Trisong Detsen, the Tibetan king who firmly established Buddhism in Tibet. Image credit: himalayanart.org. Click on image to enlarge.

King Trisong Detsen, the 38^th Yarlung King, ruled over Tibet from 754 CE to 799 CE.¹ Known as the second of Tibet’s Three Dharma Kings, he was the monarch responsible for the official adoption of Buddhism as the state religion of Tibet and for putting it under royal patronage.

In a dissertation on the life of Padmasambhava, it is written that the Bodhisattva Manjushri, wishing to spread the Dharma and to ensure its proliferation, decided to take rebirth as a king of Tibet. This incarnation was Trisong Detsen, the second Dharma King.

King Trisong Detsen founded Samye Monastery where the ordination of the first seven Tibetans as Buddhist monks took place, and sponsored the translation of numerous Buddhist texts. It was during his reign that many great teachers from India such as Shantarakshita and Padmasambhava, to name but a few, brought their teachings and lineages to Tibet.

The Dharma Kings of Tibet

The first Dharma King was Songtsen Gampo, the 33^rd King of the Dynasty of Yarlung, who ruled from around 605 CE to 650 CE.² He was credited with unifying several small Tibetan kingdoms under his leadership. Through the influence of his Nepali and Chinese wives who were both devout Buddhists, he became an enthusiastic promoter of the Dharma in the Land of Snows.

The first Dharma King was Songtsen Gampo. Image credit: wikivividly.com. Click on image to enlarge.

King Songtsen Gampo also introduced a writing system for the Tibetan language modelled on the Sanskrit script. He sent his minister, the scholar Thonmi Sambhota along with sixteen other individuals to India to study the various Indian writing systems. When Thonmi Sambhota returned to Tibet, he created a new script and a grammatical system for the Tibetan language. Thonmi Sambhota also collected various important scriptural texts for translation. It is said that Buddhist texts were first translated into Tibetan during the reign of Songtsen Gampo.

The third great Dharma King was Tri Ralpachen, the 41^st ruler of the Yarlung Dynasty, who reigned between 815 CE and 838 CE.³ This period was considered the golden age of the Tibetan Empire, which spread its borders to parts of China, India, Nepal and almost the entire area of East Turkestan, also known as Xinjiang. Tri Ralpachen promoted Buddhism throughout Tibet and commissioned further translations of Buddhist texts into the Tibetan language.

Notes 1, 2, and 3: These are approximate dates of the reigns of the three Dharma Kings. Source: Robert E. Buswell Jr. and Donald S. Lopez Jr., The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2014

Illustrious Genealogy

The young Trisong Detsen. Image credit: tourtraveltibet.com. Click on image to enlarge.

According to one source, Trisong Detsen was born in 742 CE to Emperor Me-Agtsom and Empress Chin Ch’eng Kun Chu. He was a descendant of Songtsen Gampo and a long line of rulers renowned for their spirituality. His mother was a Han Chinese princess from Tang China given in marriage to Emperor Me-Agtsom in an effort to ease tensions between Tibet and China. The Empress was a devout Buddhist who influenced the Emperor’s and her young son’s interest in Han Chinese Buddhism.

Fuelled by his young son’s early interest in Buddhism, Emperor Me-Agtsom sent a delegation to China to learn more about the religion. In 755 CE when Trisong Detsen was just thirteen, Emperor Me-Agtsom was assassinated by ministers of a conservative xenophobic Bön faction at the Tibetan court. They opposed the Emperor’s interest in Buddhism and his continuing conciliatory attitude towards China. This was the same year as the start of the An Lushan Rebellion in China (755–763 CE), which temporarily overthrew the Tang Dynasty.

It was not until 754 CE that Trisong Detsen became old enough to become the 38^th king of the Yarlung Dynasty. During the interim period before he ascended the throne, Ba Sangshi, the leader of the delegation sent to China by his father had returned with Buddhist texts which remained hidden until Trisong Detsen became king. With encouragement from Ba Sangshi, the Crown Prince studied these hidden texts and became a devout Buddhist.

Marriages and Descendants

A thangka of Standing Yeshe Tsogyal, Guru Padmasambhava, Wangze (Pema Shugden), Za Rahula and Dorje Shugden. Click to enlarge or click here for more high resolution Buddha images.

