Main meditation practice in each school

[Dharmalight889]

Hello,

I am trying to understand the practice side of each school. While I know each school has their own tantric practices, I am wondering what meditation techniques are focused in each tradition. I know that in every school of Buddhism multiple techniques are used, but I am wondering if there are any specifics to each tradition. From what I understand now

Nyingma - Dzogchen
Kagyu - Mahamudra
Sakya - I have heard Mahamudra as well but I am not sure?
Gelug - Possibly analytical mediation?
Jonang - ??

[Ayu]

I believe, this question will lead to confusion.

My teacher is Gelug, but he teaches a wide collection of practices and his students have to choose what is appropriate for them.
He teaches Lamrim (i.e. analytical meditation), Ngöndro, Kriya Tantra, Annutarayoga Tantra, Chöd and Mahamudra.
I believe, highest yoga tantra is a kind of main thing, but a bigger percentage of his deciples practice various different sadhanas.

[Johnny Dangerous]

Hello,

I am trying to understand the practice side of each school. While I know each school has their own tantric practices, I am wondering what meditation techniques are focused in each tradition. I know that in every school of Buddhism multiple techniques are used, but I am wondering if there are any specifics to each tradition. From what I understand now

Nyingma - Dzogchen
Kagyu - Mahamudra
Sakya - I have heard Mahamudra as well but I am not sure?
Gelug - Possibly analytical mediation?
Jonang - ??

AFAIK Mahamudra in Sakya is usually just associated with Highest Yoga Tantra, it is not really a standalone thing, one practices "Mahamudra" in the context of Tantric sadhana. Lamdre I guess you could say the system in Sakya. It's been my impression (could definitely be off here)that this is basically similar for Gelugpa, no standalone Mahanudra.

The basic thing is in Nyingma Dzogchen will be at the pinnacle, and in the sarma schools Annutara Tantra will be. Kagyu is a bit different because it has a "standalone" Mahamudra, which as far as I know or have seen is roughly equivalent to Dzogchen Semde praxis.

As Ayu says, individual teachers can also vary a lot, and lots of teachers that are seen to be representing a particular lineage do something a little different, etc. Curricula of lineages are so large, I think it's hard to measure standardization across lineages.

One basic answer would be the foundational books of each lineage:

Sakya: Three Levels of Spiritual Perception/Three Visions

Kagyu: Jewel Ornament of Liberation

Nyingma: Words of My Perfect Teacher

Gelug: Whatever the Lamrim book is

Jongang: No idea

Bon: No idea

I think once you depart from that, what you get varies a lot by individual teacher and gets hard to categorize definitively.