Early life Atiśa was born as Candragarbha in c. 982 CE as the second of three sons to a ruling family in
Bengal most probably in the village of Vajrayogini in
Vikrampura, the latter was one of the capitals of the
Pala Empire. His father was a king known as Kalyānaśrī and his mother was Prabhavati Sri. The early part of his life was typical of noblemen of the period, and he was trained in various fields, including art.
Studies As a young man, he began to study
tantra in what is now
Rajgir, where he was tutored by a monk named Rāhulaguhyavajra. Under Rāhulaguhyavajra, Atiśa was initiated into
Hevajra and taught specific meditations. He then studied for seven years under a master named Avadhūtipā, where he focused on
yoga and engaged in tantric feasts known as
ganachakra. Atiśa engaged with many notable teachers during this period, including
Ratnākaraśānti, Naropa and
Jitari. He also studied Dharmarakṣita at the monastery of
Odantapuri. Upon his return, he received much attention for his teachings and skills in debate and philosophy. On three separate occasions, Atiśa was acclaimed for defeating non-Buddhist extremists in debate. When he came into contact with what he perceived to be a misled or deteriorating form of Buddhism, he would quickly and effectively implement reforms. Soon enough he was appointed to the position of steward, or abbot, at Vikramaśīla which was established by
Emperor Dharmapala. He is also said to have "nourished"
Odantapuri. Atiśa's return from
Suvarnabhumi, where he had been studying with Dharmakīrtiśrī, and his rise to prominence in India coincided with a flourishing of Buddhist culture and the practice of Buddhism in the region, and in many ways Atiśa's influence contributed to these developments. According to the
Blue Annals, a new king of
Guge by the name of
Yeshe-Ö sent his academic followers to learn and translate some of the Sanskrit Buddhist texts. Among these academics was Naktso, who was eventually sent to Vikramaśīla to study Sanskrit and plead with Atiśa to come teach the Dharma in his homeland. Travelling with Naktso and Gya Lōtsawa, Atiśa journeyed through Nepal on his way to Tolung, the capital of the Purang Kingdom. (Gya Lōtsawa died before reaching Tolung.) On his way, he is said to have met Marpa Lōtsawa. He spent three years in Tolung and compiled his teachings into his most influential scholarly work,
Bodhipathapradīpa, or
Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment. This short text in sixty-seven verses lays out the entire Buddhist path in terms of the three vehicles: Hīnayāna, Mahāyāna, and Vajrayāna, and became the model for subsequent texts in the genre of
Lamrim, or the
Stages of the Path, and was specifically the basis for
Tsongkhapa's Lamrim writings. Here Atiśa met
Dromtön, or Dromtonpa, who would become his primary disciple, regarded as both an enforcer of later propagation ethical standards and a holder of Atiśa's tantric lineage. According to
Jamgon Kongtrul, when Atiśa discovered the store of Sanskrit texts at Pekar Kordzoling, the library of
Samye, "he said that the degree to which the Vajrayana had spread in Tibet was unparalleled, even in India. After saying this, he reverently folded his hands and praised the great dharma kings, translators, and panditas of the previous centuries." ==Legacy==