Chapter 11 - Langdarma’s Devestation of the Teachings

[Full title: Langdarma’s Devestation of the Teachings and the Subsequent Persistence of the Lay Traditions (glang dar mas bstan pa bsnubs rjes bod mi khyim pa chos gtsug lag khang dang bka' bstan srung skyobs byas pa'i skor. Chandra 54; Chengdu 84-86; Roerich 60).]

After the destruction of the Doctrine by glang dar ma, the three Jewels were again venerated by ‘od srungs and dpal 'khor btsan, who built temples, etc. After the setting of the Doctrine, Tibetan laymen also venerated the Three Jewels. In this manner the temples of lha sa, bsam yas and other monasteries escaped destruction. Some lay Tantrics, who led the life of householders and dwelt in mountain valleys, also practised religion privately, had faith in the general Doctrine, and hid the śāstras and sūtras, which had been translated before the time of king ral pa can. Thanks to this, we are able to benefit by the greater part of the ancient translations. In later times, when priests from khams came to Tibet, they were greatly heartened.

Much wealth had been spent in building (Buddhist) vihāras. They looked well after the needs of monastic communities, and the number of monks became countless. The date of the arrival of the monks from khams in Tibet: bu ston rin po che^[1] basing himself on the words of an old woman, has stated that the Doctrine had disappeared in the Iron-Female-Hen year (lcags mo bya—901 A.D.), and was reestablished after the lapse of seventy-three years, in the year Water-Female-Hen (chu mo bya—073 A.D.).

But ‘brom ston pa, who was very learned in the history of the Doctrine, said:

"in the seventy-eighth year, which was an Earth-Male-Tiger year (sa pho stag), (the Doctrine) reappeared."

Atīśa came to Tibet in the year Water-Male-Horse (chu pho rta—1042 A.D.), which was the 65th year after the Earth-Male-Tiger year (sa pho stag—978 A.D.).^[2]

At that time sum pa ye shes blo gros, one of the "Six men of dbus and gtsang", was still living, for in the letter, which had been sent by ‘brom ston to the great scholars of dbus, conveying an invitation to come to welcome Atīśa, stood the following sentence:

"The leader, who had first established the monastic vow, th^[3] e great bhadanta ye shes blo gros......"

With reference to the above, the nel pa paṇḍita grags pa smon lam tshul khrims stated:

"From the year Iron-Female-Hen (lcags mo bya—841 A.D. Or 901 A.D.) for 108 years there had been no Doctrine. During the 109th year, which was an Earth-Female-Hen year (sa mo bya—949 A.D. Or 1009 A.D.), the Doctrine reappeared."

After examining this, it seems to me that he had mistaken the date of the building of the temple for that of the reestablishment of the Doctrine, since in the letter of ba shi'i gnas brtan, who had been a direct disciple of klu mes, and which alludes to the greatness of klu mes, he had stated

"my great Teacher klu mes shes rab tshul khrims and sum pa ye shes blo gros had first attempted to erect a temple in the valley of klung shod 'byin pa, but failed. Then in the year of the Hen (bya lo), sgyel was built at la mo."

Then klu mes and sum pa having built temples, the number of monastic communities increased: the "Four Pillars" (ka ba bzhi), the "Eight Beams" (gdung brgyad), the "Thirty two Rafts" (Icam sum bcu rtsa gnyis), and numerous "Planks" (dral ma). Rag shi tshul khrims came to khams and the number of monks increased. Sba and rag shi tshul khrims have been ordained by different upādhyāyas. Sba btsun blo gros 'byung gnas took over bu tshal gser khang. His disciple spyan 'og blo gros rgyal mtshan and others built numerous temples, including those of Ices, etc. ‘bring ye shes yon tan established with the assistance of lha lung a monastic community at khams gsum zangs khang, 'phyogs kyi dog pa, gad pas lha khang, and his disciples built many monasteries at dbu ru skar chung, gnyal gyi chos sgo, bre gu and other localities.

Further the "Six men of dbus and gtsang" (dbus gtsang mi drug) having come (to Tibet), found themselves unable to ordain monks, because of the absence of monastic communities (groups of twenty monks were required to perform the ordination ceremony). After the year Earth-Male-Tiger (sa pho stag—978 A.D.), as given by ‘brom ston, though yet unable to erect temples, groups of monks began to arrive. It seems that klu mes and others came (to Tibet) in this manner

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

History of Buddhism by bu ston, transl. by E Obermiller, II (1932), p. 211.

[2]:

From now on, ‘gos lo tsā ba calculates all dates from the year 901 A.D. (lcags mo bya). This question has been discussed by us in the Introduction.

[3]:

Names given to groups of monks.