the most revered of all the Tibetan Masters, was born to an affluent family in east Bengal in India. He was a Bengali poet, a saint and a Yogi and lived in the tenth century. Some scholars believe that he was born to a Brahmin family, while the others are of the opinion that he was born to one of the royal families of Bengal. Brahmins are the highest order conferred on an individual under the Indian caste system. Tilopa is said to have been born in the highest caste of that time. However, there is also a difference of opinion regarding the place of Tilopa’s birth. It is speculated that he was either born in Chativavo, now Chittagong, or in Jagora. Both places are now located in Bengal. Tilopa’s uncommon identity was recognised much before his birth. Tilopa stayed unborn for thirteen months in his mother’s womb. After thirteen months in the womb, Tilopa was born on the second day of the twelfth month of the lunar calendar, at dawn. The year when Tilopa was born was the year of the Rat, of the earth element. There is a popular custom followed in the Indian tradition, particularly among the Brahmins at the time of birth of a baby. The family invites experts on palmistry, astrology and numerology to foretell the future and fortune of the new born. The experts are often joined by wise men, who, based on their experience and spiritual knowledge express the potential and abilities of the child. This is also a way to identify the potential threats and hurdles in the life of the child and eliminate them by conducting religious ceremonies and making offerings as directed by the priest. Thus, as he hailed from a highly respected Brahmin family, the same custom was followed at the birth of Tilopa. But, the story that followed is very interesting. When the first palmist was invited to the household, it was in a flicker of moment that he exclaimed, “The child is blessed with extraordinary capabilities that are not within my expertise to explain. He has divine characteristics that no human can ever conceive in words. As a humble palmist, I request you not to put me through the task of reading the child’s future.” Thus, begging pardon, the palmist rushed out of the house in haste. This reaction of the palmist left Tilopa’s parents confused and confounded. However, his parents did not stop there. They called for a second palmist. This person saw Tilopa and immediately reacted in the exact same way as the first palmist had. He, too, begged for pardon and left the house in a hurry. Thus followed many wise men and fortune-tellers, but none could explain the magnificent characteristics of Tilopa to his parents. Despite all the cloaked reactions by the palmists and the wise men, Tilopa’s parents successfully surmised that their child was blessed by Gods and was gifted with extraordinary capabilities and an appealing personality. They believed that it was only right for them to bring up their son with great Early Years and Childhood 3 care under vigilant guardianship. So, Tilopa’s childhood was always flooded with love, care and affection by his parents. Besides such display of affection, Tilopa’s parents watched over him attentively. He was not permitted to mix or play with other children of his age. Thus, for a long time, his mother and his sister were his only playmates. Soon, Tilopa grew up to be a young boy. It was time for him to attend school to practise Dharma. While his parents were trying to protect him, a strange incident happened that changed how Tilopa’s parents behaved towards him. One bright afternoon, Tilopa was sitting in the garden of his house, playing with his toys. Suddenly, his mother saw from the window that a big dark shadow was cast upon him. There stood next to Tilopa an ugly old woman, who was terrifying to look at. Tilopa’s mother shook with trepidation and screamed at the old woman to move away from Tilopa. In truth, the old woman was a mystical being, a Dakini, and had come to guide Tilopa onto the path of Dharma.
Seeing Tilopa’s mother scream out in fury, the old lady said to her, “Your screaming at me is worthless. No matter how hard you try and protect your son, you cannot protect him from the untimate death that is written in his destiny. All your love and care will fail in front of death and your son will be taken away from you.” These words of the old lady shocked Tilopa’s mother. She became desperate to find a solution for this ill fate of her son. So, she prostrated in front of the old lady and begged her to give her a solution that would save Tilopa’s life. The old lady told Tilopa’s mother, “If you wish to protect your son from dying, then send him to school to receive education. He has to cross the boundaries of the house and join the outer world, if he is to live.” Saying this, the old lady vanished. While this incident took place, Tilopa’s father had been out of the house for a few days for his business. When he returned home, his wife narrated the entire incident to him and told him about the prophecy of the old lady. Now, in all Brahmin families, it is a strictly followed tradition that all their children attend school to receive the best of education and learn about the Holy Scriptures. Tilopa was to be put on the same path, and thus, it was required for him to attend school. Thus, considering that Tilopa would in any case attend school, they did not ponder much over the old lady’s prophecy.
Soon, Tilopa was sent to school. He was a diligent and enthusiastic student. Over time, he completed his education and became a master in the practices and cultural traditions of the Brahmins. He was the greatest Brahmin scholar ever to be found
