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{{short description|Scholar of Madhyamaka Buddhism (982–1054)}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox religious biography
| name               = Atiśa
| image              = Atisha.jpg
| caption            = In this twelfth-century Tibetan depiction, Atiśa holds a long, thin palm-leaf manuscript with his left hand and making the gesture of teaching with his right hand. Produced in a [[Kadam (Tibetan Buddhism)|Kadam]] monastery in [[Tibet]], currently held in the [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/tibu/ho_1993.479.htm |title=Portrait of Atiśa [Tibet (a Kadampa monastery)] (1993.479) |access-date=11 January 2008 |date=October 2006 |work=Timeline of Art History |publisher=New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–}}</ref>
| alias              =
| dharma name        = Buddhism
| birth_date         = {{circa|982 CE}}
| birth_place        = [[Vikrampura]], [[Bengal]]
| death_date         = {{circa|1054 CE}}
| death_place        = [[Nyêtang]], Tibet
| nationality        =
| religion           = [[Buddhism]]
| title              =
| location           =
| education          = {{plainlist|
* [[Vikramashila]]
* [[Odantapuri]]
}}
| reincarnation of   =
| teachers           = [[Jñanasrimitra]]
| students           = [[Dromtön]]
| spouse             =
| children           =
}}
{{Buddhism}}
{{Tibetan Buddhism}}
'''Atish Dipankar Shrijnan'''  (Sanskrit transliteration: Atīśa Dīpaṅkara Śrījñāna) (c. 982–1054 CE) was a [[Bengalis|Bengali]] [[Buddhist]] religious teacher and leader.<ref name=TBRC>{{cite web |title=Reincarnation |url=http://www.dalailama.com/messages/statement-of-his-holiness-the-fourteenth-dalai-lama-tenzin-gyatso-on-the-issue-of-his-reincarnation |website=Dalailama |publisher=The Dalai Lama |access-date=20 May 2015 |archive-date=14 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150514084334/http://www.dalailama.com/messages/statement-of-his-holiness-the-fourteenth-dalai-lama-tenzin-gyatso-on-the-issue-of-his-reincarnation |url-status=dead}}</ref> He is generally associated with his body of work authored at [[Vikramashila|Vikramaśīla]] Monastery in modern day [[Bihar]], India.<ref name="Westerhoff2018">{{cite book |author=Jan Westerhoff |title=The Golden Age of Indian Buddhist Philosophy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DYFZDwAAQBAJ |year=2018 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-873266-2 |page=276}}</ref> He was a major figure in the spread of 11th-century [[Mahayana]] and [[Vajrayana]] Buddhism in Asia and traveled to [[Sumatra]] and [[Tibet]]. Atiśa, along with this chief disciple [[Dromtön]], is regarded as the founder of the [[Kadam (Tibetan Buddhism)|Kadam school]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/pov/myreincarnation/tibetan-buddhism-glossary.php |title=Tibetan Buddhism from A to Z - My Reincarnation - POV |last=POV |website=[[PBS]] |access-date=24 August 2017 |archive-date=24 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924151141/http://www.pbs.org/pov/myreincarnation/tibetan-buddhism-glossary.php |url-status=dead}}</ref> one of the [[Sarma (Tibetan Buddhism)|New Translation]] schools of [[Tibetan Buddhism]]. In the 14th century, the Kadam school was supplanted by the [[Gelug]] tradition, which adopted its teachings and absorbed its monasteries.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://treasuryoflives.org/en/tradition/Kadam |title=Kadam - The Treasury of Lives: A Biographical Encyclopedia of Tibet, Inner Asia and the Himalayan Region |website=The Treasury of Lives |language=en |access-date=11 December 2018}}</ref>

