Manjushrikirti
Encyclopedia
Kings of Shambhala
In the Indo-Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhist tradition, there are thirty-two Kings of Shambhala, a mythical kingdom.The first notable king of Shambhala, King Suchandra , was the one who requested teaching from the Buddha. In response to his request, the Buddha gave the first Kalachakra root tantra...
and is considered to be the second incarnation in the lineage of the Panchen Lamas of Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
. As his name indicates, is considered to have been an incarnation of Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom.
Manjushrikirti was born in Shambhala
Shambhala
In Tibetan Buddhist tradition, Shambhala or Shangri-la is a mythical kingdom hidden somewhere in Inner Asia...
, the son of King Deva-Indra and his queen, Kauśikí. His rule is said to have extended over "hundreds of petty kings and a hundred thousand cities." He is said to have expelled 300,510 followers of heretical doctrine of the Mlechhas or "materialistic barbarians", some of whom worshipped the sun, but after reconsidering, he brought them back and they asked for his teachings. Next he united all the castes, or religious factions, of Shambala into one Vajra
Vajra
Vajra is a Sanskrit word meaning both thunderbolt and diamond...
or 'Diamond' Caste. Consequentially, he was the first king of Shambhala to be given the title Kalki (Tib. Rigden), meaning "Holder of the Castes" or "Wisdom Holder."
He is said Tibetan sources to have taken the throne 674 years after the death of Gautama Buddha
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
. Following the Tibetan sources, which place the parinirvana
Parinirvana
In Buddhism, parinirvana is the final nirvana, which occurs upon the death of the body of someone who has attained complete awakening...
in 833 BCE, he would have become king of Shambhala in 159 BCE. There is, however, no consensus on the date of the death of the Buddha. Modern scholars have proposed dates of 563, 483, 410 or 400 BCE. These would suggest dates for his accession of 111, 191, 264 or 274 CE respectively.
He then put the Kalachakra teachings in a condensed and simplified form called the "Sri Kalachakra" or "Laghutantra".
This work is also called the Condensed Kālachakra Tantra (bsdus rgyud, laghutantra). It is usual now simply called the Kālachakra Tantra, the original longer version one is no longer extant.
Lineage of the Panchen Lamas
In the lineage of the Panchen Lamas of Tibet there were considered to be four "Indian" and three Tibetan incarnations of AmitabhaAmitabha
Amitābha is a celestial buddha described in the scriptures of the Mahāyāna school of Buddhism...
Buddha before Khedrup Gelek Pelzang
Khedrup Gelek Pelzang
Khedrup Gelek Pelzang , better known as Khedrup Je, the 1st Panchen Lama, was one of the main disciples of Lama Tsongkhapa ....
, who is recognised as the 1st Panchen Lama
Panchen Lama
The Panchen Lama , or Bainqên Erdê'ni , is the highest ranking Lama after the Dalai Lama in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism...
. The lineage starts with Subhuti
Subhuti
Subhūti was one of the Ten Great Śrāvakas of Śākyamuni Buddha, and foremost in the understanding of emptiness. In Sanskrit, his name literally means "Good Existence" . He is also sometimes referred to as or "Elder Subhūti"...
, and Manjushrikirti is considered the second incarnation.