King Trisong Detsen had several wives, some of whom were the result of political alliances with bordering countries. The wives and consorts of Trisong Detsen include:

• Lhamo Tsen from the Chim clan
• Jangchub Dron from the Dro clan
• Gyalmo Tsun from the Phoyong family
• Magyal Tsokarma from the Tsepong clan
• Yeshe Tsogyal from the Kharchen family

Yeshe Tsogyal, one of the king’s consorts was offered to Padmasambhava by Trisong Detsen as a mandala offering during an empowerment. She became the chief disciple and consort of Padmasambhava, and her phenomenal memory enabled her to receive the complete set of his teachings. She eventually achieved enlightenment through her practice and became a great practitioner in her own right.

There are differing accounts from various sources regarding the number of sons that Trisong Detsen had. Most sources indicate that he had four sons:

• Mutri Tsenpo
• Mune Tsenpo
• Muruk Tsenpo
• Mutik Tsenpo (who became known as Tride Songtsen)

Princess Pema Sal. Image credit: rigpawiki.org. Click on image to enlarge.

Trisong Detsen also had one daughter, Princess Pema Sal, who died at the age of eight but was brought back to life by Padmasambhava and entrusted with the complete Khandro Nyingtik cycle by the master. She was later reborn as the tertön Pema Ledrel Tsal, who revealed the teachings as a treasure or terma.

Trisong Detsen retired from public life in 797 CE and went to live in Zungkar. Some sources say that he died in Zungkar the following year although the cause of death is not known. Another source, the Kathang Shetrag reported that Trisong Detsen was killed by a stray arrow shot by spectators when he was participating in a horse racing event. He was succeeded by his son, Mune Tsenpo.

Military Accomplishments

Conquests, Alliances and Their Influence on the Development of Buddhism

Historically, Tibet and China have always had a political relationship marked by conflict and tension along their shared borders, frequently resulting in war despite the presence of Buddhism in the cultural affairs of the two nations. Trisong Detsen proved his military prowess by winning several battles against Tang China and against the Arabs in the west. It was during his reign that Tibet’s military strength reached its peak, capturing large areas of China and regions to the west.

Despite the signing of Sino-Tibetan peace treaties, fighting between the Tibetans and the Chinese continued. In 781 CE, the Tibetan forces captured Dunhuang at the eastern end of the Tarim Basin. This large cave monastery complex became a centre for the translation of Buddhist texts from Chinese into Tibetan. The Peace Treaty of Qingshui in 783 CE, the year of Shantarakshita’s death, established the Sino-Tibetan boundary in Amdo, present-day Qinghai, giving Tibet control of the Kokonor regions. However, peace between the two empires lasted only three years, and war broke out again in this region in 786 CE, six years before the Samye debate.

Picturesque Amdo in present-day Qinghai. Image credit: thelandofsnows.com

Tibet’s military strength was unmatched during Trisong Detsen’s reign and her expansion into these territories, where Buddhism had long been established, strengthened her contact with the Indian form of Buddhism while forcing China to consider establishing diplomatic ties with Tibet. Buddhism entered into Sino-Tibetan relations during the reign of Trisong Detsen when he decreed Buddhism as the Tibetan state religion. This initiated the start of cultural ties which allowed the flow of Buddhist texts and teachers from China into Tibet.

The Sino-Tibetan conflicts were not restricted to the Amdo borders and the Silk Route regions. Tibet had entered into various military alliances under Trisong Detsen, especially with King Kolofeng, the son of King Pilaoko of Siam (Thailand). King Pilaoko (r. 728–750 CE) was the ruler of Nanzhao, the proto-Thai kingdom in Yunnan that he had established by uniting various Bai states in 730 CE. Pilaoko had accepted Tang Chinese overrule in 735 CE and had attacked nearby Tibetan areas in 745 CE. His son and successor, King Kolofeng (r. 750–779 CE), however, rebelled against China and allied with Tibet in 750 CE. In 778 CE, Tibet and Nanzhao fought a battle against the Chinese in Sichuan. This alliance held until 786 CE, when the next Nanzhao ruler, King Imoshun (r. 779–808 CE) allied his kingdom once more with China, and war broke out again between China and Tibet. Thus, China and Tibet fought each other on two fronts at this time. The Kingdom of Nanzhao lasted until 902 CE.

Western Alliances

The middle-aged Trisong Detsen flanked by Padmasambhava and Shantarakshita. Image credit: tourtraveltibet.com. Click on image to enlarge.

In order to secure Tibet’s western borders, Trisong Detsen forged alliances with Arab and Persian states. He was able to rely on their support in conflicts with China and this allowed him to focus on conquering large sections of western China as a result.

Trisong Detsen’s military successes were a key factor in his overcoming the opposition from the pro-Bön faction in his court. In addition, with the help of the powerful tantric master Padmasambhava who had arrived in Tibet, the local deities opposed to the introduction of Buddhism were subdued, and the king was able to invite Shantarakshita once more to Tibet. The return of Shantarakshita to Tibet around 761 CE marked the beginning of an era when Buddhism spread and flourished, penetrating all aspects of life in the Land of Snows.