==Biography==
===Early life===
Atiśa was born as Candragarbha in c. 982 CE as the second of three sons to a ruling family in [[Bengal]] in the city of [[Vikrampura]].<ref>[[Maha Bodhi Society]], ''The Maha Bodhi'', Volume 90, p. 238.</ref> His father was a king known as Kalyānaśrī and his mother was Prabhavati Sri.<ref>{{cite web |title=Atisa Dipamkara |url=https://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Atiśa-Dīpaṃkara/5717 |website=[[The Treasury of Lives]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=ATĪŚA ou ATĪSHA |url=https://www.universalis.fr/encyclopedie/atisa-atisha/ |website=[[Encyclopædia Universalis]] |language=fr-FR}}</ref> The early part of his life was typical of noblemen of the period, and he was trained in various fields, including art.<ref name=BrillAtisa>{{cite journal |last1=Roesler |first1=Ulrike |title=Atiśa and the Bka' gdams pa Masters |journal=Brill's Encyclopedia of Buddhism Online |url=https://referenceworks.brill.com/display/entries/ENBO/COM-2181.xml}}</ref> He is referred to as a "[[Bengalis|Bāngāli]]" in his two books named ''Ekavirasādhanā'' and ''Balavidhi''.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Charjacharjo Binishchay, Sarojbajrer Dohakosh, Kanhopader Dohakosh O Dakarnab |year=1916 |last=Shastri |first=Haraprasad |page=22 |language=Bengali}}</ref>

===Studies===
As a young man, he began to study [[Vajrayana|tantra]] in what is now [[Rajgir]], where he was tutored by a monk named Rāhulaguhyavajra. Under Rāhulaguhyavajra, Atiśa was initiated into [[Hevajra]] and taught specific meditations. He then studied for seven years under a master named Avadhūtipā, where he focused on [[yoga]] and engaged in tantric feasts known as [[Ganachakra]].<ref name= BrillAtisa />

According to Tibetan sources, Atiśa was ordained into the [[Mahāsāṃghika]] lineage at the age of twenty-eight by the Abbot Śīlarakṣita in [[Bodh Gaya]] and studied almost all Buddhist and non-Buddhist schools of his time, including teachings from [[Vaishnavism]], [[Shaivism]], Tantric Hinduism and other practices. He also studied the sixty-four kinds of art, the art of music and the art of logic and accomplished these studies until the age of twenty-two. Among the many Buddhist lineages he studied, practised and transmitted the three main lineages were the ''Lineage of the Profound Action'' transmitted by [[Asanga|Asaṅga]] and [[Vasubandhu]], the ''Lineage of Profound View'' transmitted by [[Nagarjuna]] and [[Candrakīrti]], and the ''Lineage of Profound Experience'' transmitted by [[Tilopa]] and [[Naropa]].<ref>Great Kagyu Masters: The Golden Lineage Treasury by Khenpo Konchog Gyaltsen, Snow Lion Publications, pages 154-186</ref>{{Sfn|Buswell|2014|p=247}} Atiśa engaged with many notable teachers during this period, including [[Ratnākaraśānti]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Ratnākaraśānti |url=https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopedia-of-buddhism/ratnakarasanti-COM_2051 |publisher=Encyclopedia of Buddhism Online}}</ref> Naropa and [[Jitari]]. He also studied Dharmarakṣita at the monastery of [[Odantapuri]].<ref name= BrillAtisa />

===Vikramaśīla===
Atiśa rose to become a senior scholar at the monastery of [[Vikramashila|Vikramaśīla]] at a time when it had no more than one hundred ordained monks present. Tibetan hagiographies on his life have a tendency to portray him as one of the greatest scholars to stay at Vikramaśīla, who would be noted for his strict adherence to the ethics of Mahayana Buddhism. It was during this period that the King of the Tibetan polity of [[Guge]], Lha bla ma Ye shes 'od began to send missions to Vikramaśīla to invite scholars to visit Guge so that they could teach the "pure form of Buddhism".

