Thonmi Sambhota

Architect of the Tibetan Script

The legendary Thonmi Sambhota is widely regarded as one of the earlier incarnations of Dorje Shugden. His life, although shrouded in legend, is still very much an integral part of early Tibetan history. His name is written as Thonmi or sometimes as Tumi (man from Tu), reflecting the place of his birth. Sambhota is Sanskrit and it means Tibetan (Bhota) Scholar (Sam).

Thonmi Sambhota is said to have been born to Anu, a minister to King Songtsen Gampo and was from the Thonmi clan from Central Tibet. He grew to become such an intelligent young man that the Tibetan Emperor showed him favor. In 633, he was sent on an expedition to India with seven other brilliant young Tibetans to study and research the Indian scripts in order to develop one for the Tibetan language. At that time, he was just a teenager.

The Tibetan Emperor gave the traveling party enough gold to cover their expenses throughout their stay in India, as well as some valuable gifts to be presented to the Indian King, Peljinje Bina Lhachen, according to Tibetan records. Along their journey, the expedition passed through Nepal and the Nepalese King gave them fever preventive medicines in exchange for some of the valuable gifts they had in their possession. The medicines proved to be crucial for their survival through the long trek into tropical India.

Upon arriving in India, the expedition searched far and wide before finally discovering Brahmin Lijinkara and another teacher known in Tibetan as Lha Rigpa Sengge or Devavidyasimha. With these and other teachers, Thonmi Sambhota studied language, grammar, lexicography, poetry, literature and related topics, and also philosophy for about seven years. Unfortunately, the other Tibetan youths accompanying Thonmi Sambhota to India died because of the tropical heat, according to written records and also verbal history.

Upon completing his studies, Thonmi Sambhota returned to Tibet with gifts from the Indian King to the Tibetan Emperor. He also brought with him every available treatise on Sanskritm grammar, and also many other texts from India to Tibet. These texts are said to be amongst the very first Buddhist scriptures to enter Tibet from India.

Thonmi Sambhota then commenced the great project of conceptualizing the Tibetan script at the Kukarmaru Palace in Lhasa. He was reputed to have developed the Tibetan script based on the fusion of the Devanagari and Kashmiri scripts. He was also credited with the composition of six accompanying texts that delineate Tibetan grammar, which was based on the Sanskrit equivalent. However, only two texts are extant today (Sumchupa and Takjukpa) and are still very much in use in the study of Tibetan grammar.

According to one account, Thonmi Sambhota presented his creation to Emperor Songtsen Gampo in a grand assembly that was attended by all the ministers and dignitaries. Then, he began to teach the Emperor to read and write this new script, and the intricacies of grammar. In gratitude, the Emperor bestowed on him the title Lopon Thonmi. It was said that the Emperor then retired for four years to master this new script and grammar, and subsequently engaged in many translations including twenty-one Tantric texts on Avalokiteshvara. The Emperor was also said to have composed the two large volumes of the Mani Kabum, a collection of teachings and practices revolving around Avalokiteshvara.

According to legend, Thonmi Sambhota was highly regarded and heavily rewarded for his invention. But some of his fellow ministers harbored jealousy and defamed him in the Emperor’s presence. Thonmi Sambhota eventually won them over by explaining the value of his achievement and the sufferings he had endured.

There is no record of the year of Thonmi Sambhota’s passing or the length of his life. He is said to have had at least one son called Mahasata and grandson Nyima Longsel. He had two apprentice translators and they were known as Dharmakosha or Lhalung Dorje Pel and Drenka Mulakosha. Thonmi Sambhota would eventually be counted as the fourth of the seven most trusted and wisest ministers of the Emperor Songtsen Gampo.