Atiśa

Atish Dipankar
Atish Dipankar
	Nyêtang, Tibet
Religion	Buddhism
Education	Odantapuri, Madhyamaka
Senior posting
	Students Dromtön;

Atisa or Atish Dipankar (c. 982–1054) was a

New Translation schools of Tibetan Buddhism, later supplanted by the Gelug tradition in the 14th century which adopted its teachings and absorbed its monasteries.^[5]

In 2004, Atish Dipankar was ranked 18th in the

greatest Bengalis of all time.^[6]^[7]^[8]

Early life

Bajrayogini a village in

Gautama Buddha, Atish Dipankar was born into royalty.^[10] His father was a king known as Kalyānaśrī and his mother was Prabhavati Sri.^[11]^[12] One of three royal brothers, Atish Dipankar went by the name of Dipankar Srijnan during the first part of his life. In fact, it was not until he travelled to Guge and encountered King Jangchub Yeshe-Ö (Wylie

: byang chub ye she 'od, 984–1078) that he was given the name Dipankar Srijnan.

Studies

According to Tibetan sources, Atish Dipankar was ordained into the

Candrakīrti, and the Lineage of Profound Experience transmitted by Tilopa and Naropa.^[13] It is said that Atish Dipankar had more than 150 teachers, but one key one was Dharmakīrtiśrī.^[14]

Another notable teacher of his during his time at Vikramashila was Ratnākaraśānti.^[15]

Teachings in Sumatra and Tibet

Tibetan sources assert that Atish Dipankar spent 12 years in

Rajendra Chola I of the Chola dynasty invaded Sumatra.^[16]

Atish Dipankar returned to India. Once back, the increasingly knowledgeable monk received much attention for his teachings and skills in debate and philosophy. On three separate occasions, the monk Atish Dipankar was acclaimed for defeating non-Buddhist extremists in debate. When he came into contact with what he perceived to be a misled or deteriorating form of Buddhism he would quickly and effectively implement reforms. Soon enough he was appointed to the position of steward, or abbot, at Vikramashila which was established by Emperor Dharmapala.^{[citation needed]} He is also said to have "nourished" Odantapuri.^[17]

Atish's return from Suvarnabhumi, where he had been studying with Dharmakīrtiśrī, and his rise to prominence in India coincided with a flourishing of Buddhist culture and the practice of Buddhism in the region, and in many ways Atish's influence contributed to these developments. According to traditional narratives, King Langdarma had suppressed Buddhism's teachings and persecuted its followers for over seventy years. According to the Blue Annals, a new king of Guge by the name of Yeshe-Ö sent his academic followers to learn and translate some of the Sanskrit Buddhist texts.^[18] Among these academics was Naktso, who was eventually sent to Vikramashila to study Sanskrit and plead with Atish to come teach the Dharma in his homeland. Travelling with Naktso and Gya Lōtsawa, Atish journeyed through Nepal on his way to Tolung, the capital of the Purang Kingdom. (Gya Lōtsawa died before reaching Tolung.) On his way, he is said to have met Marpa Lōtsawa. He spent three years in Tolung and compiled his teachings into his most influential scholarly work,

Tsongkhapa's Lamrim writings. Here Atish met Dromtön, or Dromtonpa, who would become his primary disciple, regarded as both an enforcer of later propagation ethical standards and a holder of Atish's tantric lineage.^[20]

According to Jamgon Kongtrul, when Atish discovered the store of Sanskrit texts at Pekar Kordzoling, the library of Samye, "he said that the degree to which the Vajrayana had spread in Tibet was unparalleled, even in India. After saying this, he reverently folded his hands and praised the great dharma kings, translators, and panditas of the previous centuries."^[21]

Writings

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His books include:

Bodhipathapradīpa (Wylie: byang chub lam gyi sgron ma)

Bodhipathapradipapanjikanama (his own commentary of Wylie: byang chub lam gyi sgron ma)

Charya Sangraha Pradipa contains some kirtan verses composed by Atish.

Satyadvayavatara

Bodhisattvamanyavali

Madhyamakaratnapradipa

Mahayanapathasadhanasangraha

Shiksasamuccaya Abhisamya

Prajnaparamitapindarthapradipa

Ekavirasadhana

Vimalaratnalekha, a Sanskrit letter to Nayapala, king of Magadha.

See also

Nyethang Drolma Temple

Bikrampur Vihara

References

^ "Portrait of Atish Dipankar [Tibet (a Kadampa monastery)] (1993.479)". Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. October 2006. Retrieved 11 January 2008.

^ "Reincarnation". Dalailama. The Dalai Lama. Archived from the original on 14 May 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2015.

ISBN 978-0-19-873266-2
.

^ POV. "Tibetan Buddhism from A to Z - My Reincarnation - POV - PBS". PBS. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2017.

