Vimalamitra was born in Hastisthala in Western India. He was a scholar monk versed in the three approaches to buddhahood and a tantric master who attained mahamudra as a disciple of Buddhaguhya.

While he was living in Bodhigaya, he met a monk of similar mind Jnanasutra and there the Bodhisattva Vajrasattva himself appeared to them both and told them that: through five hundred rebirths as scholars they had achieved nothing. If they aspired to ultimate realization, they should go to China and at the Bodhi Tree Temple they would find their master Shri Singha, who would give them the instruction they required to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime. Leaving his friend behind, Vimalamitra, highly motivated, immediately set out for China and found Shri Singha as Vajrasattva had predicted and over twenty years he received instruction on the outer, inner and secret teaching of the Oral Lineage (Mangak nyingthik). Completely satisfied - although the master had not given him the texts - he returned to India.

Meeting Jnanasutra, Vimalamitra related what he had received and accomplished and Jnanasutra immediately decided to go to meet Shri Singha.

Years later, still intent on his meditations and doing tantric practice, Vimalamitra was visited by Dakinis who instructed him to go to the Bhasing cremation ground if he wanted to receive the Dzogchen Heart Essence instructions.

At Bhasing, he met his old friend Jnanasutra from whom he begged for the instruction he had missed. From him, he received the initiatory empowerments and meditational activities of the uttermost secret section of the Secret Teaching. After the fourth empowerment, he saw the naked nature of mind. He also received the texts from him.

Vimalamitra meditated on this for ten years before Jnanasutra achieved rainbow body and left him with his final legacy, a tiny jeweline casket containing the verses called "Four Profound Methods" (Zhakthab Zhi) and through this he accomplished the heart of the matter.

Thereafter Vimalamitra wandered through northern India, staying at Kamarupa in Assam as King Haribadra's priest, to Bhirya further west where Dharmapala ruled and where he also became a royal priest, and to the Prabhaskara cremation ground where he taught demonic beings through magical activity.

He made three copies of the texts:

1. hid in Oddiyana on the Golden Strand Island,
2. concealed beneath a rock called Serling in Kashmir and
3. gave to the Dakinis in the cremation ground. He attained the rainbow body of supreme transformation.

Later, Vimalamitra was invited to Tibet by the translators Kawa Peltsek and Chokro Lui Gyeltsen, emissaries of King Trisong Detsen, and he was welcomed in Central Tibet as a great master. The Eastern Tibetan Yudra Nyingpo became his collaborator in translation and teaching.

They translated a variety of Dzogchen texts, notably thirteen Mind Series texts, the Mayajala-tantra and Secret Precept Series texts. He initiated the King, Mutig Tsenpo, Nyak Tingnedzin Zangpo, Kawa Peltsek and Chokro Lui Gyeltsen. He hid the translated texts at Gegung in Chimphu. He stayed thirteen years in Tibet and then left for Riwo Tsenga (Wutaishan) where he vanished.

  1 Garab Dorje .. 2 Manjushrimitra .. 3 Shri Singha .. 4 Jnanasutra .. Vairocana