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A list of all pages that have property "BnwShortPersonBio" with value "According to Anne Burchardi, "Zhang Tshe spong ba cho kyi bla ma was, together with Blo gros 'byung gnas, a direct disciple of Rngog [blo ldan shes rab]. After the death of Rngog, Zhang took over the abbot's chair at Gsang phu and held it for 32 years. He upheld all of Rngog's transmissions and composed several commentaries. So far very little is known of him and his ''RGV'' commentary is considered lost." (Anne Burchardi, "[[A Provisional List of Tibetan Commentaries on the Ratnagotravibhāga]]," [''The Tibet Journal'' 31, no. 4: 2006], 8).". Since there have been only a few results, also nearby values are displayed.

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Pal Gomi Chime + (Indian Paṇḍita who lived in the 11th centu … Indian Paṇḍita who lived in the 11th century and was one of Ngok Lotsāwa Loden Sherab's teachers, instructing him in "the ''Abhisamayālaṃkāra'' together with its commentary, the seven treatises of epistemology [by Dharmakīrti], and the 'Four Later Treatises of Maitreya[nātha] (Leonard van der Kuijp, ''Contributions to the Development of Tibetan Buddhist Epistemology: From the Eleventh to the Thirteenth Century'' [Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner Verlag, 1983], 33. Pal Gomi Chime collaborated with Ngok on a revised translation of the ''Abhisamayālaṃkāra''. Ngok went on to write two Tibetan commentaries on the ''Abhisamayālaṃkāra'', playing a major role in establishing its transmission in Tibet. (Apple, ''Stairway to Nirvāṇa'', 2008, 32)(Apple, ''Stairway to Nirvāṇa'', 2008, 32))
Abhayākaragupta + (Indian tantric Buddhist master who was bor … Indian tantric Buddhist master who was born into a brāhmaṇa family in either Orissa or northeast India near Bengal. Sources vary regarding his dates of birth and death, although most agree that he was a contemporary of the Pāla king Rāmapāla, who began his reign during the final quarter of the eleventh century. Abhayākaragupta became a Buddhist monk in response to a prophetic vision and trained extensively in the esoteric practices of tantra, while nevertheless maintaining his monastic discipline (''vinaya''). Abhayākaragupta was active at the monastic university of Vikramaśīla in Bihar and became renowned as both a scholar and a teacher. He was a prolific author, composing treatises in numerous fields of Buddhist doctrine, including monastic discipline and philosophy as well as tantric ritual practice and iconography. Many Sanskrit manuscripts of his works have been preserved in India, Nepal, and Tibet, and his writings were influential both in India and among Newari Buddhists in Nepal. Translations of his works into Tibetan were begun under his supervision, and more than two dozen are preserved in the Tibetan canon. To date, Abhayākaragupta’s writings best known in the West are his treatises on tantric iconography, the ''Vajrãvalī'' and ''Niṣpannayogāvalī'', and his syncretistic abhidharma treatise ''Munimatãlaṃkāra''. (Source: "Abhayākaragupta." In ''The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism'', 2. Princeton University Press, 2014. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.)tp://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.))
Kamalagupta + (Kamalagupta was a noted Kashmīri paṇḍita a … Kamalagupta was a noted Kashmīri paṇḍita active in the tenth and eleventh centuries. According to Jean Naudou (''Buddhists of Kashmir'', 1980), he was among many Kashmīri paṇḍitas, "including Śraddhākaravarman, Padmākaragupta, Ratnavajra, Buddhaśrīśānta and Buddhapāla, who came to Tibet at the invitation of Ye-śes ’od : that is the start of a period of continuous exchangs [''sic''] between Kaśmīr and Mṅa-ris . . ." (163). Kamalagupta and Rinchen Zangpo (958–1055) translated the ''Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra'' in Tibet in the eleventh century (D121). An earlier translation of this text (D120) was made in the ninth century by Jinamitra, Jñānagarbha, and Devacandra.Kamalagupta often collaborated with Rinchen Zangpo, and they translated many books from Sanskrit to Tibetan together. ([https://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Wangpabzhun/P8276 Source Accessed Aug 19, 2020])bzhun/P8276 Source Accessed Aug 19, 2020]))
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]))
Klaus-Dieter Mathes + (Klaus-Dieter Mathes is a professor of Budd … Klaus-Dieter Mathes is a professor of Buddhist studies at the University of Hong Kong. His current research deals with exclusivism, inclusivism, and tolerance in Mahāyāna Buddhism. He obtained his Ph.D. from Marburg University in 1994 with a study of the Yogācāra text Dharmadharmatāvibhāga (published in 1996 in the series Indica et Tibetica). From 1993 to 2001 he served as the director of the Nepal Research Centre and the Nepal-German Manuscript Preservation Project in Kathmandu. Before joining the University of Hong Kong in August 2023 he was the head of the Department of South Asian, Tibetan and Buddhist Studies at the University of Vienna, where with his team he hosted the 2014 conference of the International Association of Buddhist Studies. He has organized and given presentations at many other conferences and symposiums, and has served as the chairman of the board of trustees of the Numata Professional Chair for Buddhist Studies, University of Vienna.His major publications include A Direct Path to the Buddha Within: Gö Lotsāwa's Mahāmudrā Interpretation of the Ratnagotravibhāga (Wisdom, 2008), A Fine Blend of Mahāmudrā and Madhyamaka: Maitrīpa's Collection of Texts on Non-conceptual Realization (Amanasikāra) (Austrian Academy of Sciences Press, 2015), and Maitrīpa: India's Yogi of Nondual Bliss (Shambhala, 2021). He is also a regular contributor to the Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies, and is the co-editor of the Vienna Series for Tibetan and Buddhist Studies.a Series for Tibetan and Buddhist Studies.)
