Luipa

Luipa or Luipada (c. 10th century) was one of the Siddhas or Siddhacharyas from eastern India. He was a poet and writer of a number of Buddhist texts

Nomenclature and etymology

Although the Tibetan translation for "Lui" is the fish gut eater (Nya Ito zhabs), the root of the word is probably Old Bengali "lohita" (rohita), a type of fish ("Labeo rohita") and the names like Luidhar, Luichandra and Luiya mentioned in Dharmamangalkavyas of late medieval period originated from the same root [Sen, Sukumar "Charyageeti Padabali" (in Bengali), Ananda Publishers, Kolkata, 2002, ISBN 81-7215-458-5, p.21] .

Hagiographical accounts

Tibetan text the "Grub thob brgyad bcu tsa bzhi'i lo rgyus" (The Legends of Eighty-four Siddhas), written by a monk "Mondup Sherab" (probably a translation of the "Chaturashiti-Siddha-Pravritti"), based on what was narrated to him by "Abhayadattashri" of Champaran (c. 12th century), provided us some information about Luipa. According to these legends, Luipa was the second son a very rich king of Singhaladvipa (Sri Lanka). His father chose him as his successor, but he left his kingdom to achieve Bodhi (enlightenment). He first came to Rameshvaram and then went to Vajrasana (Bodh Gaya). Here he received his first sermon from a Dakini. Later, when he reached Saliputra (Magadha), a "Loka-Dakini" advised him to get rid of the slightest pride of his royal blood to achieve Bodhi by leaving aside all prejudices regarding the purity of foods. After her advice, he started his penance for twelve years. During his penance, he consumed only the guts of the fishes thrown away by the fishermen, who used to catch fishes from Ganga. Thus he received his name Lui (one who eats the fish-guts) pa from the local fisherwomen. In the legends of Darikapa and Dengipa in the "Chaturashiti-Siiddha-Pravritti", we found his encounter with the king of Saliputra (Magadha) Indrapala and his Brahmin minister who later became his disciples Darikapa and Dengipa and received initiation into the "Chakrasamvara-Mandala" from him. Though, Singhaladvipa, the birthplace of Luipa mentioned in the "Chaturashiti-Siddha-Pravritti" is normally identified with present-day Sri Lanka, but several other regions were also known as Singhaladvipa, and one of them was Oddiyana, which other sources mentioned as the place of birth of Luipacite web|url=http://www.keithdowman.net/books/mm.htm#LUIPA |title=Luipa by Keith Dowmen|accessdate=2007-06-15] . Dr. Ranajit Pal identifies Luipa(d) with Lupad of Lagash who is dated to late third millennium B.C. [Ranajit Pal, "Non-Jonesian Indology and Alexander", (New Delhi 2002), p. 221]

In the "Chos-'byung" (History of Buddhism) of the "Bu ston", Luipa was mentioned as the son of King Lalitachandra of Oddiyana. When the prince met Savaripa, a disciple of Saraha, he was immensely impressed by this great siddha and begged him for instruction. He received initiation into the "Chakrasamvara-tantra". The initial part of his penance was completed when he joined a circle of twenty-four Dakas and Dakinis in a rite of offering in a cremation ground (Sanskrit: "ganachakra"), which climaxed in consumption of the corpse of a sage. With a final blessing from his Guru he left Oddiyana and became a mendicant sage. The period ended when, feeling the need for sustained one-pointed meditation practice, he sat down to meditate beside a pile of fish-guts by the banks of the River Ganga in Bangala (Bengal), where he remained till he had attained "mahamudra-siddhi"(highest level of spiritual attainment). The Sakya school's account of Luipa's life asserts that he was a "kayastha" (scribe) at the court of the Maharaja of Varendra (north Bengal), Dharmapala. 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 concentrationcite web|url=http://www.keithdowman.net/books/mm.htm#LUIPA |title=Luipa by Keith Dowmen] .

Taranatha's account differs significantly from the Bu ston's. Here, Luipa was a scribe to the King of Oddiyana, and was initiated into Vajravarahi's mandalacite web|url=http://www.keithdowman.net/books/mm.htm#LUIPA|title=Luipa by Keith Dowmen] .

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, 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 centurycite web|url=http://www.keithdowman.net/books/mm.htm#LUIPA|title=Luipa by Keith Dowmen] .

In the "Abhisamaya-Vibhanga" of the "bStan-'gyur", Atisha 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 [Sen, Sukumar "Charyageeti Padabali" (in Bengali), Ananda Publishers, Kolkata, 2002, ISBN 81-7215-458-5, p.20] .

From Luipa’s date, his Guru Savaripa'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

Many modern scholars have attempted to identify Luipa with Minapa/Minanath/Matsyendranath, the "adi-guru" and the founder of the Nath Sampradaya [Dasgupta, Shashibhusan "Obscure Religious Cults", Firma KLM, Calcutta, 1995, ISBN 81-7102-020-8, p.384ff, 385] . There are several similarities between them. Both of their names Lui and Mina mean fish. Both of them were associated with fisherman caste [ibid., p.384ff] , Sri Lanka and eastern India and both of them were originators of yogini-tantra lineages (Luipa Samvara and Minapa Yogini-kaula). While Luipa was considered as "adi-siddha", Matsyendranath was known as "adi-guru". But, if Luipa was born in the eighth century CE, he cannot be identified with Minapa/Minanath/Matsyendranath who belonged to c. 9th - 10th centurycite web|url=http://www.keithdowman.net/books/mm.htm#LUIPA|title=Luipa by Keith Dowmen] .

Adi-Siddha (?)

The "Chaturashiti-Siddha-Pravritti" begins with the legend of Luipa. This may a reflection 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 which may also be 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 "Charyageetikosha", and his sadhana (practice) became the inspiration and example for some of the most respected names amongst the siddhas, Kambalapa, Ghantapa, Indrabhuti, Jalandhara, Kanhapa (Krishnacharya), Tilopa and Naropa 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 sadhana (practice) of the Kagyu school till datecite web|url=http://www.keithdowman.net/books/mm.htm#LUIPA|title=Luipa by Keith Dowmen] .

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 "Charyageetikosha" (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.21]

Notes

References

#Chattopadhyaya, Alaka, Churashi Siddhar Kahini (in Bengali), Anushtup, Kolkata, 1998, ISBN 81-85479-68-2.

External links

* [http://www.himalayanart.org/imageremote.cfm?icode=94042 A thangka of Luipa]
* [http://imageserver.himalayanart.org:8087/fif=fpx/52548461.fpx&obj=uv,1.0&page=image.html&rect=0,0,1,1&hei=400 Another thangka of Luipa]