The History of Bengal (Vol. I: Hindu Period; Vol. II: Muslim Period 1200–1757) v1.c19.s10.20

v1.c19.s10.20

About the middle of the eleventh century A.D. Lha Lama Ye-śes-hod was the king of Tibet. He was a pious Buddhist. He intended to reform Buddhism in Tibet, which was debased by Tantric and Bon mysticism. He sent Rinchhen Zaṅ-po, the great Lochava, and Legs-pahi Śerab to India in order to invite some Indian scholars to Tibet.¹ Those two officers of the Tibetan king, in course of their sojourn, went to the Vikramaśīla monastery. They came to learn there that Dīpaṅkara was the best of the Buddhist scholars in Magadha. But realising that there was no chance of their request being complied with, they did not dare extend him their invitation to Tibet. They went back to their country and communicated to the king every thing they knew about the great Bengali teacher. The king despatched a Tibetan mission under Rgya-tson-gru Sengé, a native of Tag-tshal, in Tsang, to Vikramaśīla with rich presents to invite Dīpaṅkara to his country. Dīpaṅkara, on receipt of the invitation, replied to the Tibetan mission :