Foreword |
| I wish to offer my
congratulations and express my appreciation and pleasure to the Tibetan
Bhikshus, Thubten Kalsang and Ngodrub Paljor, together with Mr. John
Blofeld of Great Britain,.all residents of Thailand, for preparing and
publishing this abridged translation into English of the life and deeds of
the incomparable Great Master Atisha.
The great being known as the Venerable Master Atisha, Dipamkara Srijnana, was born in Bengal, East India, in the second half of the tenth century. From a very young age, he studied myriads of scriptural texts on various subjects in harmony with his personal practice. He became a great master-practitioner famous throughout India. In coming to Tibet in the eleventh century, Atisha eliminated all mistakes there from misunderstandings and lack of understanding concerning the textual and oral teachings of Hinayana and Mahayana as well as Tantrayana. By illuminating the path of how to practice all the teachings of the Buddha without any contradiction, he has been extremely kind, especially to the Tibetans of the Land of the Snow. Therefore, I offer my prayers and hopes that this publication into English of the life and deeds of the Venerable Atisha will be of vast benefit to many fortunate beings.
Gelong Tenzin Gyatso, the XIV Dalai Lama September 10, 1973 |