Dudjom Jikdral Yeshe Dorje + (Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche or Dudjom Jikdral Y … Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche or Dudjom Jikdral Yeshe Dorje (Tib. བདུད་འཇོམས་འཇིགས་བྲལ་ཡེ་ཤེས་རྡོ་རྗེ་, Wyl. bdud 'joms 'jigs bral ye shes rdo rje) (1904-1987) — one of Tibet’s foremost yogins, scholars, and meditation masters. He was recognized as the incarnation of Dudjom Lingpa (1835-1904), whose previous incarnations included the greatest masters, yogins and panditas such as Shariputra, Saraha and Khye'u Chung Lotsawa. Considered to be the living representative of Padmasambhava, he was a great revealer of the ‘treasures’ (terma) concealed by Padmasambhava. A prolific author and meticulous scholar, Dudjom Rinpoche wrote more than forty volumes, one of the best known of which is his monumental ''The Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism: Its Fundamentals and History''. Over the last decade of his life he spent much time teaching in the West, where he helped to establish the Nyingma tradition, founding major centres in France and the United States. ([https://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Dudjom_Rinpoche Source Accessed Feb 20, 2020])om_Rinpoche Source Accessed Feb 20, 2020]))
Mahājana + (Mahājana was a Kashmiri paṇḍita who was ac … Mahājana was a Kashmiri paṇḍita who was active around the 11th-12th centuries. According to Donald Lopez, one of his main contributions was his commentary on the ''Heart Sutra'', ''Prajñāpāramitāhṛdayārthaparijñāna'' (''Complete Understanding of the Meaning of the Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom''). According to Lopez, "Mahājana's commentary is the only work ascribed to him in the Tibetan canons; he is listed as the translator of nine works, suggesting that he visited Tibet, probably in the late eleventh or early twelfth century.[13] His commentary reflects an author of a decidedly Yogācāra persuasion . . ." (Donald S. Lopez, Jr., ''Elaborations on Emptiness: Uses of the Heart Sūtra'' [New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1996], 16). Mahājana is also reported to have been one of several panditas who taught Atiśa the Perfection of Wisdom and secret mantra. (''Sources of Tibetan Tradition'', 2013, 178) ===Notes===13. The colophon of his commentary states that he collaborated in its translation with Seng ge rgyal mtshan, who was a student of Ngog bLo ldan shes rab (1059–1109).o was a student of Ngog bLo ldan shes rab (1059–1109).)
Mario D'Amato + (Mario D’Amato is an Associate Professor in … Mario D’Amato is an Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religion at Rollins College. His area of research is in Buddhist philosophy, with a special focus on the translation, interpretation, and analysis of Sanskrit Buddhist doctrinal texts from the Yogācāra school of Buddhist philosophy. He published a study and annotated translation of the fourth-century CE Buddhist treatise ''Distinguishing the Middle from the Extremes'' (2012), the coedited volume ''Pointing at the Moon: Buddhism, Logic, Analytic Philosophy'' (2009), as well as articles on Buddhist thought in the ''Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies'', ''Journal of Indian Philosophy'', ''Journal for Cultural and Religious Theory'', ''Semiotica'', and other journals. He also regularly teaches a course on Psychoanalysis and Religion. ([https://www.jamesclarke.co/pub/theology%20after%20lacan%20contributors.pdf Source Accessed Jul 21, 2020])ibutors.pdf Source Accessed Jul 21, 2020]))
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]))
Rendawa Zhönu Lodrö + (Rendawa Zhönu Lodrö was a highly distingui … Rendawa Zhönu Lodrö was a highly distinguished Sakya scholar who is credited with reviving Madhyamaka studies in Tibet. A holder of the Kadam teachings, he was a teacher of Tsongkhapa, as well as hundreds of others, and is counted as seventy-fourth in the line of Lamrim lineage.enty-fourth in the line of Lamrim lineage.)
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]))
The Fourth Shechen Gyaltsap Gyurme Pema Namgyal + (Shechen Gyaltsap Gyurme Pema Namgyal, a re … Shechen Gyaltsap Gyurme Pema Namgyal, a remarkable master who lived at the end of the nineteenth and the beginning o f the twentieth century, wrote ''The Great Medicine that Conquers Clinging to the Notion of Reality''. He was a disciple of the greatest luminaries of the nineteenth century, including Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Thaye, and Lama Mipham Rinpoche. Shechen Gyaltsap was indisputably one of the most learned and accomplished lamas of his time. The thirteen volumes of his large collection of writings contain many lucid and profound commentaries on various aspects of philosophy and practice. Shechen Gyaltsap was also an accomplished practitioner. He spentmuch of his life in retreat above Shechen Monastery in eastern Tibet, and achieved many signs of accomplishment. Once he started a three-year retreat based on the ''Vajrakilaya'' practice, but to everyone's surprise after only three months he emerged saying that he had completed his intended program. The next morning, his attendant noticed an imprint of his footprint on the stone threshold of the hermitage. Shechen Gyaltsap's disciples later removed the stone and hid it during the Cultural Revolution. Today, it is possible to see it at Shechen Monastery in Tibet. The imprint was an outer sign of his inner realization of the ''Vajrakilaya'' practice. (Source: ''The Great Medicine'', introduction, 21)introduction, 21))
Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche + (Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche, born in 1967, is … Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche, born in 1967, is the grandson and spiritual heir of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. Since his grandfather’s passing in 1991, Rabjam Rinpoche has taken the responsibility of transmitting Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche’s teachings, and is bringing his vision for the preservation of Tibetan Buddhist teaching and culture to fruition.Rabjam Rinpoche is the seventh in the line of the Rabjam succession. The second Rabjam Rinpoche founded Shechen Monastery in Kham, eastern Tibet. Themonastery became one of the six main Nyingma Monasteries in Tibet but was destroyed in the mid-twentieth century. At the age of three, Rabjam Rinpoche began taking teachings from his revered grandfather and today holds this unbroken lineage. He was raised by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and attended almost every teaching, drupchen (9-day ceremony), and empowerment that he gave during twenty-five years. He traveled throughout the world with Khyentse Rinpoche and first visited the West in 1976.In the early 1980’s Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche built Shechen Tennyi Dargyeling Monastery in Nepal and established Rabjam Rinpoche as its abbot. Today, there are 450 monks studying and practicing there under his guidance. Rabjam Rinpoche has created an administration and organization within the monk community that is a model of education, joyful discipline, and humanitarian activity.Rabjam Rinpoche established the Shechen Philosophical College and the Shechen Retreat Center in Nepal. In response to the needs of women wanting to practice and study in the lineage of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, he rebuilt and improved the facilities of the Sisinang Nunnery in Bhutan where 180 nuns of all ages study and practice. In accordance with the wish of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, he built a small Nyingma monastery and study center in Bodhgaya, India.Rinpoche supervised the education and upbringing of Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche, the young incarnation of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. He also is the president of the Shechen School, an impressive monastic school that includes secular education.(Source: [https://shechen.org/spiritual-development/teachers/shechen-rabjam-rinpoche/ Shechen Monastery])echen-rabjam-rinpoche/ Shechen Monastery]))
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.)
