What is Naropa?
Naropa (Sanskrit: Nāropāda or Naḍapāda; also Abhayakirti) was an Indian Buddhist scholar, tantric master, and mahāsiddha whose teachings profoundly shaped Tibetan Buddhism. Living from approximately 956–1040 CE, Naropa is best known for the Six Yogas of Naropa—a cycle of advanced tantric practices including inner heat (tummo), dream yoga, clear light, illusory body, intermediate state (bardo) navigation, and consciousness transference (phowa). He was instrumental in the creation of the principal Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism, though he never set foot in Tibet. His life story—from abbot of the great Nalanda monastic university to wandering yogi under the radical guidance of his teacher Tilopa—epitomizes the Vajrayana ideal of renouncing conventional achievement for direct realization.
Origins & Lineage
Naropa was born a Hindu prince in eastern India, studied Buddhism in Kashmir as a youth, married at his father’s insistence, then renounced worldly life to become a monk. At age 28 he entered the famous Buddhist University at Nalanda, where he eventually became abbot and one of the institution’s most celebrated scholars. According to traditional accounts, a dakini appeared to him while studying, declaring that he understood the words of the Dharma but not their meaning—only her brother Tilopa possessed true understanding. Naropa then abandoned his studies and position at the university to find Tilopa, undergoing twelve ordeals that served as direct transmissions of enlightened awareness.
Naropa was a disciple of the mahāsiddha Tilopa and a teacher of Marpa the translator. Marpa brought Naropa’s teachings to Tibet, transmitting them to his own students including the famous yogi Milarepa. This lineage—Tilopa to Naropa to Marpa to Milarepa—forms the “golden rosary” of the Kagyu school. Some sources identify Niguma, another renowned mahāsiddha, as Naropa’s wife or spiritual partner, though accounts vary.
Scholarly debate surrounds Naropa’s exact dates. Turrell V. Wylie and John Newman argue for 956–1040 CE, while earlier scholarship cited 1016–1100 based on literal readings of later Tibetan hagiographies. The earlier dating has been largely rejected by contemporary scholars.
How It’s Practiced
Naropa is not a practice itself but a lineage holder whose teachings constitute core Vajrayana methodology. The Six Yogas of Naropa are completion-stage practices undertaken only after years of foundational training in meditation, deity yoga, and guru devotion. They are typically transmitted through direct instruction from a qualified lama within the Kagyu or Gelug traditions.
Tummo (inner heat) generates bliss and warmth through visualization and breath control. Dream yoga cultivates lucidity to recognize waking experience as equally dreamlike. Clear light meditation accesses the fundamental luminosity of mind. Illusory body practices work with subtle energy channels (nadis) and winds (prana) to manifest an enlightened form. Bardo yoga prepares the practitioner to navigate the intermediate state between death and rebirth. Phowa trains in ejecting consciousness at the moment of death toward a pure realm or enlightened state.
These practices are historically taught in three-year retreats or through extended apprenticeship with a root teacher. Practitioners often begin with ngöndro (preliminary practices)—100,000 repetitions each of refuge, prostrations, Vajrasattva mantra, mandala offerings, and guru yoga—before receiving transmission of the Six Yogas.
Naropa Today
Naropa’s legacy lives most visibly in Tibetan Buddhist centers worldwide that maintain Kagyu and Gelug lineages. Teachers such as Kalu Rinpoche, Tenga Rinpoche, and the late Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche have transmitted these practices to Western students. Naropa University, founded in 1974 in Boulder, Colorado, is named after the 11th-century Indian Buddhist sage and emphasizes contemplative education, though it offers secular mindfulness and interdisciplinary humanities rather than traditional Vajrayana training.
Seekers encounter Naropa’s teachings through:
- Retreats: Three-year, three-month programs at centers like Gampo Abbey (Nova Scotia) or Kagyu Samye Ling (Scotland)
- Texts: The Life of Naropa translated by Herbert Guenther; Glenn Mullin’s The Practice of the Six Yogas of Naropa
- Academic study: Naropa’s role in the mahāsiddha movement and transmission of Tantric Buddhism to Tibet
- Teacher relationships: Formal initiation and instruction from authorized lamas in the Kagyu, Gelug, or Nyingma schools
Naropa appears frequently in thangka paintings depicting lineage trees, usually shown with his teacher Tilopa and student Marpa.
Common Misconceptions
Naropa is not a deity or meditation practice itself, but a historical figure whose teachings form a curriculum. The Six Yogas are not beginner practices; attempting them without proper preparation and guidance is considered dangerous in the tradition. Naropa University, while inspired by contemplative education, does not primarily train students in the Six Yogas or require Buddhist commitment—it is a liberal arts institution, not a monastic training ground.
Naropa’s renunciation narrative is sometimes romanticized as anti-intellectual, but he remained a scholar-practitioner who synthesized sutra and tantra. His departure from Nalanda represented a shift in method, not a rejection of study. The “twelve trials” he underwent with Tilopa are symbolic teaching stories, not necessarily historical events, though the tradition treats them as both.
Finally, while Naropa is central to Kagyu identity, his practices have been adopted across Tibetan schools. The Gelug tradition, for instance, incorporates the Six Yogas into its curriculum, often practiced alongside the similar Five Stages of Guhyasamaja Tantra.
How to Begin
Those drawn to Naropa’s legacy can start by studying his life story—The Life of Naropa by Herbert Guenther remains the classic English translation, though readers should note it reflects older scholarly dating. For practice, begin with foundational Tibetan Buddhist meditation: shamatha (calm abiding) and vipashyana (insight meditation) as taught in Kagyu or Gelug centers.
Seek out an authentic teacher. Organizations like Karma Triyana Dharmachakra (New York), Shambhala centers (founded by Trungpa Rinpoche), or Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) offer entry points. Attend public teachings, establish a daily meditation practice, and inquire about refuge vows if you feel a connection to the path.
Glenn Mullin’s The Practice of the Six Yogas of Naropa offers detailed explanation for those with background in Vajrayana, though the practices themselves require oral transmission. Reginald Ray’s Indestructible Truth provides excellent historical context for Naropa’s place in the mahāsiddha movement. Academic readers may consult Ronald Davidson’s Indian Esoteric Buddhism for scholarly treatment of the tantric milieu Naropa inhabited.
Above all, approach with patience. Naropa’s path is measured in years and lifetimes, not weekends. The tradition holds that his teachings are most effective when received with devotion, ethical discipline, and sustained meditative stability—qualities cultivated through relationship with living lineage holders.