Atiśa finally departed Vikramaśīla in 1040 CE. The then abbot of Vikramaśīla, Ratnakara, gave his permission for Atiśa to leave but on the condition that he return in three years.<ref name="BrillAtisa" />
===Teachings in Sumatra and Tibet===
[[File:Mural of Atisha at Ralung Gompa, 1993.jpg|thumb|280px|Mural of Atiśa at [[Ralung Monastery]], 1993.]]
Tibetan sources record that Atiśa spent 12 years in [[Sumatra]] of the [[Srivijaya]] empire, and he returned to India in 1025 CE which was also the same year when [[Rajendra Chola I]] of the [[Chola dynasty]] invaded Sumatra.<ref>Atisa and Tibet: Life and Works of Dipamkara Srijnana by Alaka Chattopadhyaya p.91</ref>

Upon his return, he received much attention for his teachings and skills in debate and philosophy. On three separate occasions, Atiśa was acclaimed for defeating non-Buddhist extremists in debate.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}} When he came into contact with what he perceived to be a misled or deteriorating form of Buddhism, he would quickly and effectively implement reforms. Soon enough he was appointed to the position of steward, or abbot, at Vikramaśīla which was established by [[Dharmapala (emperor)|Emperor Dharmapala]].{{citation needed|date=November 2020}} He is also said to have "nourished" [[Odantapuri]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Chattopadhyaya |first1=Alaka |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H8Ssa5r7MZkC&dq=%22Atisa+also+%22nourished%22+Odantapuri%22&pg=PA126 |title=Atīśa and Tibet: Life and Works of Dīpaṃkara Śrījñāna in Relation to the History and Religion of Tibet |last2=Atīśa |date=1981 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publ. |isbn=978-81-208-0928-4 |pages=126 |language=en}}</ref>

Atiśa's return from [[Suvarnabhumi]], where he had been studying with Dharmakīrtiśrī, and his rise to prominence in India coincided with a flourishing of Buddhist culture and the practice of Buddhism in the region, and in many ways Atiśa's influence contributed to these developments. According to the ''[[Blue Annals]]'', a new king of [[Guge]] by the name of [[Yeshe-Ö]] sent his academic followers to learn and translate some of the Sanskrit Buddhist texts.<ref>{{cite book |author=bstan pa'i mgon po |title=Blue Annals |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3DuVrgEACAAJ |year=1974 |publisher=Lokesh Chandra}}</ref> Among these academics was Naktso, who was eventually sent to Vikramaśīla to study Sanskrit and plead with Atiśa to come teach the Dharma in his homeland.

Travelling with Naktso and Gya Lōtsawa, Atiśa journeyed through Nepal on his way to Tolung, the capital of the Purang Kingdom. (Gya Lōtsawa died before reaching Tolung.) On his way, he is said to have met Marpa Lōtsawa. He spent three years in Tolung and compiled his teachings into his most influential scholarly work, ''[[Bodhipathapradīpa]]'', or ''Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment''. This short text in sixty-seven verses lays out the entire Buddhist path in terms of the three vehicles: Hīnayāna, Mahāyāna, and Vajrayāna, and became the model for subsequent texts in the genre of [[Lamrim]], or the ''Stages of the Path,''<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Atisa-Dipamkara/5717 |title=Atisa Dipamkara |website=The Treasury of Lives |language=en |access-date=11 December 2018}}</ref> and was specifically the basis for [[Tsongkhapa]]'s Lamrim writings. Here Atiśa met [[Dromtön]], or Dromtonpa, who would become his primary disciple, regarded as both an enforcer of later propagation ethical standards and a holder of Atiśa's tantric lineage.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Dromton-Gyelwa-Jungne/4267 |title=Dromton Gyelwa Jungne |website=The Treasury of Lives |language=en |access-date=11 December 2018}}</ref>

According to [[Jamgon Kongtrul]], when Atiśa discovered the store of Sanskrit texts at Pekar Kordzoling, the library of [[Samye]], "he said that the degree to which the Vajrayana had spread in Tibet was unparalleled, even in India. After saying this, he reverently folded his hands and praised the great dharma kings, translators, and panditas of the previous centuries."{{Sfn|Tulku|Helm|2006|p=74}}

==Legacy==
In 2004, Atiśa was ranked 18th in the [[BBC]]'s poll of the [[Greatest Bengali of all time|greatest Bengalis of all time]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3623345.stm |title=Listeners name 'greatest Bengali' |date=14 April 2004 |access-date=24 February 2018 |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thehindu.com/2004/04/17/stories/2004041703001700.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225011708/https://www.thehindu.com/2004/04/17/stories/2004041703001700.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 December 2018 |website=[[The Hindu]] |title=International : Mujib, Tagore, Bose among 'greatest Bengalis of all time' |date=17 April 2004 |access-date=24 February 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/2004/04/16/d4041601066.htm |title=The Daily Star Web Edition Vol. 4 Num 313 |website=The Daily Star |access-date=24 February 2018 |archive-date=25 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225011711/http://archive.thedailystar.net/2004/04/16/d4041601066.htm |url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Writings ==
{{Unreferenced section|date= March 2022}}
His writings include:

