About the Aro gTér

The Aro gTér is a Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhist lineage whose unusual characteristics make it singularly appropriate for Western people. The Aro gTér Tradition is principally concerned with transforming the experience of everyday being, rather than retiring from the secular world. The aim is to engender cheerful courage, perceptive consideration, sincere determination, natural gallantry, graciousness, creativity, and spaciousness.

History

The teachings of the Aro gTér descend from a lineage of realised women, beginning with Yeshé Tsogyel. She was the female Tantric Buddha who, together with Guru Rinpoche, founded the Nyingma Tradition of Buddhism in Tibet and Bhutan. The Aro gTér is a small family lineage within that tradition founded in 1909 by the female visionary Lama, Khyungchen Aro Lingma (1886—1923)

Khyungchen Aro Lingma (1886—1923) received the teachings and practises in vision from Yeshé Tsogyel — the realised consort of Guru Rinpoche. The Aro gTér is largely a Dzogchen gTérma and so its central practices are non-ritual non-liturgical yogas. Khyungchen Aro Lingma passed her lineage to her son Aro Yeshé (1911—1951) whose incarnation—Ngak’chang Rinpoche—was recognised by Kyabjé Düd’jom Rinpoche Jig’drèl Yeshé Dorje (1904—1987). Ngak’chang Rinpoche was born in 1952 and his teaching partner and wife is Khandro Déchen — born in 1960. Khandro Déchen was recognised as the incarnation of Aro Yeshé’s consort A-yé Khandro, by Kyabjé Künzang Dorje Rinpoche and Jomo Sam’phel Déchen Rinpoche.

The Aro gTér now

The Aro gTér tradition is now represented in Britain, America, and Europe by several Lamas and their senior ordained students. These teachers are mainly Western people, born and raised in the West. They rigorously avoid incorporating psychotherapy, political correctness, spiritual correctness, or New Age formulae into Vajrayana Buddhism.

Teachers

The teachers of the Aro gTér Tradition are not monks or nuns. They are ordained Tantrikas whose lives are, in many ways, quite ordinary. They may have conventional jobs, or raise children. Many teach as married couples. Their wisdom is embodied in the ways they live everyday life. Facing the same life challenges as their students, they are able to offer advice on practice which is grounded in personal experience as well as profound religious understanding.

The Aro gTér Tradition emphasises simplicity, clarity, and depth, both of practice and understanding. To wield the essential functions of Vajrayana is the mode of practice. To ascertain the essential principles of Vajrayana is the mode of study.

The path

For the general public, we offer talks, a variety of classes, weekend retreats, weekly meditation groups, and learning materials including the free on-line meditation course and many books. See our calendar to find events near you.

Aro gTér Tradition Members are provided with individual instruction from ordained mentors.

Aro gTér Tradition apprenticeship provides a close personal relationship with a Lama or Lama couple, longer apprentice-only retreats, access to more advanced teachings, and membership in a warm, close-knit community. The number of students per Lama is limited, to enable frequent in-depth interaction.