The Spread of Buddhism

the later spread of buddhism in tibet 361

4.1. Sa-skya-pa

The Sa-skya-pa school was founded by dKon-mchog rgyal-po (1034–
1102), a member of the mighty Khon clan residing in the area called
Sa-skya (“pale earth”) in gTsang, including important trade routes
between the agricultural regions of dBus, the regions of Western Tibet
and Nepal. In 1073 dKon-mchog rgyal-po established the monastery
Sa-skya—simply called after its local setting, as was the school that
developed inside its walls—as a centre of religious learning and prac-
tice based on the teachings he received from his master, the travelling
translator ’Brog-mi (992–1072). According to the “Blue Annals” (Deb-ther
sngon-po),^44 ’Brog-mi had travelled to India where he studied Hnayna,
Mahyna and Vajrayna traditions under several great Paitas of
the monastic university of Vikramala. Afterwards he went further east
and became a disciple of Prajñ-indraruci who bestowed on him the
initiation in the tantric cycle of Hevajra. Prajñ-indraruci belonged to a
transmission lineage ultimately going back to the mahsiddha Vir pa, who
is believed to have received his instructions on the Hevajra-tantra––one
of the great anuttarayoga-tantras––directly from the goddess Nairtmy,
the female companion of Hevajra himself.
Due to its favourable local setting the Sa-skya monastery quickly rose
to remarkable wealth and political in uence. Throughout its history it
remained closely linked to the noble family of Khon. The abbot of
the Sa-skya-pa school, the Sa-skya-khri-chen, has always been a member
of this clan. Though the Sa-skya-pa order is traditionally presented
as putting less emphasis on formal monastic discipline, the Sa-skya-
khri-chens—at least in early times—were usually fully ordained monks,
while a son of a married brother was normally recruited as the next
abbot. This model of uncle-nephew-succession, copied by several other
schools, assured that the affairs of the school remained in the hand of
the family and caused their joint rise to power.
Sa-skya soon developed to one of the great centres of Buddhist
monastic learning in Tibet. Although it remained particularly connected
to the transmission of the Hevajra-tantra—Hevajra is also believed to
be the “tutelary-deity” of the school—other branches of Buddhist
learning—Mahyna and Vajrayna literature, Madhyamaka philosophy,
logic, Abhidharma—were also pursued and integrated into an elaborate

(^44) Blue Annals, pp. 205f.