Mind-Benders of Buddhist History
The married farmer who crossed the Himalayas three times for books
Marpa the Translator (c. 1012-1097), a founding figure of a major Tibetan lineage, was not a monk but a married householder with land and family. He crossed the Himalayas from Tibet to India three times to study with Indian teachers and carry Buddhist texts home, spending years in study before returning each time to translate them.
How we know
Marpa Lotsawa (c. 1012-1097): lived as a lay householder (wife Dagmema, children, land); journeyed to India three times, studying ~12 years with Naropa, Maitripa and others; translated Vajrayana texts into Tibetan. Sources: Wikipedia 'Marpa Lotsawa'; Treasury of Lives 'Marpa Lotsawa'. Graph Author bud-marpa.
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