Luipa
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Luipa or Luipada (c. 10th century) was a
mahasiddha Mahasiddha (Sanskrit: ''mahāsiddha'' "great adept; ) is a term for someone who embodies and cultivates the "siddhi of perfection". A siddha is an individual who, through the practice of sādhanā, attains the realization of siddhis, psychic and ...
siddhacharya from Eastern India.Ayyappapanicker, K. & Akademi, Sahitya (1997). ''Medieval Indian literature: an anthology, Volume 3''. Sahitya Akademi. , . Source

(accessed: Friday March 5, 2010)
He was a Buddhist saint from the Kãivartā community. He was a writer of a number of Buddhist texts and one of the early poets of Charyapada, a late
Apabhraṃśa Apabhraṃśa (, , Prakrit: ) is a term used by '' vaiyākaraṇāḥ'' (native grammarians) since Patañjali to refer to languages spoken in North India before the rise of the modern languages. In Indology, it is used as an umbrella term for ...
collection of poems.


Nomenclature and etymology

Although the Tibetan translation for ''Lui'' is "the fish-gut eater" (), the root of the word is probably Sanskrit ''lohita'' which means "red" and the names like Luidhar, Luichandra and Luiya mentioned in the ''
Dharmamangal The Dharmamangal () is an important subgenre of mangalkavya, with narratives of local deities of rural Bengal, the most significant genre of medieval Bengali literature. The texts belonging to this subgenre eulogize Dharmathakur, a folk deity worshi ...
''s of the late medieval period originated from the same root.Sen, Sukumar (2002). ''Charyageeti Padabali'' (in Bengali), Ananda Publishers, Kolkata, , pp.20-1 Ayyappapanicker & Akademi (1997: p. 599) amplify the view of prior scholarship in that the nomenclature "Luipa" is related to the
Brahmaputra River The Brahmaputra is a trans-boundary river which flows through Southwestern China, Northeastern India, and Bangladesh. It is known as Brahmaputra or Luit in Assamese language, Assamese, Yarlung Tsangpo in Lhasa Tibetan, Tibetan, the Siang/Dihan ...
:


