Aacharya Atisha

From in the Praise of Seventeen Nalanda Pandits, His Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama stated:

ཐུབ་གསུང་ཟབ་རྒྱས་བཀའ་སྲོལ་མ་ལུས་པ། །

You imparted all the profound and vast teachings given by the Buddha,

སྐྱེས་བུ་གསུམ་གྱི་ལམ་དུ་འདོམས་མཛད་དེ། །

By explaining the paths for beings of the three levels of spiritual capacity,

གངས་ལྗོངས་ཐུབ་བསྟན་སྤེལ་བའི་དྲིན་ཅན་རྗེ། །

And caused the Buddha’s teachings to flourish within the Land of Snows—

ཇོ་བོ་ཨ་ཏི་ཤཱ་ལ་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས། །

Kind and precious Lord Atiśa, to you I pray!

The great founder of the teachings of the stages of the path, the glorious Atisha, was born at the end of the tenth century in the great city of Bengal, in the region of Sahor in eastern India. His father was King Kalyāṇaśrī, whose palace, called Suvarṇadhvaja, had thirteen golden roofs and twenty-five thousand golden banners. His wealth and power were enormous. His mother was Pamo Özerchen, and his father was King Kalyāṇaśrī.

He was of the same royal family as the great abbot Shantarakshita. The prince was the nectar of the eyes of the world. His face was as white as the moon, his forehead was large, and his nose was prominent. His eyes were long, and his lips were red like the bimba fruit. The prince had all the marks of a holy man. The sight of him was enough to pacify suffering and defilements, to bring joy and happiness to the mind, and to plant the seeds of virtue. His parents named him Candragarbha.

The prince was entrusted to eight nurses, who cared for him with the utmost attention. One day, while he was lying on the roof of the palace with his mother and father, a loud and terrifying noise erupted. The parents and their child looked around to see what was happening, but the little prince remained very happy and fearless.

Suddenly, a beautiful blue lotus with unblemished petals fell before the eyes of the prince and his queen. The young prince was granted the blessing of his teacher, the great goddess Tārā, who had been his spiritual guide in all his previous lives.

From that time on, he constantly looked to the goddess Tara and consulted her before undertaking any important task.

When the prince was one year and six months old, the king and queen took him to the monastery of Vikramapura, not far from the palace, in a jeweled chariot.

As the king arrived at the monastery in a grand procession of five hundred chariots, all the people of the city gathered from every direction. At that moment, everyone looked at the prince and cried out with joy, “Now we have met the wonderful prince who is worshipped by the gods!” Prince Candragarbha asked his parents, “Who are these people?” His parents replied, “These are your subjects.”

The young prince then addressed them in a sweet voice, “May all these people have the same good fortune that I have. May they all plant roots of virtue and live by the holy Dharma.”

Then the father, mother, and son went to the temple, where they paid their respects to the monks and made offerings to the representations of the Three Jewels. They prostrated and offered prayers, asking that they, along with everyone else, be blessed with long lives, be free from illness, have abundant wealth, and be born in the higher realms rather than the lower realms, where they could serve the Three Jewels.

The great being, the bodhisattva, prayed, “I have obtained a human body with its freedoms and advantages; I see the Three Jewels with my unarmed senses, and with constant devotion, I place the Three Jewels on my head. From this day forth, may I be protected by them; may I never be bound by the duties of a householder; may I obtain the wealth of the Dharma in the midst of the Sangha; may I make offerings to the Three Jewels without pride; and may I view all beings with compassion.”

All the people gathered there, as well as the benevolent gods, were delighted and joyful, and they developed intense faith in this great being. The Book of Kadampa states that this was his first teaching of Dharma in his lifetime.

As soon as the young prince was born, he was not attached to the busyness of the household. He had visions of the supreme deity and could effortlessly proclaim the sounds of the Dharma. Even though he had no reason to be attached to the household’s busyness, his parents and subjects thought, “How wonderful it would be if he could remain at home.” They prepared various songs, dances, and games, and arranged marriages with the daughters of many kings.

