the history of buddhism among the mongols 385
lar. The causes of the invitation were certainly complex.^28 Inasmuch
as the word-to-word content of Köden’s order was heavily inspired by
Buddhism, the question whether Köden’s order to Sa-skya Paita as
it is preserved in a Sa-skya-pa work of 1629 is the Tibetan transla-
tion of a Mongolian original, can be left aside, since, in this form, it
can hardly be from Köden himself.^29 The reason mentioned for the
invitation, however, leads one to suspect the true ground: Köden sum-
mons Sa-skya Paita because he needs a Lama who can show him
how to correctly reward his parents as well as Heaven and Earth for
their benefaction. This indicates that Sa-skya Paita should pray to
Heaven and pronounce benedictions, in the same way that inggis
Khan had already demanded of the monks Haiyun and Zhongguan.
This supposition is af rmed by a writing of Sa-skya Paita to the
monks and laymen of Tibet, probably written in 1249,^30 because here
Sa-skya Paita issued an explicit admonition of inggis Khan to pray
to Heaven (not to Buddha!) and utter benedictions. The Mongol rulers
were, at least up until the time of Qubilai Khan, hardly interested in
the religious question of truth. Shamans, Daoists, Christians, Muslims
and Buddhists only had one duty: to use their power to conciliate
the extra-worldly powers. As long as they obediently performed their
regular duties, they were all treated equally and were exempted from
taxes and contributions.^31
A further substantial ground for the invitation of Sa-skya Paita
was obviously a pure political one. The head of the Sa-skya-pa school
Kun-dga’-rgyal-mtshan was not merely a religious dignitary, but was
above all one of the most in uential political personalities of Tibet. It
must have been of the greatest importance for Mongolian in uence on
Tibet that one of the most prominent representatives of the Tibetan
leading class was present at the court of the princes who were respon-
sible for Tibet. As the Paita states in the writing to the monks and
lay people of Tibet mentioned above, he had complied to the request
(^28) For literature, see Everding 1988, p. 230 n. 314.
(^29) The text is preserved in the Sa-skya gdung-rabs of Ngag-dbang-kun-dga’-bsod-nams,
see the edition by the Tibetan Printing Press 1989, pp. 80–81; Mongolian translation
in oyiúi 1998, pp. 147–148; English rendering in Shakabpa 1967, pp. 61–62.
(^30) The text is preserved in the Sa-skya-gdung-rabs (see the preceding note 29), pp.
135–140; Mongolian translation in oyiúi 1998, pp. 153–158; English summary in
Shakabpa 1967, pp. 63–64. 31
See, e.g., the Mongolian documents in ’Phags-pa script published in Poppe 1957,
pp. 46–55.