Milarepa + (The most famous and beloved of Tibetan yog … The most famous and beloved of Tibetan yogins. Although he is associated most closely with the Bka' brgyud sect of Tibetan Buddhism, he is revered throughout the Tibetan cultural domain for his perseverance through hardship, his ultimate attainment of buddhahood in one lifetime, and for his beautiful songs. The most famous account of his life (the Mi la ras pa'i rnam thar, or “The Life of Milarepa”) and collection of spiritual songs (Mi la'i mgur 'bum, or “The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa”) are extremely popular throughout the Tibetan world. The themes associated with his life story—purification of past misdeeds, faith and devotion to the Guru, ardor in meditation and yogic practice, and the possibility of attaining buddhahood despite the sins of his youth—have inspired developments in Buddhist teaching and practice in Tibet. (Source: "Mi la ras pa." In ''The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism'', 541. Princeton University Press, 2014. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.)tp://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.))
Tsen Khawoche + (The namesake of the Tsen Tradition (''btsa … The namesake of the Tsen Tradition (''btsan lugs'') of the exegesis of the ''Uttaratantra'', commonly referred to as the Meditation Tradition (''sgom lugs''). He travelled to Kashmir when he was in his mid-50's in 1076 along with Ngok Lotsāwa and others to study with various scholars, including Sajjana. With Zu Gawai Dorje acting as his translator, he famously requested instructions on the ''Uttaratantra'' from Sajjana in order to make it his "death practice" ('''chi chos''). These instructions became the basis for the Tsen Tradition, which was an important progenitor for later interpretations of the ''Uttaratantra'', such as those associated with Zhentong and Mahāmudrā. He returned to Tibet in 1089, some two or three years before Ngok, and thus was likely the first Tibetan to begin propagating the teachings he had received from Sajjana on the ''Five Treatises of Maitreya'' on Tibetan soil.e Treatises of Maitreya'' on Tibetan soil.)
Jñānavajra + (There are multiple authors associated with … There are multiple authors associated with this name, that were active in the 12th century who transmitted Tantric lineages that spread to Tibet. These include one from Kashmir ([https://www.tbrc.org/#!rid=P7148 BDRC: P7148]) and one from Nepal ([https://www.tbrc.org/#!rid=P4CZ15139 BDRC: P4CZ15139]). Some have also suggested that the author of the ''Tathāgatahṛdayālaṃkāra'', a commentary on the ''Laṅkāvatārasūtra'', was Chinese due to the colophon, which refers to the author as Rgya'i mkhan po. However, this could either refer to India (Rgya mkhar) or China (Rgya nag). Nevertheless, this is the only non-Tantric work attributed to an author by the name of Jñānavajra.ed to an author by the name of Jñānavajra.)
Eighth Tai Situpa Chökyi Jungne + (Tibetan Buddhist scholar recognized as the … Tibetan Buddhist scholar recognized as the eighth Tai Si tu incarnation, remembered for his wide learning and his editorial work on the Tibetan Buddhist canon. He traveled extensively throughout his life, maintaining strong relationships with the ruling elite of eastern Tibet and the Newar Buddhists of the Kathmandu Valley. Born in the eastern Tibetan region of Sde dge, Chos kyi 'byung gnas was recognized as a reincarnate lama (''sprul sku'') by the eighth Zhwa dmar, from whom he received his first vows. He would go on to study with Kah thog Rigs 'dzin Tshe dbang nor bu (1698–1755), from whom he learned about gzhan stong (“other emptiness”). At the age of twenty-one, he accompanied several important Bka' brgyud hierarchs, the Zhwa dmar and the twelfth Karma pa, to Kathmandu, a journey that was to have a profound impact on the young Si tu's life. He returned to eastern Tibet in 1724, where he was received favorably by the king of Sde dge, Bstan pa tshe ring (Tenpa Tsering, 1678–1738). Under the latter's patronage, Chos kyi 'byung gnas founded Dpal spungs monastery in 1727, which became the new seat for the Si tu lineage (they are sometimes called the Dpal spungs si tu). Between the years 1731 and 1733, he undertook the monumental task of editing and correcting a new redaction of the bka' 'gyur section of the Tibetan Buddhist canon, to be published at the printing house of Sde dge. Although in his day Tibetan knowledge of Indian linguistic traditions had waned, Chos kyi 'byung gnas devoted much of his later life to the study of Sanskrit grammar and literature, which he had first studied with Newar paṇḍitas during his time in Kathmandu. He sought out new Sanskrit manuscripts in order to establish more precise translations of Sanskrit works aiready translated in the Tibetan canon; he is esteemed in Tibet for his knowledge of Sanskrit grammar. In addition to his prolific scholarly work, Chos kyi 'byung gnas was an accomplished painter as well as a gifted physician, much sought after by the aristocracy of eastern Tibet. In 1748, he visited Nepal once again, where he translated the ''Svayambhūpurāṇa'', the legends concerning the Svayambhū stūpa, into Tibetan. He was received amicably by the rulers Jayaprakāśamalla (1736–1768) of Kathmandu, Raṇajitamalla (1722–1769) of what is now Bhaktapur, and Pṛthvīnārāyaṇa Śāha, who would unify the Kathmandu Valley under Gorkhali rule several decades later. Chos kyi 'byung gnas' collected writings cover a vast range of subjects including lengthy and detailed diaries and an important history of the Karma bka' brgyud sect coauthored by his disciple Be lo Tshe dbang kun khyab (Belo Tsewang Kunkyap, b. 1718). He is retrospectively identified as an originator of what would become known as Khams ris med movement, which gained momentum in early nineteenth century Sde dge. (Source: "Chos kyi 'byung gnas." In ''The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism'', 189. Princeton University Press, 2014)'', 189. Princeton University Press, 2014))
Vairotsana + (Vairotsana was the greatest of all Tibetan … Vairotsana was the greatest of all Tibetan lotsawas. Together with Padmasambhava and Vimalamitra, he was one of the three main masters to bring the Dzogchen teachings to Tibet. Vairotsana was born into the Pagor clan, and was sent to India by Trisong Detsen to study with Indian panditas. He also travelled widely in China, Khotan, Nepal, Shangshung and elsewhere. He was one of the original seven monks ordained by Shantarakshita. (Source: [https://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Vairotsana Rigpa Wiki])Rigpa Wiki]))
