Naropa 1016 – 1100
Naropa (1016 – 1100) was an Indian philosopher of the Medieval era, associated with Buddhism and Indian Philosophy.
Naropa was an eleventh-century Indian Buddhist tantric master, abbot of the great monastic university of Nalanda before he renounced his post in search of his teacher Tilopa, and one of the most important figures in the history of late Indian and Tibetan Buddhism. The twelve trials by which Tilopa, in the traditional accounts, brought him to awakening became the model of the Vajrayana relationship between teacher and student, while the Six Yogas of Naropa, transmitted through his pupil Marpa to the Tibetan Kagyu lineage, remain among the central practices of Tibetan Buddhism. His commentaries on the Hevajra Tantra and his songs of realization shaped Tibetan tantric philosophy for nearly a thousand years.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Indian
- Era
- Medieval
- Movements
- Buddhism, Indian Philosophy
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Naropa:
“The teacher is the ground on which the student awakens.”
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Attributed to Naropa:
“What I sought outside, I had only to recognize within.”
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Attributed to Naropa:
“The Six Yogas are not six paths, but six aspects of one liberation.”
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Attributed to Naropa:
“Bear what is hard to bear; the diamond mind is not made any other way.”
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Attributed to Naropa:
“Tilopa speaks not in syllables but in the silence between them.”
Frequently asked about Naropa
- When did Naropa live?
- Naropa was born in 1016 and died in 1100.
- Where was Naropa from?
- Naropa was an Indian philosopher of the Medieval era.
- What philosophical movements is Naropa associated with?
- Naropa was associated with Buddhism and Indian Philosophy.
- What was Naropa known for?
- Naropa was an eleventh-century Indian Buddhist tantric master, abbot of the great monastic university of Nalanda before he renounced his post in search of his teacher Tilopa, and one of the most important figures in the history of late Indian and Tibetan Buddhism.
- How many quotes are attributed to Naropa?
- There are 15 attributed quotations from Naropa in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.