The Lord Tara revealed herself to the young prince and said: “Prince, do not be attached, do not be attached; you are fortunate. If you, the hero, are submerged in this swamp of desire, like an elephant sinking in a marsh of reeds, will you not also sink in the mud of discipline? In five hundred and fifty-two lives, you will pass through the body of a pure monk, a great pandit, and like a swan entering a lotus lake, you will become a renunciate in this life. Thus, she urged him to practice the Dharma without attachment to the kingdom.

She urged him as follows: “O Prince, not only should you not be attached to this life, but it is also not right for you to be attached to samsara. For example, it is difficult for a strong elephant to rescue other animals that are sinking in the mud. Likewise, if you, the hero, are sinking, even if an ordinary person behaves poorly, he will not be able to harm the teachings and beings more than he himself can.”

The young prince was very pleased with the answer and studied the five major sciences—arts, medicine, grammar, logic, and theology—as well as the five minor sciences—poetry, metaphysics, rhetoric, drama, and astronomy.

In particular, when he was fifteen years old, he received “The Drop of Reasoning” on logic and, in a single debate, defeated a non-Buddhist logician renowned for his erudition. His renown spread far and wide.

The young prince thought to himself, “Without becoming attached to any of the excellent things of saṃsāra, I must train in the entire teachings of the Buddha and complete the paths and stages. To achieve this, I need to be guided by a holy spiritual teacher, the root of all goodness. So, who should I rely on as a teacher who can lead me on the path without error?”

Without delay, the prince and one hundred and thirty horsemen donned their armor and, using skillful means, set out on a tour of the mountains and caves in search of a spiritual guide. On a mountain, they met the brahmin Jetari.

Jetari gave him teachings on refuge and the generation of the mind of enlightenment, and said, “In Nālandā, there is a guru named Bodhibhadra, who is connected with Ārya Asaṅga. You should go there.”

Then he met Guru Bodhibhadra (Jangchub Zangpo), whom he pleased with offerings of precious substances. The Guru entered into meditative equipoise, blessed his three doors, and provided many instructions on the generation of bodhichitta. He then sent him to Lama Rigpai Khyungbu, who further instructed him on the generation of bodhichitta and directed him to meet his former Guru, Avadhutipa. When he met Avadhutipa, the Guru said, “Today you should go to Rajagriha (king palace) and observe the defects of the householder’s life.”

Upon his arrival, his parents were delighted and said, “Prince Candragarbha, where have you been? Are you not tired? Has your mind not awakened? Welcome!” In response, he said, “I have been searching for the guru, the refuge of the sages. I have been seeking a solitary place in the mountains and rocks. Wherever I have gone, I have seen the faults of saṃsāra. With everyone I have been with, I have discussed the faults of saṃsāra. Despite my efforts, my mind has not yet awakened. Please give me a chance. I am going to practice the Dharma.”

His parents said, “If you are weary of saṃsāra, take up the kingdom, make offerings to the Three Jewels, give to the poor, build temples, invite the sangha, and so on. By doing this, you will find happiness in all ways.” The prince replied, “I have examined saṃsāra in detail, and I find no attachment whatsoever to the kingdom.”

There is no difference between a golden palace and a prison, between the beauty of silk clothing and jewelry and the wearing of wax amidst filth, between a queen and a daughter of Mara, or between three sweet foods and dog meat, pus, and blood—there is not the slightest difference. Now, I will go to the forest to practice meditation.

Today, I am thinking about some meat, milk, honey, and sugar, and I will go to Jetsun Avadhutipa. When he had sung this, his parents allowed him to do whatever he wished.

Then, with a thousand horsemen, he went to the forest and touched the feet of Avadhutipa, who conferred upon him the initiation of the Mahayana awakening mind. He proceeded to the temple of the Black Mountain and approached the glorious Rahula, who said, “He too is your former guru.” He then went to Guru Rahula, who was teaching the tantras, and met him.

