Tibetan Buddhism (historical and practical)

Indian Buddhism reached Tibet in two distinct phases. During the “early translation period”, the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo (618–649) initiated the first state-sponsored translation projects of Sanskrit Buddhist texts. First in a line of “Dharma Kings”, he was succeeded a hundred years later by King Trisong Detsen (755–797), who invited Śāntaraksita, the abbot of Nālandā, to introduce the Sarvāstivadin monastic lineage, the Madhyamaka presentation of Nāgārjuna, the Yogācara interpretation of Asanga, and Dharmakīrti’s logical and epistemological traditions. At the same time, he invited Guru Padmasambhava, a great Tantric Master, to propound Sūtra, Tantra and the “Great Perfection” (Dzogchen). Moreover, he constructed the first Buddhist monastery of Tibet, Samye, where the first Buddhist monks of Tibet were ordained. Finally, King Trisong Detsen held a 5–year long series of debate at Samye (792–797), where the “gradual” approach of the Indian party eventually emerged victorious over the “sudden” approach propounded by the Chinese envoy.

During Sänalek’s reign (800–815 CE), the translation process was thoroughly standardized, and the etymological equivalents and translation-methods fixed to such a degree in the treatises of the Mahāvyutpatti and the sgra-sbyor bam-po gnyis-pa, that it is possible nowadays to reconstruct with considerable accuracy, Sanskrit works that have not survived in the original language but are only accessible in the Tibetan translations.

After Buddhism had declined sharply as result of the reactionary politics of King Langdarma throughout the 9th and 10th centuries, the “Later translation period” (10th to 12th century) saw a revival of Buddhism with the famous translators Rinchen Zangpo (958–1055), Marpa Lotsawa (1012–1097), Drogmi Shākya, being tremendously active and productive, passing on their knowledge and realization to great students such as Milarepa, one of the early masters of the Kagyü school and Khön Könchok Gyalpo (1034–1102), founder of the Sakya school. One of these influential Tibetans is King Yeshe Ö, sovereign of Guge, who sent his delegate Nagtso to Vikramaśilā to entice Atiśa to come to Tibet. Eventually, in response to the sincerity of Nagtso’s fervent requests, Atiśa assented and, despite old age, travelled to Tibet to pass on his teachings to his disciple Dromtönpa, who in turn would form the Kadam school.