Taranatha's History of Buddhism in India

Summary

This translated chapter from Tāranātha’s “History of Buddhism in India,” a 17th‑century Tibetan chronicle, recounts events during the reigns of four Sena kings and subsequent periods. Tāranātha situates the narrative in eastern India where Lavasena, Kāsasena, Maṇitasena and Rathikasena ruled collectively for no more than eighty years. During this era Buddhist doctrine was maintained by eminent scholars and tantric masters such as Subhakaragupta, Raviśrījñāna, Nayakapase, Dasabalabodhi, and later Dharmakāraśānti, Srivṛttadeva, Niṣkalanka and Abhayākara. As King Rathikasena’s reign progressed, twenty‑four great teachers—including Śākyasrībhadra of Kashmir, Buddhāśrī of Nepal, Ratnarakṣita, Jānākaragupta and Buddhajñāmitra—flourished. These panditas practised Vajrayāna rituals centred on the deity Saṃvara and mastered both the Prajñāpāramitā and esoteric mantras. Stories of their accomplishments include visualising deities, receiving teachings in dreams, taming wild animals through magical glances and performing miracles. The narrative notes that during this time centres of learning like Odantapurī and Vikramaśīla fortified themselves as Turuskas encroached; many monasteries were destroyed, although tens of thousands of monks gathered at safer sites. King Ramacandra later revived support for Buddhism: his minister Bilabhadra built temples at Sriratnagiri and other places, established schools for various branches of learning and inspired a resurgence of monastic life. The chapter ends by highlighting the continuing presence of monks in Gujarat and other regions and notes that translations of these chapters are being published for their importance to the later history of Buddhism.