Sarma (Tibetan Buddhism)

The term Sarma ( Tib: gsar ma) in Tibetan Buddhism refers to the schools of the New Translation (11th century) Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan, in contrast to the " school of the ancient translations" ( 9th century ) and the Bon. The first school of the New Translation in Tibet was the Kadam tradition. Later the term was used as a collective term Sarma on the Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The first translator of texts Sarma was Rinchen Zangpo Punch (Tibetan: lo chen rin chen bzang po, 958-1055 ), a disciple of Atisha.

Sanskrit texts of the root tantras

The tantric writings of the existing Sarma traditions today include the Guhyasamaja, Chakrasamvara, Hevajra, Yamantaka, Vajrayogini and the Kalachakra Tantra. But the practice Vajrakilaya, originally a Tantra of the old school is now taught in the new schools. Mark all these Tantras is the existence of a Sanskrit original of the respective root Tantras, which can not be detected at all Tantras of the Old School. The fragment of the original root tantras to Vajrakilaya but was relatively late by Sakya Pandita discovered as hidden treasure text, which still contained the handwritten notes of Guru Rinpoche to this Tantra.

Different classes of tantra

Recompiling in the first translation phase of transmitted tantric writings, from which developed the Nyingma school, did not take place. Therefore, there is a difference between the tantric transmission system of the Nyingma emanating from six classes of tantra, and the Sarma schools, which is based on four classes of tantra. The different types of anuttarayoga the Sarma tradition be related to the inner Tantras of the Nyingma tradition, and it has taken place over the centuries a lively exchange of tantric transmissions between Nyingma and Sarma.

Outer tantras

The outer tantras all schools include the

These were largely transferred during the first translation phase.

Inner tantras

The inner tantras, to which concentrated the new translation traditions are called Anuttarayogatantra, these are divided into:

The inner tantras of Nyingmaschule read: