Origins & Early Life

Atiśa Dīpaṃkara Śrījñāna (c. 982–1054 CE) was a Buddhist religious teacher and leader from Bengal. He is generally associated with his body of work authored at Vikramaśīla Monastery in Bihar. He was a major figure in the spread of 11th-century Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism in Asia and traveled to Sumatra and Tibet.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Atiśa, along with his chief disciple Dromtön, is regarded as the founder of the Kadam school, one of the New Translation schools of Tibetan Buddhism. In the 14th century, the Kadam school was supplanted by the Gelug tradition, which adopted its teachings and absorbed its monasteries. Atiśa was born as Candragarbha in c. 982 CE as the second of three sons to a ruling family in Bengal most probably in the village of Vajrayogini in Vikrampura, the latter was one of the capitals of the Pala Empire. His father was a king known as Kalyānaśrī and his mother was Prabhavati Sri.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The early part of his life was typical of noblemen of the period, and he was trained in various fields, including art. As a young man, he began to study tantra in what is now Rajgir, where he was tutored by a monk named Rāhulaguhyavajra. Under Rāhulaguhyavajra...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Pope Leo IX — Contemporary (Died in 1054) (1054): A pivotal Pope of the Middle Ages, instrumental in the Great Schism of 1054.
• Yaroslav the Wise — Contemporary (Died in 1054) (1054): Grand Prince of Kiev, known for unifying principalities and establishing early Slavic law.
• Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor — Contemporary figure (Died in 983) (983): Holy Roman Emperor of the Ottonian Dynasty, strengthening Imperial power in Italy and Germany.
• Avicenna — Contemporary figure (Born in 980) (980): Polymath of the Islamic Golden Age, renowned physician and philosopher.
• Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor — Contemporary figure (Born in 980) (980): Holy Roman Emperor and King of Italy from 996 to 1002, member of the Ottonian dynasty.
• Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah — Contemporary figure (Born in 985) (985): Sixth Fatimid Caliph and 16th Ismaili Imam, known for a controversial reign.
• Zoe Porphyrogenita — Contemporary figure (Born in 978) (978): Byzantine empress regnant in 1042, member of the Macedonian dynasty.
• Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi — Contemporary figure (Died in 986) (986): Influential Persian astronomer known for expanding Ptolemaic models and stellar catalogs.
• Al-Qushayri — Contemporary figure (Born in 986) (986): Eminent Arab scholar, Sufi philosopher, and master of Islamic sciences.
• 982 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 982
• 1054 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1054