49 
1891.] S. C. Das —Life of Atisa. 
minds the importance of inviting to Tibet a scholarly Indian pandit like 
Dipamkara for reforming the degenerate Buddhism of his country. 
But bis sons and Chanchhub, being anxious for his release, went back 
to Tibet to collect more gold. In the meantime Lha Lama died in con¬ 
finement. 
When the news of Lha Lama’s death reached Tholing, Chanchhub 
made religious offerings at Thoding and Lhasa, and, with a view to give 
effect to his royal uncle’s long-cherished desire of life, charged ISTag- 
tsho Lochava of Gun-than with the mission of going to Vikramasila 
in search of Gya-tson and also for inviting an Indian pandit to Tibet. 
Addressing the Lochava, he said :—“ You know how degenerate tho Bud¬ 
dhism of Tibet has become, how mixed are the religious practices here 
with the heretic cult of the red and blue robe Tantriks ; the late king in 
his anxiety to reform our religion, thrice sent messengers to Magadha to 
bring the sage Dipamkara S'rijnana to Tibet. Gya-tson-senge has not 
come back, and it is not known if he is still living. You are also aware 
of the calamities which befell my royal uncle, and that cost him his life. 
Go, therefore, to Vikramasila, if possible, again to invite the renowned 
sage of Magadha to our benighted country, bnt if he still declines to come, 
invite the pandit who is second to him in learning and holiness.” At 
first, the young Lochava, who was only twenty-seven years old, hesitated 
to take so difficult a charge upon himself, bnt the king having insisted on 
his going to India, of which place he had some experience, he agreed, 
though very reluctantly, to proceed to Magadha. The king gave him 
leave to equip himself for the journey with one hundred attendants and 
to furnish him with a large quantity of gold, but the Lochava would 
take with him only four attendants and a small quantity of gold. On 
his arrival at Vikramasila he met with Gya-tson, who was then prosecut¬ 
ing his studies under one of the learned pandits of the grand monastery. 
With the help of Gya-tson, who had by his long residence at Vikramasila 
and other Buddhist places of Magadha, learnt much of the ways and 
manners of the people of Magadha, the young Lochava became introduced 
to the principal personages of Vikramasila. He resided in the monastery 
for some time as a pupil of the abbot Sthavira Ratnakara, and with his 
assistance he succeeded in inducing Dipamkara to visit Tibet. 
Dipamkara was born A. D. 980 in the royal family of Gaur at Vikram- 
anipur in Bangala, a country lying to the east of Vajrasana (Gaya). 
His father called Dge-v&hi dpaZ in Tibetan, i. e., “Kalyana Shi” and his 
mother Prabhavati gave him the name of Chandragarbha, and sent him 
while very young to the sage Jetari an Avadhut adept for his education 
Under Jetari he studied the five kinds of minor sciences, and thereby 
paved his way for the study of philosophy and religion. 
G 
