[Buddha-l] Three Buddhist "Magicians"

[Alex Wilding]

Some occasional members of this list will certainly know much more than I
do, but perhaps to get you started I think that typically:
1) Gomchens - I suppose we could say "big practitioners" or "big meditators"
- are noted for having done large amounts of extremely intensive practice,
generally in close retreat. Quite often they might have been monastics, but
at any rate would spend, or have spent, many years in close, probably
solitary, retreat, perhaps in a cave or retreat hut.
2) Naljorpas can pretty well be translated as "yogis". The term is pretty
broad, but a classic naljorpa would be quite likely to have spent time
wandering, practising in a variety of wild and frightful places.
Practitioners of Chöd would very likely be called naljorpas.
3) Ngagpas may very well, as you suggest, have learnt their craft as a
family trade, and would apply their "mantra practice" to exorcising demons,
preventing hail, ensuring auspicious circumstances and diverting obstacles.

Sorry that is painted with a bit of a broad brush, but I suspect that the
boundaries are indeed not always totally sharp. But you can hope for a
better answer from someone else.
All the best
Alex Wilding