15 Facts About Marpa Lotsawa

Marpa Lotsawa, sometimes known fully as Marpa Chokyi Lodro or commonly as Marpa the Translator, was a Tibetan Buddhist teacher credited with the transmission of many Vajrayana teachings from India, including the teachings and lineages of Mahamudra.

Either way, Marpa Lotsawa was a personal student of the Mahasiddha Maitripa and of the dakini Niguma.

Marpa Lotsawa first received instruction for three years at Mangkhar with Drokmi Shakya Yeshe and mastered Sanskrit.

Marpa Lotsawa decided to travel to India to study with renowned Indian Buddhist masters.

Marpa Lotsawa returned home to Lhodrak and converted his entire inheritance into gold to fund his travel expenses and to make offerings to teachers.

Related searches

Marpa Lotsawa journeyed first to Nepal where he studied with Paindapa and Chitherpa, two famous students of Naropa.

Marpa Lotsawa spent twelve years studying with Naropa and other great Indian gurus, most prominently Maitripada.

Marpa Lotsawa was to travel to India twice more and Nepal three more times and studied with Naropa and other great teachers including Maitripa.

Marpa Lotsawa is said to have stayed in the cave at Phugtal Monastery.

However eventually Marpa Lotsawa found him and received the final teachings and instructions from Naropa.

Marpa Lotsawa now had received the full transmission, so Naropa formally declared Marpa Lotsawa to be his successor although he had other major disciples including Paindapa, Chitherpa, Shri Shantibhadra or Kukuripa, and Maitripa.

Marpa Lotsawa continued to practice and give teachings and transmissions to many students in Tibet.

Marpa Lotsawa lived with his wife Dakmema and their sons in Lhodrak in the southern part of Tibet.

Marpa Lotsawa is said to have founded Stongdey Monastery in Zanskar in 1052 CE.

Marpa Lotsawa's lineage emphasized the paired systems of the "Six Teachings of Naropa" and the "Great Seal".