Gö Khugpa
Encyclopedia
Gö Khugpa, 'Gos Khug-pa Lhas-btsas, Gö Kuk-ba-hlay-dzay, is also written as Khug-pa-Lhas-tsi, or simply 'Gos, was a famous Tibetan monk and translator (or lotsawa
) of the 11th century.
He was born in the town of Tá-nag-phu in the province of Tsang
. He travelled to India where he studied under 72 religious teachers. He learnt the sutra
s and mantra
s but was most interested in the Guhyasamaja Tantra
which he assiduously promulgated in Tibet. The Guhyasamaja Tantra is considered to be, along with the Kalachakra Tantra and the Yamantaka Tantra, one of the 'Highest Yoga Tantras'.
His personal name was Lhas-btas ("Protected by gods"). His family name was 'Gos but, as his mother and father were both from the 'Gos family, he was often called 'Gos Khug-pa ("intermarried 'Gos"),
He was very critical of the 'Ancient Translation School' of the Nyingma
. In particular, he wrote a long criticism of the Nyingma Guhyagarbha Tantra
, as he failed to find any lineage for the tantra
in India and thought that it didn’t resemble genuine Indian tantras, which led to it being excluded from the Tibetan scriptural canon, the Kangur
which was compiled in the 14th century.
However, he composed several commentaries on the Yamantaka Tantra and performed the ceremony of Yamantaka according to the Nyingma
rites.
In the lineage of the Tibet
an Panchen Lama
s there were considered to be four Indian and three Tibetan incarnations of Amitabha
Buddha before Khedrup Gelek Pelzang
, who is recognised as the 1st Panchen Lama. The lineage starts with Subhuti
, one of the original disciples of Gautama Buddha
. Gö Lotsawa is considered to be the first Tibetan incarnation of Amitabha Buddha in this line.
Lotsawa
Lotsawa is a Tibetan word used as a title to refer to the native Tibetan translators, such as Vairotsana, Rinchen Zangpo, Marpa and others, who worked alongside Indian scholars or panditas to translate the texts of the buddhist canon into Tibetan from Sanskrit, Chinese and other Asian languages...
) of the 11th century.
He was born in the town of Tá-nag-phu in the province of Tsang
Ü-Tsang
Ü-Tsang , or Tsang-Ü, is one of the three traditional provinces of Tibet, the other two being Amdo and Kham. Geographically Ü-Tsang covered the central and western portions of the Tibetan cultural area, including the Tsang-po watershed, the western districts surrounding and extending past Mount...
. He travelled to India where he studied under 72 religious teachers. He learnt the sutra
Sutra
Sūtra is an aphorism or a collection of such aphorisms in the form of a manual. Literally it means a thread or line that holds things together and is derived from the verbal root siv-, meaning to sew , as does the medical term...
s and mantra
Mantra
A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...
s but was most interested in the Guhyasamaja Tantra
Tantra
Tantra , anglicised tantricism or tantrism or tantram, is the name scholars give to an inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, expressed in scriptures ....
which he assiduously promulgated in Tibet. The Guhyasamaja Tantra is considered to be, along with the Kalachakra Tantra and the Yamantaka Tantra, one of the 'Highest Yoga Tantras'.
His personal name was Lhas-btas ("Protected by gods"). His family name was 'Gos but, as his mother and father were both from the 'Gos family, he was often called 'Gos Khug-pa ("intermarried 'Gos"),
He was very critical of the 'Ancient Translation School' of the Nyingma
Nyingma
The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism . "Nyingma" literally means "ancient," and is often referred to as Nga'gyur or the "old school" because it is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan, in the eighth century...
. In particular, he wrote a long criticism of the Nyingma Guhyagarbha Tantra
Guhyagarbha tantra
The Guhyagarbha Tantra is the main tantra of the Mahayoga class and the primary Tantric text studied in the Nyingma tradition as a key to understanding empowerment, samaya, mantras, mandalas and other Vajrayana topics....
, as he failed to find any lineage for the tantra
Tantra
Tantra , anglicised tantricism or tantrism or tantram, is the name scholars give to an inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, expressed in scriptures ....
in India and thought that it didn’t resemble genuine Indian tantras, which led to it being excluded from the Tibetan scriptural canon, the Kangur
Kangur
Kangur is a village in Bamyan Province in central Afghanistan.-External links:*...
which was compiled in the 14th century.
However, he composed several commentaries on the Yamantaka Tantra and performed the ceremony of Yamantaka according to the Nyingma
Nyingma
The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism . "Nyingma" literally means "ancient," and is often referred to as Nga'gyur or the "old school" because it is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan, in the eighth century...
rites.
In the lineage of the Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
an Panchen Lama
Panchen Lama
The Panchen Lama , or Bainqên Erdê'ni , is the highest ranking Lama after the Dalai Lama in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism...
s there were considered to be four Indian and three Tibetan incarnations of Amitabha
Amitabha
Amitābha is a celestial buddha described in the scriptures of the Mahāyāna school of Buddhism...
Buddha before Khedrup Gelek Pelzang
Khedrup Gelek Pelzang
Khedrup Gelek Pelzang , better known as Khedrup Je, the 1st Panchen Lama, was one of the main disciples of Lama Tsongkhapa ....
, who is recognised as the 1st Panchen Lama. The lineage starts with Subhuti
Subhuti
Subhūti was one of the Ten Great Śrāvakas of Śākyamuni Buddha, and foremost in the understanding of emptiness. In Sanskrit, his name literally means "Good Existence" . He is also sometimes referred to as or "Elder Subhūti"...
, one of the original disciples of Gautama Buddha
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
. Gö Lotsawa is considered to be the first Tibetan incarnation of Amitabha Buddha in this line.