What is "tapihritsa"
Tapihritsa or Tapahritsa (c 7th ~ 8th century) was a Bon practitioner who achieved the Dzogchen mastery of the rainbow body and consequently, as a fully realised trikaya Buddha, is invoked as a iṣṭadevatā by Dzogchen practitioners in both Bon and Tibetan Buddhism. He famously achieved the rainbow body achievement.
The historical Tapihritsa was born in Zhangzhung to a family of nomads. Tapihritsa's principal teacher was Dawa Gyaltsen.
Tapihritsa was contemporaneous with Ligmincha, King of Zhangzhung, and Trisong Detsen, Emperor of Tibet.
John Myrdhin Reynolds has published "Space, Awareness, and Energy" (2007), which is a study of the origins of Bon Dzogchen in western Tibet and Central Asia and contains translations of primary texts that showcase Tapihritsa.
Tapihritsa is often visualized as representing the realization of all the masters of the Zhangzhung Whispered Transmission lineage, one of the three Bon Dzogchen lineages.
