Unit Two Development of Buddhism in Tibet I. Introduction of Buddhism The quest for enlightenment of an individual (self, though questionable in Buddhism) for the liberation of the whole worldly beings in the most logical and scientific manner is the basic foundation of Buddhism in general. Shakya Muni Buddha, whose birth name was Siddhartha Gautam, founded Buddhism as a principle. Shakya Muni Buddha was born in Lumbini garden within the territories of Nepal in 563 BC in the royal lineage of Shakya tribe. He left the comforts of the royal prince at twenty-nine when he wanted to find out the causes and remedies for universal suffering. After rigorous practice of logic, meditation, and questioning he was able to find out the four essential issues of the world related to suffering, the causes of suffering, the eight-fold noble truths, the paths for the remedy of suffering, and finally the Enlightenment After six years of regular austere practice he realized that the Middle way or the renunciation of the luxury and the acceptance of the worldly actions is essential for liberation and full Enlightenment. He received the Enlightenment of a true understanding of life under a Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya, an Indian village near Gaya. Therefore the word “Buddha” also means ‘the realized one’. Buddha started teaching his understanding that he had found after his renunciation to his disciples and he continued his practice and teachings for 45 more years and he died as a mortal being in 483 BC at the age of 80. Buddhism is a major way of living in the present that spread all the way from South- Asia, South-East Asia, Central Asia, and all around the world. Buddhism bases on the teachings of Buddha and later it has been understood as way of living, epistemology, ontology, knowledge and philosophy. Buddhism received its identity much later only in the 18/19th century by Europeans. Buddhism is a distinct to Hinduism as ontology because it generated when there was high time of Hinduism in Indian subcontinent and culture. Buddhism has many tenets since the development of it as a religion for 2500 years. The tenets of Buddhism deal with “Dharma”, “Reincarnation” and “Karma”. There are two major schools of Buddhism: “Mahayana”, meaning the Greater Vehicle; and “Theravada” one of the living sect of among 18 sub-sects of “Hinayana”, meaning the Lesser Vehicle. The subdivision of Mahayana Buddhist Philosophical School has Madhyamika and Yogacara; and Hinayana Buddhist School has Sautantrika and Vaibhasika. Buddhism primarily focuses on “The Four Noble Truths”: i) Suffering is pervasive all over the worldly existence, ii) There is the cause of suffering, iii) Sufferings have cessation, iv) There are paths for the cessation of suffering. Similarly, Buddhism deals with “Nirvana”, “Bodhisattva”, Morality, Concentration and Wisdom. The teachings of Buddha were orally delivered in Pali and Sanskrit language and later they were translated into other languages like Chinese, Tibetan, English, Hindi, etc. II. History and Development of Buddhism in Tibet i. Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism is the Buddhism that was developed after the great contribution of the rulers of Tibet and their special initiation to request many important Mahasiddhas of India to come to teach Buddhism in their land as a result it is closer to Indian Buddhism. Tibetan Buddhism is oriented to wisdom under Mahayana School of Buddhism therefore it focuses on Tantra, Madhyamika, logic, debate, etc. Many western scholars often synonymously used to understand Tibetan Buddhism as Lamaism. Tibetan Buddhism has certain unique features of its own in the course of its development due to its crisscross learning and influence of Bon, the pre-Buddhist practice of Tibet. Tibetan Buddhism believes in reincarnation of Bodhisattvas (lamas) and tantric practice (mudras, mantras, mandalas, rituals, icons, thankas) for the Enlightenment. Tibetan Buddhism draws upon cosmology, some meditation techniques, and ordination vows of Hinayana (Shravakayana) and philosophy of Mahayan. In Tibet many teachings of Vajrayan part of Mahayan Buddhism, flourished therefore many texts of Vajrayana are preserved in Tibetan language that were translated from Sanskrit and hybrid Sanskrit in the course of the development of Tibetan Buddhism. ii. History of Tibetan Buddhism There was Bon, pre-Buddhist religious practice of the Southwestern Empire, Zhang- zhung in Tibet before Buddhism formally entered Tibet in seventh century. In the third century the Buddhist scriptures began to reach in the fragmented Tibetan territories of the south during the reign of king Lhathothori Nyentsen, the king of Yarlung Valley. According to the recorded history of Tibet that started during the reign of Songtsan Gampo (7th century ruler of Yarlung dynasty), Buddhism officially started to get its religious value when he married Wen Cheng, Princess from China and Bhrikuti, Princess