Gyatrul Rinpoche + (Venerable Gyatrul Rinpoche was born in 192 … Venerable Gyatrul Rinpoche was born in 1924 in China near the Tibetan border. At the age of seven he was recognized to be a reincarnate tulku and trained at Payul Dhomang Monastery in eastern Tibet. Rinpoche spent many years in solitary retreat before fleeing the Communist invasion of Tibet in 1959. After living in India for twelve years, Rinpoche moved to America and in 1976 was appointed as H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche’s spiritual representative in America. Rinpoche has founded many Buddhist centers, including Tashi Choling in Oregon, Orgyen Dorje Den in the San Francisco Bay area, Norbu Ling in Texas, Namdroling in Montana, and a center in Ensenada, Mexico. ([https://wisdomexperience.org/content-author/gyatrul-rinpoche/ Source Accessed July 30, 2020])-rinpoche/ Source Accessed July 30, 2020]))
Wǒnch'ǔk + (Wǒnch'ǔk. (T. Wen tsheg; C. Yuance; J. Enj … Wǒnch'ǔk. (T. Wen tsheg; C. Yuance; J. Enjiki 圓測) (613-695). In Korean, "Consummate Keenness"; Silla-dynasty monk renowned for his expertise in Sanskrit and Yogācāra doctrine, who was influential in Chinese and in later Tibetan Buddhism. Wǒnch'ǔk is said to have left for Tang-dynasty China at the age of fifteen, where he studied the writings of Paramārtha and the ''She lun'', or ''Mahāyānasaṃgraha'', under Fachang (567–645). Wǒnch'ǔk later became the disciple of the Chinese pilgrim-translator Xuanzang who, in accordance with the new Yogācāra teachings of Dharmapāla that he had brought back from India (see Faxiang zong), denounced the existence of the ninth "immaculate consciousness" (''amalavijñāna''), which Paramārtha had advocated, and taught instead the innate impurity of the eighth "storehouse consciousness" (''ālayavijñāna''). These crucial doctrinal issues are said to have caused a split between the major disciples of Xuanzang: Wǒnch'ǔk and his followers came to be known as the Ximing tradition in honor of Wǒnch'ǔk's residence, Ximingsi, and was said to have been more open to positions associated with the earlier She lun zong; and the lineage of his fellow student and major rival Kuiji (632–682), which came to be known as the Ci'en tradition after Kuiji's monastery, Da Ci'ensi, and honed more rigidly to Xuanzang and Dharmapāla’s positions. Wǒnch'ǔk's famed ''Haesimmilgyǔng so'' (C. ''Jieshenmi jing shu''), his commentary on Xuanzang's translation of the ''Saṃdhinirmocanasūtra'', includes traces of Wǒnch'ǔk's earlier training in She lun zong thought and Paramārtha's expositions on the controversial notion of ''amalavijñāna''. Wǒnch'ǔk regarded the ''amalavijñāna'' as simply another name for the inherent purity of the ''ālayavijñāna'', but, unlike Xuanzang, he considered the ''ālayavijñāna'' to be essentially pure in nature. He also disagreed with Xuanzang's contention that the ''icchantika'' could not attain buddhahood. Hence, his work seems to be an attempt to reconcile the divergences between the old Yogācāra of Paramārtha and the new Yogācāra of Xuanzang. Wǒnch'ǔk's commentary to the ''Saṃdhinirmocanasūtra'' was extremely popular in the Chinese outpost of Dunhuang, where Chos grub (Ch. Facheng; c. 755–849) translated it into Tibetan during the reign of King Ral pa can (r. 815–838). Only nine of the ten rolls of the commentary are still extant in Chinese; the full text is available only in its Tibetan translation, which the Tibetans know as the "Great Chinese Commentary" (Rgya nag gi 'grel chen) even though it was written by a Korean. Five centuries later, the renowned Tibetan scholar Tsong kha pa drew liberally on Wǒnch'ǔk's text in his major work on scriptural Interpretation, ''Legs bshad snying po''. Wǒnch'ǔk's views were decisive in Tibetan formulations of such issues as the hermeneutical stratagem of the three turnings of the wheel of the dharma (''Dharmacakrapravartana''), the nine types of consciousness (''vijñāna''), and the quality and nature of the ninth "immaculate" consciousness (''amalavijñāna''). Exegetical styles subsequently used in all the major sects of Tibetan Buddhism, with their use of elaborate sections and subsections, may also derive from Wǒnch'ǔk's commentary. Consequently, Wǒnch'ǔk remains better known and more influential in Tibet than in either China or Korea. Wǒnch'ǔk also wrote a eulogy to the ''Prajñāpāramitāhṛdayasūtra'', and commentaries to the ''Renwang jing'' and Dharmapāla's *''Vijñaptimātratāsiddhi'', the latter of which is no longer extant. (Source: "Wǒnch'ǔk." In ''The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism'', 996–97. Princeton University Press, 2014. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.)tp://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.))
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/)
Śākyasiṁha + (Śākyasiṁha was an Indian paṇdita primarily … Śākyasiṁha was an Indian paṇdita primarily known for the Tibetan translation of the ''Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkārakārikā'' that he completed with Kawa Paltsek (ska ba dpal brtsegs). According to the introduction to ''The Universal Vehicle Discourse Literature (Mahāyānasūtrālaṁkāra)'' (American Institute of Buddhist Studies, Columbia University's Center for Buddhist Studies, and Tibet House US, 2004), both the verses in the ''Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkārakārikā'' (Peking 5521) and the work which contains the verses and commentary together under the title ''Sūtrālaṁkāra-bhāṣya'' (Peking 5527) were prepared by Śākyasiṁha and Kawa Paltsek during the royal translation project at Samye monastery in the 8th-9th century. (xxxiv) monastery in the 8th-9th century. (xxxiv))

Zhang Tsepong Chökyi Lama + (According to Anne Burchardi, "Zhang Tshe s … According to Anne Burchardi, "Zhang Tshe spong ba cho kyi bla ma was, together with Blo gros 'byung gnas, a direct disciple of Rngog [blo ldan shes rab]. After the death of Rngog, Zhang took over the abbot's chair at Gsang phu and held it for 32 years. He upheld all of Rngog's transmissions and composed several commentaries. So far very little is known of him and his ''RGV'' commentary is considered lost." (Anne Burchardi, "[[A Provisional List of Tibetan Commentaries on the Ratnagotravibhāga]]," [''The Tibet Journal'' 31, no. 4: 2006], 8).'The Tibet Journal'' 31, no. 4: 2006], 8).)