Although he knew they had come with a desire for the dharma, in order to intimidate them, a bolt of lightning struck the prince and then went to the hill of the black stūpa of the tīrthikas. The yogins in the retinue asked the guru, “Who is this?” The guru replied, “This is someone who has inherited the excellent lineage of only the bodies of great scholars and paṇḍitas for five hundred and fifty-two lifetimes. Although he is now the son of the dharma king Gewa Pal in Bengal, he is not attached to the kingdom and wishes to practice austerities.” Everyone was amazed and stood up to welcome him.

As soon as they met, he said, “Holy guru, please listen. I want to leave home and achieve liberation, but because of my renowned lineage, I am in danger of being bound in Bengal. I have relied on gurus who have attained siddhis, such as Jetari, Bodhibhadra, the cuckoo of reasoning, and Avadhūtipa, but I have not yet been liberated from the realm. Now I am sent to you, guru. Confer upon me the abhiṣeka of generating the Mahāyāna mind of awakening. Please definitely liberate me from this bondage.”

For thirteen days, the guru joyfully bestowed the empowerment of the deity Hevajra and all the instructions to the prince alone, and gave him the secret name Jñānaguhyavajra.

For seven years, he relied principally on the guru Avadhutipa and studied Vajrayana under many other gurus who had attained siddhis, becoming well-versed in all the texts and instructions.

When he thought, “I am the most learned in the secret Vajrayana,” the ḍākinīs revealed to him many volumes of mantras he had never seen before, even in his dreams, thus crushing his pride.

From the age of twenty-one to twenty-nine, he studied and practiced all the empowerments, transmissions, and pith instructions of the four classes of tantra and had visions of many special deities.

He attained profound meditative absorptions and superknowledges, and in this life, he would engage in tantric yogic practices and attain the supreme siddhi of mahamudra. When he contemplated this, Guru Rahulagupta miraculously appeared, not even hindered by a wall.

“You should renounce the world and become a monk,” Guru Rahulagupta advised, “for this will benefit the teachings and many beings.”

Śrī Heruka actually appeared in the sky before him and urged him to follow this path. Our teacher, the Lord Buddha, and the protector Maitreya also encouraged him to take ordination in a dream. He was ordained by Kṣāntipāda Śīlarakṣita, the abbot of the Mahāsāṃghika school and a practitioner on the path of preparation, and was given the name Dīpaṃkara Śrījñāna.

Then, relying on one hundred fifty-seven gurus, he studied all the sciences and all the scriptures of sutra and tantra, along with their instructions. In particular, in the presence of the guru Dharmarakṣita, he studied for twelve years the great treatise called the Great Exegesis of the Detailed Explanations, which contains all the essential points of the four classes of scripture on discipline and all the essential points of the seven classes of scripture on observed phenomena (Abhidharma), and which comprises about eight hundred volumes.

He mastered all the minor practices of the eighteen sects, such as the giving and taking of gifts and the offering of water to the deceased, without confusing them. Thus, he became the crown jewel of all the eighteen sects of India.

Then Atisha thought, “Who is the one who has complete instructions on bodhichitta, both to develop the precious bodhichitta that has not yet arisen and to perfect the bodhichitta that has already arisen?” At that time, the great Lama Serlingpa was renowned as the master of bodhichitta. To receive the complete instructions on bodhichitta from Lama Serlingpa, Atisha decided to travel to him. He set out across the ocean with a group of merchants who were journeying from India to Indonesia on a business trip. They were at sea for thirteen months.

At that time, the demon Garab Wangchuk could not bear the spread of the Buddha’s teachings. To obstruct Atisha’s awakening mind, he sent unfavorable winds that veered the boat off course, blocked its passage with a gigantic, mountain-like crocodile, and caused lightning to strike from the sky. In response to these and other harmful actions, the pandita Kshitigarbha fervently prayed to Atisha to invoke his spiritual practice. Atisha subdued the demonic forces and their armies using the Red Yamari samadhi and eventually reached Serling.

