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Longchen Yeshe Dorje + (Kangyur Rinpoche, Longchen Yeshe Dorje (Ti … Kangyur Rinpoche, Longchen Yeshe Dorje (Tib. བཀའ་འགྱུར་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་ཀློང་ཆེན་ཡེ་ཤེས་རྡོ་རྗེ་, Wyl. bka' 'gyur rin po che klong chen ye shes rdo rje) (1898-1975) was a great master and tertön from Riwoche Monastery in Kham, East Tibet; his root teacher was Jedrung Trinlé Jampa Jungné. In exile, he lived in Darjeeling, where he met and taught some of the very first western students of Tibetan Buddhism, including Matthieu Ricard. Kangyur Rinpoche is the father of Pema Wangyal Rinpoche, Rangdröl Rinpoche, and Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche. His commentaries on Jikme Lingpa's ''Treasury of Precious Qualities'' and Nagarjuna's ''Letter to a Friend'' have been translated into English by the Padmakara Translation Group. ([https://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Kangyur_Rinpoche Source Accessed Jan 27, 2020])ur_Rinpoche Source Accessed Jan 27, 2020]))
Karl Brunnhölzl + (Karl Brunnhölzl is one of the most prolifi … Karl Brunnhölzl is one of the most prolific translators of Tibetan texts into English and has worked on all of the Five Treatises of Maitreya. He was originally trained as a physician. He took Buddhist refuge vows in 1984 and, in 1990, completed a five-year training in higher Buddhist philosophy at Kamalashila Institute, Germany, receiving the traditional Kagyü title of "Dharma tutor" (Tib. ''skyor dpon''). Since 1988, he received his Buddhist and Tibetan language training mainly at Marpa Institute for Translators in Kathmandu, Nepal (director: [[Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso]] Rinpoche), and also studied Tibetology, Buddhology, and Sanskrit at Hamburg University, Germany. Since 1989, Karl served as a translator, interpreter, and Buddhist teacher mainly in Europe, India, and Nepal. Since 1999, he has acted as one of the main translators and teachers at Nitartha Institute (director: [[Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche]]) in the USA, Canada, and Germany. In addition, he regularly taught at Gampo Abbey's Vidyadhara Institute from 2000–2007. He is the author of several books on Buddhism, such as ''The Center of the Sunlit Sky'', ''Straight from the Heart'', ''In Praise of Dharmadhātu'', and ''Luminous Heart'' (all Snow Lion Publications). He has also completed several ground-breaking translations in the Tsadra Foundation series, including a three-volume work on the ''Abhisamayālaṃkāra''. He has also completed the work ''[[Prajñāpāramitā, Indian "gzhan stong pas", and the Beginning of Tibetan gzhan stong]]'' in the Wiener Studien zur Tibetologie und Buddhismuskunde series, and of course, ''[[When the Clouds Part]]'', a translation of the ''Gyü Lama''. In 2019 his translation of the ''Mahāyānasaṃgraha'' with Indian and Tibetan commentaries was published and won the [https://khyentsefoundation.org/2019-outstanding-translation/ Khyentse Foundation Prize For Outstanding Buddhist Translation].ize For Outstanding Buddhist Translation].)
Khenpo Gangshar + (Khenpo Gangshar Wangpo (Tib. མཁན་པོ་གང་ཤར་ … Khenpo Gangshar Wangpo (Tib. མཁན་པོ་གང་ཤར་དབང་པོ་, Wyl. mkhan po gang shar dbang po) (b. 1925) - a renowned master of the 'crazy wisdom' approach, who was connected with Shechen Monastery. He was the root teacher of both [[Chögyam Trungpa]] and [[Thrangu Rinpoche]], and also one of [[Dezhung Rinpoche]]'s teachers. For a while it was thought that he died in prison between 1958 and 196, but it has also been reported that he in fact survived 22 years of imprisonment, and passed away in 1980/1, before any of his former students could contact him. His writings include: ''A Song to Introduce the Unmistaken View of the Great Perfection'', ''Naturally Liberating Whatever You Meet: Instructions to Guide You on the Profound Path'', and ''Vomiting Gold''. ([https://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Khenpo_Gangshar Source Accessed July 28, 2020])o_Gangshar Source Accessed July 28, 2020]))
Kunga Yeshe Gyatso + (Kunga Yeshe Gyatso was a Jonangpa scholar who lived in the 16th to 17th centuries. His teachers were Tāranātha (1575–1634) and Kunga Rinchen Gyatso. He is the author of a collection of annotations on Tāranātha's ''Dbu ma theg mchog'' among other works.)
The First Drikung Chungtsang, Rigdzin Chökyi Drakpa + (Kunkhyen Chökyi Drakpa, aka Drikung Rigdzi … Kunkhyen Chökyi Drakpa, aka Drikung Rigdzin Chökyi Drakpa (1595–1659)—the youngest son of the 21st throne holder of the Drikung Kagyü lineage, Chögyal Rinchen Phuntsok (1547-1602). The Drikung Chungtsang incarnation line [refers to] the successive reincarnations of Kunkhyen Chökyi Drakpa who became the lineage holders of the Drikung Kagyü lineage, along with the Chetsang Rinpoches. The Chungtsang Rinpoches are considered manifestations of Manjushri. ([http://dzogchen.gr/en/drikung-rigdzin-chokyi-drakpa/ Source Accessed on October 25, 2019])kpa/ Source Accessed on October 25, 2019]))
Śākyaprabha + (Medeival Indian master of the Vinaya, reno … Medeival Indian master of the Vinaya, renowned in Tibet, together with Guṇaprabha, as one of the "two supreme ones" (mchog gnyis). Apparently from Kashmir, he was an expert in the Mūlasarvāstivāda vinaya. He is best known for his work ''Śrāmaṇeratriśatakakārikā'' ("Three Hundred Verses on the Novice"), to which he wrote an autocommentary entitled ''Prabhāvatī''. (Source: "Śākyaprabha." In ''The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism'', 742. Princeton University Press, 2014. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.)tp://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.))
Minling Terchen Gyurme Dorje + (Minling Terchen was a great tertön and the … Minling Terchen was a great tertön and the founder of Mindroling Monastery. His father was Sangdak Trinlé Lhundrup (1611-1662) and his mother was Yangchen Drolma. He was born on the tenth day of the second month of the Fire Dog year. Together with his brother Lochen Dharmashri, he played an important role in the transmission of the Nyingma Kama, bringing together the Rong lineage of Central Tibet and the Kham lineage of Eastern Tibet. The two brothers also compiled the terma collection known as the Döjo Bumzang, which was a precursor of the Rinchen Terdzö. Terdak Lingpa established Mindroling Monastery in 1676. (Source: [https://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Minling_Terchen_Gyurme_Dorje Rigpa Wiki])=Minling_Terchen_Gyurme_Dorje Rigpa Wiki]))
Nanyang Huizhong + (Nanyang Huizhong. (J. Nan'yō Echū; K. Namy … Nanyang Huizhong. (J. Nan'yō Echū; K. Namyang Hyech'ung 南陽慧忠) (675?—775). Chinese Chan master of the Tang dynasty; a native of Yuezhou in present-day Zhejiang province. He is said to have studied under the sixth patriarch (Liuzu) Huineng (638–713) as a youth and to have eventually become one of his dharma successors. After Huineng’s death, Nanyang led an itinerant life, traveling from one monastery to the next until he settled down on Mt. Baiya in Nanyang (present-day Henan province), whence he acquired his toponym. He is said to have remained in seclusion on the mountain for some forty years. In 761, he was invited to the palace by Emperor Suzong (r. 756–762), who honored Nanyang as his teacher. He took up residence at the monastery of Qianfusi, but later moved to Guangzhaisi at the request of Emperor Daizong (r. 762–779). Nanyang later established the monasteries of Yanchangsi and Changshousi and installed a copy of the Buddhist canon (Dazangjing) at each site. Juizong [''sic''] lived during a period of great efflorescence in the Chan school, but he was not closely identified with any one school. He is, however, said to have been critical of the teachings of the Chan master Mazu Daoyi (709–788) and other Hongzhou zong teachers in Sichuan in the south of China, who rejected the authority of the traditional Buddhist scriptures; he is also said to have criticized the Hongzhou interpretation of "mind is buddha" as being akin to the Śreṇika heresy, in which the body is simply an impermanent vessel for an eternal mind or soul. The notion that "inanimate objects can preach the dharma" (wujing shuofa) is also attributed to Nanyang. ("Nanyang Huizhong." In ''The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism'', 572–73. Princeton University Press, 2014) 572–73. Princeton University Press, 2014))
Rongtön Sheja Kunrik + (Rongton Sheja Kunrik is the second in the … Rongton Sheja Kunrik is the second in the line of great Sakya masters known as the Six Ornaments of Tibet. Among these teachers he is particularly revered for his mastery of the Buddhist sutras. Rongton studied and taught at Sangpu Neutok Monastery. He founded Penpo Nalendra Monastery in 1436. founded Penpo Nalendra Monastery in 1436.)
Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen + (Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen (Tibetan: ཤར་རྫ་བཀྲ … Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen (Tibetan: ཤར་རྫ་བཀྲ་ཤིས་རྒྱལ་མཚན, Wylie: shar rdza bkra shis rgyal mtshan) (1859–1933) or 1935) was a great Dzogchen master of the Bon tradition of Tibet who took not only Bon disciples, but gathered students from all traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. According to tradition, Shardza Tashi Gyeltsen famously realized the rainbow body.Chaoul (2006) opened the discourse of Bon traditions of Trul khor into Western scholarship in English with his thesis from Rice University, which makes reference to writings of Shardza Tashi Gyaltsen, particularly the ''Most Profound Heavenly Storehouse None Other than the Oral Transmission of Trul Khor Energy Control Practices'' (Wylie: ''yang zab nam mkha' mdzod chen las snyan rgyud rtsa rlung 'phrul 'khor''). ([https://commons.tsadra.org/index.php/Special:FormEdit/Person/Shar_rdza_bkra_shis_rgyal_mtshan#tab=BNW Source Accessed Sep 1, 2020])yal_mtshan#tab=BNW Source Accessed Sep 1, 2020]))
Shenxiu + (Shenxiu. (J. Jinshū; K. Sinsu 神秀) (606?–70 … Shenxiu. (J. Jinshū; K. Sinsu 神秀) (606?–706). Chinese Chan master of the Tang dynasty and putative founder of the "Northern school" (Bei zong ) of early Chan Buddhism. Shenxiu was a native of Kaifeng in present-day Henan province. As an extraordinarily tall man with well-defined features, Shenxiu is said to have had a commanding presence. In 625, Shenxiu was ordained at the monastery of Tiangongsi in Luoyang, but little is known of his activities in the first two decades following his ordination. In 651, Shenxiu became a disciple of Hongren (601-674), cofounder of the East Mountain Teachings (Dongshan famen) and the monk later recognized as the fifth patriarch of the Chan school; indeed, by many early accounts, such as the Chuan fabao ji and Lengqie shizi ji, Shenxiu became Hongren's legitimate successor. According to the famous story in the ''Liuzu tanjing'' ("Platform Sūtra of the Sixth Patriarch"), however, Shenxiu lost a verse-writing contest to the unlettered Huineng (638-713), whom Hongren then in secret sanctioned as the sixth patriarch. However, it is unclear how long Shenxiu studied with Hongren. One source states that it was for a period of six years, in which case he would have left Hongren's monastery long before Huineng's arrival, making the famous poetry contest impossible. Regardless of the date of his departure, Shenxiu eventually left Hongren's monastery for Mt. Dangyang in Jingzhou (present-day Hubei province), where he remained for over twenty years and attracted many disciples. Shenxiu and his disciples were the subjects of a polemical attack by Heze Shenhui (684-758), who disparaged Shenxiu as representing a mere collateral branch of Bodhidharma's lineage and for promoting what Shenhui called a "gradual" (jian) approach to enlightenment. Shenhui instead promoted a "sudden teaching" (dunjiao), which he claimed derived from a so-called "Southern school" (Nan zong) founded by Huineng, another (and relatively obscure) disciple of Hongren, whom Shenhui claimed was Hongren's authentic successor and the true sixth patriarch (liuzu). Later Chan historians such as Guifeng Zongmi (780–841) began to use the designation "Northern school" (Bei zong) to describe the lineage of Shenxiu and his disciples Yifu (661-736), Puji (651-739), and Xiangmo Zang (d.u.). While Shenhui's characterization of Shenxiu and his supposed "gradualism" is now known to be misleading, subsequent histories of the Chan tradition (see Chuandeng lu) more or less adopted Shenhui's vision of early Chan; thus Huineng, rather than Shenxiu, comes to be considered the bearer of the orthodox Chan transmission. As one mark of Shenxiu's high standing within the Chan tradition of his time, in 700, Shenxiu was invited to the imperial palace by Empress Wu Zetian, where the empress prostrated herself before the nonagenarian monk. She was so impressed with the aged Chan master that she decided to build him a new monastery on Mt. Dangyang named Dumensi. She also gave him the title of state preceptor (guoshi). Upon his death, he was given a state funeral. He is one of only three Buddhist monks whose biography is included in the ''Tang shi'' ("Tang Annals"). This is clearly not the profile of an imposter within the Chan lineage. Shenxiu's teachings are known to have focused on the transcendence of thoughts (linian) and the five expedient means (fangbian; S. upāya); these teachings appear in "Northern school" treatises discovered at Dunhuang, such as the ''Yuanming lun'', ''Guanxin lun'', and ''Dasheng wusheng fangbian men''. Shenxiu was an expert on the ''Laṅkāvatārasūtra'', a text favored by Hongren and the early Chan tradition, and is also thought to have written a substantial commentary on the ''Avataṃsakasūtra''. Despite the uncomplimentary portrayal of the "Northern school" in mainstream Chan materials, it is now recognized that Shenxiu and his disciples actually played a much more important role in the early growth and development of the Chan school than the mature tradition acknowledged. (Source: "Shenxiu." In ''The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism'', 800–801. Princeton University Press, 2014. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.)tp://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.))
Third Karmapa Rangjung Dorje + (The Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje, was a p … The Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje, was a prominent Karma Kagyu hierarch who also held Nyingma and Chod lineages. He was likely the first man to carry the title of Karmapa, following his identification by Orgyenpa Rinchen Pal as the reincarnation of Karma Pakshi, whom Orgyenpa posthumously identified as the reincarnation of Dusum Khyenpa. He spent much of his life traveling across Tibet and made two visits to the Yuan court in China.ade two visits to the Yuan court in China.)