Becoming the Second Dharma King

Buddhism had started to decline in the early 7^th century after its introduction by the first Dharma King, Songtsen Gampo. When Trisong Detsen came into power in 754 CE, he proclaimed himself a Buddhist and granted royal patronage to the religion. This effectively formalised Buddhism as the official religion in Tibet. Trisong Detsen proceeded to curb the growing anti-Buddhist movement by removing xenophobic ministers who preferred the Bön religion during and after his father’s assassination. The fact that the king himself had adopted the new faith had tremendous impact on the religious, cultural and political future of the country.

Mural in Samye Monastery showing Trisong Detsen receiving Guru Rinpoche. Image credit: itibettravel.com. Click on image to enlarge.

During his reign, Trisong Detsen presided over the administration of the Sangha. He also regulated the Tibetan Buddhist Canon by laying down rules regarding the translation of scriptural texts from a foreign language into Tibetan as well as the types of works that could be translated. It was also during his reign that the first Buddhist monastery was built in Tibet and the Indian Buddhist tradition became the country’s orthodox faith.

The King meets Shantarakshita

When King Trisong Detsen was twenty, he aspired to spread the Dharma and to build a temple that would become the seat for the teaching of the Buddha’s doctrine and the site for the growth and training of Tibetan Sangha. Trisong Detsen sent a delegation to China that returned with a thousand classic Buddhist scriptures. However, the xenophobia that existed at the time in the royal court forced Trisong Detsen to send more envoys to Nepal and India to learn Buddhism and to obtain more Buddhist texts. It was in Nepal that one of his envoys first heard of and met Shantarakshita, a famous Indian pandit and master of Buddhist scriptures. On his recommendation, Trisong Detsen decided to invite Shantarakshita to teach in Tibet.

Shantarakshita and Dorje Shugden. Click to enlarge or click here for more high resolution Buddha images.

In 761 CE, Trisong Detsen sent his minister Selnang to Nepal and to India to request for assistance and to invite the renowned scholar Shantarakshita, who was also the abbot of Nalanda Monastic University, the most prestigious Buddhist centre of learning in northern India. The scholar-monk was famous for his work, the Madhyamakalamkara or Ornament of the Middle Way, which is among the most important Mahayana Buddhist philosophical treatises to emerge on the Indian subcontinent. This text had a major impact on Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and is considered to be the quintessential exposition or root text of the school of Buddhist philosophical thought known as Yogachara-Svatantrika-Madhyamaka.

Shantarakshita played an important role in the diffusion of Buddhism in Tibet. He became the Abbot of Samye Monastery and ordained the first seven Tibetan monks. During the remaining years of his life in Tibet, Shantarakshita gave many teachings and transmissions. He was referred to by Tibetans as the “Bodhisattva Abbot.”

Padmasambhava Comes to the Rescue

A thangka of Standing Guru Rinpoche along with Vajrakilaya, Samantabhadra, Rahula, Ekajati, Dorje Legpa and Dorje Shugden. Click to enlarge or click here for more high resolution Buddha images.

With the help of Shantarakshita, King Trisong Detsen began the construction of Tibet’s first Buddhist monastery, Samye, built specifically for training and ordaining Tibetan monks, and to translate Buddhist texts primarily from India and China. It is important to note that for several generations after the death of the first Dharma King, Songtsen Gampo, Tibet had modest chapels but no monasteries or resident monks. Thus, the building of this monastery was of considerable significance.

The site of the monastery was chosen and consecrated by Shantarakshita. The initial construction of the temple was dogged by a series of natural disasters created by hostile supernatural forces native to Tibet. In addition, the king had to deal with opposition from the Bön priests and their allies – the pro-Bön ministers within his own court who were against the introduction of Buddhism. The Indian master’s arrival and his teaching of the Dharma in Tibet apparently displeased the local Bön spirits, resulting in storms, floods and a pestilence that swept the country.

According to some sources, Shantarakshita’s visit coincided with a smallpox epidemic that broke out around that time. As a result, he had to leave Tibet for Nepal, but before he left, Shantarakshita advised the King to invite the Tantric master, Padmasambhava to Tibet to subdue the Bön spirits, in addition to spreading Buddhism. On his arrival, Padmasambhava successfully subdued the local Bön demons and placed them in the service of the Dharma.

A thangka featuring Guru Rinpoche, Lama Tsongkhapa, Dorje Dragden and Dorje Shugden. Click to enlarge or click here for more high resolution Buddha images.