Jayānanda + (Jayānanda (Tib. རྒྱལ་བ་ཀུན་དགའ, gyalwa kün … Jayānanda (Tib. རྒྱལ་བ་ཀུན་དགའ, gyalwa kün ga, Wyl. rgyal ba kun dga') was the author of an important commentary on the ''Introduction to the Middle Way'' (''Madhyamakāvatāra'') by Candrakīrti called the ''Madhyamakāvatāraṭīkā''.The Tibetan literature has not preserved very much about Jayānanda. He appears to have publicly debated with Phya-pa Chos-kyi seng-ge (1109–1169) on ''madhyamaka'' subjects at Gsang-phu ne'u-thog monastery, of which the latter was abbot for eighteen years, most likely from 1152 to 1169, which resulted in a public defeat for him by that unique thinker who was one of Tibet's few, but foremost opponents of the ''*prāsaṇgika-madyamaka''. The great Gser-mdog Paṇ-chen Śākya-mchog ldan (1428–1507) writes that he thereafter left Tibet for Mount Wutai. In this connection, it is rather curious that he also writes . . . that Jayānanda had composed the ''Madhayamakāvatāravṛtti'' in Tibet. This work was not very much studied in later times, akthough a notable exception seems to have been Tsong-kha-pa, who cites it severally in some of his major writings, and then usually in a highly critical vein, particularly in connection with its "Tibetan followers." His influence in Tibet was nonetheless not inconsiderable. Among his many disciples, we should count Rma-bya Brtson-'grus seng-ge (?–1185) who, in fact, wrote a commentary on the ''Tarkamudgarakārikā''. So far, it seems that only his exegesis of the ''Mūlamadhyamakakārikā'' has been presevered by way of a late nineteenth century Sde-dge blockprint. (Leonard W. J. van der Kuijp, "Jayānanda. A Twelfth Century Guoshi from Kashmir Among the Tangut." ''Central Asiatic Journal'' 37, no. 3/4 (1993): 188–97)tic Journal'' 37, no. 3/4 (1993): 188–97))
Parahitabhadra + (Kashmiri Paṇḍita who became an important t … Kashmiri Paṇḍita who became an important teacher and collaborator for several influential Tibetan scholars and translators that spent time studying in Kashmir in the 11th Century. According to Karl Brunnhölzl in ''When the Clouds Part'':::Parahitabhadra was a student of the Kashmirian Mahāpaṇḍita Somaśrī and also studied Madhyamaka with Ratnavajra. Parahitabhadra's main Indian student was Mahāsumati, and he also taught Ngog Lotsāwa, Patsab Lotsāwa, Sangkar Lotsāwa Pagpa Sherab (a student of Jñānaśrībhadra), Sherab Gyaltsen (a student of Atiśa), Shönnu Cho, Su Gawé Dorje, and Marpa Dopa. Together with these translators, Parahita translated or revised many sūtras, tantras, and treatises (more than twenty works in the ''Tengyur'', among them the ''Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra'' and the ''Dharmadharmatāvibhāga''). There is also evidence that he collaborated with Sajjana, as their common revision of the ''Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra'' shows. In addition, the ''Tengyur'' contains three works authored by Parahitabhadra (a ''Śūnyatāsaptativṛtti'', a ''Maṇḍalābhiṣekavidhi'', and a rather extensive commentary on the first two verses of the ''Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra''). Besides Kashmir, he was active in Toling in western Tibet. It seems that he was more of a Madhyamaka and Pramāṇa specialist, but there is no doubt that he was a part of the eleventh-century Kashmirian paṇḍita scene that was involved with the Maitreya texts and transmitted them to Tibet (he is also mentioned in one of the Tibetan transmission lineages of the Uttaratantra). (88)ission lineages of the Uttaratantra). (88))
Fourth Shamarpa Chodrak Yeshe + (''The following biography is a traditional … ''The following biography is a traditional account of the life of the Fourth Shamarpa Chodrak Yeshe as written on Sharmapa.org.''The 4th Shamarpa was born in Kangmar in the Treshö province of Kham, eastern Tibet. Wonderous signs were ablaze at his birth, which were variously interpreted by the local monastic communities, according to their own anticipation. Some were of the mind that it could only be the long awaited Karmapa Incarnate, while others were more inclined towards the Shamarpa Incarnate or that of a Mahasiddhi. Seven months had passed, speculations abound; conclusions, there were none. The infant Rinpoche was invited formally to Tara Kangmar Monastery, where a collection of books was laid before him to select. He took none but works by the Karmapa. The indecisive took this to be unmistakably an indication of the Karmapa’s return. Thus the solemn matter of identification was settled arbitrarily on a simple test. From then on, the Shamarpa remained in the monastery. The 6th Karmapa Tongwa Dönden was born the year after. When he was four years of age, he embarked on an extensive Dharma tour through Tibet. In due course, he arrived at the Lhündrup Gön Monastery in the south, not far from Dra-Kangmar, where, all the while, the disciples of the Shamarpa were anxiously waiting for their Guru’s return, without avail. They came to the Karmapa, labourously recalling the passing of their Guru, whose last word was “Dra-Kangmar”, they said. It was to be the name of the place of his next rebirth. The Karmapa reassured them that their Guru had indeed taken rebirth, but in distant Tre-Kangmar. Tre and Dra, an understandable confusion of words for his griefing followers, in time of stress. His now jubilant disciples, planned on an instant return of their Guru to his long awaited monasteries. The Karmapa told them it was not to be so. As the Karmapa, he must himself invite him, in full ceremonial honours, as befitting the return of the Shamarpa.By the time the Dharma tour had reached the province of Treshö the Karmapa was seven years old. He set up camp near Kangmar, remaining in retreat, while he sent his gifted attendant-monk, to invite the Shamarpa. This learned monk, a man of exceptional realizations was none other than Paljor Döndrup, the 1st Gyaltsab Rinpoche, who was to become a Guru to the Shamarpa. When the Karmapa and the Shamarpa met, it was the renewal of a very close tie, stretching far beyond history. In terms of human relationship, it was to be compared to the joyful reunion of father and son. The Karmapa gave the young Shamarpa the name of Chöji Drakpa Yeshe Pal Zangpo. Returning the Red Crown, he enthroned him.They had been successively each others Guru up to then. The Karmapa proposed that from then on, they were to propagate the Dharma together, each in a different region of the country, with the Shamarpa remaining in the Kongpo area in the south while the Karmapa himself proceeding towards eastern Kham.Some years later, they were together again, at Treshö Kangmar. The Shamarpa arrived laden with offerings for the Karmapa; the Karmapa readily imparted to him the Mahamudra, the Six Teachings of Naropa and the numerous instructions of the Kagyü Lineage.The Shamarpa became renowned as a great scholar and also for being unsparing on himself in practice, whether it was on the teachings received from the Karmapa, from Gyaltsap Rinpoche or from any of the great lamas and scholars, thus setting a challenging example of relentless perseverance.The 4th Shamarpa went as far as to Bhutan to propagate the Dharma. In southern Bhutan, there remains to this day a monastery built by the Shamarpa. It stands sturdy and almost untouched by the passing years. Apart from it being a shining testamony to the craftsmanship of the period, it is indelibly a mark of his enduring blessings.In central Tibet, where, at the insistence of the people, he became king for eleven years, ruling the country strictly in accordance with Buddhist principles. However, his first priority was Dharma. As he studied, so he taught and meditated, never neglecting his monastic obligations, thus fully accomplishing the three-fold task of a Holder of the Buddha’s Teachings. ([https://shamarpa.org/history/the-4th-shamarpa-shamar-chokyi-drakpa-yeshe-pal-zangpo-1453-1524/ Source Accessed Mar 4, 2020])o-1453-1524/ Source Accessed Mar 4, 2020]))
Bodong Paṇchen Chokle Namgyal + ((Chokle Namgyal) (1376-1451). The twenty-t … (Chokle Namgyal) (1376-1451). The twenty-third abbot of Bo dong E monastery, founded in about 1049 by the Bka' gdams geshe (dge bshes) Mu dra pa chen po, and the founder of the Bo dong tradition. His collected works, said to number thirty-six titles, include his huge encyclopedic work ''De nyid 'dus pa'' ("Compendium of the Principles"); it alone runs to 137 volumes in the incomplete edition published by the Tibet House in Delhi. Phyogs las rnam rgyal (who is sometimes confused with Jo nang pa Phyogs las rnam rgyal who lived some fifty years earlier) was a teacher of Dge 'dun grub (retroactively named the first Dalai Lama) and Mkhas grub Dge legs dpal bzang, both students of Tsong kha pa. Among his disciples was the king of Gung thang, Lha dbang rgyal mtshan (1404–1463), whose daughter Chos kyi sgron me (1422–1455) became a nun after the death of her daughter and then the head of Bsam lding (Samding) monastery, which her father founded for her. The monastery is the only Tibetan monastery whose abbot is traditionally a woman; incarnations are said to be those of the goddess Vajravārāhī (T. Rdo rje phag mo), "Sow-Headed Goddess." (Source: "Bo dong Phyogs las rnam rgyal." In ''The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism'', 139. Princeton University Press, 2014. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.)tp://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.))