Tsele Natsok Rangdrol + (Tsele Natsok Rangdrol (Tib. རྩེ་ལེ་སྣ་ཚོགས … Tsele Natsok Rangdrol (Tib. རྩེ་ལེ་སྣ་ཚོགས་རང་གྲོལ་, Wyl. rtse le sna tshogs rang grol) (b. 1608) was born near the border of the Tibetan provinces Kongpo and Dakpo. He was recognized as the immediate reincarnation of Tendzin Dorje (1535-1605?), and also as a reincarnation of Götsangpa, a great master of the Drukpa Kagyü lineage, an emanation of Milarepa. In his youth he studied with the Third Pawo Rinpoche and the famous tertön Jatsön Nyingpo as well as other great teachers of the Kagyü and Nyingma lineages. Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö and Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche encouraged the study of his writings, as they are particularly suited to beings of these times. Several of them have been translated into English by Erik Pema Kunsang. ([https://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Tsele_Natsok_Rangdrol Source Accessed Feb 27, 2020])ok_Rangdrol Source Accessed Feb 27, 2020]))
Ngawang Tsoknyi Gyatso + (Tsoknyi Gyatso [was] a scholar of the Jona … Tsoknyi Gyatso [was] a scholar of the Jonang tradition who was considered an incarnation of one of Dolpopa’s major disciples, Nyawon Kunga Pal (1285-1364) . . . Tsoknyi Gyatso’s writings are not only intriguing and perplexing because they present a specific species of zhentong, but they are important because they disclose to us the intentional workings of a major Jonang scholar during a fascinating period in far eastern Tibetan history. As a disciple of the great Jonang master from Dzamthang, Bamda Thubten Gelek Gyatso (1844-1904), Tsoknyi Gyatso was undoubtedly exposed to a rich nexus of views. Having lived at the crossroads of intellectual exchange during the height of the Rimé eclectic movement in Kham, Bamda Gelek studied with masters including Jamgon Kongtrul (1813-1899), Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (1820-1892), Dza Patrul (1808-1887) and his Geluk teacher Akon. With these mentors close to his own teacher’s heart, it is safe to infer that Tsoknyi Gyatso was not only versed in the mainstream zhentong works of his own tradition from authors such as Dolpopa and Taranatha, but that he most likely inherited ways of thinking through alternative presentations of emptiness. ([https://jonangfoundation.org/blog/tsoknyi-gyatso-zhentong Source Accessed October 23, 2019])hentong Source Accessed October 23, 2019]))
Tsongkhapa + (Tsongkhapa Lobzang Drakpa was one of the m … Tsongkhapa Lobzang Drakpa was one of the most influential Tibetan Buddhist scholars of the last millennium. Born in Amdo, he travelled to U-Tsang in his youth, never to return to his homeland. In U-Tsang he studied with numerous teachers of all traditions and engaged in many retreats resulting in his development of a fresh interpretation of Nāgārjuna's Madhyamaka view and a reinvigoration of the monastic Vinaya. Widely regarded as an emanation of Mañjuśrī, Tsongkhapa composed eighteen volumes of works of which the majority dealt with tantric subjects. He was the founder of Ganden Monastery, which became the central monastery of the Geluk tradition that was founded on his teachings and writings.was founded on his teachings and writings.)
Kalu Rinpoche + ([https://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/v … [https://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/kalu-rinpoche/12180 A new biography is available on Treasury of Lives (February, 2021)]An important modern meditation master and teacher of Tibetan Buddhism. Recognized as an incarnation (sprul sku) of the Karma Bka' brgyud master 'Jam mgon kong sprul, Kalu Rinpoche was ordained at the age of thirteen by the eleventh Situ Rinpoche. Kalu Rinpoche began serious meditation study at an early age, undertaking his first three-year retreat at the age of sixteen. He also received the transmission of the teachings of the Shangs pa sect of Bka' brgyud. He later served as the meditation teacher at Dpal spungs monastery. Following the Chinese invasion, Kalu Rinpoche left Tibet in 1962 and first stayed at a small monastery outside of Darjeeling, India. He later settled in Sonada, West Bengal, where he built a three-year retreat center, teaching there before traveling internationally for ten years (1971–1981). In 1971, he traveled to France and the United States, at the request of the Dalai Lama and the Karma pa, in order to educate Westerners in Buddhism. During those ten years, Kalu Rinpoche founded many meditation and dharma centers in Canada, the United States, and Europe, with his main meditation school in Vancouver, Canada. Kalu Rinpoche led his first three-year retreat for Western students of Tibetan Buddhism in France in 1976. His full name is Kar ma rang 'byung kun khyab phrin las. (Source: "Kalu Rinpoche." In ''The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism'', 410. Princeton University Press, 2014. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.)For a recent publication about the life of Kyabje Dorje Chang Kalu Rinpoche, which contains accounts written by others about him, his writings—including his autobiography, songs, poems, essays, letters, and his own guru yoga—and translations of oral teachings, see ''Lord of the Siddhas: The Life, Teachings, Paranirvana and Legacy of Kyabje Dorje Chang Kalu Rinpoche'', 2019. https://www.namsebangdzo.com/Lord-of-the-Siddhas-p/9780692160442.htmFor information about the 2nd Kalu Rinpoche, Yangsi Kalu Rinpoche, see, https://paldenshangpa.org/his-eminence-the-2nd-kalu-rinpoche/pa.org/his-eminence-the-2nd-kalu-rinpoche/)
Śrījñānākara + (Śrījñānākara was an Indian paṇḍita who oft … Śrījñānākara was an Indian paṇḍita who often collaborated with Rinchen Zangpo. He is listed as the translator of the ''Pradīpoddyotana-nāma-ṭīkā'' (''Sgron ma gsal bar byed pa zhes bya ba'i rgya cher bshad pa''), a root text on the Guhyasamaja Tantra (''Dpal gsang ba 'dus pa'i rgyud kyi rgyal po chen''), and is listed as the author of a commentary called ''Entering into Secret Mantra'' (''Mantravatara'', ''Gsang sngags la 'jug pa''). ([https://www.tbrc.org/#!rid=P4CZ15236 Source Accessed Aug, 21, 2020])=P4CZ15236 Source Accessed Aug, 21, 2020]))

Chakriwa + (Chakriwa (Lcags ri ba), Ratna Chakriwa, or Gya Chakri Gongkawa Jangchup Pal, was an eleventh-century Kadampa master who was one of several teachers of Gampopa Sonam Rinchen (1079-1153).)

Candrakīrti + (An important Madhyamaka master and comment … An important Madhyamaka master and commentator on the works of Nāgārjuna and Āryadeva, associated especially with what would later be known as the Prāsaṅgika branch of Madhyamaka. Very little is known about his life; according to Tibetan sources, he was from south India and a student of Kamalabuddhi. He may have been a monk of Nālandā. He wrote commentaries on Nāgārjuna’s ''Yuktiṣaṣṭikā'' and ''Śūnyatāsaptati'' as well as Āryadeva's ''Catuḥśataka''. His two most famous and influential works, however, are his ''Prasannapadā'' (''Clear Words''), which is a commentary on Nāgārjuna's ''Mūlamadhyamakakārikā'', and his ''Madhyamakāvatāra'' (''Entrance to the Middle Way''). (Source: "Candrakīrti." In ''The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism'', 165. Princeton University Press, 2014. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.)tp://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.))
Kitzes, J. + (Zen Master Bon Soeng, Jeff Kitzes, began p … Zen Master Bon Soeng, Jeff Kitzes, began practicing Zen in 1975 and became a student of Zen Master Seung Sahn in 1979. He received inka, or permission to teach in 1992 and was given dharma transmission by Zen Master Seung Sahn in 2001. Zen Master Bon Soeng is also a licensed psychotherapist in private practice integrating Zen, Buddhism, and Western Psychotherapy. He has served as the guiding teacher of Empty Gate Zen Center in Berkeley, California since 1992. ([https://www.kwanumzenonline.org/blog/bon-soeng Source Accessed July 17, 2020])/bon-soeng Source Accessed July 17, 2020]))
Tanak Rinchen Yeshe + ("Rinchen Yeshe, an expert on the five work … "Rinchen Yeshe, an expert on the five works of Maitreya, flourished in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries and was primarily a teacher of Tokme Zangpo (1295–1369). He also briefly taught Dölpopa and is mentioned in Butön’s biography as an esteemed colleague." (Adapted from ''[[When the Clouds Part]]'', p. 308.) the Clouds Part]]'', p. 308.))
