The History of Bengal (Vol. I: Hindu Period; Vol. II: Muslim Period 1200–1757) v1.c19.s10.14

v1.c19.s10.14

The native religion of Tibet was Bon-po. It advocated demon-worship and other sacrifices. During the reign of Srong-tsan Gampo, as noted above (p. 91), Buddhism was introduced in Tibet. Bon, however, remained the predominant religion in Tibet till the accession of Khri-srong-lde-btsan (supra p. 124), a descendant of Srong-tsan Gampo, in the middle of the eighth century A.D. Khri-srong-lde-btsan was a great devotee of Buddha. He invited Śāntirakshita (supra pp. 332-33),¹ who was at that time living in Nepal, to Tibet in order to strengthen the cause of Buddhism there. Śāntirakshita went to Tibet. He had hardly preached there the Buddhist doctrine for four months when, we are told, the demi-gods of Tibet grew indignant and caused many phenomenal disturbances. Śāntirakshita was sent back to Nepal. Sometime afterwards he, on the request of the Tibetan king, went for a second time to Tibet. He introduced there the observance of the ‘ten virtues’ and Dharma. But the local gods, demi-gods, genii, and female spirits, finding the people inclined to Buddhism, became very violent again. They were evidently the adherents of the Bon religion. Śāntirakshita was not strong enough to cope with them. He advised the king to invite Padmasambhava, who knew mystic charms for combating the evil spirits. Padmasambhava, at the invitation of the king, went to Tibet, and within a very short period brought all the evil genii under his control. The king was highly pleased with Padmasambhava and Śāntirakshita, and built Bsam-ya, a monastery after the model of that at Odantapurī in Magadha (*supra* p. 115). Both the Indian teachers established there the order of the Lamas. Lama, in the true sense, means the head of the monastery, though in modern times the title is given to all the monks and priests in Tibet connected with the Buddhist order. The religion of the Lama is simply called “The Religion” or “Buddha’s Religion.” Its followers are called ‘Nan-pa,’ that is ‘within the fold.’ Padmasambhava and Śāntirakshita trained some Tibetans as monks, who carried on their mission assiduously, and translated many Buddhist texts into Tibetan. Padmasambhava, after a residence of a short period, left Tibet in order to preach Buddhism in other lands. Śāntirakshita was made the first abbot of the monastery at Bsam-ya. He occupied that position for thirteen years. Shortly before his death Hoshang Mahāyāna, a Chinese missionary, visited Tibet. He started preaching Buddhism of an order which differed from that advocated by Śāntirakshita. Śāntirakshita, failing to meet his opponent in contro-