It was after the removal of these obstacles that King Trisong Detsen was finally able to build the monastery. Shantarakshita, who designed the monastery, was inspired by the then famous Indian Monastery of Odantapuri, in northern India. The temple complex was laid out in the form of a mandala.

The construction of the monastery was completed in five years. Trisong Detsen filled Samye with representations of enlightened body, speech and mind, and it soon became the hub of Dharma activity in Tibet. It was during this period at Samye Monastery that Trisong Detsen, together with Padmasambhava’s twenty five main disciples, received the empowerments of The Eight Sadhana Teachings directly from Padmasambhava. The king’s yidam was Heruka and he gained many siddhis through this practice. He also received Dzogchen transmissions from Padmasambhava, Vimalamitra and Vairochana and became one of their primary disciples.

Samye Monastery. Image credit: wikipedia.org

The Historical Council of Lhasa Debate

Samye Monastery was also the site where the famous “Samye Debate” took place around 792 CE. This event, also referred to as the “Council of Lhasa,” and the “Council of Samye,” was a key moment in the history of Tibetan Buddhism. The debate was held between the Chinese Buddhist monk called Mo-ho-yen (Mahayana) or Hvashang and the Indian Buddhist master Kamalashila.

At the time, Buddhism in Tibet came from two main regions, China and India. Trisong Detsen realised that the two schools of Buddhism had conflicting understanding and interpretations of Buddhist doctrines and practices. The Chinese Chan School taught instant enlightenment through stopping all thought and activity, while the Indian school argued that a gradual path of study, analysis, and ethical discipline would lead to enlightenment.

Prior to his death in 788 CE, Shantarakshita had foretold that such a conflict would arise between the Chinese and Indian disciplines. He had advised Trisong Detsen to hold a debate to resolve the matter by requesting his disciple, Kamalashila to represent the Indian position against Mo-ho-yen, the Chinese Chan master.

This historic series of debates lasting two years finally determined which school of Buddhism would prevail in Tibet. As Shantarakshita predicted, the judges ruled in favour of the Indian view. Mo-ho-yen and all teachings related to the Chinese Chan sect were banished from Tibet and the fledgling Tibetan Buddhist movement became solely influenced by the Indian Buddhist path.

The great Indian scholar and Vajrayana master Kamalashila. Image credit: Chinese Buddhist Encyclopedia. Click on image to enlarge.

This was a period of intense translation and teaching of the Dharma, during which King Trisong Detsen received every single transmission that these and other masters bestowed, becoming a primary custodian of the teachings. With the assistance of Padmasambhava, the Abbot Shantarakshita, and together with the great translators Vairochana and Vimalamitra and many other scholars and translators, Trisong Detsen was able to fulfil his aspiration of bringing the complete Buddhist teachings to Tibet.

Perhaps one of the greatest legacies of King Trisong Detsen was the preservation of the purity of the Buddhist lineages, ensuring the direct transmission of teachings from master to disciple in an unbroken line of succession spanning centuries. It is partly due to his pure motivation of establishing the Dharma in Tibet, that for more than a thousand years, countless people have benefitted and gained attainments through the study, contemplation and practice of the teachings. This lasting legacy of his benevolence and patronage continues right up to the present day, both within Tibet and extending to the furthest corners of the world.

VIDEO: King Trisong Detsen Biopic

The dance depicted in this video commemorates the historic event in Tibet when Dharma King Trisong Detsen invited the Abbot Shantarakshita and Acharya Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) from India to Tibet to help spread Buddhism there. They are referred to as the Sun, Moon and Star in the lyrics. The dance is part of the King Trisong Detsen biopic, composed by the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts in Dharamsala, India.

Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/Trisong-video4.mp4

Places of Interest: Samye Monastery

Samye Monastery was first built around 762-775 CE and the original structure has been destroyed and reconstructed a number of times since. The monastery is located at the foot of Mount Haibu Rishen, north of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, three hours’ drive south-east of Lhasa in the beautiful Chongye Valley. It is open all year round to visitors for a fee. It can be visited as a day trip by taking a regular bus from Lhasa. Many Tibetan monks still study here and receive ordination.

A complete view of the monastery illustrating the mandala-inspired layout. Image credit: himalayan-dreams.com

The monastery was built in the 8^th century by King Trisong Detsen, in consultation with the scholar-monk, Shantarakshita and with the aid of the Indian sage, Padmasambhava. The temple was destroyed during the civil war in the 11^th century, by fire in the 11^th and 17^th centuries, and by earthquakes in the 18^th century.