Zhiyi + ((J. Tendai Chigi; K. Ch’ǒnt’ae Chiǔi) (538 … (J. Tendai Chigi; K. Ch’ǒnt’ae Chiǔi) (538-597). One of the most influential monks in Chinese Buddhist history and de facto founder of the Tiantai zong. A native of Jingzhou (in present-day Hunan province), Zhiyi was ordained at the age of eighteen after his parents died during the wartime turmoil that preceded the Sui dynasty’s unification of China. He studied vinaya and various Mahāyāna scriptures, including the ''Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra'' ("Lotus Sūtra'") and related scriptures. In 560, Zhiyi met Nanyue Huisi (515-577), who is later listed as the second patriarch of the Tiantai lineage, on Mt. Dasu in Guangzhou and studied Huisi’s teachings on the suiziyi sanmei (cultivating samādhi wherever mind is directed, or the samādhi of freely flowing thoughts), the "four practices of ease and bliss" (si anle xing), a practice based on the ''Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra'', and the lotus repentance ritual. Zhiyi left Huisi at his teacher’s command and headed for the Southern capital of Jinling (present-day Jiangsu province) at the age of thirty (567) to teach the ''Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra'' and the ''Dazhidu lun'' for eight years at the monastery of Waguansi. The ''Shi chanboluomi cidi famen'' [alt. ''Cidi chanmen''] are his lecture notes from this period of meditation and teaching. In 575, he retired to Mt. Tiantai (present-day Zhejiang province), where he built a monastery (later named Xiuchansi by the emperor) and devoted himself to meditative practice for eleven years. During this time he compiled the ''Fajie cidi chumen'' and the ''Tiantai xiao zhiguan''. After persistent invitations from the king of Chen, Zhiyi returned to Jinling in 585 and two years later wrote the ''Fahua wenju'', an authoritative commentary on the ''Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra''. Subsequently in Yangzhou, Zhiyi conferred the bodhisattva precepts on the crown prince, who later became Emperor Yang (r. 604-617) of the Sui dynasty. Zhiyi was then given the title Great Master Zhizhe (Wise One). Zhiyi also established another monastery on Mt. Dangyang in Yuquan (present-day Hunan province), which Emperor Wen (r. 581-604) later named Yuquansi. Zhiyi then began lecturing on what became his masterpieces, the ''Fahua xuanyi'' (593) and the ''Mohe zhiguan'' (594). At the request of the king of Jin, in 595 Zhiyi returned to Yangzhou, where he composed his famous commentaries on the ''Vimalakīrtinirdeśa'', i.e., the ''Weimojing xuanshou'' and the ''Weimojing wenshou'', before dying in 597. Among the thirty or so works attributed to Zhiyi, the ''Fahua xuanyi'', ''Fahuawenju'', and ''Mohe zhiguan'' are most renowned and are together known as the Tiantai san dabu (three great Tiantai commentaries). (Source: "Tiantai Zhiyi." In ''The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism'', 911–12. Princeton University Press, 2014. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.)tp://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.))
Huiguan + (A Chinese priest who lived during the four … A Chinese priest who lived during the fourth and fifth centuries. He studied under Hui-yüan at Mount Lu. Hearing of the master translator Kumārajīva, who had come to Ch'ang-an in 401, Hui-kuan became his disciple and joined in his translation work. He wrote ''An Introduction to the Essentials of the Lotus Sutra'', which won Kumārajīva's high praise. Kumārajīva exhorted him to propagate Buddhism in the south, and after Kumārajīva’s death he went to Ching-chou and later to Chien-k'ang, where he lived at Tao-ch'ang-ssu temple. Hence he was known as Hui-kuan of Tao-ch'ang-ssu temple. It is said that in Chien-k'ang he assisted Buddhabhadra with his translation of the Flower Garland Sutra. Together with Hsieh Ling-yün and Hui-yen, he revised the two existing Chinese translations of the Nirvana Sutra and produced what is called the southern version of the sutra. He also devised a classification of Shakyamuni Buddha's lifetime teachings into five periods according to the order in which he believed they had been expounded. He defined the Nirvana Sutra in this system as the teaching of the eternity of the Buddha nature, regarding it as the teaching of the fifth and last period, and the Lotus Sutra as the teaching of the fourth period. His concept of the five periods was widely known in China and was incorporated into other scholars' systems of classification. Hui-kuan held that enlightenment is achieved gradually in the course of practice. He thus opposed Tao-sheng, another disciple of Kumārajīva who held that enlightenment is attained suddenly and completely. He wrote ''The Discrimination of Teachings'' and ''The Treatise on the Doctrines of Immediate Attainment of Enlightenment and Gradual Attainment of Enlightenment''. ([https://www.nichirenlibrary.org/en/dic/Content/H/72 Source Accessed Aug 20, 2020])ontent/H/72 Source Accessed Aug 20, 2020]))
Pakmodrupa Dorje Gyalpo + (A Tibetan scholar and adept who is counted … A Tibetan scholar and adept who is counted as one of the great disciples of the key Bka’ brgyud founder Sgam po pa Bsod nams rinchen, and is venerated as the source for many subsequent Bka’ brgyud lineages. Born in the ’Bri lung rme shod region of eastern Tibet, Phag mo gru pa’s parents died while he was still young. Receiving ordination as a novice Buddhist monk at the age of eight, he studied under a variety of teachers during the early part of his life. At eighteen, he traveled to central Tibet, receiving full ordination at the age of twenty-five. There he trained under a number of Bka’ gdams pa teachers, and later, under the great Sa skya master Sa chen Kun dga snying po, from whom he received extensive instruction in the tradition of the path and its result (lam ’bras). At the age of forty, he traveled to Dwags lha sgam po in Southern Tibet, where he met Sgam po pa, who became his principal guru. Sgam po pa famously held up a half-eaten ball of parched barley flour mixed with tea and said to Phag mo gru pa, “This is greater than the results of all your previous meditation.” After he demonstrated his humility by carrying stones to build a stūpa, Sgam po pa gave Phag mo gru pa the transmission of instructions on mahāmudrā meditation and, through their practice, is said to have attained great realization. In 1158, Phag mo gru pa established a simple meditation hut where he lived until his death in 1170; this location later served as the foundation for the influential monastery of Gdan sa mthil. Phag mo gru pa was renowned for his strict adherence to the vinaya, even going on alms rounds, a rare practice in Tibet. Several individuals among his many followers established a number of important branch lineages, the so-called “eight minor Bka’ brgyud subsects” that collectively came to be known as the Phag gru Bka’ brgyud. (Source: "Phag mo gru pa Rdo rje rgyal po." In ''The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism'', 639. Princeton University Press, 2014. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.)tp://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.))
First Karmapa Dusum Khyenpa + (A renowned Tibetan master recognized as th … A renowned Tibetan master recognized as the first in the lineage of Karma pa incarnations and early founder of the Karma bka' brgyud sect of Tibetan Buddhism. He was born in the Tre shod region of eastern Tibet and at the age of sixteen was ordained by a monk of the Bka' gdams sect and received tantric instruction from a disciple of Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna. He went on to study Madhyamaka and the Kālacakratantra with some of the leading scholars of the day. At the age of thirty, Dus gsum mkhyen pa met his principal guru, Sgam po pa B sod nams rin chen, from whom he received many teachings, including so-called “heat yoga” (''gtum mo''; see ''candālī''). He also studied with Mi la ras pa’s renowned disciple Ras chung pa. He devoted himself to the teachings that would become the hallmark of the Bka' brgyud, such as the six yogas of Nāropa and mahāmudra, but he also received teachings from a number of Bka' gdams and Sa skya masters. He went on to found three important Bka' brgyud monasteries: Kam po gnas nang in 1164, Karma dgon in 1184, both in eastern Tibet, and Mtshur phu northwest of Lha sa in 1187. The latter became a powerful central-Tibetan institution as the primary seat of the Karma pas up to 1959. It is said that at the age of sixteen Dus gsum mkhyen pa received a hat woven from the hair of one hundred thousand ḍākinīs. This hat has been passed down to subsequent Karma pas, and seen in the so-called “black hat ceremony” (''zhwa nag''). (Source: "Dus gsum mkhyen pa." In ''The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism'', 274–5. Princeton University Press, 2014. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.)tp://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.))
