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Tibetan Buddhism to Mongolia

Sakya Pandita

Photo from Hymalayan Arts Website

Sakya Pandita Kunga Gyaltshen, also known as Sapan was born in 1182. He was the scholar who mastered not only the five major sciences of art, medicine, Sanskrit grammar, epistemology and Buddhist doctrine, but also the minor sciences of poetry, lexicon, synonymy, drama and metrics. Being considered the master of both Indian and Tibetan Buddhism, Sapan stands alone in the history of Tibetan masters with his vast, profound knowledge of Indian literature. Sakya Pandita became fully ordained at 26 and was well respected by the sangha as one who continuously maintain the vows with no defect. His main teacher for the practice was his uncle, Jetsun Dakpa Gyeltsen. Among his other teachers were Kashmiri pandita Sakyasribhadra, and Indian panditas: Samghasri, Danasila, and Sugatasri. Although Sakya Pandita was known as a great scholar, he was mostly a religious teacher. Sapan devoted most of his energy to the practice, and the teaching of the Dharma. His aspiration was to protect the Dharma from declining and to maintain the authenticity of the Buddha's doctrine from being corrupted.

Sapan composed many major works including: the Discrimination of the Three Vows, and the Treasury of Logic on Valid Cognition. He implemented changes in monastic curriculum which focus on raising monks training to a higher understanding of intellectual culture and Buddhist doctrine. Sakya Pandita's intelligence plus rigorous training in Buddhist epistemology and logic prompted his reputation to spread not only in Tibet, but throughout India, the Hymalayas, Mongolia and China. In 1240, Harinanda, a celebrated Hindu logician came to Kyirong to challenge Sapan on his Treasury of Logic on Valid Cognition. Sakya Pandita defeated the Brahman's sage with a resounding victory. Harinanda was so moved that he requested to become Sakya Pandita's disciple and be ordained as a Buddhist monk. In 1251, Sakya Pandita passed away at the age of 70, accomplished the ten bodhisattva bhumis.

Sakya Pandita is credited with the conversion of Mongolians to Buddhism and for being the first to introduce Tibetan Budhism outside of Tibet. In the year 1247, Prince Koden Khan, grandson of Chingis Khan having heard of Sakya Pandita's reputation as a great scholar and practitioner, invited Sakya Pandita to Mongolia to serve as their imperial preceptor. Reluctantly, Sapan journeyed to Liang-Chou, with the hope to bring the Dharma to the Mongolian court. There, he healed Prince Godan Khan of leprosy and conferred the royal court with an initiation of Hevajra. Through Sapan's teaching and miracles, the Mongolians converted to Buddhism.

" The Mongols have told me that I must definitely come to serve as their "preceptor", and that if I don't come, an army will arrive. My going was because I fear that harm may befall Tibet if an army turned up. Besides going in the hope that it will prove to be beneficial for living beings, there is no assurance of benefit"

Letter to the Kadampa religious teacher Namkha Bum

Following Sakya Pandita death, the emperor Sechen Kublai Khan requested for Sakya Pandita’s nephew, Drogon Chogyal Phagpa to come to the court to design new script to document the teaching in Mongolian language. Kublai Khan honored the contribution of Phagpa by adopting Buddhism as the religion of the Mongolians. Kublai also offered Phagpa ruling privilege over Tibet . Drogon Chogyal Phagpa thus became the first person to rule the entire country both in religion and in politic. Buddhism to Mongolia brought major changes in Tibetans' monastic culture with emphasis on both intellectual and meditation. With the support from the Mongolian's court, texts were printed, and artisans were invited to decorate temple with more elaborate expressions. Sakya Pandita's works are honored among other Buddhist traditions as one of exemplary.

* Pandita is a title given to a scholar who has mastered all branches of Indian Buddhist knowledge and literary culture.