Atisha was the second son of a king, ruler of an area which today is located in the border area between India and Bangladesh. Atisha told that during the birth in 982 lots of amazing things happen, such as the blue lotus flower rain that fell in the lap of his mother. His parents gave him the name Chandragharba, which means "Essence of Moon".
At the age of 20 years, Atisha received monastic ordination and named Dipamkara Srijnana. Later on many occasions, during his stay in Tibet, known as Atisha Dipamkara Srijnana.
Atisha was an enthusiastic student. He studied the book of all the Buddhist tradition, he did not learn one side only. Overall, there is only one source of the Buddha Sakyamuni and if someone wants to follow, one must walk in His way. In fact, there is no separation of Buddhism as Hinayana (small vehicle) and Mahayana (great vehicle).
After Atisha studied with all the leading teachers in India, he became highly educated, proficient in the five main branches of knowledge, master the Sutra and Tantra, however he wondered about whether the fastest path to reach a complete and perfect enlightenment? Atisha and experience some unique events, which events are directed at the same answer, namely: train the mind of the Enlightenment (Bodhicitta), a mental attitude that altruistic.
At that time, there is only one teacher who holds a complete lineage of the method, the teacher Dharmakirti, who dwells in the Suvarna-dvipa (in the present is an area in Sumatra, Indonesia). Moved by a strong desire to be able to learn the method, along with 125 students and merchants, Atisha went to Sumatra. Regardless of difficulties and dangers as it navigates the ocean, Atisha arrived in Suvarnadvipa after 13 months of sailing. Atisha when it was about 30 years.
There are so many things learned and observed by Atisha spent 12 years living with Serlingpa (Dharmakirti by Tibetans better known as Serlingpa, which means "People of Serling [Suvarna-dvipa])". According to research in Indonesia, Atisha also seems to have visited the island of Java, where Serlingpa ancestors had built shrines such magnificent stupa in the world famous Borobudur, Prambanan temple complex, temple and palace of Tara Kalasan Boko.
Atisha was in the full guidance from the teacher Dharmakirti for 12 years and during which he has managed to inherit a complete teaching on Bodhicitta and won an amazing realization. Before he returned to India, the teacher Atisha Dharmakirti predict that someday will bring immense benefits to the snowy ground state in the north (Tibet).
Back in India, Atisha became head of the monastery in the previous school, Vikramasila monastic universities. One day, a group of Tibetan envoys came to him.They had been sent by Jangchub O, King of western Tibet, to invoke Atisha came to Tibet and Buddhism saved from extinction.
Hearing request Atisha hesitated. There is so much to do in India, where the teachings of the Buddha also need to be turned back. But after Atisha told that the uncle of Jangchub O, the King Yeshe O, has been willing to sacrifice his life to come Atisha, Atisha felt that he should go to Tibet. Long story short Atisha went, spent a year in Nepal and arrived in the country at the Snow Lion of about sixty years of age.
Frescoes in many monasteries of Tibet warned, how Atisha received by Jangchub O, all the monks and the Tibetan people with respect and an open heart. Jangchub O does not want anything other than bring the people back to the spiritual path. He asked Atisha to write a short guide, precise and practical about how to practice the Dharma. Everyone should be able to understand it. Atisha then summarizes the teachings of Buddha in a work studied by many practitioners around the world to this day: The Path to Enlightenment Pelita (Bodhipathapradipa), a brief guide manuscript consisting of 68 stanzas. This work presents Buddhism in a systematic and gradual. In Tibet, he was able to eliminate confusion among practitioners there, who argued that the practice of Sutra and Tantra is like oil and water together, forever will not be integrated. Atisha managed to straighten out the misunderstanding that through the work.
For a Atisha, at that age is not easy to overcome altitude plateau in the winter and long distance travel, especially by horse, boat and on foot. Nevertheless he braved the rigors of nature with the inner firmness and compassion for all people, he visited many holy places in the mountains and valleys, he writes reviews Dharma and teaching, prayer in the caves, stupas have been built, blessed monasteries that exist and encourage the Tibetan people to build a new one.
After years of traveling, Atisha spent more time in the caves of Drak Yerpa, a mountainous area in eastern Lhasa and eventually settled in a small monastery called Nyetang, a half hour drive to the west of Lhasa. Throne still be seen today along with homemade statues and a small stupa, which contains personal belongings, in addition to the stupa of Dromtonpa, a student favorite. Nyetang Atisha died in 1054 at the age of 72 years.
The elder monk was often told how Yeshe and Jangchub do everything to invite Atisha Atisha came to Tibet and looks like the father of all Tibetan Buddhists. They also know that there seems to be the spiritual line of geographic north-south between the stupa of Borobudur in Indonesia and the Kumbum Stupa at Gyantse, Tibet. Both are built on a Mandala is very similar, both are manifestations of universal compassion and the ultimate truth, although the Kumbum Stupa was built about 900 years after the Borobudur and 400 years after Atisha.
Now a thousand years have passed after the arrival of the Maha-priests Atisha to Indonesia, the warning is celebrated with a series of events by some of the Buddhist community in Indonesia. Kagyu Monlam to-4 present at the Borobudur; one of them as an expression of joy on such an important event.