Marpa Chökyi Lodrö + (A renowned Tibetan translator and lay Budd … A renowned Tibetan translator and lay Buddhist master who played an important role in the later transmission (''phyi dar'') of Buddhism from India to Tibet. He is regarded as the Tibetan founder of the Bka’ brgyud sect of Tibetan Buddhism, which traces its lineage to India and the mahāsiddhas Tilopa and Nāropa. In his traditional biographies, Mar pa is generally regarded as a reincarnation of the Indian mahāsiddha Dombī Heruka. Mar pa was born to wealthy landowners in the southern Tibetan region of Lho brag and quickly proved to be a gifted child. As an adult, Mar pa was characterized as having a volatile temper, although ultimately compassionate. His parents sent their son to study Sanskrit and Indian vernacular languages with the translator ’Brog mi Shākya ye shes in western Tibet. Because resources for studying Buddhism in Tibet were limited as the so-called dark period between the earlier dissemination (''snga dar'') and later dissemination (''phyi dar'') came to an end, Mar pa decided to make the harrowing journey to India to seek instruction from Buddhist masters. He would make three journeys there over the course of his life. He first spent three years in Nepal, acclimating to the new environment and continuing his study of local languages. There he met two Nepalese teachers, Chitherpa and Paiṇḍapa, who offered many religious instructions but also encouraged Mar pa to seek out the master who would become his chief guru, the great siddha Nāropa. (Source: "Mar pa Chos kyi blo gros." In ''The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism'', 533. Princeton University Press, 2014. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.)tp://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.))
Dānaśīla + (According to Peter Alan Roberts, " . . . D … According to Peter Alan Roberts, " . . . Dānaśīla, also known as Mālava, . . . came to Tibet much later [than Jinamitra], in the reign of Ralpachen (''ral pa can'', r. 815–838). Dānaśīla has his name on 167 texts. He is also listed as the author of seven of these, five of which he translated himself, one of which curiously is a text of divination based on the croaks of crows. Of the remaining two texts he authored, Jinamitra translated one, while Rinchen Zangpo (''rin chen bzang po'', 958–1055), the prolific translator of a later generation, translated the other. Dānaśīla was from Kashmir." Roberts continues, "Jinamitra and Dānaśīla, together with a few other Indian scholars, compiled the great Tibetan-Sanskrit concordance entitled ''Mahāvyutpatti'', which was the fruit of decades of work on translation." ([http://www.jocbs.org/index.php/jocbs/article/view/37/35 Source Accessed Aug 18, 2020])sed Aug 18, 2020]))
Bhāvaviveka + (Also known as Bhāviveka and Bhavya, an imp … Also known as Bhāviveka and Bhavya, an important Indian master of the Madhyamaka school, identified in Tibet as a proponent of Svātantrika Madhyamaka and, within that, of Sautrāntika-Svātantrika-Madhyamaka. He is best known for two works. The first is the ''Prajñāpradīpa'', his commentary on [[Nāgārjuna]]’s ''Mūlamadhyam- akakārikā''; this work has an extensive subcommentary by [[Avalokitavrata]]. Although important in its own right as one of the major commentaries on the central text of the Madhyamaka school, the work is most often mentioned for its criticism of the commentary of Buddhapālita on the first chapter of Nāgārjuna’s text, where Bhāvaviveka argues that it is insufficient for the Madhyamaka only to state the absurd consequences (''prasaṅga'') that follow from the position of the opponent . . . The other major work of Bhāvaviveka is his ''Madhyamakahṛdaya'', written in verse, and its prose autocommentary, the ''Tarkajvālā''. The ''Madhyamakahṛdaya'' is preserved in both Sanskrit and Tibetan, the ''Tarkajvālā'' only in Tibetan. It is a work of eleven chapters, the first three and the last two of which set forth the main points in Bhāvaviveka’s view of the nature of reality and the Buddhist path, dealing with such topics as bodhicitta, the knowledge of reality (''tattvajñāna''), and omniscience (''sarvajñātā''). The intervening chapters set forth the positions (and Bhāvaviveka’s refutations) of various Buddhist and non-Buddhist schools, including the śrāvaka, Yogācāra, Sāṃkhya, Vaiśeṣika, Vedānta, and Mīmāṃsā. These chapters (along with Śāntarakṣita’s ''Tattvasaṃgraha'') are an invaluable source of insight into the relations between Madhyamaka and other contemporary Indian philosophical schools, both Buddhist and non-Buddhist. (Source: "Bhāvaviveka." In ''The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism'', 114. Princeton University Press, 2014. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.)tp://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.))
Longchen Rabjam Drime Özer + (Also known as Klong chen pa (Longchenpa). … Also known as Klong chen pa (Longchenpa). An esteemed master and scholar of the Rnying ma sect of Tibetan Buddhism known especially for his promulgation of rdogs chen. Klong chen pa is believed to be the direct reincarnation of Padma las 'brel rtsal, who revealed the ''Rdzogs chen snying thig'', and also of Padma gsal, who first received those teachings from the Indian master Padmasambhava. Born in the central region of G.yo ru (Yoru), he received ordination at the age of twelve. At nineteen, he entered Gsang phu ne'u thog monastery where he engaged in a wide range of studies, including philosophy, numerous systems of sūtra and tantra, and the traditional Buddhist sciences, including grammar and poetics. Having trained under masters as diverse as the abbots of Gsang phu ne'u thog and the third Karma pa, Rang 'byung rdo rje, he achieved great scholarly mastery of numerous traditions, including the Rnying ma, Sa skya, and Bka' brgyud sects. However, Klong chen pa quickly became disillusioned at the arrogance and pretention of many scholars of his day, and in his mid-twenties gave up the monastery to pursue the life of a wandering ascetic. At twenty-nine, he met the great yogin Kumārarāja at Bsam yas monastery, who accepted him as a disciple and transmitted the three classes of rdzogs chen (rdzogs chen sde gsum), a corpus of materials that would become a fundamental part of Klong chen pa's later writings and teaching career . . . Among the most important and well-known works in Klong chen pa's extensive literary corpus are his redaction of the meditation and ritual manuals of the heart essence (Snying thig), composed mainly in the hermitage of Gangs ri thod dkar. Other important works include his exegesis on the theory and practice of rdzogs chen, such as the Mdzod bdun (“seven treasuries”) and the Ngal gso skor gsum (“Trilogy on Rest”). (Source: “Klong chen rab 'byams.” In ''The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism'', 439. Princeton University Press, 2014. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.)tp://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.))
Nāropa + (An Indian scholar and tantric master who h … An Indian scholar and tantric master who holds an important place in the lineages of tantric Buddhism in Tibet. According to his traditional biography, Nāropa was a brāhmana born in Bengal, who traveled to Kashmir as a child. He was forced to marry at the age of seventeen, but the marriage ended by mutual consent after eight years. According to some sources, Nāropa’s wife (or sister according to other sources) was Niguma, who became a famous tantric yoginī. Nāropa was ordained as a Buddhist monk, entering Nālandā monastery in 1049. His talents as a scholar eventually led him to be selected to serve as abbot and as a senior instructor known by the name Abhayakīrti. In 1057, while at the monastery, he encountered an old hag (in reality a ḍākinī), who told him that he had understood the words of the texts he had studied but not their inner meaning. She urged him to go in search of her brother Tilopa. As a result of this encounter, Nāropa left the monastery to find Tilopa and become his disciple. Over the course of his journey, he encountered Tilopa in various forms but was unable to recognize him. Tilopa eventually revealed himself to Nāropa, subjecting him to a famous series of twelve greater and twelve lesser trials, involving serious physical injury and mental anguish. Tilopa eventually transferred his realization to Nāropa by striking him on the head with his shoe. Nāropa later compiled Tilopa’s instructions and transmitted them to his own disciples. (Source: "Nāropa." In ''The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism'', 576. Princeton University Press, 2014. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.)tp://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.))
Karma Trinlepa + (An important master of the Dakpo Kagyu tra … An important master of the Dakpo Kagyu tradition. He was a student of the Seventh Karmapa and a teacher to the Eighth Karmapa and the Second Pawo Rinpoche. An immanent scholar, he wrote works on both sūtra and tantra, as well as an acclaimed commentary on the three cycles of ''doha'' of the famed Indian master Saraha.'doha'' of the famed Indian master Saraha.)
