Trisong Detsen

Biography & Significance

Trisong Detsen was the 38th king of the Tibetan Empire and is celebrated as the greatest of the three Dharma Kings (along with Songtsen Gampo and Ralpachen). It was his royal patronage that made possible the full establishment of Buddhism in Tibet: he invited Padmasambhava and Śāntarakṣita, funded the construction of Samye Monastery, commissioned the translation of Buddhist texts from Sanskrit into Tibetan, and sponsored the famous Samye Debate of c. 792–794 CE (between Indian Madhyamaka and Chinese Chan/Zen teachers, in which the Indian tradition prevailed). He was considered a principal student of Padmasambhava and is listed among the 25 root disciples who received the highest Dzogchen transmissions. In later tradition he is regarded as a manifestation of the Bodhisattva Manjushri.

Key Teachings 主要教法

• ▸Royal patronage of Dharma
• ▸Translation of texts
• ▸Samye Debate outcome