Mask of Vaikuntha Vishnu, late 5th century. Learn more about 5th century masks
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Atisa Dipankara Srijnana (b. 982; d. 1054) was a religious leader and master who is considered a major figure in eleventh century Buddhism. He is believed to have been born in Bikrampur, then capital of the Pala Empire and located in present-day Dhaka, Bangladesh. He influenced early Buddhist thought in Southeast Asia, with Tibetan sources suggesting that he spent twelve years in Sumatra, following which he returned to the Indian subcontinent and went on to study and teach in Tibet. He is the author of Bodhipathapradipa, which outlines different schools of thought within Buddhism.