At that time, the regions now known as Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia were united as a single country called Suvarṇadvīpa, meaning “Golden Continent.” Lama Suvarṇadvīpa was not only a pure monk but also the king of Suvarṇadvīpa. From the fourteenth century, the country was divided into the three separate nations, and today, the region is primarily located in Indonesia.   

Even today, one of the Kadam stūpas in that country is larger than the stūpa at Bodh Gayā in India, and one can see countless other statues of the Buddha and Kadam stūpas.

At the edge of the Golden Isle, he met some meditators who were disciples of the great Lama Serlingpa. For fourteen days, they rested—master and disciples alike—and he stayed with these meditators to investigate the life story of Lama Serlingpa.

Some of those meditators quickly went to Lama Serlingpa and said, “Nowadays, the great scholar Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna, who is unrivaled in both East and West India, has arrived in your presence with a group of one hundred and twenty-five disciples, after enduring thirteen months of hardship on the great ocean. He has come to listen to the principal mother who gives birth to all the Buddhas of the three times, to generate the bodhicitta of aspiration and application, and to train the mind in the Mahāyāna.”

Serlingpa replied, “It is very good that such a great scholar has come to our land. We must welcome him.” Then Atisha and his disciples approached the palace of the great guru Serlingpa. The guru Serlingpa also came out to welcome them. From a distance, he saw five hundred and thirty-five monks, all dressed in the same color robes, holding water jugs and beautifully carrying staffs. They were very devoted and led by five hundred and thirty-five arhats, who came to meet Atisha.

At the time of the Buddha’s lifetime, it was as if he were surrounded by arhats. His mind was filled with the highest joy.

Then, Atisha and the Panditas, who were learned in the five sciences, such as Kṣitigarbha, and the monks who were well-versed in the three pitakas, wore brocade boots with medium-sized soles. They donned the three types of religious robes, which were beautifully painted with Kashmiri saffron and were highly praised by the Mahāsāṅghika school. For the sake of auspiciousness, they carried the finest iron begging bowls, which were not punctured. They also had copper water jugs capable of holding a measure of Magadha’s grain. They possessed all the marks of a monk, including a staff that was highly esteemed by the Lord of the Teachings.

All of them wore the hat of a paṇḍita, free from pride. Each held a white yak-tail whisk in his hand. One hundred and twenty-five of them followed Atiśa, not too close to each other, not too far apart, and with no gaps in between, resembling a tent of five-colored rainbows. They arrived where the protector Serlingpa was staying. Everything was perfect. The gods of the virtuous side were delighted and pleased, showering flowers upon them. All the people living in Serlingpa’s vicinity developed a remarkable and profound faith in the deeds of the two gurus.

Atisha then filled a precious vase, transparent from the outside, with gold, silver, pearls, corals, and lapis lazuli, and offered it to Lama Serlingpa.

From that point on, the auspicious connection for receiving instructions on training in bodhichitta—like a vase filled to the brim—was established.

He then went to the lama’s residence, the palace with the silver parasol. There, Lama Serlingpa, for the sake of greater auspiciousness, thoroughly explained the Ornament of Clear Realizations and provided the oral instructions at the beginning of the Dharma over approximately fifteen sessions.

Both the master and disciples achieved an extremely pure state of mind. Together, for about twelve years, they studied, contemplated, and meditated on the profound hidden meaning of the Mother Perfection of Wisdom, transmitted from the Lord Maitreya to the noble Asanga, and on the uncommon instructions for training in the awakening mind of exchanging self and others, transmitted from the Lord Mañjushri to Śāntideva.

In the presence of the guru, the uncontrived mind of enlightenment arises in the minds of oneself and others, both in meditative equipoise and in subsequent attainment. The guru also empowers one as the master of the teachings.

