The Philosopher
Gorampa
The face
The background
- Nationality:
- Tibetan
- Schools:
- Sakya
- Branchs:
- Madhyamaka, Prajñāpāramitā, Pramana, Vinaya, Abhidharma
- Period:
- 15th century
The synopsis
Gorampa Sonam Senge (1429–1489) was an important philosopher in the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism. He authored a vast collection of commentaries on sutra and tantra that were influential throughout Tibetan Buddhism. Gorampa is particularly known for his writings on madhyamaka philosophy, especially his critique of the madhyamaka views of Tsongkhapa and Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen. Gorampa defended the mainly anti-realist interpretation of madhyamaka held by the Sakya school, which sees conventional truth as a false illusion. Gorampa was the student of Rongtön, Byams chen rab ’byams pa Sangs rgyas ’phel, Ngor chen Kun dga’ bzang po, and Gung ru Shes rab bzang po. He founded the Thuptén Namgyél Monastery in Tanag, located north of Shigatse. Gorampa's works were highly influential in Sakya and beyond, and he was a major rival whose ideas were responded to by Gelug scholastics centuries after his death. His work was also a major source for the madhyamaka views of Mipham. His works were suppressed by Gelug state institutions for his polemical treatment of Tsongkhapa's views but were later re-published. His work is widely studied today in Sakya, Kagyu, and Nyingma scholasticism.
The works
Dbu ma rtsa ba’i shes rab kyi rnam par bshad pa yang dag lta ba’i’ ’od zer
Dbu ma’i spyi don
Lta ba’i shan ’byed
Dbu ma la ’jug pa’i dkyus kyi sa bcad pa dang gzhung so so’i dka’ ba’i gnas la dpyad pa lta ba ngan sel
Shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa’i man ngag gi bstan bcos mngon par rtogs pa’i rgyan ’grel pa dang bcas pa’i dka’ ba’i gnas rnam par bshad pa yum don rab gsal
Shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa man ngag gi bstan bcos mngon par rtogs pa’i rgyan gyi gzhung snga phyi’i ’grel dang dka’ gnas la dpyad pa sbas don zab mo’i gter gyi kha ’byed
Grel pa don gsal gyi ngag don
Shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa’i man ngag gi bstan bcos mngon par rtogs pa’i rgyan gyi mtshon byed kyi chos rnams kyi yan lag khyad par bshad pa sbas don rab gsal
Zhugs gnas kyi rnam gzhag skyes bu mchog gi gsal byed
Mthar gyi gnas pa’i snyom par ’jug pa’i rnam bshad snyoms ’jug rab gsal
Rten ’brel gyi rnam par bzhag pa ’khor ’das rab gsal
Rgyas pa’i bstan bcos tshad ma rnam ’grel gyi rnam par bshad pa kun tu bzang po’i ’od zer
Rgyas pa’i bstan bcos tshad ma rnam ’grel gyi ngag don kun tu bzang po’i nyi ma
Sde bdun mdo dang bcas pa’i dgongs pa phyin ci ma log par ’grel pa tshad ma rig[s] pa’i gter gyi don gsal bar byed pa
Tshad ma rigs pa’i gter gyi dka’ gnas rnam par bshad pa sde bdun rab gsal
Dul ba mdo rtsa’i rgyas ’grel
Rab tu byung ba rnams kyi bslab bya nyams su blang ba’i chos ’dul ba rgya mtsho’i snying po
Chos mngon pa mdzod kyi bshad thabs kyi man ngag ngo mtshar gsum ldan
Phung khams skye mched kyi rnam gzhag ji snyed shes bya’i sgo ’byed
Sdom pa gsum gyi rab tu dbye ba’i rnam bshad rgyal ba’i gsung rab kyi dgongs pa gsal ba
Sdom gsum rab dbye’i spyi don yid bzhin nor bu
Sdom pa sgum gyi bstan bcos la dris shing rtsod pa’i lan sdom gsum ’khrul spong
Sdom pa gsum gyi rab tu dbye ba’i kha skong legs bshad ’od kyi snang ba
Sdom gsum kha skong gi bsdus don
Blo sbyong zhen pa bzhi bral byi khrid yig zab don gnad kyi lde’u mig
Rgyud bla’i ’grel pa rtsom ’phro