Rinchen Zangpo
(Lochen) Rinchen Zangpo (958–1055), also known as Lha Lama Yeshe O'd or Mahaguru, was a principal lotsawa or translator of Sanskrit Buddhist texts into Tibetan during the second diffusion of Buddhism in Tibet (or the New Translation School or New Mantra School period). He was a student of the famous Indian master, Atisha.[1] His associates included (Locheng) Legpai Sherab. Zangpo's disciple Guge Kyithangpa Yeshepal wrote Zangpo's biography.[2] He is said to have built over one hundred monasteries in Western Tibet, including the famous Tabo Monastery in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh,[3] and Poo in Kinnaur.[4]
Rinchen Zangpo had been sent as a young man by King Yesh-es-od, who seems to have been ruler of Zanskar, Guge, Spiti and Kinnaur, with other young scholars to Kashmir and other Buddhist centres to study and bring back Buddhist teachings to Western Tibet. He was possibly the single most important person for the 'Second Propagation of Buddhism' in Tibet.[5] Some sources claim he became king of the western Himalayan Kingdom of Guge, Rinchen (d. 1323), a commander from Ladakh region who had conquered Kashmir, started his personal quest for religion, was baffled by the mutually contradictory answers he received from Brahmins, happened to watch Sayyid Bilal (d.1327) at prayer, was enchanted by the simplicity of the Sayyid's faith and embraced it with fervour. .[6]
Notes
- ^ Rizvi (1996), pp. 59-60
- ^ Roberto Vitali, in McKay 2003, pp. 71-72
- ^ Rizvi (1996), p. 256.
- ^ Handa (1987), pp. 108-109.
- ^ Rizvi (1996), pp. 58-59.
- ^ [1]
References
- Handa, O. C. (1987). Buddhist Monasteries in Himachel Pradesh. Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi.
- Kapadia, Harish. (1999). Spiti: Adventures in the Trans-Himalaya. Second Edition. Indus Publishing Company, New Delhi. ISBN 81-7387-093-4.
- McKay, Alex (ed.). (2003). Tibet and Her Neighbors: A History. Walther Konig. ISBN 3883757187
- Rizvi, Janet. (1996). Ladakh: Crossroads of High Asia. Second Revised Edition. Oxford University Press. ISBN 019 564546 4.
- Tucci, Giuseppe. (1988). Rin-chen-bzan-po and the Renaissance of Buddhism in Tibet Around the Millennium. First Italian Edition 1932. First draft English translation by Nancy Kipp Smith, under the direction of Thomas J. Pritzker. Edited by Lokesh Chandra. English version of Indo-Tibetica II. Aditya Rakashan, New Delhi. ISBN 81-85179-21-2.
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| Persondata |
| Name |
Zangpo, Rinchen |
| Alternative names |
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| Short description |
Buddhist philosopher |
| Date of birth |
958 |
| Place of birth |
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| Date of death |
1055 |
| Place of death |
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