from Nepal. The two queens imported Buddhism of their own native land with them along with the idols of Buddha, rituals, customs, practices, and religious systems. This led to the system of Buddhism that was of two types: Chinese Buddhism and Nepalese Buddhism being imported to Tibet. This is further supported by the construction of Potala Palace in Indian or Nepalese style and Jokhang, Ramoche Temple in for Chinese and Nepalese idols. Similarly he also constructed Thadul, and Yangdul temples in different parts of Tibet. Songtsen Gampo started the unification of Tibet and for the first time sent his minister Thonmi Sambhota to India to design the Tibetan scripts. He made Buddhism the state religion of Tibet by being introduced to Buddhism through his two wives. But it is believed that the systematic form of Buddhism spread in the eighth century after the tantric master Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpochhe) came to Tibet from India in the special invitation of the king Khrisong Detsan and the monk Shantarakshita. It is believed that Guru Rinpochhe subdued the demons and converted them as the “Dharmapalas” or the protectors of Buddhism. King Khrisong Detsan announced Buddhism as the official sate religion of Tibet by making the Samye Monastery in 755 AD with the help of Padmasambhava and Shantarakshita. Padmasambhava started to teach Buddhism in Tibet by influencing the pre-Buddhist Bon practice, which resulted in household, and practice oriented Buddhism known as Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism now. Shantarakshita for the first time in Tibetan history ordained seven monks in full Buddhist moral practice as trail and this became successful as they went to various parts of Tibet and started teaching Buddhism. The real works of Buddhism began during this period with the translation of Sanskrit texts into Tibetan. After the death of Shantarakshita and the departure of Padmasambhava, Buddhism got spread all over Tibet and the exponents of Indian Buddhism prevailed in debate with Chinese therefore the Indian Buddhist masters spread Indian Buddhism in Tibet for around more than 100 years. After the assassination of King Ralpa Can, gLang-dar- ma became the king of Tibet and he started suppressing of Buddhism in Tibet. He destroyed monasteries and promoted Bon by declaring it as the state religion of Tibet. This period is the period of conflicts and civil strife that led to the destruction of Tibetan empire. A Buddhist monk assassinated King Langdarma and the country was divided into two parts between the two princes of Langdarma, which in turn turned Tibet into many fragmented states that became the major factor for the decline of Buddhism in Tibet. The second phase of Buddhism in Tibet begins after the arrival of Atisha Dipamkara Srijnana (982-1054) in 1042 under the invitation of King Yeshe O and his stay and teachings in Tibet. He contributed a lot in the reestablishment of Buddhism in Tibet. He established first distinctive Tibetan religious order known as Kadampa (Bound to the Buddha’s words or teachings) school of Tibetan Buddhism and this very system later transformed into New Kadampa or the Gelugpa under Tsongkhapa’s powerful direction in early fifteenth century. These two schools insist upon the monastic celibacy as the basis for all the religious practice. The famous monasteries of this phase are Sera, Drepung and Ganden in around Lhasa. Atisha also wrote many books and assisted in the translation activity. The most important book of Atisha is “Lamp to the Path of Enlightenment” (Byang-chub lam-gyi sgron-ma) that strengthened the development of Buddhism in Tibet. During Atisa’s stay in Tibet, Marpa traveled to India in eleventh century and studied under Naropa, the Mahasiddha and brought the Mahamudra and tantra tradition of Buddhism to Tibet. Marpa’s lineage holders have developed the Kagyupa School of Tibetan Buddhism under the monastic expansion of Gampopa, the disciple of Milarepa, the Tibetan Mahasiddha, in the eleventh century. After this there was expansion of Tibetan Buddhism all around Tibet and the disciples of various Buddhist masters established many monasteries and contributed a lot for the development of Buddhism in Tibet. In the same century Dogmi’s (‘Brog.mi the Translator) teachings became the basis for the new Sakyapa School of Tibetan Buddhism. The lineage holder of this school became the priest of the Mongolian ruler Godan Khan. This established the priest-patron relationship between Tibetan Lama and Mongolian ruler. Kublai Khan made Phagpa, the lama of Sakya Lineage the ruler of Tibet as an offering. This reemphasized Buddhism not only as the religion of Tibet but also as the political factor guiding Tibet. In the late fourteenth century, Situ Jhang Chub Gyaltsen defeated Sakya monastic rulers and established a secular state. The warfare took place and the Karmapa supporters controlled the royal court in the late fifteenth century. In