Hagiographical accounts

Luipa appears in ''The Legends of Eighty-four Siddhas'' (), a Tibetan namtar detailing the lives of Indian
mahasiddha Mahasiddha (Sanskrit: ''mahāsiddha'' "great adept; ) is a term for someone who embodies and cultivates the "siddhi of perfection". A siddha is an individual who, through the practice of sādhanā, attains the realization of siddhis, psychic and ...
s. It was written by the Tibetan monk Mondup Sherab and was probably a translation of the ''Chaturashiti-Siddha-Pravritti'', based on what was narrated to him by Abhayadatta Sri of Champaran (c. 12th century). In the ''Chaturasiti-Siddha-Pravritti'', Luipa is said to be the second son of a very rich king of Singhaladvipa, believed to be
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
. However, several other regions were also known as Singhaladvipa, and one of them was Oddiyana, which other sources mentioned as the place of birth of Luipa.
Luipa's father chose him as his successor, but he left his kingdom to achieve ''
bodhi The English term ''enlightenment'' is the Western translation of various Buddhist terms, most notably ''bodhi'' and ''vimutti''. The abstract noun ''bodhi'' (; Sanskrit: बोधि; Pali: ''bodhi'') means the knowledge or wisdom, or awakene ...
'', i.e. enlightenment. Luipa first headed for Ramesvaram and then went to Vajrasana, known today as
Bodh Gaya Bodh Gayā is a religious site and place of pilgrimage associated with the Mahabodhi Temple complex, situated in the Gaya district in the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Bihar. It is famous for being the place where Gautam ...
, the place where
Gautama Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist lege ...
achieved enlightenment. There Luipa received his first teaching from a
dakini A ḍākinī (; ; ; ; alternatively 荼枳尼, ; 荼吉尼, ; or 吒枳尼, ; Japanese: 荼枳尼 / 吒枳尼 / 荼吉尼, ''dakini'') is a type of goddess in Hinduism and Buddhism. The concept of the ḍākinī somewhat differs depending on t ...
. Later, when he reached Saliputra, or
Magadha Magadha was a region and kingdom in ancient India, based in the eastern Ganges Plain. It was one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas during the Second Urbanization period. The region was ruled by several dynasties, which overshadowed, conquered, and ...
, a ''Loka-Dakini'' advised him to get rid of the slightest pride of his royal blood to achieve enlightenment by leaving aside all prejudices regarding the purity of foods. Following her advice, Luipa consumed only the guts of the fishes thrown away by the fishermen on the
Ganges The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary rive ...
for twelve years. This practice led to him being known as Lui, one who eats fish-guts. Luipa also appears in the ''Chaturashiti-Siiddha-Pravritti'', where he meets the king of
Magadha Magadha was a region and kingdom in ancient India, based in the eastern Ganges Plain. It was one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas during the Second Urbanization period. The region was ruled by several dynasties, which overshadowed, conquered, and ...
, Indrapala and his Brahmin minister. These two became his disciples and were known as Darikapa and Dengipa. Luipa initiated them into the
mandala A mandala (, ) is a geometric configuration of symbols. In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of practitioners and adepts, as a spiritual guidance tool, for establishing a sacred space and as an aid ...
of Cakrasaṃvara. In
Buton Rinchen Drub Butön Rinchen Drup (), (1290–1364), 11th Abbot of Shalu Monastery, was a 14th-century Sakya (Tibetan Buddhist school), Sakya master and Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhist leader. Shalu was the first of the major monasteries to be built by nob ...
's ''History of Buddhism'' (), Luipa is mentioned as the son of King Lalitachandra of Oddiyana. When the prince met Śabara, a disciple of
Saraha Saraha, Sarahapa, Sarahapāda (or, in the Tibetan language མདའ་བསྣུན་, anün Wyl. mda' bsnun The Archer), (''circa'' 8th century CE) was an Indian Buddhist Mahasiddha and poet. The name ''Saraha'' means "the one who has s ...
, he was immensely impressed by this great adept and begged him for instruction. He received initiation into the
tantra Tantra (; ) is an esoteric yogic tradition that developed on the India, Indian subcontinent beginning in the middle of the 1st millennium CE, first within Shaivism and later in Buddhism. The term ''tantra'', in the Greater India, Indian tr ...
of Cakrasaṃvara. The initial part of his penance was completed when he joined a circle of twenty-four Dakas and Dakinis in a ganachakra in a
charnel ground A charnel ground (Sanskrit: श्मशान; IAST: śmaśāna; Tibetan pronunciation: durtrö; ) is an above-ground site for the putrefaction of bodies, generally human, where formerly living tissue is left to decompose uncovered. Although it ...
which climaxed in consumption of the corpse of a sage. With a final blessing from his
Guru Guru ( ; International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''guru'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian religions, Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: tr ...
he left Oddiyana and became a mendicant sage. The period ended when, feeling the need for sustained one-pointed
meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique to train attention and awareness and detach from reflexive, "discursive thinking", achieving a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state, while not judging the meditat ...
practice, he sat down to meditate beside a pile of fish-guts by the banks of the River Ganges in Bengal, where he remained till he had attained
mahamudra Mahāmudrā (Sanskrit: महामुद्रा, , contraction of ) literally means "great seal" or "great imprint" and refers to the fact that "all phenomena inevitably are stamped by the fact of wisdom and emptiness inseparable". Mahāmud ...
-
siddhi In Indian religions, (Sanskrit: '; fulfillment, accomplishment) are material, paranormal, supernatural, or otherwise magical powers, abilities, and attainments that are the products of Yoga, yogic advancement through sādhanās such as medit ...
, the highest level of spiritual attainment in
Vajrayana Buddhism ''Vajrayāna'' (; 'vajra vehicle'), also known as Mantrayāna ('mantra vehicle'), Guhyamantrayāna ('secret mantra vehicle'), Tantrayāna ('tantra vehicle'), Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, is a Mahāyāna Buddhist tradition that emp ...
. The Sakya school of
Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism is a form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet, Bhutan and Mongolia. It also has a sizable number of adherents in the areas surrounding the Himalayas, including the Indian regions of Ladakh, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, D ...
records that Luipa was a ''kayastha'' or
scribe A scribe is a person who serves as a professional copyist, especially one who made copies of manuscripts before the invention of Printing press, automatic printing. The work of scribes can involve copying manuscripts and other texts as well as ...
by occupation, at the court of Dharmapala, the emperor of Varendra in northern Bengal. While begging for alms at Dharmapala's palace Savaripa recognized the scribe Luipa as a suitable recipient for his Samvara lineage; his extraordinary talent was evident in the versified letters he wrote to the king's correspondents, a task requiring a pointed concentration. The account of Luipa found in the work of
Taranatha Tāranātha (1575–1634) was a Lama of the Jonang school of Tibetan Buddhism. He is widely considered its most remarkable scholar and exponent. Taranatha was born in Tibet, supposedly on the birthday of Padmasambhava. His original name was Ku ...
, a scholar from the
Jonang The Jonang () is a school of Indo-Tibetan Buddhism. Its origins in Tibet can be traced to the early 12th century master Yumo Mikyo Dorje. It became widely known through the work of the popular 14th century figure Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen. The J ...
school of
Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism is a form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet, Bhutan and Mongolia. It also has a sizable number of adherents in the areas surrounding the Himalayas, including the Indian regions of Ladakh, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, D ...
, differs significantly from that found in Buton's work. Here, Luipa was a scribe to the King of Oddiyana and was initiated into the
Vajravārāhī In Tibetan Buddhism, Vajravārāhī ("The Indestructible Sow", Dorje Pakmo) is considered a female buddha and "the root of all emanations of dakinis". As such, Vajravarahi manifests in the colors of white, yellow, red, green, blue, and black. ...
mandala.