Chagdud Tulku + (Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche (Tib. ལྕགས་མདུད་སྤྲ … Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche (Tib. ལྕགས་མདུད་སྤྲུལ་སྐུ་, Wyl. lcags mdud sprul sku) (1930-2002), Padma Gargyi Wangchuk, was a renowned teacher of the Nyingma school. He was known and respected in the West for his teachings, and also for his melodic chanting voice, his artistry as a sculptor and painter, his limitless compassion, and his sense of humour. He was the source of treasured Nyingma lineage transmissions for the thousands of people whom he taught in North and South America, Asia, Australia, and Europe.Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche was the fourteenth recognized Chagdud incarnation; and his root incarnation was Gyalwa Chokyang. Chagdud means 'iron knot', and is said to derive from one Sherab Gyaltsen, the first Chagdud incarnation, who folded an iron sword into a knot with his bare hands. This feat deeply impressed the emperor of Mongolia and inspired him to shower honours on Chagdud. Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche demonstrated the same extraordinary power several times in his youth when he compressed stout swords into folds. ([https://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Chagdud_Tulku_Rinpoche Source Accessed Feb 6, 2020])lku_Rinpoche Source Accessed Feb 6, 2020]))
Tanluan + (Chinese monk and putative patriarch of the … Chinese monk and putative patriarch of the Pure Land traditions of East Asia. He is said to have become a monk at an early age, after which he devoted himself to the study of the ''Mahāsaṃnipātasūtra''. As his health deteriorated from his intensive studies, Tanluan is said to have resolved to search for a means of attaining immortality. During his search in the south of China, Tanluan purportedly met the Daoist master Tao Hongjing (455–536), who gave him ten rolls of scriptures of the Daoist perfected. Tanluan is then said to have visited Bodhiruci in Luoyang, from whom he received a copy of the ''Guan Wuliangshou jing'' [*''Amitāyurdhyānasūtra'']. Tanluan subsequently abandoned his initial quest for immortality in favor of the teachings of the buddha Amitābha’s pure land. He was later appointed abbot of the monasteries of Dayansi in Bingzhou (present-day Shaanxi province) and Xuanzhongsi in nearby Fenzhou. Tanluan is famous for his commentary on the Wuliangshou jing youpotishe yuansheng ji attributed to Vasubandhu. (Source: "Tanluan." In ''The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism'', 893. Princeton University Press, 2014. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.)tp://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.))
Chöying Tobden Dorje + (Choying Tobden Dorje was a brilliant Vajra … Choying Tobden Dorje was a brilliant Vajrayana master of eastern Tibet. His masterwork, ''The Complete Nyingma Tradition from Sutra to Tantra'', remains the main text studied by Tibet’s Ngakpa lineages of lay Buddhist yogi-practitioners. ([https://www.shambhala.com/authors/a-f/choying-tobden-dorje.html Source Accessed Feb 14, 2020])-dorje.html Source Accessed Feb 14, 2020]))
Dakpo Tashi Namgyal + (Dakpo Tashi Namgyal (Dakpo Paṇchen Tashi N … Dakpo Tashi Namgyal (Dakpo Paṇchen Tashi Namgyel, Wylie: dwags po paN chen bkra shis rnam rgyal) (1513–1587) was a lineage holder of the Dagpo Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. He was also trained in the Sakya lineage and was renowned as a scholar and yogi.He should not be confused with his namesake, also known as Kunkyen Tashi Namgyal, (1399–1458), who helped establish Penpo Nalendra Monastery in 1425 with Sakya master Rongton Sheja Kunrig (1367–1449). Later in life he served as chief abbot of the Kagyu Daklha Gampo Monastery in southern Tibet.His most famous works were two Mahamudra texts, ''Moonbeams of Mahamudra'' and ''Clarifying the Natural State.'' ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dagpo_Tashi_Namgyal Source Accessed Feb 28, 2020])shi_Namgyal Source Accessed Feb 28, 2020]))
Divākara + (Divākara (地婆訶羅, 613–87), or Rizhao (日照) in … Divākara (地婆訶羅, 613–87), or Rizhao (日照) in Chinese, was born in central India in the Brahmin Caste.He became a Monk when he was just a child, and he spent many years at the Mahābodhi Temple and the Nālandā Monastery. He was an accomplished Tripiṭaka master, excelled in the five studies and especially in Mantra practices.Already in his sixties, Divākara went to Chang-an (長安), China, in 676, the first year of the Yifeng (儀鳳) years of the Tang Dynasty (618–907).Emperor Gaozong (唐高宗) treated him as respectfully as he had treated the illustrious Tripiṭaka master Xuanzang.In 680, the first year of the Yonglong (永隆) years, the emperor commanded ten learned Monks to assist Divākara in translating sūtras from Sanskrit into Chinese.In six years Divākara translated eighteen sūtras, including the ''Sūtra of the Buddha-Crown Superb Victory Dhāraṇī'' (T19n0970), the ''Sūtra of the Great Cundī Dhāraṇī'' (T20n1077), and the ''Mahāyāna Sūtra of Consciousness Revealed'' (T12n0347).Longing to see his mother again, he petitioned for permission to go home.Unfortunately, although permission was granted, he fell ill and died in the twelfth month of 687, the third year of the Chuigong (垂拱) years, at the age of seventy-five.Empress Wu (武后則天) had him buried properly at the Xiangshan Monastery (香山寺) in Luoyang (洛陽).([http://www.chinabuddhismencyclopedia.com/en/index.php?title=Div%C4%81kara Source Accessed Aug 18, 2020])v%C4%81kara Source Accessed Aug 18, 2020]))
Fifteenth Karmapa Khakhyab Dorje + (From his very recognition and enthronement … From his very recognition and enthronement as the Fifteenth Karmapa, Khakhyab Dorje continued his previous incarnation’s ties to the Rimé Movement of eastern Tibet. Khakhyab Dorje was identified by a group of lamas that included two of the main figures driving the movement: Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (1820–1892) and Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Thaye. From an early age, Khakhyab Dorje directed his energies to his education, seeking out the most learned teachers and applying himself to his studies with great results. At the age of 15, he traveled from Tsurphu to Palpung Monastery to meet Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Thaye, from whom he received the entire Kagyu transmission and Lodrö Thaye’s own vast collection known as the Five Treasuries. From there, the Fifteenth Karmapa began traveling across eastern Tibet seeking out other transmissions and teachers—Sakya, Nyingma, Drukpa Kagyu, Shangpa Kagyu and his own Karma Kagyu. In this way, Khakhyab Dorje fully embodied the spirit of inclusiveness and openness that characterized the Rimé movement. ([https://karmapafoundation.eu/karmapas/15th-karmapa/ Source Accessed Sept 8, 2020])th-karmapa/ Source Accessed Sept 8, 2020]))
Je Khenpo Gendun Rinchen + (Gendün Rinchen was born in a small cave by … Gendün Rinchen was born in a small cave by the side of the path to Paro Tagtsang, so as a child he was nicknamed "Dragphugpa" (Cave Man).At a young age he showed great interest in the Buddhist religion and at seven he received novice ordination at Tashichö Dzong in Thimphu and was given the name Gendün Rinchen.When he was twenty-seven he travelled to Lhodrak Lhalung, center of the tradition of Padma Lingpa in Southern Tibet. There he studied the Thirteen great texts of Mahayana Buddhist Philosophy from Khatok Khen Rinpoche. At the age of twenty-nine he went to Drigung in Central Tibet where he studied classical Tibetan orthography, grammar and poetry; the works of Mipham Rinpoche and Khenpo Shenga and received many tantric teachings including those on the Mañjuśrīnāmasamgīti. Afterwards he went to Samye Monastery where he received the empowerments and instructions of the Rinchen Terdzö; the Nyingthig and Longchenpa's Dzödun from Dudjom Jigdral Yeshe Dorje.After returning to Bhutan, he entered a three-year meditation retreat at the Tagsang Palphug hermitage, which was followed by another three year retreat he entered when he was forty at Kungachöling in Paro. From Lopon Sonam Zangpo, a disciple of Drubwang Shakya Shri, he received teachings on the Six Yogas of Naropa, Mahāmudrā, and so on.For ten years he was the abbot of Tango Monastery where he wrote many commentaries on Buddhist philosophy, sutra and tantra.In 1990 he was enthroned as the 69th Je Khenpo of Bhutan and subsequently travelled throughout the country giving religious teachings. At the age of 61 he resigned from the post of Je Khanpo and retired to a life of prayer and meditation at Jangchub Ding in Yangchenphug. In 1997, on the ninth day of the third month according to the Bhutanese calendar, he died sitting in a straight meditation posture. It is reported that his body remained sitting thus for more than a week or eleven days during which time his body remained flexible and showed no signs of decay.His physical remains are now preserved in a gold and silver reliquary stupa in the Shabdrung Chapel of Tashichö Dzong, Thimphu. (Source: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gend%C3%BCn_Rinchen Wikipedia])a.org/wiki/Gend%C3%BCn_Rinchen Wikipedia]))
