Maitripada

Maitrīpāda ( 1007–1085, also known as Maitreyanātha, Advayavajra, and, to Tibetans, Maitrīpa), was a prominent Indian Buddhist Mahasiddha associated with the Mahāmudrā transmission of tantric Buddhism. His teachers were Shavaripa and Naropa.

Early life As per Tibetan and Nepalese sources, Maitripada was born into a Brahmin family in Magadha in a village near Kapilavastu during the rule of the Pala empire. His year of birth has been commonly placed 1007 C.E. as per the writings of Taranatha who places him around the rule of King Mahipala. Prior to becoming a Buddhist, he was educated in Pāṇinian grammar and Hindu treatises for 7 years.

After his education, he encountered the Buddhist siddha Naropa at the northern gate of Nalanda who engaged him in a debate. Maitripada lost the debate and subsequently converted to Buddhism and was ordained as a monk at the monasteries of Nalanda and Vikramashila in modern-day Bihar. During his stay at these monasteries he was taught by eminent masters such as Ratnākaraśānti.

Another account from the biography of Atiśa details that he was expelled from the monastery after Atiśa, who was the abbot of the Vikramashila at the time, discovered liquor in his dorms.

Philosophy Maitripada's philosophy straddled between the schools of Madhyamaka and Mahamudra. He did however, still seem to hold the Yogachara school in high regard and thought it a necessary step to his interpretation of Madhyamaka.

Maitrīpāda's Amanasikara cycle of 26 texts is composed of the following: Kudrstinirghatana Kudrstinirghatavakyatippinika Mulapattayah Sthulapattayah Tattvaratnavali Pañcatathagatamudravivarana Sekanirdesa Caturmudranvaya Sekatatparyasamgraha Vajrasattva-Pañcakara Mayanirukti Svapnanirukti Tattvaprakasa Apratisthanaprakasa Yuganaddhaprakasa Mahasukhaprakasa Tattvavimsika Mahayanavimsika Nirvedhapañcaka Madhyamasatka Premapañcaka Tattvadasaka Amanasikaradhara Sahajasatka Dohanidhinamatattvopadesa Shes pa spro bsdu med par 'jog pa 'i man ngag gsang ba dam pa