Within the Drukpa Lineage, the heart of the path lies in direct realization of the nature of mind, approached through a balance of study, meditation, and ethical conduct. Mahamudra is upheld as the central contemplative teaching, describing mind as empty, luminous, and cognizant, and is cultivated through calm abiding and insight meditation until their non-dual union is recognized. This is framed within the Mahayana and Vajrayana vision, where the bodhisattva ideal and the bodhicitta motivation orient all practice toward the welfare of all beings. The philosophical ground is the Middle Way understanding of emptiness, together with teachings on Buddha-nature, which affirm that enlightenment is already present as the deepest nature of ordinary mind. The union of wisdom and compassion is not treated as an abstract doctrine, but as the living measure of authentic realization.

Alongside Mahamudra, the Six Yogas of Naropa are regarded as crucial methods for accelerating realization, especially in retreat settings. These include inner heat, illusory body, dream yoga, clear light, the practices related to the intermediate state, and the transference of consciousness. Such yogas are practiced within the framework of Vajrayana deity yoga, where generation and completion stages are used to transform perception and work with the subtle body. Deity practices center on yidams such as Chakrasamvara, Vajrayogini, and Avalokiteshvara, with the “Sublime Dharma of the Great Compassionate One,” the practice of Chenrezig, holding a particularly cherished place. Guru yoga permeates all of this, as devotion to the teacher is seen as indispensable for receiving blessings and recognizing the mind’s nature.

Foundational practices prepare the ground for these higher teachings. Refuge with prostrations, the cultivation of bodhicitta, Vajrasattva purification, mandala offerings, and guru yoga are undertaken in large accumulations as preliminary disciplines. These are supported by strict attention to ethical conduct through monastic and bodhisattva vows, as well as the careful maintenance of tantric commitments. The lineage is often described as a “practice lineage,” giving pride of place to intensive meditation and retreat, while still valuing rigorous philosophical training. Both monastic communities and lay yogic practitioners are embraced, reflecting a balance between formal discipline and experiential realization.

Compassionate activity is treated as the natural expression of genuine insight. Training in the perfections—generosity, ethics, patience, diligence, concentration, and wisdom—serves to embody bodhicitta in everyday conduct. Ritual and devotional practices, including group pujas, protector practices, and long-life or obstacle-clearing ceremonies, support practitioners by creating conducive conditions for realization. Throughout, the Drukpa transmission, stemming from the great Kagyu forebears and shaped by figures such as Tsangpa Gyare, is revered as an unbroken current of blessing. The overall orientation is that practice does not fabricate enlightenment but gradually removes obscurations so that the already-present nature of mind can shine forth for the benefit of all beings.