Bu ston rin chen grub

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བུ་སྟོན་རིན་ཆེན་གྲུབ་
Butön Rinchen Drup(1290 - 1364) 
Butön Rinchen Drup, a Sakya lama raised in a Nyingma family, was the eleventh abbot of Zhalu Monastery, from 1320 to 1356. Some enumerations list him as the first abbot, as he significantly expanded the institution. He was an important teacher of the Prajñāpāramitā, and a key lineage holder of the Guhyasamāja and Kālacakra tantras as transmitted in the Geluk tradition, and the Kālacakra, Hevajra and Sampuṭa tantras as transmitted in the Sakya tradition. He is generally credited as the creator of the Tibetan Buddhist canon, the Kangyur and Tengyur, and his History of Buddhism is still widely read. In addition to his Sakya training he also studied in the Kadam and Kagyu traditions.

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Only Buddhas

  • "Taking the reverse position of the Gelugpas on this, both Butön and his student and commentator Dratsépa Rinchen Namgyal (1318–1388) identify the actual tathāgata heart as being solely the final fruition of buddhahood." Brunnhölzl, K., When the Clouds Part, p. 67.
  • "Bu-ston and his disciple sGra-tshad-pa assert that Buddha-nature should be understood only in its resultant aspect, namely as only the dharmakāya of a buddha." Kano, K., Buddha-Nature and Emptiness, p. 343.

In line with his assertion that these teachings are merely provisional he claims, "The general basis of intention of the teachings on buddha nature is the ālaya-consciousness, which refers to the sheer cause of buddhahood." Brunnhölzl, K., When the Clouds Part, p. 868.

Though he didn't explicitly equate his position with Rangtong, he was certainly a vocal opponent of Dölpopa and his Zhentong view.

Though he differed from Ngok on certain issues, he was more in line with his approach than that of Tsen Khawoche.

Specifically, he sees buddha-nature as referring only to the dharmakāya of a fully enlightened buddha.

  • "Taking the reverse position of the Gelugpas on this, both Butön and his student and commentator Dratsépa Rinchen Namgyal (1318–1388) identify the actual tathāgata heart as being solely the final fruition of buddhahood." Brunnhölzl, K., When the Clouds Part, p. 67.
  • "Bu-ston and his disciple sGra-tshad-pa assert that Buddha-nature should be understood only in its resultant aspect, namely as only the dharmakāya of a buddha." Kano, K., Buddha-Nature and Emptiness, p. 343.

Other names

  • bu ston kha che · other names (Wylie)
  • bu ston thams cad mkhyen pa · other names (Wylie)
  • Buton Khache · other names
  • Butön Tamche Khyenpa · other names
  • Rinchen Drub · other names

Affiliations & relations

  • Sakya · religious affiliation
  • Zhalu Monastery (zhwa lu) · primary professional affiliation
  • Ripuk Hermitage (ri phug) · other professional affiliation
  • Dka' bzhi pa grags pa gzhon nu · teacher
  • sgra tshad pa rin chen rnam rgyal · student
  • phyogs las rnam rgyal · student
  • bcu gnyis gsar ma grags pa shes rab · student
  • gangs dkar bla ma rin chen bzang po · student
  • 'jam dbyangs grags pa rgyal mtshan · student
  • g.yung ston rdo rje dpal bzang po · student
  • g.yag sde paN chen · student
  • Byang chub rtse mo · student