Dhitika

Dhitika (Skt. Dhītika; Tib. དྷི་ཏི་ཀ་, Wyl. dhi ti ka), the fifth patriarch, was the son of a wealthy brahmin. After becoming a monk, Dhitika went to Mathura where he met Upagupta. Having received the sevenfold instructions from Upagupta, he attained the state of an arhat. Dhitika travelled throughout six of the great communities of India, carrying the Dharma as far as Tokharia in central Asia. Preaching to kings and commoners all across northern India, he turned the populace away from nature worship, black magic, and animal sacrifices. He entered nirvana at Ujjin, having entrusted the Dharma to Krishna, who would be the sixth patriarch.

Further Reading

• Ways of Enlightenment; Buddhist Studies at Nyingma Institute, pages 38-40. Dharma Publishing ISBN: 0-89800-255-9
• Dudjom Rinpoche, The Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism, The Patriarchs of the Teachings, pp.432-439. Published by Wisdom Publications ISBN: 0-86171-199-9