Khensur Rinpoche Ngawang Nyima + (72nd abbot of Drepung Gomang Monastery, Ge … 72nd abbot of Drepung Gomang Monastery, Geshe Ngawang Nyima was born on 18th July, 1907 in Davatai, Buryatia (today's Republic of Buryatia under Russian Federation). His parents, father Tsedup Dorje and mother Tsekyima, were devoted Buddhists. It is said that on the day of his birth, Geshe Lharamba Minyak Lobsang Yonten from Drepung Loseling visited the house of his parents. Later, Lobsang Yonten became the abbot of Loseling College.Geshe Ngawang Nyima entered the door to Dharma in Shulutuiskii Datsan (Aginskii Datsan) and received vows of Barma Ravjung and novice vows there. Until the age of nine he learnt to read and write in Mongolian and Tibetan languages. Then he memorized various prayers and started to study Buddhist logic. At that time Russia was in the process of Communist revolution and he had to study communist theory at his Monastery.In 1923 he left Buryatia secretly for Tibet and the next year he arrived Lhasa, through Ulaanbaatar. In Lhasa he entered Drepung Gomang Monastic College, and continued his Buddhist studies. Drepung was traditionally the biggest monastery in Tibet and was established in 1416 by Jamyang Choije Tashi Palden, a disciple of Je Tsongkhapa. he lived in Drepung until 1958.Despite many difficulties, such as lack of financial means and not being able to return home to arrange more support due to the political situations, he studied very hard for sixteen years. Often he would have nothing except the clothes he wore and could not even afford offerings to his altar. In 1938 he received the degree of Geshe Rabjim and came to be known among other Geshes for his erudition in classical Buddhist scriptures. He started receiving students to study under his guidance. Geshe Ngawang Nyima received oral transmissions of Kangyur and collected writings of Je Tsongkhapa, his spiritual sons, and many other eminent masters such as the ones from Kangsar Dorjechang. Agwan Nima spent years in meditation, and went on pilgrimage to India for three times.In 1960, at the request of the Dalai Lama of Tibet, he took a teacher's post at Sanskrit University in Varanasi, India. He worked there for seven years. While at Sanskrit University, he wrote in Tibetan a book on Buddhist history, titled "Choijung Lungrig Dronme". He also published a collection of biographies of over two hundred scholars and yogis from India, Tibet and Mongolia.In 1967, again following the request of the fourteenth the Dalai Lama, he went to Laiden, Holland to become a teacher at an Institute. He stayed there for six years writing five volumes on Buddhist philosophy until his retirement from the institute in 1972. Then he traveled to Switzerland where he wrote eight more volumes on Buddhist philosophy.In 1977 he was elected as Abbot of Drepung Gomag Monastic College by the monastic community and in 1978 by the order of the Dalai Lama he became the abbot. He stayed in this position until 1980. At the age of 73 years handed down his position and went to Switzerland for vacasion during which he wrote his autobiography. A year later, he came back to India where many students studied under his guidance. He taught there until the age of 81. In 1990, his health condition became unwell . For three days he was bedridden and then after several days in meditative equipoise of Clear Light, on November 24th, he left this world. ([https://www.drepunggomang.org/monastery-s-abbots Source Accessed October 21, 2019])-abbots Source Accessed October 21, 2019]))
Jigme Lingpa + (A Tibetan exegete and visionary, renowned … A Tibetan exegete and visionary, renowned as one of the premier treasure revealers (''gter ston'') in the Rnying ma sect of Tibetan Buddhism. 'Jigs med gling pa was born in the central Tibetan region of 'Phyong rgyas (Chongye), and from an early age recalled many of his previous incarnations, including those of the Tibetan king Khri srong lde btsan, the scholars Sgam po pa and Klong chen pa and, in his immediately preceding birth, Chos rje gling pa. After a period of monastic education, in his late twenties, he undertook an intense series of meditation retreats, first at Dpal ri monastery and then at the Chims phu cave complex near Bsam yas. In one of the numerous visions he experienced during this period, he received the klong chen snying thig, or "Heart Sphere of the Great Expanse," from a ḍākinī at the Bodhnāth stūpa in Kathmandu. The revelation of this text is considered a “mind treasure” (''dgongs gter''), composed by Padmasambhava and revealed to the mind of a later disciple. 'Jigs med gling pa kept this revelation secret for seven years before transcribing it. The klong chen snying thig corpus systematized by 'Jigs med gling pa, including numerous explanatory texts, tantric initiations, and ritual cycles, became a seminal component of the rdzogs chen teachings in the Rnying ma sect. While based in central Tibet, 'Jigs med gling pa was also influential in Tibet's eastern regions, serving as spiritual teacher to the royal family of Sde dge and supervising the printing of the collected Rnying ma tantras in twenty-eight volumes. His patrons and disciples included some of the most powerful and prestigious individuals from Khams in eastern Tibet, and his active participation in reviving Rnying ma traditions during a time of persecution earned him a place at the forefront of the burgeoning eclectic or nonsectarian (''ris med'') movement. Numerous subsequent visionaries involved in promulgating the movement identified themselves as 'Jigs med gling pa's reincarnation, including 'Jam dbyang mkhyen brtse dbang po, Mdo mkhyen brtse Ye Shes rdo rje, Dpal sprul Rinpoche, and Dil mgo mkhyen brtse. (Source: "'Jigs med gling pa." In ''The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism'', 387–88. Princeton University Press, 2014. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.)tp://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.))