the fifteenth century, Tsongkhapa made the first Gelug monastery, Ganden Monastery, and later in the sixteenth century the Gelugpa Lama received the title “Dalai Lama” from the Altan Khan, the Mongolian ruler. In the mid seventeenth century Gushri Khan, the Mongolain ruler enthroned the 5th Dalai Lama as the temporal and spiritual ruler of Tibet. After this Tibet was under the control of Gelugpa School of Tibetan Buddhism and Buddhism flourished a lot in every nooks and corners of Tibet. III. Contribution of Yarlung Dynasty The contribution of Yarlung Dynasty for the expansion of Tibetan territory and Buddhism in Tibet is of high importance though it is also responsible for the end of Buddhism in Ancient Tibet. According to the early myths of the Tibetan history, the Yarlung valley was the center of Tibetan civilization. The myth holds that Avalokiteshvor, the Bodhisattva of compassion, came down to Yarlung valley in the guise of monkey and married to a demon, Rock Ogress and they gave birth to six children who are the six groups of people living in Tibet. Whatever the myths hold on the Yarlung valley myths, the rulers might have been the chieftains who controlled the valley. The reconstruction of the first fort inscription of Tibet, Yambulagang is still present in Yarlung valley, which mentions that the 28th king of Tibet received the Buddhist texts in the 5th century AD. The myth holds that the books fell on the roofs of Yambulagang. The 32nd King of Yarlung Dynasty, Namri Songtsan (570-619 AD) is said to have received the official record of the process of unifying much of the territories of Tibet that was started by his forefathers. After him his son Songtsan Gampo united most of Tibetan territory and took Tibet to a new era with recorded history and official writing language script designed by his minister Thonmi Sambhota. He assisted in the translations of Buddhist texts from Sanskrit to Tibetan and drafting new code of law and writing historical record through the new Sambhota Tibetan script. Songtsan Gampo married the Chinese princess Wen Cheng and the Nepalese princess Bhrikuti under whose influence Buddhism formally entered in to state religion of Tibet. It was during the reign of Khri srong Deutsan that the abbot of Nalanda, Shantarakshita and the tantric master of Uddiyana, Padmasambhava had reached to Tibet and contributed for Buddhism. They even assisted in making the First Monastery, Samye Monastery, where the first ordination of Tibetan monks and the first official translation of Buddhist scriptures took place. The Yarlung Dynasty king had also signed the Sino-Tibetan treaty with China marking the independent historical national value. The Yarlung dynasty contributed a lot for the expansion of Buddhism in Tibet but after Ralpacan, Langdarma destroyed Buddhism in Tibet. The Yarlung Dynasty king Langdarma is responsible for the end of early Buddhism in Tibet. IV. Contribution of Buddhist Pundits from Nepal and India for the Expansion of Buddhism in Tibet Tibetan Buddhism is unique in nature as it is solely developed with the direct contributions of the Siddhas, Mahasiddhas, and the Buddhist pundits of India, Nepal, and Tibet. The Buddhist pundits in various time were requested by the emperors of Tibet to spread true knowledge and expand Buddhism as religion on true grounds and to the emperors’ and rulers’ request the saints, siddhas, and Mahasiddhas went to Tibet and contributed a lot. Therefore, the Buddhism of Tibet is Mahayana Buddhism primarily focusing in the techniques of meditation, tantra, mantra, mandalas, mahamudra, etc. There are some scholars who even hold that Tibetan Buddhism in the course of its expansion has primarily been Buddhism as perceived by Mahasiddhas rather than Buddhism in Buddha’s own teaching. Whatever the perspectives might be Tibetan is Buddhism has reached to the present situation with the rigorous practice, teachings and support of the Buddhist pundits of India and Nepal. There are many mahasiddhas in this line but the among them the following have been dealt in synopsis. i) Padmasambhava Padmasambhava, the Lotus Born, was born in Uddiyana, the present Swat valley of modern Pakistan, in a lake eight years after Buddha’s parinirvana. He was found meditating by sitting on the lotus therefore he was named Padmasambhava. He received the knowledge of Yoga Tantra, practiced Vidyadhara level of mahamudra meditation, practiced Visuddha Heruka practiced for attaining mahamudra, and Vajrakila to subdue many local spirits throughout. When the king Khri srong Deutsan sent a request to him in the suggestions of Santarakshita, the monk, Padmasambhava went to Tibet and contributed a lot for the development and expansion of Buddhism in Tibet. He is known as Sarurohavajra, among 84 major Mahasiddhas. After he reached to Tibet, he subdued the local spirits and turned them as the protectors of Buddhism. He confronted with the pre-Buddhist Bon religious practice of Tibet and developed