314 karénina kollmar-paulenz
traditionally ascribed to Srong-btsan-sgam-po. Although the Ra-mo-
che, also known as rGya-btags Ra-mo-che, “Ra-mo-che belonging to
the Chinese (?)”, is one of the oldest Buddhist establishments in the
country, it was probably founded by the bride of Khri-lde-gtsug-btsan,
one of Srong-btsan-sgam-po’s successors, the Chinese princess Jincheng
, who travelled to Tibet in 710 AD.
The later Buddhist chronicles mention twelve “boundary and
limb-binding” chapels which were built by Srong-btsan-sgam-po, thus
referring to the myth of the she-demon who had to be subjugated by
erecting Buddhist chapels and temples on her outstretched limbs. The
authenticity of these accounts is, however, contested, with the one
exception, perhaps, of the small chapel of dBu-ru-ka-tshal, erected at
a point where the Mal-gro-ma-chu joins the sKyid-chu river.
Even in the early period of consolidating its military power, the
ideology of the Yar-lung dynasty, based on the belief of its divine ori-
gin, was prone to change. In 649 AD Srong-btsan-sgam-po received
the Chinese title baowang from the Tang emperor Gaozong
(649–683) on the occasion of the latter’s enthronement. Baowang, an
imperial prerogative of the “King of the West” in Chinese culture is
often connected with the Buddha Amitbha whose spiritual “son” is
Avalokitevara. The path identi ng this rst historically ascertained
Tibetan ruler with the bodhisattva Avalokitevara was probably smoothed
in this way. Furthermore the identi cation of the two wives of Srong-
btsan-sgam-po with the two consorts of the bodhisattva seems to date
back to the royal period. Thus we may conclude that, although the
indigenous religious tradition was still prevalent in the time of Srong-
btsan-sgam-po, the new faith was slowly taking root and indigenous
myths were transformed into Buddhist ones.
- Tibet under the Reign of Khri-srong-lde-btsan,
Emperor and DHARMARJA
Srong-btsan-sgam-po’s immediate successors took no great interest
in Buddhism, although Khri-lde-gtsug-btsan (704–754 AD) founded
some chapels, according to an inscription dating to the eighth century.
Later historians of the phyi-dar assert that Buddhism was suppressed
after the reign of Khri-lde-gtsug-btsan and then restored under his son
and successor Khri-srong-lde-btsan (730–797 AD). The ancient edicts
preserved in the chronicle of dPa’-bo-gtsug-lag con rm this opinion,
although it is doubtful that the attitude of the royal court towards