Brief info on Mahasiddha Virupa, the founder of the Lamdre practice of Sakya Order of Tibetan Buddhist Tradition.

1. Lamdre (meaning: the Path including its result) is the highest teaching and practice of the Sakya
Tradition, originating from the great Indian Mahasiddha, Virupa. Lamdre contains teachings and
practices covering the whole range of sutra and tantra teachings given by Buddha, but its main
teachings are based on the Hevajra Tantra.
Virupa practised Chakrasamvara at night, whilst teaching Sutrayana, debating and composing
Dharma texts during the day at Nalanda University. After few years of practising without gaining any
signs or attainments, frustrated, Virupa thought he had no connection with Mantrayana in this life.
He then decided to spend his time solely in the study and contemplation of the common vehicle. He
made the pledge that from now onwards he would not teach the Dharma, compose Dharma texts,
nor do any YIDAM practice. On the 22nd of the fourth lunar spring month (Vesak) he threw his mala
into a toilet as a symbol of his abandonment of the practice.
That nigh Nairatmaya appeared in his dream as a blue ordinary lady who said to him, "Noble Son, do
not behave improperly. Retrieve your mala, wash it with perfumed water, confess your mistake and
pledge not to repeat this, and uphold the practice correctly now on." She continued, "I am the deity
with whom you have a karmic link. I will now bestow blessings upon you so that you will swiftly
accomplish attainments." She then disappeared.
The following morning, on the 23rd day of the lunar month, Virupa woke up with great regret. He
collected his mala and followed the instructions he received the night before. That night he
perceived primordial wisdom in the form of the fifteen goddess mandala of the Nirmanakaya
manifestation of Nairatmaya. He received the four consecrations completely and attained the first
bhumi (stages of enlightenment) that very night.
For six consecutive nights Virupa achieved increasing realisations and on the seventh night, the 29th
day of the lunar month, he accomplished the sixth bhumi, gaining blessings of the four aspects of the
whispered lineage.
• Because he received the four empowerments completely from an unbroken lineage, the
stream of initiation did not dry up.
• Secondly, because he gained realisation of the first to the sixth bhumis, the stream of
blessings did not decline.
• Thirdly, he perfectly realised that all of his previous misfortunes were actually signs of the
heat of Samadhi of the path of application. Thus the instructions were not disrupted.
• Fourthly, he gained the profound confidence that his realisation was equal to that of the
Buddha and completely satisfied all of his aspirations.