The Spread of Buddhism to Tibet

In Northern India, the Warrior King Aśoka (Ashoka) achieved a remarkable feat by conquering many individual principalities and uniting them as one. However, after a particularly bloody battle, he had a kind of conversion experience that led him to embrace the enlightened teachings of various sects. He was shocked by his violent exploits and used the teachings of Śaiva Tantra, Jainism, and Buddhism as a guide to transforming society. As a result, all of these paths flourished until the Muslim invasions in and around 1000 CE.

One of Ashoka's notable contributions was the founding of Nālandā Monastic University in Northern India in the 2nd century. This university became a model for Northern Indian teachers who started to travel to Tibet and establish their own Monastic Teaching Schools. A Teacher named Sāntarāśita was the first to go there and start a monastery, but he was forced to leave due to unfavorable signs. However, years later, he returned with a powerful adept named Padmasambhava, and together they established the Samyé University and started a lineage of Tantric Non-Dual Tibetan Buddhism. This lineage has been passed down to this day, and even the Dzogchen Tradition claims a direct transmission from it.

The three most influential Indian adepts who introduced Buddhism to Tibet in 800-1000 A.D. were Sāntarāśita, Padmasambhava, and Ātīśa (Atisha).

Padmasambhava was a visually striking figure, carrying a Kaṭvāṅga Staff (A type of Trident) adorned with severed heads and displaying a Bhairava Mudrā facial expression, which was a scary bulging eyes look. He was believed to have originated from Uḍḍiyāna, now in Northern India or Pakistan, and traveled through Nepal, embodying the characteristics of a fully-fledged transgressive cemetery-living skull-bearing Tantric Master. He introduced Tārā's practices to Tibet. Originally, Sāntarāśita traveled to Tibet but was not well received and returned later and brought back with him the powerful Tantric Master, Padmasambhava and they established Buddhism in Tibet.

Around 200 years later, a Tantric Master from Bengal named Ātīśa (Atisha) brought a progressive style of Tantric Buddhism to Tibet. Despite being warned that it would shorten his lifespan, he went anyway and brought teachings that were well-received by the Tibetan people. Other famous Indian Masters who are revered in Tibet include Milerīpa, Āsanga, Vasubhandu, and Tsongkhapa. The first Abbot of Nalanda University, Nāgārjuna, and his student Āryadeva are also highly revered for their contributions to the establishment of the university.

Padmasambhava had brought some Tārā practices with him to Tibet, but they weren't widely accepted until Ātīśa’s time.

Two hundred years after Padmasambhava was in Tibet, the Tārā teachings were not yet firmly established in the region. While he had taught his consort, the great female adept, Yeśe (Yeshe) Tsogyal a Red Tārā Practice that she had hidden in a Terma (hidden teaching to be found later) to be discovered in the future, there were, at that time in Tibet, monks in monasteries who practiced a corrupt form of Tantra called Sbyor Sgrol. This term meant "Union and Liberation," but these particular individuals interpreted it to mean rape and ḥum an sacrifice. These monks were known as "robber monks" and were a source of great concern and corruption in Tibetan Buddhism.

Because of this, the true teachings of Buddhism were becoming increasingly difficult to find in Tibet. However, a king in western Tibet named Lhalama Yesheo recognized the problem and decided to take action. He devoted his energy to remedying the situation by sending young Tibetans to study in India and helping to build a monastery in T'oling. He also invited Indian Paditas to teach, and it was through this that Ātīśa received an invitation to come to Tibet.

Before accepting the invitation, Ātīśa consulted with his tutelary deity, Tārā, and a yogini at Bodhgaya. Both told him that his going to Tibet would greatly benefit the Buddhist Doctrine, but it would shorten his life by 20 years. Despite this warning, Ātīśa made the journey to Tibet in 1140 AD, after spending a few more years in India.

Ātīśa's influence on Tibetan Buddhism cannot be overstated, and he probably influenced it more than any other Indian Pandit of the era. Much of what Tibet learned about Tārā came from Ātīśa, and his devotion to her was unwavering. He was a scholar and wrote many foundational Buddhist practices for the Tibetan people, including the 21 Tārā's practices.

From Ātīśa's teachings stems the next school of Tibetan Buddhism after Padmasambhava, which is still practiced today. His devotion to Tārā and his efforts to bring true Buddhist teachings to Tibet has had a lasting impact on the region and Buddhism as a whole. Despite the warning that his life would be shortened, Ātīśas legacy continues to inspire people to this day. Ātīśa was a devotee of the Goddess Tārā, who came to him in dreams and guided him from within. The lineage of both Padmasambhava and Ātīśa, as well as many others, are still practiced today in various Tibetan lineages. Recently, in the last part of the 20th century, the practice of the Tārās has also spread to the West. I first heard about her from Lama Surya Das, a Western Buddhist who had recently been on extended meditation retreats with Tibetans. I attended a Satsaṅga at his home in Cambridge, MA in the 1990s where he led a vibrant and descriptive meditation on the Goddess Tārā. I immediately identified with her and her energy and she has been with me ever since. I later was given Tārā initiations and empowerments from His Eminence Luding Khenchen Rinpoche 1931-2023 of Sakya School of Tibetan Buddhism. Who, I felt a deep connection to and has since guided me in person, dreams, letters, and who gave me Buddhist Initiation in the 1990’s as well.

Lesson Summary

In the 2nd century, Aśoka, a warrior king in Northern India, embraced the teachings of various sects after a conversion experience following a bloody battle. Aśoka founded Nālandā Monastic University, which became a model for Northern Indian teachers to travel to Tibet and establish their own Monastic Teaching Schools. The three most influential Indian adepts who brought Buddhism to Tibet were Sāntarāśita, Padmasambhava, and Ātīśa. Padmasambhava, known for his striking appearance, introduced Tārā's practices to Tibet. Ātīśa brought a progressive style of Tantric Buddhism to Tibet despite warnings that it would shorten his life.

• Padmasambhava originated from Uḍḍiyāna and traveled through Nepal, bringing Tārā's practices to Tibet.
• Ātīśa brought a progressive style of Tantric Buddhism to Tibet despite warnings that it would shorten his life.

Ātīśa's influence on Tibetan Buddhism cannot be overstated and he wrote many foundational Buddhist practices for the Tibetan people. His devotion to Tārā has had a lasting impact on the region and Buddhism as a whole. The lineages of both Padmasambhava and Ātīśa are still practiced today in various Tibetan lineages. The practice of the Tārās has also spread to the West in recent years.