The Atisha did not remain there but journeyed north to the Land of Snows. In various ways, it was prophesied that Atisha would go to Tibet to care for his disciples. Satisfied with this prophecy and his mission, Atisha prepared to return to India. Lama Serlingpa then presented Atisha with a golden image of Shakyamuni, which he had found as a child, and blessed him to be the master of the teachings.

He then went to India and lived there as a master of the teachings. While staying at Bodhgaya in central India, he defeated the evil non-Buddhist teachers three times with his Dharma and introduced them to the Buddhist teachings.

King Mahapala invited him to the Vikramashila Monastery. Although Atisha himself emphasized the Mahasanghika tradition, he was learned in the traditions of all the other schools and did not discriminate among them. As a result, he became like a crown jewel for all the sanghas in eastern, western, and central India.

In the teachings of the Buddha, he remained as the master of the entire doctrine of sutra and tantra, which includes the three scriptural collections and the four classes of tantra, just as the Buddha himself had when he was on earth.

The way Atisha carried out the activities of the teaching after he came to Tibet was as follows: At that time, the early spread of the teachings in Tibet had declined, and the later spread had gradually increased. However, some people were interested in the Vinaya and despised the Vajrayana practice, while others were interested in Vajrayana practice and despised the Vinaya. The contradiction between the Sutras and the Tantra became as stark as hot and cold or the sun and the moon.

Many renowned pandits from India came to Tibet in search of gold. They deceived the Tibetan people with various paths of desire and evil mantras, making it extremely difficult to spread the pure teaching of the Conqueror. The Tibetan king, Lha Lama Yeshé Ö, was dismayed. To spread the pure teaching in Tibet, he sent twenty-one sharp-witted Tibetan children to India to invite pandits who would be beneficial to Tibet. The others died of fever. The great translator Rinchen Sangpo and the young translator Lekpé Sherap were knowledgeable in the Dharma, but they were unable to extend an invitation to Atiśa.

Returning to Tibet, he informed the king that the conduct and assertions of all the Indian scholars were not in contradiction with the sūtras and tantras, and that a paṇḍita named Śrī Dīpaṃkara in Vṛkkamalāśīla would be of great benefit to Tibet. All the paṇḍitas agreed that inviting him would indeed be advantageous for Tibet.

In particular, the king developed an unwavering faith merely by hearing the name of Atiśa. He sent Gya Tsöndrü Sengé with eight attendants carrying a substantial amount of gold to invite Atiśa, but Atishawas not persuaded to come.

Then the Dharma king himself went in search of gold to invite the pandits. The king of Garlok, aware that the Dharma king was dedicated to the doctrine, threatened that if he did not abandon the Dharma, he would not spare his life. He bound him with silk ropes.

While imprisoned, the divine prince Jangchub Ö attempted to free his uncle, but when he returned, the king Garlok said, “Dismiss your invitation to the pandits and join me, or bring me gold equal to the king’s. I will then release the king.” Choosing to bring the gold, Jangchub Ö presented one hundred ounces of gold, but the king refused to listen.

He said, “Even if I were to acquire something equal in value to your own body and attempt to deceive you, I would still need to preserve your head intact.” However, the king Garlok refused to listen. With no other option, he went to the prison door where the king was being held.

He called out to his uncle and said, “Your kindness is noted, and this is a result of your past karma. If I were to fight him and force him to retreat, many lives would be lost, and I would be condemned to the lower realms. You had promised not to invite the pandit but to join us. I believe it is better for you to go to a Dharma country than to abandon the Dharma and ally yourself with the evil king.”

Then he said, “I need a measure of gold for you.” I searched for gold and found a quantity as large as your body. However, he would not listen to me. “Now, if I find something as large as your head, I will come immediately. Until then, you should reflect on your past actions, pray to the Three Jewels, and accumulate merit by focusing on the essence in your heart.”

Uncle Yeshe Ö laughed and said, “My dear child, you have the same resilience as oilcake. I thought you might not endure hardship or persevere, but even after my death, you seem to be continuing the traditions of your ancestors.

