11 Facts About Saraha

Saraha is considered to be one of the founders of Vajrayana Buddhism, particularly the Mahamudra tradition.

Saraha was originally known as Rahula or Rahulbhadra and was born in Roli, a region of the city-state of Rajni in eastern India, into a Shakya family and studied at the Buddhist monastic university Nalanda.

Some versions of their meeting say that Saraha saw the Arrow Making Dakini in a vision and thus was wandering here and there, searching her out.

Saraha then recognized the wisdom Dakini in front of him, abandoned his studies and monastic vows, and moved to a cremation ground with her to practice.

Saraha met her when she was just 15 years old and it is likely she had been working as a servant.

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One of the more well-known ones states that Saraha asked this young woman to make him a radish curry one day.

Saraha noted her wisdom and realized his own faults in meditative practice.

Saraha decided that the only way for him to make any progress on the spiritual path would be to move into an isolated mountain location, away from all distractions.

Saraha was wise enough to listen carefully to the wisdom of this dakini in front of him, realizing that she was indeed not just his consort but his teacher.

Saraha is said to have uttered collections of esoteric verses designed to directly point to the nature of mind and reality.

Doha is a form of couplet poetry and a portion of Saraha's doha are compiled in Dohakosa, the 'Treasury of Rhyming Couplets'.