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The ascetic tradition has been with Buddhism since it began. As time went by,
Monks and Nuns took up permanent residence in their monasteries, and the
wandering teachers were becoming few.
Around the sixth century of the common era, a movement of Buddhist practitioners became very influential. These were
the ascetics, those devoted to the sublime and arcane, who had given up any idea
that one condition was better than another. These people often took up
residence in grave yards, exchanging their secret wisdom. Most of them had come
from noble or well educated backgrounds, all had dropped out of society, and all
were involved in arcane practices and lore. There were, in those days, various
groups of Siddhas. The Nathsiddhas followed Shaiva/Shakta practices, the
Mahasiddhas declared their commitment to the Bodhicitta, the heart of a
Bodhisattva, and thus allied themselves with Buddhism.
The Mahasiddhas—at that time, ex-monks or non-monks—were generally from the
upper classes, and had decided that living in lonely places and studying the
Tantras was the best way to reach Enlightenment. All the New School
transmissions in Tibet derive from one or more of the Mahasiddhas. Tilopa
taught Naropa the Guhyasamajatantra, which he taught to Atisha, the founder of
the bKa' Dam (Kadam) or dGe lugs (Geluk) school. Naropa also transmitted this
tantra and the Chakrasamvaratantra to Marpa, the founder of the bKa' brgyud
(Kaju) school. Virupa is the Mahasiddha inspirer of the Sa skya (Sakya)
school.
The Old Ones, rNying ma, claim a transmission from Padmasambhava, who
is considered to have been a Siddha, but is not included in the usual lists of
Mahasiddhas. However, the traveling teachers of Buddhism were now homeless
beggars with esoteric instructions, for which traveling pilgrims would come vast
distances.
Their transmission of Enlightenment, while often unconventional or
bizarre, became a key link in the transmission of Buddhism into Tibet, and for
this reason these Mahasiddhas are frequently given prominent positions in the
lineage-holder gatherings at the tops of many Thangkas. In some cases the
recognition of a particular Mahasiddha can determine the interpretation of the
rest of the Tangka. Some Thangkas, all of them belonging the "Guruyoga"
category, depict a Mahasiddha as the main figure. Some Thangkas depict the
Mahasiddha and some of the outstanding features of his career. There were many
Tibetans who took up the Siddha type tradition of living in lonely places and
devoting oneself entirely to realizing Enlightenment, well known among them is
Milarepa.
Equally important to the transmission was the transmission of knowledge and
book learning. The meeting of two great Pundits, their passing on of knowledge,
and their having shared thought is often portrayed in the Thangkas, indicating
that not only in charnel grounds was spiritual transmission active, but also in
the places of learning and the exchange of ideas. The transmission of higher
education by brilliant monastics is also one of the main springs of the well of
Enlightenment, and the teachers that contributed to the knowledge of logic,
analysis, composition, grammar, and the like are also portrayed as objects of
devotion and emulation.
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