Poetry of Luipa rendered into English

The following poetic extract of Luipa is from his work, '' Kāā Tarubara'', the first ''pada'' of the '' Charyapada'' (c. 9-10th century) and rendered into English by Mahendra Bora and cited in Ayyappapanicker & Akademi (1997: p. 599): :The body is a gentle tree with its branches five in number, :Into the stuff of unsteady mind enters Time the wrecker. :Get your mind steadied and enjoy the bliss never-waning, :Lui counsels, know it from your teacher just by asking: :Why all these modes of meditation one should toil and try, :When going through joy and sorrow all must one day die? :Ignoring this bond of deception, trust in sense-perception, :Riding on the wings of pure void, make her your companion. :Lui testifies, I have seen her clear in my meditation, :Seated on twin mats doing inhalation and exhalation. It is also notable to refer here that Luipa has also contributed to the 29th song/Raga/Hymn of the Charyapada, the first discovered manuscript of Bangla Literature. This song is reads:- :Where is it and where is it not that entity; :Who is here to be pleased with this duality? :The truth is really far to find :The feelings like senses can never bind. :That is non-perceived by colored forms and signs :The Vedas and Agamas trace only in blind. :The moon reflected in the water :Perceives as true even mirage for sure. :What is for me to think as astray :The life I lead in transcendental gay?


Date of Luipa

The most significant information available from the legends of the Sakya school is that Luipa worked at the court of the Maharaja of Varendra, Dharmapala. If this king is same as Pala Emperor
Dharmapala A ''dharmapāla'' is a type of wrathful god in Buddhism. The name means "''dharma'' protector" in Sanskrit, and the ''dharmapālas'' are also known as the Defenders of the Justice (Dharma), or the Guardians of the Law. There are two kinds of ...
, then this identification places Luipa as a younger contemporary of Dharmapala (770 – 810 CE). If Luipa was initiated in his youth, his date of initiation must be at the end of the eighth century or the beginning of the ninth century. In the ''Abhisamaya-Vibhanga'' of the
Tengyur The Tengyur or ''Tanjur'' or ''Bstan-’gyur'' (Tibetan: "Translation of Teachings") is the collected commentaries by great buddhist masters on Buddha Shakyamuni's teachings. The Tengyur is included in the Tibetan Buddhist Canon, which consi ...
,
Atiśa Atish Dipankar Shrijnan (Sanskrit transliteration: Atiśa Dipankara Shrijnana) (c. 982–1054 CE) was a Bengalis, Bengali Buddhist religious teacher and leader. He is generally associated with his body of work authored at Vikramashila, Vikram ...
is mentioned as a co-author of the text along with him but it seems that actually Atisha had either completed his text or wrote a ''Vibhanga'' (commentary) on his ''Abhisamaya''. So, it is more probable that he belonged to the 10th century. From Luipa's date, his guru Śabara's time can be fixed, along with the dates of his disciples Darikapa and Dengipa, and also Dombi Heruka, whom Luipa taught. Since Kilapa was probably one of his descendants, his date can also be fixed.


Identification with Minapa/Matsyendranath

Some scholars like Prabodh Chandra Bagchi have identified Luipa with
Matsyendranath Matsyendranātha, also known as Matsyendra, Macchindranāth, Mīnanātha and Minapa (early 10th century) was a saint and yogi in a number of Buddhism, Buddhist and Hinduism, Hindu traditions. He is considered the revivalist of hatha yoga as we ...
, the ''adiguru'' and the founder of the Nath Sampradaya.Dasgupta, Shashibhusan (1995). ''Obscure Religious Cults'', Firma KLM, Calcutta, , p.384ff, 385 There are several similarities between them. Both of their names Lui and Mina mean fish. In Sri Lanka and eastern India both of them were originators of yogini-tantra lineages (Luipa Samvara and Minapa Yogini-kaula). While Luipa was considered as ''adisiddha'', Matsyendranath was known as ''adiguru''. Whereas other scholars like Rajmohan Nath considered Luipa and Matsyendra to be different persons.