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.))
Marpa Dopa Chökyi Wangchuk + (A contemporary and student of the illustri … A contemporary and student of the illustrious Tibetan masters Rongzom and Marpa the translator, Marpa Dopa traveled south to Nepal and India where he studied under numerous prominent Indian scholars and yogis of the time. He is mostly remembered for his translations of tantric works and, in particular, for the lineages of Cakrasaṃvara and Vajrayoginī that he brought back to Tibet and spread among his students.ck to Tibet and spread among his students.)
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.))
Zhang Tsepong Chökyi Lama +
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]))
Anne Burchardi + (After receiving Buddhist refuge vows from … After receiving Buddhist refuge vows from Kalu Rinpoche in Kagyu Ling, France, 1976 at the occasion of the first 3-year retreat in the West, Anne began her Buddhist studies with Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche in 1977, when he first arrived in Europe as part of the entourage of The 16th Karmapa.In 1978 she began the study of ''The Gyulama'' (''Theg pa chen po rgyud bla ma’i bstan bcos'') with him in Dordogne, France and published her first Danish translation of this text in 1981. She became a member of Khenpo Rinpoche’s Translating Board of Kagyu Tekchen Shedra, Institute of Mahayana Buddhist Studies, in Bruxelles, Belgium, in 1980.She went on to become interpreter for many Kagyu, Nyingma and Gelukpa Lamas, including the Dalai Lama, for the next 35 years, mainly in Europe and Asia.During the 80’s and 90’s she lived in Kathmandu where she acted as teacher, secretary and course coordinator at Khenpo Rinpoche’s Marpa Institute for Translators, Nepal.Back in Europe she became Tibetan language teacher and associate professor at University of Copenhagen for 18 years, as well as research librarian and curator of the Tibetan Collection at The Royal Library for a decade, which included work on The Twinning Library Project with The National Library of Bhutan, Thimphu. She taught Buddhist Studies at Naropa University as a visiting professor, 2004-2005 and continued this at The Buddhist University, Copenhagen, for the next ten years.She is currently finalizing her Danish translation of Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye's commentary on the Gyulama, ''Theg pa chen po rgyud bla ma’i bstan bcos snying po’i don mngon sum lam gyi bshad srol dang sbyar ba’i rnam par ‘grel pa phyir mi ldog pa seng ge’i nga ro''. (Source: Anne Burchardi, personal communication, January 19, 2021.)personal communication, January 19, 2021.))
Padmasambhava + (Along with Trisong Detsen and Shantarakshi … Along with Trisong Detsen and Shantarakshita, Padmasambhava is considered one of the principal early teachers to bring Buddhism to Tibet in the 8th century, Padmasambhava has numerous forms representing outer, inner and secret aspects of his spiritual being. He is also known by many different names which generally follow chronologically his life story. Aside from Trisong Detsen and Shantarakshita, the most important figures to interact with Padmasambhava were his principle Tibetan consort Yeshe Tsogyal and the principal Twenty-five Disciples. There are various Padmasambhava Number Sets which help to organize the important topics and essential subjects of his life and chronological sequence of important events, along with grouping the various sub-sets of important disciples. An 18th century curiosity is the inclusion of Padmasambhava as one of the pre-incarnations in the line of Panchen Lamas.Concerning the life story of Padmasambhava there are at least four different versions of his birth and early childhood. Within the Oral (Kama) Tradition of the Nyingma School, Padmasambhava was born in Northern India as the son of a king, or minister. In the Revealed Treasure (Terma) Tradition he was born on a lotus in Dhanakosha lake, in the country of Oddiyana, as an emanation of Lokeshvara and the Buddha Amitabha. The Treasure King, Dorje Lingpa, revealed a number of Buddhist and Bon treasure texts where the Bon explain a completely different narrative of the life story and have Padmasambhava born in Tibet. There is also some evidence to suggest that Padmasambhava came from South India and that he was the brother-in-law of the Indian Abbott Shantarakshita, founder of Samye, the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet. ([https://www.himalayanart.org/search/set.cfm?setID=100 Source Accessed Jan 21, 2020])m?setID=100 Source Accessed Jan 21, 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.))
Munivarman + (An Indian paṇḍita who was resident in Tibe … An Indian paṇḍita who was resident in Tibet during the late eighth and early ninth centuries. His name not only appears as the translator of the ''Lalitavistarasūtra'' but on other texts such as the ''Tathāgatācintyaguhyanirdeśasūtra'' (''The Teaching on the Unfathomable Secrets of the Tathāgatas'') and the ''Tathāgatajñānamudrāsamādhisūtra'' (''The Sūtra on the Samādhi That Is the Seal of the Gnosis of the Tathāgatas'').e Seal of the Gnosis of the Tathāgatas'').)
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.))
Sajjana + (An eleventh-century Kashmiri scholar that … An eleventh-century Kashmiri scholar that was the source from which many prominent Tibetan scholars and translators of the day received teachings. Most notably he taught the ''Ratnagotravibhāga'' to Ngok Lotsāwa and Tsen Khawoche, which spread in Tibet as the Ngok and Tsen traditions and became the two primary trends that influenced much of the history of the Tibetan exegesis of the treatise. He also helped Ngok translate the text and worked with several other Tibetan translators on works that were later included in the Tibetan canon. were later included in the Tibetan canon.)
Zurmang Pema Namgyal + (An esteemed 20th century Kagyu master from … An esteemed 20th century Kagyu master from Zurmang Monastery in eastern Tibet with strong ties to the Nyingma and Ri-me traditions. He was a student of the 11th Tai Situ and the famed Khenpo Zhenga with whom he studied at the Śrī Siṃha monastic university at Dzogchen Monastery. His pedogical manual (''yig cha'') for the latter's interlinear commentaries to the thirteen major Indian treatises came to form an important part of the curriculum at the monastic university at Dzongsar Monastery.monastic university at Dzongsar Monastery.)
