the history of buddhism among the mongols 387
Tibetan Buddhism, thereby bestowing upon the Sa-skya-pa school a
special importance.
Nevertheless, there are indications that the Mongolian princes also
had good relations with other schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Each of
the four sons of Tolui, inggis Khan’s youngest son, was granted a
certain territory as a ef. Each of these four territories were respectively
dominated by different schools. This implies that Möngke, who in 1251
became the fourth Mongolian Great Khan, had a special relationship
with the ’Bri-gung-pa, that Qubilai had a special relationship with the
Tshal-pa, Ülegü (Hülegü) with the Phag-mo-gru-pa, and Aribuqa with
the sTag-lung-pa.^37
The Sa-skya-pa preserved their leading position in Tibet. To them,
Möngke Khan—as Köden supposedly had already done—entrusted
the highest supervision over the whole Buddhist clergy in Tibet, and
they were exempted from all taxes and contributions.^38
An event that was of even greater impact for the relations between
the Mongols and Tibetan Buddhism, was the encounter of Qubilai,
Möngke Khan’s younger brother and later successor, with ’Phags-pa
Blo-gros-rgyal-mtshan. In 1251, Qubilai marched with his army against
the realm of Dali in the present-day southwestern Chinese Yunnan
province. On his march to the south, he came in the neighbour-
hood of Liangzhou where Sa-skya Paita resided. He invited Sa-skya
Paita over, but, as the latter was ill, he sent his nephew ’Phags-pa to
Qubilai. Qubilai was impressed by the clever and cheerful young man.
’Phags-pa did not stay for long with Qubilai, since Sa-skya Paita
died and ’Phags-pa returned to Liangzhou. A second encounter fol-
lowed soon, when Qubilai marched back to the North in 1253. In the
meantime, ’Phags-pa had succeeded his uncle as head of the Sa-skya-pa.
Tradition has it that Qubilai asked many questions about the history
of Tibet and about Buddhism and was so impressed by the answers
of the young monk, that he became a religious follower, received the
consecration of the tantra deity Hevajra from ’Phags-pa, and chose him
as his spiritual guide.^39
A little later, Qubilai invited another high Tibetan clergyman: Karma
Paki Chos-kyi-Bla-ma (1204–1283), the second hierarch of the Karma
(^37) oyiúi 1998, pp. 165–166.
(^38) oyiúi 1998, pp. 167, 169.
(^39) Abramowski 1979, pp. 18, 21; oyiúi 1998, pp. 170–175. On ’Phags-pa and
Qubilai, see also Franke 1978, pp. 58–63.