Flowering of Tibetan Scholarship
Where is joy when you are sad? Where is sadness when you are joyful? The flowering of Great Atisha’s activities was through the establishment of the Kadampa Geshes, who then spread out throughout Tibet, teaching after Atishas passing around 1050AD. The result of his Buddha activities actually happened in his students, and the students of his students, isn’t that so? Drontompa, a direct student of Atisha, established the Tibetan Kadampa tradition, which became the Sarpa, or new transmission. Out of that, came the Sakya, Kagyu, and eventually the Gelug lineages established by various enlightened teachers. This was really the beginning of scholarship in Tibet, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the teachings and preservation of the early scriptures of Buddhas message. Wherever Kadampa Geshes gathered together and debated, Buddhist scholarship blossomed. There are many stories about ordinary people making efforts to go where Geshes were teaching and becoming real...