buddhist monastery
Samye was the first gompa (Buddhist monastery) built in Tibet (775–779).
The Indian master Atiśa
The Tibetan householder and translator Marpa (1012–1097)