the synthesized form of Buddhism based on practice by cooperating to the local Lamaism. This aspect of Buddhism is known as Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism; therefore, it is also believed that by the efforts made by Padmasambhava Buddhism entered into Tibet as a formal religion. He contributed a lot for the construction of Samye Gumba. Padmasambhava delivered the “Dbang”-Empowerment in a packet known as “Drubpa Kagye”(Eight Speech Meditation-Eight Deity Meditation) and started instructing the followers to practice this technique. He also instructed the Mahamudra- taming the Asura Heruka/Yangdag Heruka; and Mahayoga techniques of meditation to reach to the perfect level of enlightenment through eight steps of meditation. This particular tradition was further empowered by him. Later, Vimalamitra initiated the Padmasambhava’s lineage and delivered the “Atiyoga” empowerment. Padmasambhava empowered twenty-five major disciples for the propagation of Buddhism in Tibet and they are collectively known as “Jewang Ngernga”- (referring king and people 25 in number). The reincarnation of Padmasambhava was Nyang Men Tingjin Sangpo whose reincarnation is Jyachon Nyingpo. The Padmasambhava lineage exists in the form of Mahayoga in Kama and Terma lineage. The long lineage is “Kama Tradition” where the historical lineage tracing begins from Padmasambhava and comes down to the contemporary Lama who delivers the empowerment to his disciple; whereas the short lineage of Padmasambhava is known as “Terma Tradition” that is revealed through the direct lineage holder but is generations down from Padmasambhava. The terma practice is continued by the famous Tertons. ii) Santarakshita Santarakshita (725-788) was born in royal family of Bengal. He became a monk and received the novice and full ordination vows from the Abbot Jnana Garbha. He was a Saravastivadin and clearly understood all the major and minor points of Vinaya of this lineage. He practiced pure ethics and studied Tripitaka. Acarya Vinayasena taught him. He was a famous 8th century Indian Buddhist Pundit who is best remembered for the founding Yogacara-Swatantrika-Madhyamaka, combination of Nagarjuna’s Madhyamaka, Asanga’s Yogacara and Dharmakriti’s logical and epistemological thought. He was the abbot of Nalanda, and called by Khri srong Detsan, the eighth century king of Tibet, when he was the spiritual guide of the king of Nepal. After he reached there, he found that the Tibetan land was full of the local religious practices and he felt difficult to convert them to Buddhism so he requested the king to request Padmasambhava to come to Tibet to use his tantra to subdue the local religion. After Padmasambhava came to there both of them worked a lot for the promotion of Buddhism in Tibet. He was very much important in the introduction of Buddhism and the Sarvastivadin monastic ordination lineage to Tibet conducted at Samye in 755 AD. He assisted the translation in Tibetan therefore his teachings are preserved in Tibetan than Sanskrit language. He ordained the first seven monks at the opening of Samye monastery, who later spread Buddhism in Tibet. Acarya Santarakshita’s teachings are “The Ten Virtuous Action”, “The Eighteen Elements” and “The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination”. iii) Kamalasila Kamalsila (713-7) was an Indian Buddhist Mahapundita of Nalanda Mahavihara who reached to Tibet in the request of Khri srong Detsan, as he was the disciple of Santarakshita. He focused in the Madhyamaka teachings of Nagarjuna that was taught by his Guru, Santarakshita. Kamalsila believed in the gradual ascent of learning and the gradual ascent intellect finally leading to Enlightenment or Buddhahood. It is believed that when the Chinese Buddhist Hasang believed in the sudden enlightenment, there was a hot debate between them at Samye and finally Kamalasila had won the debate. He wrote the texts like Bhavanakrama and Commentaries on different Buddhist texts. iv) Vimalamitra Vimalamitra was an eighth century Indian Buddhist Dzogchen master. He was the disciple of Sri Singha and Jnanasutra and also a student of Buddhaguhya. The emissaries of Khri srong Deutsan invited him to Tibet. He taught tantric Buddhism in Tibet and contributed a lot in the expansion of Buddhism in Tibet. He gained rainbow body through meditations during his lifetime. He is associated with Nyingmapa school of Tibetan Buddhism. His lineage holder is his disciple Manjushrimitra. He translated many Dzogchen texts and concealed them as Terma in the land of Tibet. v) Atisha Atisa Dipamkara Srijnan (980-1053) was born in a royal family of Bengal. He went to meet Bodhibhadra at Nalanda and he advised him to go to north where Bodhi Koyal was meditating. After receiving many philosophical teachings from Bodhi Koyal he was requested to go to Guru Avadhuti, who advised him to engage his life in the practice of Dharma. With the permission from his parents he got back to