3 years ago
Yesterday, January 30 was the Guru Anniversary for Great translator Rinchen Zangpo. He is the greatest translator of the New Translation period in Tibet.
Rinchen Zangpo was born in Ngari, western Tibet. He has been prophesied by the Shakyamuni Buddha as, 'In seven times five hundred years, After my passing into peace, A monk with a bird-like face will appear, And he will propagate my doctrine'.
He was ordained at the age of 13 and was sent to Kashmir three times by Yeshe Ö. In Kashmir he first met his teacher, Śrāddhakaravarman, and began studying Sanskrit texts on philosophy and tantric practice.
Later, Rinchen Zangpo formed a team of ten lotsawas and kept continuously translating. He edited and revised over 150 texts such as the Guhyasamaja Tantra.
He is credited with promoting the Prajnaparamita literature. Not only did he translate, he also composed commentaries on Prajnaparamita, sadhana, and abhiseka.
He is known for promoting several new tantric traditions (Sharma). Particularly he translated numerous commentaries on the Sarvatathagatatattvasamgraha Tantra, class of Yogatantra.
Rinchen Zangpo was the first to introduce the Cakrasamvara to Tibet. Manjushrinamasamghiti, Sarvadurgatiparishodhana Tantra, Ashtasahasrika Prajnaparamita Sutra, are some of the texts he translated.
He revised the translation of Bodhicaryavatara with Shakya Lodro and Dharmashribhadra.
Lochen Rinchen Zangpo met Atisha Dipankara in 1042, by the time he was 84 years old. Atisha Dipankara was impressed by the depth of his learning but he saw that he did not know how to bring them into practice.
Lochen Rinchen Zangpo then received teachings on Cakrasamvara. Lochen Rinchen Zangpo practiced for ten years under Atisha Dipankara.
