Rinchen Zangpo
(Lochen) Rinchen Zangpo (958–1055), also known as Mahaguru, was a principal lotsawa or translator of Sanskrit Buddhist texts into Tibetan during the second diffusion of Buddhism in Tibet (or the New Translation School or New Mantra School period). He was a student of the famous Indian master, Atisha. His associates included (Locheng) Legpai Sherab. Zangpo's disciple Guge Kyithangpa Yeshepal wrote Zangpo's biography. He is said to have built over one hundred monasteries in Western Tibet, including the famous Tabo Monastery in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, and Poo in Kinnaur.
Rinchen Zangpo had been sent as a young man by King Yesh-es-od, who seems to have been ruler of Zanskar, Guge, Spiti and Kinnaur, with other young scholars to Kashmir and other Buddhist centres to study and bring back Buddhist teachings to Western Tibet. He was possibly the single most important person for the 'Second Propagation of Buddhism' in Tibet.[5] Some sources claim he became king of the western Himalayan Kingdom of Guge.
Among his translations are the Viśeṣastavaṭikā by Prajñāvarman, which he undertook together with Janārdhana.
Biography
He was born in Reni (rad ni) in the district of Khyungwang in Ngari, western Tibet. He was ordained at the age of 13 by Yeshe Zangpo in Ngari, western Tibet, and was sent to Kashmir three times by Yeshe Ö, the king of Guge. Later, he maintained a team of ten lotsawas and kept them continuously busy with translation. He edited or revised over 150 texts. Among the texts he translated were the Guhyasamaja Tantra and Chanting the Names of Manjushri. When Atisha visited Ngari in 1042 he met Rinchen Zangpo and was initially impressed by the depth of his learning. However, when Atisha asked him how he practised the teachings he had received he saw that he did not know how to bring them together. Rinchen Zangpo then received teachings from Atisha, especially on Chakrasamvara.
His four main disciples were Lochung Legpe Sherap, Gungshing Tsöndru Gyaltsen, Drapa Shönu Sherap, and Kyinor Jnana. He was also a teacher of Sachen Kunga Nyingpo.
