Translator
Butön Rinchen Drub
1290–1364
Butön Rinchen Drub (1290–1364) was a renowned Tibetan Buddhist scholar, abbot, and translator who significantly contributed to the development of the Tibetan Buddhist canon. Born into a family of Nyingma lineage, he received extensive teachings in sūtra and tantra from various masters, including his parents and other prominent teachers of the time. Ordained at eighteen, he mastered a wide range of texts, philosophies, and practices, including the Prajñāpāramitā, Madhyamaka, and various tantric traditions such as Kālacakra and Hevajra. In 1320, he became the eleventh abbot of Zhalu Monastery, where he expanded its facilities and established a college for the study of sūtra and tantra. Butön is especially known for editing and organizing the Tibetan Kangyur and Tengyur, though he controversially excluded Nyingma tantras. A prolific teacher and writer, his works include treatises on Buddhist philosophy, tantra, and history, most notably his History of Buddhism. He retired in 1356 and passed away in 1364, leaving behind a rich legacy preserved in later woodblock editions of his writings.
