The tantric master Padmasambhava comes from India to Tibet at King Trisong Detsen's invitation and, in the tradition's telling, subdues the land's spirits and binds them as protectors; Tibet remembers him as Guru Rinpoche, the second Buddha, and its oldest school traces itself to him.
Tagged: Buddhist Tibetan Buddhism Vajrayana
The Event
- Date
- 747 (traditional)
- Era
- Classical; Standard periodization of Buddhist history
- Location
- Samye; today Tibet
- Traditions
- Buddhism
- Streams
- Vajrayana, Tibetan Buddhism
- Key figures
- Padmasambhava, Trisong Detsen, Shantarakshita
Primary Sources
- The Tibetan histories (chos 'byung)
Secondary Sources
- Powers, Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism (Snow Lion, 2nd ed. 2007)
- Harvey, An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices (Cambridge, 2nd ed. 2013)
Provenance: HIST-0417; confidence 0.8; accessed 2026-10-27.
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