Tibet Buddhism History - Atisha

Atisha was the ancient Indian monk and the great Buddhism master. He was born in Bangladesh in AD 982 and died in Tibet Region in AD 1054. He was the founder of Kardam Sect of Tibet Buddhism.

Tibet Buddhism History - Atisha Lifetime

Atisha was born in a royal family nearby the capital of Bangladesh. His father was the King and his little brother was a monk, too. He was very smart when he was a little boy and devoted his whole life upholding justice. He sympathized for all the puny people and tried his best to help them. When he was born after 18 months, he could recite one of the Buddhist scriptures. When he was 5 years he made himself be the monk of Jingang Monastery. He did very well in the math, calligraphy and painting when he was 6 years old. When he was 11 years old he left the royal family and traveled to many Buddhist temples. He took the great masters as his teachers and learned a lot of Buddhist Dharma in Lanto Monastery in India for many years. When he was 21 years old, he was proficient in the different Buddhist scriptures, math, and medical skills. In the mean time, he took padmasambhava as his teacher to learn the Vajrayana. Padmasambhava was almost the great master of Tibet Buddhism. He established Gelug Sect, one of the most important religious sects in Tibet Buddhism history.

When he was 29 years old he went to Biklo Monastery and took the great master of Biklo Monastery as his teacher. He was officially became a monk in Biklo Monastery at that time.

At the end of 1013, he went to Sri Lanka with his disciples to learn different religious doctrines. He also took the Jinchou Great Master as his teacher and learned the Bodhicitta Doctrine from him. When he was 44 years old he went back to India and started to develop and expand Buddhism.

Enter Tibet

After the Buddhism destruction caused by Langdama in AD 842, Tibet Buddhism and Bon Sect were survived and promoted again. But it was difficult to make clear the religious doctrine for each other at that time. Atisha was invited by the King of Guge Kingdom to develop Buddhism in Tibet. When he was 59 years old in 1040, he departed to Tibet from India. In the mean time, on the way to Tibet he built the Tang Monastery in Nepal and taught Buddhist scriptures to believers when he stayed in the Kingdom of Nepal. In 1042 Atisha arrived in Ngari Prefecture and meet the King of Ngari in Tolin Monastery at that time. Atisha decided to teach the causal effect of Buddhism to people so that he was also called the "Causal effect lama". In the mean time, he translated many Buddhist scriptures and doctrines. Two years later, he was invited to advocate Buddhism in Lhasa, Samye Monastery, and Yarlong Area, etc. He usually taught the doctrine nearby Jokhang Temple as he loved Jokhang Temple very much.

Atisha has lived in Tibet for 13 years and devoted the afternoon of his life advocating Tibet Buddhism.