Buddhism · Communities & events
Samye establishes a Tibetan monastic center
c. 775–779 CE
Samye became Tibet’s first Buddhist monastery under royal patronage, with the Indian teacher Shantarakshita central to its establishment. Traditions also associate Padmasambhava with overcoming obstacles to construction. The institution helped make monastic life a durable part of Tibet’s religious and political landscape.
Why it matters
The monastery marks institutional establishment rather than the first Tibetan contact with Buddhism, linking imported teachings with local patronage and religious memory.
About the date
One chronology; other sources cited by Treasury of Lives give 763 or 787–799.
Samye Monastery
Monastery location provided explicitly by Treasury of Lives.
site orientation
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