Late Nyingmapa leaders H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche and Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche at La Pechardie, Dordogne, France. Summer 1984.
The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism (the other three being the Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug). "Nyingma" literally means "ancient," and is often referred to as the "school of the ancient translations" or the "old school" because it is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan, in the eighth century. In modern times the Nyingma lineage has been centered in Kham in eastern Tibet.
The Nyingma tradition actually comprises several distinct lineages that all trace their origins back to the Indian master Padmasambhava (Sanskrit for "lotus-born"; Tib. Guru Rinpoche, "precious teacher"), the legendary founder of Tibetan Buddhism. Nyingma followers maintain the earliest Vajrayana teachings (the other three schools are known as Sarma or "new translation" schools, having arisen from a second wave of translation). Followers of the tradition are known as "Nyingmapa," "pa" being a common suffix comparable to "er" or "ite" in English.
Origins
Around 760, King Trisong Detsen invited Padmasambhava and the Nalanda University abbot Shantarakshita (Tibetan Shiwatso) to Tibet to introduce Buddhism in the "Land of Snows." At this point in time, Bön, the indigenous spiritual tradition of Tibet had been in place for some 16,000[citation needed] years in the huge region part of which we now call Tibet. King Trisong Detsen ordered the translation of all Buddhist Dharma Texts into Tibetan. Padmasambhava, Shantarakshita, 108 translators, and 25 of Padmasambhava's nearest disciples worked for many years in a gigantic translation-project. The translations from this period formed the base for the large scriptural transmission of dharma teachings into Tibet. Padmasambhava supervised mainly the translation of Tantra; Shantarakshita concentrated on the Sutra-teachings. Padmasambhava and Shantarakshita also founded the first Buddhist monastery Samye on Tibetan ground. It was the main center for dharma transmission in Tibet during this age.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyimgma