Trisong Detsen is Tibet’s second Dharma King, those holy Emperors who devoted their lives to the promulgation of Buddhism in the traditional historiography. But how did the Tsenpo become a Dharma King?
Before his reign, Buddhism in Tibet was on shaky ground. Even Songtsen Gampo was only a patron of Buddhism, not a true Buddhist. But Trisong Detsen was a Buddhist. He sponsored the construction of Samye Monastery, oversaw a Great Debate to settle doctrine in Tibetan Buddhism, and had his family educated in the faith.
More than any king before him, Trisong Detsen was the reason Buddhism had a future in the country. And in today’s episode, we explore his role in that story.