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Padmasambhava
Padmasambhava (also Padmakara or Padma Raja; earlier - Saroruha Vajra or
simply Saroruha) (Ch: 蓮華生上師, Pinyin: Lian Hua Sheng Shang Shi; Tib: Pema
Jungne, Wylie: padma 'byung gnas), in Sanskrit meaning "lotus-born", is said
to have brought Tantric Buddhism to Tibet in the 8th century. In Bhutan and
Tibet he is better known as Guru Rinpoche ("Precious Master") where
followers of the Nyingma school regard him as the second Buddha.
Life and teachings
According to tradition, Padmasambhava was incarnated as an eight-year-old
child appearing in a lotus blossom floating in Lake Dhanakosha, in the
kingdom of Uddiyana, traditionally identified with the Swat Valley in
present-day Pakistan.[1] His special nature was recognized by the local king
who married him to one of his daughters, Mandarava. She and Padmasambhava's
other main consort, Yeshe Tsogyal, developed into realised practitioners.
Many thangkas and paintings show Padmasambhava in between them.
Padmasambhava's ability to memorize and comprehend esoteric texts in a
single hearing established his reputation as a master above all others.
Knowing that the life force of the wife and son of evil minister was about
to end, he constructed an accident which resulted in their death. As a
result, Padmasambhava was banished from the court and exiled in a charnel
ground. Transiting various heavens and hells, he developed the power to
transcend the cycle of birth and death, accomplishing the so-called great
transference.
His fame became known to Trisong Detsen, the 38th king of Tibet (742–797),
whose kingdom was beset by evil mountain deities. The king invited
Padmasambhava to Tibet where he used his tantric powers to subdue the evil
deities he encountered along the way, eventually receiving the Emperor's
wife, identified with the dakini Yeshe Tsogyal, as a consort. This was in
accordance with the tantric principle of not eliminating negative forces but
redirecting them to fuel the journey toward spiritual awakening. In Tibet he
founded the first monastery in the country, Samye Gompa, initiated the first
monks, and introduced the people to the practice of Tantric Buddhism.
In Bhutan he is associated with the famous Taktshang or "Tiger's Nest"
monastery built on a sheer cliff wall about 500m above the floor of Paro
valley. He flew there from Tibet on the back of Yeshe Tsogyal, whom he
transformed into a flying tigress for the purpose of the trip. Later he
travelled to Bumthang district to subdue a powerful deity offended by a
local king. Padmasambhava's body imprint can be found in the wall of a cave
at nearby Kurje Lhakhang temple.
Padmasambhava also hid a number of religious treasures (termas) in lakes,
caves, fields and forests of the Himalayan region to be found and
interpreted by future tertöns or spiritual treasure-finders. According to
Tibetan tradition, the Bardo Thodol (commonly referred to as the Tibetan
Book of the Dead) was among these hidden treasures, subsequently discovered
by a Tibetan terton, Karma Lingpa.
Manifestations
Padmasambhava is said to have taken eight forms or manifestations (Tib. Guru
Tsen Gye) representing different aspects of his being - wrath, pacification,
etc.:
* 1. Guru Orgyen Dorje Chang
* 2. Guru Shakya Senge
* 3. Guru Pema Gyalpo
* 4. Guru Padmasambhava
* 5. Guru Loden Chokse
* 6. Guru Nyima Ozer
* 7. Guru Dorje Drolo
* 8. Guru Senge Dradog
Notes
1. ^ The conventional notion is that Uddiyana was located in the Swat Valley
of present-day Pakistan, although some historians, including Robert E.
Thurman, suggest it may have been in present-day Afghanistan.
References
* Schmidt, Erik Hein, and Marcia Binder, ed. 1993. The Lotus-Born: The Life
Story of Padmasambhava. Composed by Yeshe Tsogyal, revealed by Nyang Ral
Nyima Öser, foreword' by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, clarification by Tsele
Natsok Rangdröl. Translated from Tibetan by Erik Pema Kunsang. 1st edition,
Shambhala Books. Reprint: Rangjung Yeshe Publications, Boudhanath. 1998.
ISBN 962-7341-55-X
* Thondup, Tulku. Hidden Teachings of Tibet: An Explanation of the Terma
Tradition of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism. London: Wisdom
Publications, 1986.
* Tsogyal, Yeshe. The Lotus-Born: The Lifestory of Padmasambhava. Translated
by Erik Pema Kunsang. Boudhanath: Rangjung Yeshe Publications, 2004.
* Zangpo, Ngawang. Guru Rinpoche: His Life and Times. Snow Lion
Publications, 2002.
Further Reading
* Tsogyal, Yeshe. The Life and Liberation of Padmasambhava. Padma bKa'i
Thang. Two Volumes. 1978. Translated into English by Kenneth Douglas and
Gwendolyn Bays. ISBN 0-913546-18-6 and ISBN 0-913546-20-8.
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