Adi-Siddha

The ''Chaturashiti-Siddha-Pravritti'' begins with the legend of Luipa. This may be a reflection of the belief prevalent during the period of the narrator or the translator, that Luipa was the first siddha (adi-siddha) in terms of either time or status. The first ''Pada'' of the Charyapada was also attributed to Luipa and in its commentary in
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
, Munidatta mentions him as the ''Adisiddhacharya''. It is also an indicator of the contemporary belief. But some modern scholars like Rahul Sankrityayan claimed Saraha as ''adi-siddha''. Luipa was definitely born after Saraha, since Luipa's teacher Savaripa was Saraha's disciple, but their lifetimes probably overlapped. Both Saraha and Luipa were originators of Samvara-tantra lineages, but it was Luipa who received the title of Guhyapati (Master of Secrets) in addition to his status of adi-siddha in the lineage that practiced the Samvara-tantra according to the method of Luipa. He received direct transmission from the Dakini Vajravarahi. If Luipa obtained his original Samvara revelation in Oddiyana, the home of several of the wisdom (mother) tantras, he probably was one of the siddhas responsible for propagating this tantra in Eastern India. But whatever the tantra's provenance, Luipa became the great exemplar of Saraha's preachings, as confirmed in the Padas assigned to him in ''Charyagītikosha'', and his sadhana (practice) became the inspiration and example for some of the most respected names amongst the siddhas, Kambalapa, Ghantapa, Indrabhuti, Jalandharipa, Kanhapa (Krishnacharya),
Tilopa Tilopa (Prakrit; Sanskrit: Talika or Tilopadā; 988–1069) was an Indian Buddhist tantric mahasiddha who lived along the Ganges River. He practised Anuttarayoga Tantra, a set of spiritual practices intended to accelerate the process of attaini ...
and
Naropa Nāropā (Prakrit; , Naḍapāda or Abhayakirti) was an Indian Buddhism, Buddhist Mahasiddha. He was the disciple of Tilopa and brother, or some sources say partner and pupil, of Niguma. As an Indian Mahasiddha, Naropa's instructions inform ...
all of whom initiated into the ''Chakrasamvara-tantra'' according to the method of Luipa. Sakya tradition maintains that, three principal ''Guru Sampradaya'' (lineages of teachers) of the practice of ''Chakrasamvara-tantra'' are of Luipa, Ghantapa and Naropa. Marpa Dopa transmitted this tantra to Tibet, where it has continued as the principal
yidam A ''yidam'' or ''iṣṭadevatā'' is a meditational deity that serves as a focus for meditation and spiritual practice, said to be manifestations of Buddhahood or enlightened mind. Yidams are an integral part of Vajrayana, including Tibeta ...
sadhana (practice) of the
Kagyu The ''Kagyu'' school, also transliterated as ''Kagyü'', or ''Kagyud'' (), which translates to "Oral Lineage" or "Whispered Transmission" school, is one of the main schools (''chos lugs'') of Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan (or Himalayan) Buddhism. ...
school till date. Luipad was well versed (siddha) in
Aghori The Aghori (from , ) are a Hindu monastic order of ascetic Shaivite sadhus based in Uttar Pradesh, India. They are the only surviving sect derived from the '' Kāpālika'' tradition, a Tantric, non-Puranic form of Shaivism which originated ...
tantra Tantra (; ) is an esoteric yogic tradition that developed on the India, Indian subcontinent beginning in the middle of the 1st millennium CE, first within Shaivism and later in Buddhism. The term ''tantra'', in the Greater India, Indian tr ...
.


Major literary works

In the Bstan-'gyur, he has been mentioned as the author of the texts, the ''Shribhagavad-Abhisamaya'', the ''Vajrasattva Sadhana'', the ''Tattvasvabhava-Dohakosha-Gitikia-Drishti-Nama'', the ''Luhipada-Gitika'', the ''Shrichakrasamvara-Abhisamaya-Tika'' and the ''Buddhodaya''. He was also mentioned as the co-author of the ''Abhisamaya-Vibhanga'' along with the great scholar Atisha. The Padas 1 and 29 of the ''Charyagītikosha'' (or the Charyapada) are also ascribed to him.Shastri, H. (1916, reprint 2006). ''Hajar Bacharer Purano Bangala Bhashay Bauddhagan O Doha'' (in Bengali), Kolkata:Bangiya Sahitya Parishad, p.xxi


References


Further reading

#Chattopadhyaya, Alaka (1998). ''Churashi Siddhar Kahini (in Bengali)'', Kolkata: Anushtup, .


External links


A thangka of Luipa
{{authority control Indian Buddhists Mahasiddhas Buddhist yogis 10th-century Indian poets Indian male poets Lamas Nyingma Buddhists 10th-century Buddhists Buddhist ascetics Hindu ascetics Spiritual practice Vajrayana Poets of Charyapada