I believe it would not be right for me to die without establishing a flawless religious law in Tibet. Now, my teeth have grown old, and even if I survive this time, I have only ten years left to live. Even if I were to give away a great deal of gold for this purpose, it would trouble the Three Jewels. Historically, since the beginning of samsara, no one has died for the sake of the Dharma.”

“It would be better to die for the sake of the Dharma. Do not give the king even a single se-va-rati of gold. If he is so greedy for my gold, how will he ever get even his own head? Take all the gold to India and bring the Lord Pandit back.

In the presence of the pandit, I said, ‘I have given my body and life to the king of Garlok for the sake of you and the Buddha’s teachings. Therefore, please have compassion for me in all your lives. My greatest hope is that you will come to Tibet and spread the Buddha’s teachings. Please do exactly that. Bless me to definitely meet you in the next life.’ Given this, abandon any concern for me and focus on the Buddha’s teachings.”

Although his uncle’s strength had declined, his voice had lost its resonance, and he was extremely weak, he still had confidence in the courage of the Tibetan people, the Buddha’s teachings, and the Lord Atisha, and he could not bear to leave.

Then Lha Lama Jangchub O called Naktso Lotsawa before him and said, “Geshe La, you must go to India to invite Jowo Atisha.” He gave him a large reward, sent him a substantial amount of gold, and provided as many servants as he needed.

When you arrive in India, say to Atisha, “In the past, the previous Dharma kings founded the Buddha’s teachings, established their traditions, and caused them to flourish and spread. But these days, the Buddha’s teachings are declining, demonic forces are prevailing, and all the learned ones have passed away. I am deeply saddened. Although both my uncle and I have sent many men and much gold to India, we have lost many lives and spent a great deal of money, yet we have not succeeded in inviting Atisha.

Unable to bear this, the great King went in search of gold but was imprisoned by an evil king, even sacrificing his own life. If the ignorant sentient beings of this borderland, Tibet, have such courage, then, compassionate refuge of beings, where have you gone?”

“I have seven hundred ounces of gold here. Take this and offer it to the guru (Atisha). In the city of Pretapurī in Tibet, it is very difficult to obtain even a small amount of gold. Now, all the people and wealth of Tibet have been completely exhausted. If the supreme protector (Atisha) does not come to Tibet, the compassion of all of you holy ones will also be exhausted. I will do whatever I can to make it easier for you. You, Vinayadhara, should recite these words directly to Atisha, and even if he is reluctant to come, you must ensure that this information reaches his ears.”

The translator Naktso Tsultrim Gyalwa wept, and the great man Lhatsün wept as well. His body trembled with the power of his speech, and his face was covered with tears. Unable to bear the sight of the great man’s distress, he was indifferent to the hardships and joys of this life. In response, he said, “Yes, My great King,” and the seven men, carrying seven hundred ounces of gold, set out for India.

The venerable monk (Naktso Tsultrim Gyalwa) accompanied him for a long distance, saying, “Monk, I have done what you asked of me. Now, although it is difficult, go there with great effort, risking your life and limb. When you return, I will repay your kindness.” After the monk had traveled a little farther, he called him back and said, “Please come and pray to the Lord of Great Compassion (Atisha).”

Then, Naktso Lotsāwa and his retinue encountered many obstacles on the road, such as the fear of thieves. These obstacles were dispelled by various emanations of the Compassion Buddha, and they arrived at Vikramaśīla without any difficulty.

After consulting with Gya Tsöndrü Sengé, they arranged for the Jowo to be brought to Tibet. For a time, it was very difficult to see the face of the Jowo. However, the emanation of the Great Compassion Buddha arranged for many auspicious signs to mark the Jowo’s arrival in Tibet.

One day, in a secluded place and without the knowledge of the Indian pandits and other kings, Gya Tsöndrü Sengé said to Naktso Lotsāwa, “Come!” and led him to Atiśa’s chambers. He placed the golden liṅga on a maṇḍala one cubit high, arranged the pieces of the liṅga in a heap, and offered them to Atiśa.