:*''[[Bodhipathapradīpa]]'' ({{bo|w=byang chub lam gyi sgron ma}})
:*Bodhipathapradipapanjikanama (his own commentary on ''Bodhipathapradīpa'' / byang chub lam gyi sgron ma)
:*''Charyasamgrahapradipa'' contains some [[kirtan]] verses composed by Atiśa.
:*''Satyadvayavatara''
:*''Bodhisattvamanyavali''
:*''Madhyamakaratnapradipa''
:*''Mahayanapathasadhanasangraha''
:*''Shiksasamuccaya Abhisamya''
:*''Prajnaparamitapindarthapradipa''
:*''Ekavirasadhana''
:*''Vimalaratnalekha'', a Sanskrit letter to [[Nayapala]], king of [[Gauda Kingdom|Gauda]].

== See also ==
* [[Nyethang Drolma Temple]]
* [[Bikrampur Vihara]]

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

===Bibliography===
* {{cite book |last=Buswell |first=Robert Jr. |author-link=Robert Buswell Jr. |title=Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism |year=2014 |publisher=Princeton University Press |location=Princeton, New Jersey |isbn=9780691157863}}
* Khenpo Konchog Gyaltsen, ''Great Kagyu Masters: The Golden Lineage Treasury'', Snow Lion Publications
* Geshe Sonam Rinchen, ''Atiśa's Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment'', Snow Lion Publications
* {{cite book |last=Khyentse |first=Dilgo |author-link=Dilgo Khyentse |date=1993 |title='Enlightened Courage |location=Ithaca, New York |publisher=[[Snow Lion Publications]] |isbn=1-55939-023-9 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/enlightenedcoura00rabg}}
* {{cite book |last1=Tulku |first1=Ringu |last2=Helm |first2=Ann |date=2006 |title=The Ri-Me Philosophy of Jamgon Kongtrul the Great: A Study of the Buddhist Lineages of Tibet |location=Boston |publisher=[[Shambhala Publications]] |isbn=1-59030-286-9}}
* {{cite book |last1=Apple |first1=James B. |date=2019 |title=Atisa Dipamkara: Illuminator of the Awakened Mind |location=Boston |publisher=[[Shambhala Publications]] |isbn=978-1611806472}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Atisha}}
* {{Internet Archive author|name=Atiśa}}
* {{Internet Archive author|name=Atisha}}
* [http://faculty.washington.edu/kpotter/ckeyt/txt3.htm Bibliography of Atisha's works, Item 596] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211113104432/http://faculty.washington.edu/kpotter/ckeyt/txt3.htm |date=13 November 2021 }}, Karl Potter, University of Washington
* [http://kadampa.org/en/buddhism/advice-from-atisha Advice from Atiśa's Heart]
* [http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Dipankar_Srijnan,_Atish Atiśa Dipamkara] on Banglapedia
* [http://studybuddhism.com/en/tibetan-buddhism/original-texts/sutra-texts/lamp-for-the-path-to-enlightenment English Translation of Lamp to the Path of Enlightenment] (by Dr. Alexander Berzin)

{{Buddhism topics}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Atisa}}
[[Category:982 births]]
[[Category:1054 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian scholars of Buddhism]]
[[Category:Monks of Vikramashila]]
[[Category:Tibetan Buddhist spiritual teachers]]
[[Category:Buddhism in Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Madhyamaka scholars]]
[[Category:Kadampa lamas]]
[[Category:People from Bikrampur]]
[[Category:Indian Buddhist monks]]
[[Category:10th-century Indian people]]
[[Category:11th-century Indian people]]
[[Category:History of Tibetan Buddhism]]
[[Category:Founders of Buddhist sects]]
[[Category:People from the Pala Empire]]