^ "Kadam - The Treasury of Lives: A Biographical Encyclopedia of Tibet, Inner Asia and the Himalayan Region". The Treasury of Lives. Retrieved 11 December 2018.

^ "Listeners name 'greatest Bengali'". 14 April 2004. Retrieved 24 February 2018.

^ "International : Mujib, Tagore, Bose among 'greatest Bengalis of all time'". The Hindu. 17 April 2004. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2018.

^ "The Daily Star Web Edition Vol. 4 Num 313". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2018.

^ "Dipankar Srijnan, Atish". Banglapedia.

^ Maha Bodhi Society, The Maha Bodhi, Volume 90, p. 238.

^ "Atisa Dipamkara". The Treasury of Lives.

^ "ATĪŚA ou ATĪSHA". Encyclopædia Universalis (in French).

^ Great Kagyu Masters: The Golden Lineage Treasury by Khenpo Konchog Gyaltsen, Snow Lion Publications, pages 154-186

^ Buswell 2014, p. 247.

^ "Ratnākaraśānti". Encyclopedia of Buddhism Online.

^ Atisa and Tibet: Life and Works of Dipamkara Srijnana by Alaka Chattopadhyaya p.91

ISBN 978-81-208-0928-4
.

^ bstan pa'i mgon po (1974). Blue Annals. Lokesh Chandra.

^ "Atisa Dipamkara". The Treasury of Lives. Retrieved 11 December 2018.

^ "Dromton Gyelwa Jungne". The Treasury of Lives. Retrieved 11 December 2018.

^ Tulku & Helm 2006, p. 74.

Bibliography

ISBN 9780691157863
.

Khenpo Konchog Gyaltsen, Great Kagyu Masters: The Golden Lineage Treasury, Snow Lion Publications

Geshe Sonam Rinchen, Atiśa's Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment, Snow Lion Publications

ISBN 1-55939-023-9
.

Tulku, Ringu; Helm, Ann (2006). The Ri-Me Philosophy of Jamgon Kongtrul the Great: A Study of the Buddhist Lineages of Tibet. Boston:
ISBN 1-59030-286-9
.

Apple, James B. (2019). Atisa Dipamkara: Illuminator of the Awakened Mind. Boston:
ISBN 978-1611806472
.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Atisha.

Works by or about Atiśa at Internet Archive

Works by or about Atisha at Internet Archive

Bibliography of Atisha's works, Item 596 Archived 13 November 2021 at the Wayback Machine, Karl Potter, University of Washington

Advice from Atiśa's Heart

Atiśa Dipamkara on Banglapedia

English Translation of Lamp to the Path of Enlightenment (by Dr. Alexander Berzin)

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Atiśa&oldid=1216646962"

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[1] "Portrait of Atish Dipankar [Tibet (a Kadampa monastery)] (1993.479)". Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. October 2006. Retrieved 11 January 2008.

[TBRC-2] "Reincarnation". Dalailama. The Dalai Lama. Archived from the original on 14 May 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2015.

[Westerhoff2018-3] ISBN 978-0-19-873266-2
.

[4] POV. "Tibetan Buddhism from A to Z - My Reincarnation - POV - PBS". PBS. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2017.

[5] "Kadam - The Treasury of Lives: A Biographical Encyclopedia of Tibet, Inner Asia and the Himalayan Region". The Treasury of Lives. Retrieved 11 December 2018.

[6] "Listeners name 'greatest Bengali'". 14 April 2004. Retrieved 24 February 2018.

[7] "International : Mujib, Tagore, Bose among 'greatest Bengalis of all time'". The Hindu. 17 April 2004. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2018.

[8] "The Daily Star Web Edition Vol. 4 Num 313". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2018.

[9] "Dipankar Srijnan, Atish". Banglapedia.

[10] Maha Bodhi Society, The Maha Bodhi, Volume 90, p. 238.

[11] "Atisa Dipamkara". The Treasury of Lives.

[12] "ATĪŚA ou ATĪSHA". Encyclopædia Universalis (in French).

[13] Great Kagyu Masters: The Golden Lineage Treasury by Khenpo Konchog Gyaltsen, Snow Lion Publications, pages 154-186

[FOOTNOTEBuswell2014247-14] Buswell 2014, p. 247.

[15] "Ratnākaraśānti". Encyclopedia of Buddhism Online.

[16] Atisa and Tibet: Life and Works of Dipamkara Srijnana by Alaka Chattopadhyaya p.91

[17] ISBN 978-81-208-0928-4
.

[18] stan pa'i mgon po (1974). Blue Annals. Lokesh Chandra.

[19] "Atisa Dipamkara". The Treasury of Lives. Retrieved 11 December 2018.

[20] "Dromton Gyelwa Jungne". The Treasury of Lives. Retrieved 11 December 2018.

[FOOTNOTETulkuHelm200674-21] Tulku & Helm 2006, p. 74.

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