The translator Gya Tsöndrü Sengé recounted how the king of Tibet was a bodhisattva, how the Dharma spread during the time of the three Dharma kings, how Langdarma destroyed the teachings, how the Sangha increased through the kindness of the great lama, and how the uncle and nephew of the divine lama underwent hardships to invite the Jowo. He also mentioned how Yeshé Ö sent a message and how the perverted Dharma is now spreading in Tibet. He detailed how the bodhisattva king of Tibet had sent this venerable translator to invite you, the protector. Although he did not speak last year, he had said, “Please look upon Tibet with compassion.”

Atisha replied, “The king of Tibet, the three Dharma kings and their descendants, and the great lama are all manifestations of bodhisattvas. Otherwise, you would not be able to revive the embers of the teachings. It is not right to transgress the commands of a bodhisattva. The king is also ashamed. He has squandered many of his people and resources. You Tibetans are also pitiable. I am old, I have many keys of responsibilities, and many things to attend to. Won’t you come to Tibet? However, I will consider the matter. For now, keep your gold.” He then sent them back.

Then, out of his love and compassion for the disciples in Tibet, Atisha went there to investigate whether the Buddha’s teachings were being benefited or harmed by obstructions and obstacles. He fervently prayed to the supreme deities and stayed at Bodhgaya. The deities and gurus encouraged him to cultivate bodhichitta in any way he could. He took the Great Compassion Buddha as his deity (yidam) and went to the Amitabha Temple to the west of Bodhgaya to practice meditation.

During his meditation, he had a direct vision of the Great Compassion Buddha, Atisha. The Great Compassion Buddha said, “Good, excellent, holy being! You know the secret treasury of all the buddhas of the three times. My pure realm is to the north of here. Your meditation deity ‘Tara Devi’, is there, working for the welfare of sentient beings. Your many disciples are there as well. Go to the north.” He prophesied that Atisha would tame the Snow Land of Tibet.

The Great Compassion Buddha and Lord Tara said, he will be of great benefit to the teachings and sentient beings if he goes to Tibet. In particular, he will benefit through the upasaka, the lay practitioner Dromtönpa, who is the source of the Buddha. However, his lifespan will be shorter if he goes to Tibet.

“How short?”

“If he doesn’t go to Tibet, he will live to be ninety-two years old. If he does go, he will not exceed seventy-three.”

At that time, Atisha thought, “If I benefit Tibet, my lifespan will be shorter, but I will not be concerned with my lifespan.” This decision gave him great strength of mind.

The communities of the Indian sangha and their patrons unanimously opposed Atisha’s visit to Tibet, saying, “If he goes to Tibet, the source of the Indian teachings will decline.” They did not allow him to go.

Using skillful means, Atisha stated that he would not go to Tibet but would make extensive offerings at great places such as Bodhgaya, and he traveled back and forth among these places.

Many blessed images, such as the Jowo Jampal Dorje, and many volumes of scriptures, which were sacred objects of speech, were secretly brought by a skillful emanation of Drom Chökyi Gyalpo in the guise of a merchant.

Atisha then asked the senior scholar if he could visit Nepal and Tibet, where there were many holy places, and stay there for a while. The senior scholar replied, “Atisha would be happy to go to Tibet, but since the Tibetans are very insistent on inviting him, I will allow him to go to Tibet for a short time.”

However, three years earlier, Nagtso Lotsawa had sworn to ensure that Atisha would be sent back to India. When Atisha and his disciples left India for Nepal, Lhatsunpa (Tibetan king Jangchup O) received them with a grand reception of about three hundred horsemen.

The people, merely by seeing him, felt their faith arise, their minds were tamed, and they welcomed him with many songs of auspiciousness. On the way, the translator Gya Tsöndrü Sengé passed away, and Atisha was greatly distressed, saying, “Now my tongue is gone!”

