Early Life

Although there are many variations to the early life of Naropa, one of them talks about how he was born into a Royal-Brahmin family in present day Bengal. His father’s name was Santivaram and his mother’s name was Srimati. The stories also say that he went to study at the age of eleven to Kashmir (A.D. 1026), which was a main seat of Buddhist learning at that time, where he stayed for three years and acquired a solid knowledge of the essential branches of learning, before returning home (A.D. 1029). But then in A.S. 1032, he was forced to marry a Brahmin girl Vimalpidi (who was known by her caste name, Niguma). The marriage lasted for eight years and then was dissolved by mutual consent as while Naropa was interested in living a more spiritual life, Niguma also began engaged in literary activities. She later went on to become his advanced disciples and a devoted spiritual companion, also serving Naropa when he lived in Pullahari.  

Naropa went to Kashmir the same year as his divorce and stayed there for three more years before proceeding to Pullahari, where he stayed for another six years. In A.D. 1049, he went to Nalanda, where he succeeded in a religious-philosophical debate and was elected as one of the four gatekeepers. 

From being a scholar to a disciple

There are various legends that talk about how Naropa left Nalanda University in search of Mahasiddha Tilopa. One of them shares that despite having a vast knowledge of the sutras and tantras, Naropa was dissatisfied and longed for realization. Naropa’s then guru instructed him to recite one of the Heruka’s mantras, Om Hrih Ha Ha Hūm Hūm Phat, until he found a solution. It is said that he’d recited the mantra seven million times and then one day, while reciting, he felt the earth shaking. A voice from space spoke to him, stating him that his knowledge wasn’t enough and he must find Tilopa and make him guru to find satisfaction.  And thus, Naropa left Nalanda to seek Tilopa’s guidance.  

In another story, an old ugly woman visited Naropa while he was still in Nalanda and asked him about Dharma, and after a debate where he admitted to know about Dharma but couldn’t have realization, the woman, who is said to be a Dakini and a manifestation of Vajrayogini, suggested him to find Mahasiddha Tilopa and learn from him.  

Trials of Naropa before and after meeting Tilopa 

It is said that Naropa underwent many trials while in search of Tilopa and due to his pride, he’d missed several opportunities to meet his teacher, which almost led to his suicide. For example, during his journey, he encountered several deformed or disgusting beggars. Naropa behaved quite arrogantly toward them, and after he passed by them, they said, “If you behave like that, you will never meet Tilopa.” The beggars then instantly disappeared, and Naropa realized that they were emanations of Tilopa." Another time a beggar stood in the middle of the road blocking his way. Naropa asked him to please move so he could get by. He retorted, “I’m not moving. You can either walk around me or jump over me, whichever you please. But there is no way I’m going to move from this spot.” Naropa proceeded to jump over him. The beggar said, “If you are that arrogant, you will never meet Tilopa.” Once again, the man vanished into thin air, and Naropa was left behind feeling deep regret.  

On another occasion, Naropa heard that Tilopa would go begging for alms that day. He thought, “If I go to the nearest temple where the beggars usually line up, I will probably meet Tilopa.” When he arrived, he asked if anyone knew the mahasiddha Tilopa. They answered, “We don’t know the mahasiddha Tilopa you are looking for, but there’s a beggar by the name of Tilopa around here somewhere.” When he first met this beggar, Naropa bowed respectfully to him, circumambulated around him, and requested teachings. Putting his hand inside his shirt, the beggar brought out a clump of lice and said, “Throw these in the fire.” Naropa thought, “I’m a monk! I’m a pure Buddhist! I can’t do anything like that. It would be terrible if I were to kill sentient beings.” Being attached to his self-image, he couldn’t do what the beggar said. The beggar then snapped, “If you have that kind of attachment, you will never meet Tilopa.” And again, he vanished. At the end of his twelve minor trials, Naropa was at the brink of complete despair. He thought, “I will never meet Tilopa. There is nothing I can do. I just don’t have the good fortune to meet him, so I might as well kill myself.” He took a knife out and was about to cut his own throat when suddenly he heard a voice saying, “If you do that, it will be of no benefit even if you meet Tilopa.” He looked around and Tilopa was standing right there. At last, they had met, and that was the last of the twelve minor trials of Naropa. 

Year after year Naropa requested his guru for initiation; and year after year Tilopa would get him to perform some outrageous action, always denying him the initiation he so desperately wanted. Naropa struggled like this for another twelve years. One day while they were walking together in the desert, Tilopa suddenly decided to give Naropa the initiation. Unable to make any other preparations, Naropa mixed his urine with sand and offered this to his guru as a mandala.Then Tilopa beat him on the head with his sandal. Naropa went into deep meditation for seven days.