The grounds are laid out in a mandala pattern and the main building is said to be inspired by the architecture of Odantapuri, a great Indian Buddhist university that has since been destroyed. According to some sources, the appearance of its Buddha statues is influenced by the Tibetan style to make it more appealing to locals.

One of the interesting features of the monastery is that it is encircled by a wall which is considered to be the representation of Mount Cakravada. This indicates that the monastery is protected by a symbolic iron fence. Image credit: tibettravel.org

The Cham Dance festival held every year at Samye Monastery is one of the most important festivals in the Tibetan calendar. The Cham dances are performed by the monks for the local lay people and consist of a variety of different performances, all of which have one similar strand running through them – the use of colourful and extravagant costumes and huge colourful masks. The masks are meant to drive fear into the demons of the Plateau, and it is believed that the older the mask, the more powerful its effect on the demons.

VIDEO: Samye Monastery, Tibet

Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/Trisong-video2.mp4

VIDEO: Cham Dance at Samye Monastery

Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/Trisong-video1.mp4

VIDEO: The Brahmaputra and Samye Monastery (Tsetang, Tibet, China)

Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/Trisong-video3.mp4

Legacy

An older Trisong Detsen. Image credit: tourtraveltibet.com. Click on image to enlarge.

King Trisong Detsen’s reign had a great impact on the development of Buddhism in Tibet. In declaring Buddhism as the official religion under royal patronage, he effectively removed political opposition to the introduction of Buddhism in the country. His military power, together with diplomatic and cultural ties, paved the way for Buddhist texts to be brought into Tibet for translation into Tibetan.

The invitation of accomplished and realised Indian Buddhist masters to teach in Tibet, not to mention the complete removal of the Chinese Chan sect after their defeat in the Samye Debate, meant that Tibetan Buddhism was not diluted by other cultural influences. It is because of King Trisong Detsen that Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava and Shantarakshita were invited to Tibet. The construction of the first Tibetan monastery by this King ensured that there would be Tibetan Sangha members and an established holy institution in which they could be trained and ordained. It became the institution for the translation of Buddhist texts and it was one of the largest repositories of Buddhist texts in Tibet in its heyday.

Recommended Reading

Buton’s History of Buddhism in India and Its Spread to Tibet (Translated by Lisa Stein and Ngawang Zangpo)

Political and Military History of Tibet: Vol 1 (Published by the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives)

Buddhism Between Tibet and China (Edited by Matthew T. Kapstein)

Tibet: A Political History (by Tsepon W.D. Shakabpa)

Concise Edition of a General History of Tibet (by Chapel Tseten Phuntsog, Nortrang Urgyan and Phuntsog Tsering)

Image Gallery (Free Download)

King Trisong Detsen

King Trisong Detsen

King Trisong Detsen

King Trisong Detsen

King Trisong Detsen

King Trisong Detsen

King Trisong Detsen

King Trisong Detsen

King Trisong Detsen

King Trisong Detsen

King Trisong Detsen

King Trisong Detsen (central figure)

Line drawing of King Trisong Detsen

Line drawing of King Trisong Detsen

Statue of King Trisong Detsen

Statue of King Trisong Detsen

Statue of King Trisong Detsen

Statue of King Trisong Detsen

Statue of King Trisong Detsen

Mural in Samye Monastery showing Trisong Detsen receiving Guru Rinpoche.

Sources

• Tibet’s Three Dharma Kings (https://kagyu.org/buddhism-in-tibet/)
• Buddhism Comes to the Rugged Land of Tibet. Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. (http://www.dpr.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/dpr_buddhismcomestotibet.pdf)
• From King Trisong Detsen to the revival of Buddhism (https://studybuddhism.com/en/advanced-studies/history-culture/buddhism-in-tibet/history-of-the-early-period-of-buddhism-bon-in-tibet/from-king-trisong-detsen-to-the-revival-of-buddhism)
• http://www.druponrinpoche.org/King-Trisong-Detsen
• https://earlytibet.com/2008/08/21/buddhism-and-empire-iii-the-dharma-king/
• Trisong Detsen and his accomplishments (https://studybuddhism.com/en/advanced-studies/history-culture/buddhism-in-tibet/tibetan-history-before-the-fifth-dalai-lama/the-empire-of-the-early-kings-of-tibet)
• https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/the-great-council-of-lhasa.html
• A discussion of the debate known as “The Council of Lhasa” by Simon Man Ho Wong in his book Wisdom in China and the West
• http://www.rinpoche.com/stories/tibet2.htm
• The Life Stories of Padmasambhava and their significance for Tibetan Buddhists (http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:601766/FULLTEXT01.pdf)

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