Three Roots

A thangka showing the deities of Longchen Nyingtik, including the lama Rigdzin Düpa, the yidam Palchen Düpa, the khandro Yumka Dechen Gyalmo, along with Dukngal Rangdrol, Takhyung Barwa, Senge Dongma and the protective deities.

The Three Roots (Tib. ཙ་བ་གསུམ་, tsawa sum; Wyl. rtsa ba gsum) are:

• lama,
• yidam and
• khandro.

"[They are] the inner refuge of the Secret Mantrayana. They are like the root or the basis for all the positive accumulations until you attain enlightenment."

According to the Vajrayana,

• the lama is seen as the Buddha,
• the yidam as the Dharma, and
• the khandro as the Sangha.

As it says in the Longchen Nyingtik Ngöndro Refuge:

"Buddha, Dharma and Sangha are in reality lama, yidam and khandro."

Three Roots Practices

In the Nyingma tradition, once we have accomplished the ngöndro, we continue on the path with the sadhanas of the ‘Three Roots’, which are:

• the practice of the lama, which is the root of all blessings,
• the practice of the yidam, which is the root of attainment, or accomplishment,
• the practice of the dakini (Tib. khandro), which is the root of inspiration or activity.

For Rigpa students, the focus for the Three Roots practice is:

• the lama practice of Rigdzin Düpa;
• the yidam practice of Yang Nying Pudri; and
• the dakini practice of Yumka Dechen Gyalmo.

Whilst Rigdzin Düpa and Yumka Dechen Gyalmo are from the Longchen Nyingtik tradition, Yang Nying Pudri is a terma revealed by Tertön Sogyal (1856-1927), the predecessor of Sogyal Rinpoche.