Dölpa Sherab Gyatso + (Geshé Dölpa was a prominent transmitter of … Geshé Dölpa was a prominent transmitter of the Kadam teachings known by several names, including Dölpa Marshurwa, Sherap Gyatso, and simply “Spiritual mentor of Döl” (Geshé Dölpa), after his home region. After studying with a number of teachers, he met the highly influential Kadampa master Potowa Rinchen Sal (1017/31-1105) and stayed with him for twenty-two years. In later years Geshé Dölpa founded his own monastery of Yangang in Döl. The chronicles mention that he had more than a thousand disciples, including the famous Kagyu hierarch Phakmodrupa Dorjé Gyalpo. (Adapted from ''[[Stages of the Buddha’s Teachings]]'' (Wisdom Publications, 2015), 6)e Buddha’s Teachings]]'' (Wisdom Publications, 2015), 6))
Guifeng Zongmi + (Guifeng Zongmi. (J. Keihō Shūmitsu; K. Kyu … Guifeng Zongmi. (J. Keihō Shūmitsu; K. Kyubong Chongmil 圭峰宗密) (780-841). Chinese Chan master and historian; putative fifth patriarch of the Huayan tradition and successor in the Heze school of Chan; best known for positing the fundamental harmony between the scriptural teachings of Buddhism and Chan practice. Zongmi was a native of Xichong in present-day Sichuan province. Although little is known of his early life, Zongmi is said to have received a classical Confucian education. In 804, Zongmi encountered the monk Daoyuan (d.u.), purportedly a fourth-generation lineage holder of the Heze line of Chan, and became his student. During this period, Zongmi also carried on his studies of the ''Yuanjue jing''. In 808, Zongmi received the full monastic precepts from Daoyuan, who then recommended the monk Nanyin Weizhong (d. 821) as a suitable teacher. In 810, Zongmi met the monk Lingfeng (d.U.), a disciple of the Huayan monk Chengguan, at the monastery of Huijuesi. Two years later Zongmi began his studies of the [[Texts/Buddhāvataṃsakasūtra| ''Avataṃsakasūtra'']] under Chengguan in Chang’an. In 816, Zongmi began his residence at the monastery of Zhijusi on Zhongnanshan and in 821 he retired to the temple Caotangsi on Gui peak (Guifeng), whence he acquired his toponym. There, Zongmi devoted himself to such works as his influential commentary on the ''Yuanjue jing'', the ''Yuanjue jing dashu''. In 828, Zongmi was invited to the palace and given a purple robe and the title Dade (Great Virtue). During his stay at the capital he met many important statesmen including Pei Xiu (787-860). Zongmi was a prolific writer whose works include commentaries on the [[Texts/Buddhāvataṃsakasūtra| ''Avataṃsakasūtra'']], ''Vajracchedikāprajñāpāramitāsūtra'', ''Dasheng qixin lun'', ''Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra'', ''Sifen lü'' ("Four-Part Vinaya"), and others. He also composed a massive, 100-roll history of the Chan school, the ''Chanyuan zhuquanji'' ("Collected Writings on the Source of Chan"), only the prolegomenon to which is extant. Zongmi's writings were extremely influential in the mature Korean Sǒn school and, especially, in the thought and practice of Pojo Chinul (1158-1210), who drew on Zongmi to advocate an accord between the traditions of Sǒn (C. Chan; meditation) and Kyo (C. Jiao; doctrine). (Source: "Guifeng Zongmi." In ''The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism'', 335. Princeton University Press, 2104. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.)tp://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.))
Saichō + (In Japanese, “Most Pure”; the monk traditi … In Japanese, “Most Pure”; the monk traditionally recognized as the founder of the Tendaishū in Japan; also known as Dengyō Daishi (Great Master Transmission of the Teachings). Although the exact dates and place of Saichō’s birth remain a matter of debate, he is said to have been born to an immigrant Chinese family in Ōmi province east of Hieizan in 767. At age eleven, Saichō entered the local Kokubunji and studied under the monk Gyōhyō (722-797), a disciple of the émigré Chinese monk Daoxuan (702—766). In 785, Saichō received the full monastic precepts at the monastery of Tōdaiji in Nara, after which he began a solitary retreat in a hermitage on Mt. Hiei. In 788, he built a permanent temple on the summit of Mt. Hiei. After Emperor Kanmu (r. 781-806) moved the capital to Kyōto in 794, the political significance of the Mt. Hiei community and thus Saichō seem to have attracted the attention of the emperor. In 797, Saichō was appointed a court priest (naigubu), and in 802 he was invited to the monastery of Takaosanji to participate in a lecture retreat, where he discussed the writings of the eminent Chinese monk Tiantai Zhiyi on the ''Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra''. Saichō and his disciple Gishin received permission to travel to China in order to acquire Tiantai texts. In 804, they went to the monastery of Guoqingsi on Mt. Tiantai and studied under Daosui (d.u.) and Xingman (d.u.), disciples of the eminent Chinese Tiantai monk Jingqi Zhanran. Later, they are also known to have received bodhisattva precepts (bosatsukai) from Daosui at Longxingsi. He is also said to have received tantric initiation into the kongōkai and taizōkai (ryōbu) maṇḍalas from Shunxiao (d.u.). After nine and a half months in China, Saichō returned to Japan the next year with numerous texts, which he catalogued in his ''Esshūroku''. Emperor Kanmu, who had been ill, asked Saichō to perform the esoteric rituals that he had brought back from China as a therapeutic measure. Saichō received permission to establish the Tendai sect and successfully petitioned for two Tendai monks to be ordained each year, one for doctrinal study and one to perform esoteric rituals. After the death of Kanmu in 806, little is known of Saichō’s activities. In 810, he delivered a series of lectures at Mt. Hiei on the ''Saddharmapuṇḍarīkasūtra'', the ''Suvarṇaprabhāsottamasūtra'', and the ''Renwang jing'' ("Scripture for Humane Kings"). In 812, Saichō also constructed a meditation hall known as the Hokkezanmaidō. Later, Saichō is also said to have received kongōkai initiation from Kūkai at the latter’s temple Takaosanji, but their relations soured after a close disciple of Saichō’s left Saichō for Kūkai. Their already tenuous relationship was sundered completely when Saichō requested a tantric initiation from Kūkai, who replied that Saichō would need to study for three years with Kūkai first. Saichō then engaged the eminent Hossōshū (Faxlang zong) monk Tokuitsu (d.u.) in a prolonged debate concerning the buddha-nature and Tendai doctrines, such as original enlightenment. In response to Tokuitsu’s treatises ''Busshōshō'' and ''Chūhengikyō'', Saichō composed his ''Shōgonjikkyō'', ''Hokke kowaku'', and ''Shugo kokkaishō''. Also at this time, Saichō began a prolonged campaign to have an independent Mahāyāna ordination platform established at Mt. Hiei. He argued that the bodhisattva precepts as set forth in the ''Fanwang jing'', traditionally seen as complementary to monastic ordination, should instead replace them. He argued that the Japanese were spiritually mature and therefore could dispense entirely with the hīnayāna monastic precepts and only take the Mahāyāna bodhisattva precepts. His petitions were repeatedly denied, but permission to establish the Mahāyāna ordination platform at Mt. Hiei was granted a week after his death. Before his death Saichō also composed the ''Hokke shūku'' and appointed Gishin as his successor. (Source: "Saichō." In ''The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism'', 737. Princeton University Press, 2014.)', 737. Princeton University Press, 2014.))
