“When Khuton finally reached the riverbank the horse would not go further and immediately stopped, hurling Khuton into the river, who was then almost swept away by the current. who yelled at Atisha from his horse, “Have you forgotten your Tibetan scholar students? Why don’t you talk to me and we can work it out?” Atisha replied back: “You abandoned and forgot me about though didn’t you? Great Tibetan scholars, please go back.”
“For example, Milarepa who was essentially a contemporary of Dromtonpa, told Je Gampopa that: “A ghost has wormed its way into Tibetan hearts, and they will not allow Atisha to spread the Tantras.” So for that reason, even though the Kadampas did get some of the Vajrayana teachings, but they do not have the pith instructions. So that is reported in Gampopa’s biography.” —17th Karmapa (Day 4 2025)
In this final report on the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa’s Life of Atisha teachings this year (Day 4), the 17th Karmapa again spoke about the way Atisha was invited to Tibet and how the Lamp to the Path to Enlightenment was composed and sent to India. The teaching was almost the same as the teaching given in 2023 on this topic, however, the 17th Karmapa also added some further teachings at the end, about how and why Atisha was invited to Central Tibet, and some of the trials and tribulations he faced while there.
In particular, how one of his main students, Khuton Tsondru Yungdrung (khu ston brtson ‘grus g.yung drung, 1011-1075) developed a grudge against another main student, Dromtönpa Gyelwé Jungné (འབྲོམ་སྟོན་པ་རྒྱལ་བའི་འབྱུང་གནས་, 1004 or 1005–1064), that led to him insisting Atisha stay in Yarlung near him. However, due to Khuton being so busy, Atisha was neglected there and was said to have been left without food for one week.
When Dromtonpa returned there due to his anxiety about Atisha not being properly cared for in Yarlung, he saw Atisha in quite a bad state and quite thin, and so offered to help him flee to Nyethang, which Atisha suggested they do immediately. The 17th Karmapa then shared the tragi-comic story of how Khuton tried to persuade Atisha not to go by chasing after him on a horse, and how Atisha while fleeing over a river on a boat, left his hat for Khuton who requested him to leave something for them as an object of reverence.
The 17th Karmapa also spoke about how Atisha then went to Samye Monastery and was very happy there, due to all the Sanskrit texts housed there, in particular, Tantras that had been lost in India due to fires in temples. However, due to jealousy in the retinue of the King, he was forced to leave earlier than he wished.
On the way to Nyethang, Atisha also went to Lhasa and translated several texts there with Ngog Legpai Sherab. Finally, Atisha settled in Nyethang, which is where he also passed away as predicted, twenty years sooner at the age of 73.
The 17th Karmapa explained how a lot of what Atihsa had wanted to do in Tibet had been blocked by Dromtonpa, including passing on the Mahasamgika Vinaya vows, and the secret mantra pith instructions. This loss to Tibetans was even noted by the Kagyu yogi Je Milarepa to Dagpo Gampopa in one of his biographies, and was said to be the reason why although the Kadampas had received some tantra teachings, they did not get any of the pith instructions on them.
The 17th Karmapa then spoke about the huge influence that Atisha had on Tibetan Buddhism, saying that he in fact a Dagpo Kagyu lineage holder, and the origin and source of many Sakya and Gelugpa teachings too.
Listening to this final day teaching, I realised that the 17th Karmapa in his own subtle, profound and intelligent way is re-narrating and accurately clarifying aspects of Tibetan Buddhist history and practice, including that of the Mongolian invasion in the 17th century that destroyed almost all the Karma Kagyu monasteries and shedras in Central Tibet.
I plan to compile all the 17th Karmapa’s Life of Atisha Teachings from 2023 and 2025 into one single pdf file and make it freely downloadable here in the very near future, as an e-book to preserve these teachings in an easy to read file format.
Here is a new video clip I made of a section of the teaching with translated English subtitles:
Thank you so much… been wonderful reading about Tara.. blessed to find this site. 🙏🙏
Welcome! Happy to hear you enjoy the website and work.
I have just started out on this journey. Are there any Green Tara mantras that one can recite as a daily practice and discipline?
Many thanks for posting these fascinating articles and writings.
Best wishes,
David.
When Gampopa came to Milarepa, he was already an accomplished teacher in his own right, having excelled in both the study and practice of the Kadampa system, but it became obvious very quickly that he was in for a very different ride with Milarepa. According to BA, in order to curb Gampopa’s pride, Milarepa first had him wait for half a month before he granted him an audience. When he was finally admitted, Gampopa offered a piece of gold and a package of tea.
Milarepa refused both and instead gave Gampopa a skull-cup with Tibetan beer, insisting that he drink it despite his obvious concerns about his monastic vows. When Gampopa requested Milarepa’s profound instructions, Milarepa asked whether he had received empowerments. Gampopa answered, “I received many empowerments of Cakrasaṃvara and others, listened to numerous Kadampa instructions, and have experienced resting in samādhi for thirteen days.”
Milarepa laughed out loud and said, “The gods of the form and formless realms are more advanced than you then—they rest in samādhi for many eons. However, none of this is of any benefit for attaining buddhahood, just as pressing sand will not produce liquid butter. The Kadampas have instructions, but they lack pith instructions. Because a demon had entered the heart of Tibet, Atiśa was not allowed to teach the mantrayāna. If he had, Tibet would now be filled with siddhas. The Kadampa generation stage involves only single yidam deities, and their completion stage consists only of dissolving the surrounding and its contents into luminosity. Now, you need to cultivate my caṇḍālī.”
From: https://buddhanature.tsadra.org/index.php/Books/When_the_Clouds_Part/The_%27%27Uttaratantra%27%27_and_Mah%C4%81mudr%C4%81
Yes exactly. That is why the New Kadampa/Gelugpas had to, and still do, steal everything from the lineages who got those transmissions, like Nyingma, Kagyu and Jonang etc.