Maitripada

Maitrīpāda (c.  1007–1085, also known as Maitreyanātha, Advayavajra, and, to Tibetans, Maitrīpa), was a prominent Indian Buddhist Mahasiddha associated with the Mahāmudrā transmission of tantric Buddhism. His teachers were Shavaripa and Naropa. His students include Atisha, Marpa, Vajrapani, Karopa, Natekara (also known as Sahajavajra), Devākaracandra (also known as Śūnyatāsamādhi), and Rāmapāla. His hermitage was in the Mithila region (also known as Tirhut), somewhere in northern Bihar and neighboring parts of southern Nepal.

As per Tibetan and Nepalese sources, Maitripada was born into a Brahmin family in Magadha in a village near Kapilavastu during the rule of the Pala empire. His year of birth has been commonly placed 1007 C.E. as per the writings of Taranatha who places him around the rule of King Mahipala. Prior to becoming a Buddhist, he was educated in Pāṇinian grammar and Hindu treatises for 7 years.

After his education, he encountered the Buddhist siddha Naropa at the northern gate of Nalanda who engaged him in a debate. Maitripada lost the debate and subsequently converted to Buddhism and was ordained as a monk at the monasteries of Nalanda and Vikramashila in modern-day Bihar. During his stay at these monasteries he was taught by eminent masters such as Ratnākaraśānti.

Maitripada had his initial monastic ordination at Nalanda following which he dwelt in Vikramashila where he stayed for four years. While he was noted as an excellent monk, he was also said to be practicing tantra in secret.

Maitripada was known to have left Vikramashila at some point although the sources differ as to the exact reason. According to one account by Padma Karpo, he was engaged in a doctrinal dispute with his guru, Ratnākaraśānti who expounded the Yogachara school of thought. As a result of this dispute, Ratnākaraśānti is said to have ripped part of Maitripada's robes. Nepalese sources detail that following this dispute, the bodhisattva, Avalokiteśvara appeared in Maitripada's dreams and urged him to renounce the monastic life.

Another account from the biography of Atiśa details that he was expelled from the monastery after Atiśa, who was the abbot of the Vikramashila at the time, discovered liquor in his dorms.

Following this, he travelled for four months to South India via boat where he became a disciple of Shavaripa from who he received various tantric instructions. During the latter part of his life, he returned to North India where he composed numerous treaties which are now preserved in the Tibetan Buddhist canon.

Maitripada's philosophy straddled between the schools of Madhyamaka and Mahamudra. He did however, still seem to hold the Yogachara school in high regard and thought it a necessary step to his interpretation of Madhyamaka.