Naropa
 

 

Home First Dalai Lama Second Dalai Lama Third Dalai Lama Fourth Dalai Lama Fifth Dalai Lama Sixth Dalai Lama Seventh Dalai Lama Eighth Dalai Lama Ninth Dalai Lama 10th Dalai Lama 11th Dalai Lama 12th Dalai Lama 13th Dalai Lama 14th Dalai Lama Ananda Asanga Atisha Bodhidharma Buddha Chan China Druk-pa Lineage Dzogchen Gampopa Gelug-pa Lineage Japanese Buddhism Kagyu Lineage Karma Kagyu Kashyapa Machig Labdron Tib Mahayana Buddhism Marpa Milarepa Nagarjuna Naropa Nigrodha Nyingma-pa Padmasambhava Sakya-pa Lineage Shantarakshita Tendai Buddhism Theravada Buddhism Tilopa Tsonkhapa Upali Vajrayana Buddhism Vasubandhu Virupa Yeshey Tsogyel Links

Naropa (Tibetan; Sanskrit: Nadaprada, 1016-1100) was an Indian Buddhist mystic and monk, the pupil of Tilopa and brother of Niguma. Naropa was also Marpa's teacher.

Naropa is a lineage holder in the Tibetan Buddhist Kagyu lineage, and was considered an accomplished scholar. A great meditator, is best known for having enumerated and developed the six yogas of Naropa. These practices were designed to help achieve a more rapid attainment of enlightenment.

Many subsequent Kagyu Karmapas have been particularly adept at one or more of these six yogic practices.

Naropa was the best-known student of the Indian sage Tilopa. He declined to follow his father's trade as a liquor-seller. After attaching himself to Tilopa, he was harshly-treated by his teacher over a period of twelve years; he was repeatedly rejected and chastised, despite his model conduct as a devoted student.

He is considered one of the eighty-four mahasiddhas, the 'saints' of tantric Buddhism.

Naropa University is named in his honour.