- Thothori Nyantsen
Lha Thothori Nyantsen (also spelled Lha Tho tho ri Nyentsen or lHa-tho-tho-ri gNyan-btsan) was the 28th King of
Tibet according to the Tibetan legendary tradition. The syllable "Lha" (divine, pertaining to the gods of the sky) is an honorary title and not a part of his proper name. [Kirkland, Russell: "The Spirit of the Mountain", in: "The History of Tibet", ed. Alex McKay, Vol. 1, London 2003, p. 183.] He belonged to the Yarlung dynasty connected to the Yarlung district in Southern Tibet. Modern scholars believe that he was a historical ruler, as he is also mentioned in a Chinese source. [Kirkland, Russell: "The Spirit of the Mountain", in: "The History of Tibet", ed. Alex McKay, Vol. 1, London 2003, p. 190 n. 12.] They date his rule to the fifth century, because the 33rd kingSongtsän Gampo died in 650; other calculations putting his birth at 173 or 254 are nowadays rejected. [Richardson, Hugh: "The Origin of the Tibetan Kingdom", in: "The History of Tibet", ed. Alex McKay, Vol. 1, London 2003, p. 159.] He did not rule over the whole of Tibet; his power was probably limited to the Yarlung valley area.According to an indigenous legend, Buddhist scriptures (among them the
Karandavyuha Sutra ) first arrived in Tibet in his time. The tale claims that this happened in a miraculous way (the volumes fell from the sky on the roof of the royal palace), but there may be an historical background (arrival of Buddhist missionaries). [Studholme, Alexander: "The Origins of Om Manipadme Hum", Albany, NY 2002, p. 14.] In any case, this first contact of Tibetans with Buddhism cannot have been more than an incident without lasting impact.Popular Cultural References
In the ninth episode (numbered 2.002, the second episode of the second season) of the television show "
Twin Peaks ," the character ofFBI Special Agent Dale Cooper tells Agent Rosenfield that "the first Tibetan king to be touched by the Dharma was King Ha-tho-tho-ri gnyan-btsan. He and succeeding kings were collectively known as the Happy Generations." [Harley Peyton, "Twin Peaks Episode #2.002", Act 1, Shot 2.] That spelling of the name (so spelled in the transcribed screenplay) differs from the spelling given in the DVD subtitles, "Hathatha Rignamputsan", but is almost identical to a spelling given above; so it is probably this King of Tibet to which Cooper's tale referred, especially since the reign of that King also corresponds to the legendary arrival of Buddhist scripture in Tibet.References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
