Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c4.s2.43

v1.c4.s2.43

During this period, Buddhism was also introduced into Tibet. In the first half of the 7ᵗʰ century CE, Songtsan Gampo (617～650 CE) unified the greater part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and founded the Tubo Kingdom with Lhasa at the centre. He successively married the Princess Bhrukuti of Nepal and the Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty and built Buddhist temples for them. In 755 CE, the young Trisong Detsen (742～797 CE) succeeded to the throne. When he grew up, he began to believe in Buddhism, inviting Santaraksita and Padmasambhava from India and building temples. To propagate Buddhism in Tibet, Trisong Detsen invited masters from India including, among others, Vimalamitra and Dharmakirti, to teach Buddhism and 12 Indian monks to preside over the Tibetans’ monastic ceremony. Trisong Detsen also twice sent monks to study in India. However, since the Tibetan Bon faith was still powerful, in 836 CE, some of its more powerful adherents began to eradicate Buddhism which consequently nearly became extinct in Tibet. This period was called the “first propagation” of Tibetan Buddhism.