Mitrayogin’s 108 Mandalas An lmage Database

In the late twelfth century, when Indian Buddhism was on the brink of annihilation as a result of repeated Muslim invasions, Mitrayogin, an Indian Tantric adept who has taken refuge in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal, received an invitation from the Tibetan translator Khro phu lo tsa ba (1173-1225) to visit Tibet, and in 1198-99 he resided in Khro phu monastery in gTang, Tibet, where he transmitted the entire repertoire of mandalas with which he was familiar. the 108 mandalas transmitted by Mitrayogin on this occasion are known in Tibet as "Mitra's One Hundred" (Mitra brgya rtsa). Indian Buddhism disappeared soon after his visit to Tibet, and so these mandalas became a precious heritage which represents the final stage in the 700-year development of the mandala in India.