Jowo, disappointed, remarked that in Tibet, even the merit of Gya Tsöndrü Sengé could not prevent death. Nagtso Lotsawa asked him not to speak in that manner and responded, “There are also translators like Rinchen Sangpo and others; I know a little about translators.” Atisha replied, “You will be better than all the other translators.”

Then Atisha went to the Golden Temple of Thoding, where the Tibetan King gave him a grand welcome reception. Lochen Rinchen Zangpo invited him to his own temple, where he was presented with numerous offerings. Atisha received many teachings, including the Illumination of the Middle Way, and specifically requested the Cakrasaṃvara initiation and the blessings of the Tara Devi goddess.

He received blessings, gained realization, and experienced profound insights. Subsequently, Lha Lama Jangchub Ö made this supplication to Atisha: “In this northern land of snows, the three Dharma kings of the past established the Buddha’s teaching by enduring many hardships. However, Langdarma later destroyed the teaching. My father and grandfather, the Dharma kings of Ngari, risked their lives to reestablish the Buddha’s teaching in Tibet. Yet today, some rely on the Vinaya and reject the mantra, while others rely on the mantra and reject the Vinaya. They believe that sutra and mantra are as contradictory as hot and cold.Top of Form

Bottom of Form

Each of them acted according to their wishes. In particular, the two ācāryas named Red Skirt and Blue Skirt taught the Vajrayana practitioners with long hair the Dharma of union and liberation, leading to the teachings becoming very degenerate and declining. They explained to him in detail, with tears in their eyes, how they had reached this state. “Compassionate lord,” they said, “please do not seek profound and wonderful Dharma for these wild disciples of Tibet. Please protect them with the Dharma of the cause and effect of karma.”

In particular, I request that you compassionately accept a teaching that encompasses all the scriptures of the Buddha, including the sūtras, tantras, and commentaries, which you yourself have practiced. This teaching should be a complete path, without error, easy to practice, and beneficial to all of Tibet.

The Lord Atisha was very pleased with this request. With great respect, he bowed down to all the Buddhas of the three times, their Dharma, and their Sangha, and said, “Urged by my good disciple Jangchub Ö, I will write the Lamp of the Path to Enlightenment.”

He wrote the Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment, which condenses the intended meaning of the sūtras, tantras, and commentaries into three pages. The Lord Tārā had previously told Atisha many times that a great lay practitioner would be of immense benefit to the teachings in Tibet. At that time, she repeated, “A lay practitioner will soon arrive.” Atisha watched for him every day and wondered, “Has my upasaka not yet come? Does Lord Tārā speak falsely?”

Then Drom Rinpoche made a full prostration and approached Atisha. He placed his hand on Drom’s head and recited many auspicious verses in Sanskrit. In due course, Atisha arrived in Central Tibet, where he turned the wheel of Dharma on a vast scale, bringing significant benefit to the teachings and to beings.

He stayed in Tibet for seventeen years: three years in Upper Ngari, nine years in Nyethang, and five years in other parts of Ü-Tsang. The essential purpose of Atiśha’s great effort to invite him to Tibet was to impart the Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment, the principal teaching that Atishashared.

When Atisha was about to go to Tibet, the Lord Tara and his guru, the pandit Hala Nagpo, said, “If you go to Tibet, the son will surpass the father, the grandson will surpass the son, the great-grandson will surpass the grandson, and the great-great-grandson will surpass the great-grandson.”

The father prophesied as “going to grandeur” was Atisha himself; the sons were Dromtönpa, Lekpé Sherap, and others; the grandchildren were the three brothers; the second-generation descendants were the two Langshars; and the third-generation descendants included figures like Sangyé Öntön and Sangyé Gompa. The meaning of “grandeur” is that the teaching became more widespread in later times than in earlier ones.

Finally, in 1054, Dromtönpa invited him to Nyethang, where he stayed for nine years, benefiting beings extensively, and passed away at the age of seventy-three in Nyethang.