Great Perfection.pdf

4 introduction
Mùlasarvàstivàda tradition as the basis of its monastic system and Yogàcàramadhyamaka
as its principal philosophy.
The monastic establishment initiated the development of a whole new
religious culture on an unprecedented scale. The learning of foreign languages
was instituted. With it came the activities of translating Buddhist
texts from Sanskrit and Chinese into Tibetan. Foreign Buddhist masters
soon flocked into bSam-ye. Tibetan monks for the first time were able to
begin to contemplate writing Buddhist treatises.
The tradition maintains that it was some time during this period that
the king commissioned Ba-gor Vairocana to go to India with a companion
in search of more Buddhist texts and new doctrines, especially the doctrine
which Padmasambhava only began to teach just before he left Tibet,
but was unable to finish. 10 Vairocana is considered to be one of the first
seven Tibetan monks and also the one who introduced rDzogs chen into
Tibet from India.
The activities of translating Buddhist sùtras mainly from Sanskrit continued
in a vigorous manner, but whether tantras should also be translated
seems to have been a subject of discussion in the “Religious Council”, 11
and an object of particular attention to dBa’ Ye-shes dbang-po. According
to a certain version of BZh, most of the tantras were considered to be unsuitable
for the Tibetans to practise (including Atiyoga tantras) and were therefore
not permitted to be translated. Only the Ubhayà type of tantras were
thought to be suitable. 12 However that may be, certain tantras were probably
already translated. We know that a special temple known as bDud-
’dul sngags-pa-gling was dedicated to the tantric 13 divinities in bSam-yas. 14
However, the development of Buddhist learning and the importation of
foreign religious culture from all sides soon reached its climax with the
famous Sino-Indian Buddhist controversy. It was officially encouraged
10 Cf. BZh pp. 26, 64.
11 BZh: chos kyi ’dun sa (p. 27); ’dug pa (’dun sa, p. 53); lha chos kyi ’dun sa (KhG ff. 114a5);
bcom ldan ’das kyi ring lugs kyi mdun (’dun) sa (GB p. 73–4–5). This “Religious Council” is
also described as ’dun sa che ba whereas the “Council of Ministers” (zhang blon gyi ’dun sa)
is ’dun sa chung ngu (KhG Ja, f. 114a5, 136b6).
It is not known how the “Religious Council” functioned in relation to the “Council of
Ministers” which according to the Annals (PT 1288) were held one in summer and another
in winter in different places. On the other hand, the Annals are almost totally silent with
regard to the religious events.
12 BZh p. 52; Cf. also p. 121, n. 2.
13 By the term “tantric” I understand all the teachings stemming from tantras and nonsùtrayanic
Buddhist doctrines and practices. However, as the term is so vague in its connotation
and has often been misused, it is advisable to be prudent in its application (see
Snellgrove 1968, p. 147).
14 BZh p. 39.