Kūkai + (In Japanese, “Sea of Emptiness”; monk who … In Japanese, “Sea of Emptiness”; monk who is considered the founder of the tradition, often referred to as the Shingonshū, Tōmitsu, or simply mikkyō. He is often known by his posthumous title Kōbō Daishi, or "Great Master Who Spread the Dharma," which was granted to him by Emperor Daigo in 921. A native of Sanuki province on the island of Shikoku, Kūkai came from a prominent local family. At the age of fifteen, he was sent to Nara, where he studied the Chinese classics and was preparing to become a government official. However, he seems to have grown disillusioned with this life. At the age of twenty, Kūkai was ordained, perhaps by the priest Gonsō, and the following year he took the full precepts at Tōdaiji. He is claimed to have experienced an awakening while performing the Kokūzō gumonjihō, a ritual dedicated to the mantra of the bodhisattva Ākāśagarbha. While studying Buddhist texts on his own, Kūkai is said to have encountered the ''Mahāvairocanābhisaṃbodhiūtra'' and, unable to find a master who could teach him to read its mantras, decided to travel to China to learn from masters there. In 804, he was selected as a member of a delegation to China that set sail in four ships; Saichō was aboard another of the ships. Kūkai eventually traveled to the Tang capital of Chang’an, where he studied tantric mijiao Buddhist rituals and theory under Huiguo and Sanskrit under the Indian monk Prajña. Under the direction of his Chinese master, Kūkai was initiated into the two realm (ryōbu) maṇḍala lineages of Yixing, Śubhakarasiṃha, Vajrabodhi, and Amoghavajra. In 806, Kūkai returned to Japan; records of the texts and implements he brought with him are preserved in the ''Shōrai mokuroku''. Little is known about his activities until 809, when he moved to Mt. Takao by imperial request. Kūkai described his new teachings as mikkyō, or "secret teachings," vajrayāna ( J . ''kongōjō''), and mantrayāna (J. ''shingonjō''). At the core of Kūkai’s doctrinal and ritual program was the belief that all acts of body, speech, and mind are rooted in, and expressions of, the cosmic buddha Mahāvairocana, as the dharmakāya. Kūkai argued that the dharmakāya itself teaches through the artistic and ritual forms that he brought to Japan. Once his teachings gained some renown, Kūkai conducted several abhiṣeka ceremonies, including one for the Tendai patriarch Saichō and his disciples. However, Kūkai and Saichō’s relationship soured when Kūkai refused to transmit the highest level of initiation to Saichō. In 816, Emperor Saga granted Kūkai rights to Kōyasan, to serve as a training center for his Shingon mikkyō tradition. In early 823, Kūkai was granted the temple of Tōji in Kyōto, which became a second center for the Shingon tradition. In the summer of 825, Kūkai built a lecture hall at Tōji, and in 827 he was promoted to senior assistant high priest in the Bureau of Clergy. In 829, he built an abhiṣeka platform at Tōdaiji. In early 834, he received permission to establish a Shingon chapel within the imperial palace, where he constructed a maṇḍala altar. Kūkai passed into eternal samādhi (J. ''nyūjō'') in 835 on Mt. Kōya, and it is said that he remains in his mausoleum in meditation waiting for the bodhisattva Maitreya to appear. Kūkai authored a number of important texts, including the ''Benkenmitsu nikyōron'', a treatise outlining the inherent differences of kengyō (revealed) and mikkyō (inner) teachings; ''Sokushin jōbutsugi'', a treatise on the doctrine of attainment of buddhahood in "this very body" (J. sokushin jōbutsu); ''Unjigi'', a text describing the contemplation of Sanskrit syllables (S. ''bīja'' , J. ''shuji''); ''Shōjijissōgi'', a text outlining Kūkai's theory of language in which all sounds and letters are themselves full embodiments of the dharmakāya’s teachings; and his magnum opus, the ''Himitsu mandara jūjūshinron'', in which Kūkai makes his case for recognizing Shingon mikkyō as the pinnacle of Buddhist wisdom. Kūkai was an accomplished calligrapher, poet, engineer, and sculptor and is also said to have invented kana, the Japanese syllabary (Source: "Kūkai." In ''The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism'', 450. Princeton University Press, 2014.)', 450. Princeton University Press, 2014.))
Dharmakṣema + (Indian Buddhist monk who was an early tran … Indian Buddhist monk who was an early translator of Buddhist materials into Chinese. A scion of a brāhmaṇa family from India, Dharmakṣema became at the age of six a disciple of Dharmayaśas (C. Damoyeshe; J. Donmayasha) (d.u.), an Abhidharma specialist who later traveled to China c. 397-401 and translated the ''Śãriputrãbhidharmaśãstra''. Possessed of both eloquence and intelligence, Dharmakṣema was broadly learned in both monastic and secular affairs and was well versed in mainstream Buddhist texts. After he met a meditation monk named "White Head" and had a fiery debate with him, Dharmakṣema recognized his superior expertise and ended up studying with him. The monk transmitted to him a text of the ''Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra'' written on bark, which prompted Dharmakṣema to embrace the Mahāyāna. Once he reached the age of twenty, Dharmakṣema was able to recite over two million words of Buddhist texts. He was also so skilled in casting spells that he earned the sobriquet "Great Divine Spell Master" (C. Dashenzhou shi). Carrying with him the first part of the ''Mahãparinirvãṇasūtra'' that he received from "White Head," he left India and arrived in the Kucha kingdom in Central Asia. As the people of Kucha mostly studied hīnayāna and did not accept the Mahāyāna teachings, Dharmakṣema then moved to China and lived in the western outpost of Dunhuang for several years. Juqu Mengxun, the non-Chinese ruler of the Northern Liang dynasty (397-439 CE), eventually brought Dharmakṣema to his capital. After studying the Chinese language for three years and learning how to translate Sanskrit texts orally into Chinese, Dharmakṣema engaged there in a series of translation projects under Juqu Mengxun's patronage. With the assistance of Chinese monks, such as Daolang and Huigao, Dharmakṣema produced a number of influential Chinese translations, including the ''Dabanniepan jing'' (S. ''Mahāparinirvãṇasūtra''; in forty rolls), the longest recension of the sūtra extant in any language; the ''Jinguangmingjing'' ("Sūtra of Golden Light"; S. Suvarṇaprabhāsottamasūtra; in four rolls); and the ''Pusa dichi jing'' (S. ''Bodhisattvabhūmisūtra''; in ten rolls). He is also said to have made the first Chinese translation of the ''Laṅkāvatārasūtra'' (C. ''Ru Lengqie jing'', but his rendering had dropped out of circulation at least by 730 CE, when the Tang Buddhist cataloguer Zhisheng (700-786 CE) compiled the ''Kaiyuan Shijiao lu''. The Northern Wei ruler Tuoba Tao, a rival of Juqu Mengxun's, admired Dharmakṣema's esoteric expertise and requested that the Northern Liang ruler send the Indian monk to his country. Fearing that his rival might seek to employ Dharmakṣema's esoteric expertise against him, Juqu Mengxun had the monk assassinated at the age of forty- nine. Dharmakṣema's translation of Indian Buddhist texts into Chinese had a significant impact on Chinese Buddhism; in particular, the doctrine that all beings have the buddha-nature (''foxing''), a teaching appearing in Dharmakṣema's translation of the ''Mahāparinirvãṇasūtra'', exerted tremendous influence on the development of Chinese Buddhist thought. (Source: "Dharmakṣema". In ''The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism'', 247–48. Princeton University Press, 2014. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27)ttp://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27))