Lecture on the Ngakpa Tradition

At his lecture last month at the Latse Library in New York City, Dr. Nida Chenagtsang, Director of the Ngak-Mang Institute (NMI) in Tibet, clearly enjoyed telling listeners that "Tibetan women are recognized as one the largest contributors to the Ngakpa tradition. . . Highest spiritual realization can be achieved by both men and women." Nida referred to this as "equal realization," and examined a host of other liberal beliefs and practices that typify the unique Buddhist tradition known as "Ngakpa."

With both lay and ordained representation in all five Tibetan Buddhist traditions, Nida presented Ngakpa as a non-sectarian tantric form of Buddhism with roots to Padmasambhava and the Siddha tradition of India. Touching on a bit of its history, philosophy, and practice, Nida conveyed a religious tradition that is at once both innovative and yet desperately in need of preservation.

Dr. Nida Chenagtsang was born in the area of Rebkong, Tibet; a region known for centuries for its tradition of Ngakpas- Tibetan Yogis. He studied the local medical system, as well as intensive formal training at the Lhasa Tibetan Medical University. Later, he has practiced in various hospitals in Tibet, and has published many works on Traditional Tibetan Medicine. He has extensively researched ancient Tibetan medicinal treatments, specializing in the revival of external therapies, which has brought him high acclaim in the field of Tibetan Medicine in both the East and West.

Dr. Nida is Director of the International Academy for Traditional Tibetan Medicine (IATTM) and the Co-Founder of the International Ngak-Mang Institutes (NMI), established to preserve and maintain the Rebkong Ngakpa culture within modern Tibetan society. Recently he has been teaching comprehensive Tibetan Medicine courses all over the world.

Here you can download Dr. Nida Chenagtsang's lecture in MP3 format:
www.cbs.columbia.edu/weblog