Rongzom Chökyi Zangpo + (An important figure in the renaissance of … An important figure in the renaissance of the Rnying ma tradition in Tibet. His collected works in two volumes include the ''Rdzogs pa chen po’i lta sgom'' (''Instructions on Cultivating the View of the Great Perfection'') and a seminal work on sdom gsum (''three codes'') ''Dam tshig mdo rgyas''. He was learned in the older traditions based on earlier translations and in the new traditions that spread after the return of the translators Rin chen bzang po and Rngog Legs pa'i shes rab. Traditionally, he is said to be the recipient of teachings deriving from Heshang Moheyan, Vairocana, and Vimalamitra—important figures of the early dissemination (''snga dar'')— and it is said that upon meeting Atiśa Dīpaṃkaraśrījñāna after his arrival in Tibet, Atiśa considered him a manifestation of his teacher Nag po pa (Kṛṣṇapāda). Rong zom instructed many important figures of the day, including the translator Mar pa, prior to his departure for India. (Source: "Rong zom Chos kyi bzang po." In ''The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism'', 720–1. Princeton University Press, 2014. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.)tp://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46n41q.27.))
Ninth Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje + (As predicted by the Eighth Karmapa, the Ni … As predicted by the Eighth Karmapa, the Ninth was born in the Treshö region of eastern Tibet. He was heard reciting mantras in the womb during pregnancy and he, too, sat cross-legged for three days soon after birth and declared he was the Karmapa. In accordance to the prediction letter left by the Eighth Karmapa, he was soon recognized by the Tai Situpa Chökyi Gocha, who was staying not far away, and by the Sharmapa Konchok Yenlak. A year later, Shamarpa enthroned him at the age of six and gave him extensive teachings. Once Wangchuk Dorje had received the complete Kagyu transmission, he began to teach throughout Tibet, traveling in a monastic camp, which strictly emphasized meditation practice. Wangchuk Dorje did not visit China. He gave many teachings and restored monasteries and temples wherever he went. Like the Eighth Karmapa, Wangchuk Dorje was also a creative author and wrote many condensed commentaries on sutras and tantras, including three mahamudra treatises: ''The Ocean of Definitive Meaning'', ''Dispelling the Darkness of Ignorance'', and ''Pointing Out the Dharmakaya''. These treatises have played a major role in Tibet for the teaching and transmission of mahamudra. ([https://kagyuoffice.org/kagyu-lineage/the-golden-rosary/289-2/ Source Accessed Jul 29, 2020]))
Śāntibhadra + (Bu ston’s ''History'' (Obermiller, ''The H … Bu ston’s ''History'' (Obermiller, ''The History of Buddhism'', 217, 218; and Szerb, ''Bu Ston's History'', 94, 95) lists Śāntibhadra as an Indian teacher of Gö Khukpa Lhatsé and Marpa Lotsawa. See also Cyrus Stearns, ''Luminous Lives: The Story of the Early Masters of the Lam ’bras Tradition in Tibet'' (Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2001), 85, 206-207, 210-211, where his aliases are given as Badantabarma, Bharohamtung, Chiterwa, Hangdu Karpo, Mahākarunika, Chiterwa, and Tsaham Pandita Zhiwa Zangpo. Śāntibhadra was a disciple of Nāropa and the Tibetan translator ’Brog mi studied under him in Nepal. ([http://www.thlib.org/collections/texts/jiats/#!jiats=/05/apple/b5/ Source Accessed Aug 20, 2020. See note 47])ource Accessed Aug 20, 2020. See note 47]))
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]))
Śāntarakṣita + (Eighth-century Indian Mahäyäna master who … Eighth-century Indian Mahäyäna master who played an important role in the introduction of Buddhism into Tibet. According to traditional accounts, he was born into a royal family in Zahor in Bengal and was ordained at Nālandā monastery, where he became a renowned scholar. He is best known for two works. The first is the ''Tattvasaṃgraha'', or "Compendium of Principles," a critical survey and analysis of the various non-Buddhist and Buddhist schools of Indian philosophy, set forth in 3,646 verses in twenty-six chapters. This work, which is preserved in Sanskrit, along with its commentary by his disciple Kamalaśīla, remains an important source on the philosophical systems of India during this period. His other famous work is the ''Madhyamakālaṃkāra'', or "Ornament of the Middle Way," which sets forth his own philosophical position, identified by later Tibetan doxographers as Yogācāra-*Svātantrika-Madhyamaka, so called because it asserts, as in Yogācāra, that external objects do not exist, i.e., that sense objects are of the nature of consciousness; however, it also asserts, unlike Yogācāra and like Madhyamaka, that consciousness lacks ultimate existence. It further asserts that conventional truths (''saṃvṛtisatya'') possess their own character (''svalakṣana'') and in this regard differs from the other branch of Madhyamaka, the *Prāsangika. The Yogācāra-Madhyamaka synthesis, of which Śāntarakṣita is the major proponent, was the most important philosophical development of late Indian Buddhism, and the ''Madhyamakālaṃkāra'' is its locus classicus. This work, together with the ''Madhyamakāloka'' of Śāntarakṣita's disciple Kamalaśīla and the ''Satyadvayavibhaṅga'' of Jnānagarbha, are known in Tibet as the "three works of the eastern *Svātantrikas" (''rang rgyud shar gsum'') because the three authors were from Bengal. Śāntarakṣita's renown as a scholar was such that he was invited to Tibet by King Khri srong lde btsan. When a series of natural disasters indicated that the local deities were not positively disposed to the introduction of Buddhism, he left Tibet for Nepal and advised the king to invite the Indian tantric master Padmasambhava, who subdued the local deities. With this accomplished, Śāntarakṣita returned, the first Buddhist monastery of Bsam yas was founded, and Śāntarakṣita invited twelve Mūlasarvāstivāda monks to Tibet to ordain the first seven Tibetan monks. Śāntarakṣita lived and taught at Bsam yas from its founding (c. 775) until his death (c. 788) in an equestrian accident. Tibetans refer to him as the "bodhisattva abbot." The founding of Bsam yas and the ordination of the first monks were pivotal moments in Tibetan Buddhist history, and the relationship of Śāntarakṣita, Padmasambhava, and Khri srong lde btsan figures in many Tibetan legends, most famously as brothers in a previous life. Prior to his death, Śāntarakṣita predicted that a doctrinal dispute would arise in Tibet, in which case his disciple Kamalaśīla should be invited from India. Such a conflict arose between the Indian and Chinese factions, and Kamalaśīla came to Tibet to debate with the Chan monk Moheyan in what is referred to as the Bsam yas Debate, or the "Council of Lhasa." (Source: "Śāntarakṣita." In ''The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism'', 773. Princeton University Press, 2014)'', 773. Princeton University Press, 2014))