Guru Avadhuti then the Guru asked him to go to Guru Rahula Gupta, who gave him the complete philosophical teachings on Hevajra: Jnanaguhya Vajra. He studied tantra for seven years and practiced tantra for many years and received the ordination of a monk at Mativihara Monastery from Shri Rakshita of Buddhajnana’s lineage and received the name Dipamkarasrijnana. He studied Tripitaka, Abhidharma Vibhasa with Dharmarakshita and understood complete Vaibhashika. He studied Bodhicitta and Transformation of mind in Sumatra under Guru Suvarnadvipi Dharmakirti. He was one of the most important figures for the reestablishment of Buddhism in Tibet. His line of teaching Buddhism later established Kadampa School of Tibetan Buddhism. He came to Tibet under the invitation of King Yeshe O and stayed and taught in Tibet. He contributed a lot in the reestablishment of Buddhism in Tibet. He established first distinctive Tibetan religious order known as Kadampa (Bound to the Buddha’s words or teachings) School of Tibetan Buddhism and this very system later transformed into New Kadampa or the Gelugpa under Tsongkhapa’s powerful direction in late fifteenth century. These two schools insist upon the monastic celibacy as the basis for all the religious practice. When he was going to Tibet under the continuous request of Yeshe Od, he made a journey through Nepal and reached Tibet. After he reached there he gave many teachings lamas including Rinchen Zangpo on “Clear Light on the Middle Way”. When the ruler Jangchub Od told about the decline of Buddhism in Tibet Atisha started giving practical and easy teachings. So he composed “Lamp to the Path of Enlightenment” (Byang-chub lam-gyi sgron-ma or Bodhipathapradipa), that strengthened the development of Buddhism in Tibet. He taught tantra and sutra practiced together. He also contributed in the translation of many important works of Sanskrit into Tibetan. He visited Central Tibet and taught Dharmachakra there, the place is still called “Dra Chokor” or “Ladab Chokor”. He went to Tsang area where he met Marpa Lotsawa, and reached to Sakya area where he met with Drogmi Lotsawa, he moved in various parts of Tibet and even reached to Rithug and Samye. Atisha cleared the misconceptions existing in Suttras and tantras in Tibet and contributed a lot for the reestablishment of Buddhism in Tibet and created the second phase of Buddhism expansion in Tibet. vi) Shakyashri Bhadra Shakyashri Bhadra (11271225) was an abbot of Vikramshila and Nalanda who went to Tibet for the expansion of Buddhism. He was known as Kha-Che Panchen (the Maha-pundit of Kashmir) in Tibet as he was born in Dasobhara in Kashmir. He received the novice ordination from Sukhashri Bhadra-deva and went to the eastern India and became fully ordained monk from Shantakaragupta. When he was the head of Vikramashila there was the invasion of the Turks in India, and Vikramshila was destroyed. The great Tibetan master Trophu Lotsawa (1173) wrote a letter in Sanskrit praising the maha-pundit as the ‘crest jewel of all who have mastered the five sciences’ and requesting him come to Tibet but he couldn’t go, as the disciples did not allow him. Later Trophu Lotsawa came to request him to come to Tibet and he decided to go to Tibet and went through western Tsang. Shakyashri taught many texts, including works on vinaya, abhidharma, prajnaparamita, madhyamaka, the works of Maitreya, and innumerable vajrayana teachings from the four-tantra sets. In the Tsang valley Sanskrit learned Kunga Gyaltsen (Khon Lama, Sakya pundit) learned under him and received the title “Sakya Pundit” (Sakya-pa) from him. Shakyashri imparted his teachings both on sutra and tantra. He went to various parts of Tibet and imparted his knowledge at the great monastic centers of Lhasa, Srinpori, Samye and also Tshurphu and made many new translations of texts and ordained many monks. At Samye, he discovered a Sanskrit original of the ancient tantra, the Guhyagharba. Like Atisha he too authenticated Nyingma tantras by discovering fragments of the Vajrakila tantra. In 1207, while staying at Thangpoche monastery, the Shakyashri established a new Buddhist chronology in Tibet by introducing ‘Kashmiri system’ (kha che lugs) of vinaya entered Sakyapa School of Tibetan Buddhism, which became the greatest of three vinaya lineages in Tibet, that was adopted by all the ‘new’ (gsar ma) tantra traditions. He ordained many important early masters of the various Kagyu schools. This also being the lineage into which Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelug order, was ordained, it became preeminent in that illustrious tradition. He also founded four major monastic centers, the ‘Four Assemblies’ (tshogs bzhi), in U and Tsang. After his ten years stay in Tibet he got back to India in 1214 through Gungthang and Ngari in the west of Tibet and passed into nirvana in 1225 in India. His life was one of remarkable accomplishments, and great historical significance. This is one part…..