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Padmasambhava statue near Kullu, India
Padmasambhava statue near Kullu, India

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. WikipediaWikiProject Indian cities for details --> Kullu is the capital town of the Kullu District, in the state of Himachal Pradesh, Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical Vajrayana Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayana, Mantranaya, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and Definitions of Tibet See also Definitions of Tibet Name In English The English word Tibet, like the word for Tibet in most European The 8th century is the period from 701 to 800 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. In Bhutan and Tibet he is better known as Guru Rinpoche ("Precious Master") or Lopon Rinpoche,[1] where followers of the Nyingma school regard him as the second Buddha. The Kingdom of Bhutan (buːˈtɑːn is a Landlocked nation in South Asia. Definitions of Tibet See also Definitions of Tibet Name In English The English word Tibet, like the word for Tibet in most European The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism (the other three being the Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug) In Buddhism, buddhahood ( Sanskrit: buddhatva. Pali: buddhatta. Padmasambhava is the son of Drenpa Namkha. Drenpa Namkha (Tibetan dran pa nam mkha') was born in the eighth century near Mt Kailash in Chunlung Ngul Kha in south-western Tibet. [2]

His Pureland Paradise is Zangdok Palri (the Copper-coloured Mountain). [3]

Contents

Life and teachings

The birth of Padmasambhava
The birth of Padmasambhava

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 of Ancient India in present-day Pakistan. Nelumbo nucifera is known by a number of common names including Indian lotus, sacred lotus, bean of India, and sacred water-lily Oḍḍiyāna, a small country in early Medieval India, implicit in the ascendence of Tantric Buddhism. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and [4] His special nature was recognized by the local king who married him to one of his daughters, Mandarava. Mandarava is one of the two principal spiritual consorts of Padmasambhava and is considered a female Guru - Deity. She and Padmasambhava's other main consort, Yeshe Tsogyal, developed into realised practitioners. Yeshe Tsogyel, also known in the Nyingma tradition as the Great Bliss Queen, is a semi-mythical female Deity or figure of enlightenment ( Many thangkas and paintings show Padmasambhava in between them.

Entrance to Dawa Puk, Guru Rinpoche's cave, Yerpa, 1993.
Entrance to Dawa Puk, Guru Rinpoche's cave, Yerpa, 1993. Padmasambhava () The Lotus Born, is said to have transmitted Tantric Buddhism to Bhutan and Tibet in the 8th century. Yerpa. Also Brag Yer-pa Drak Yerpa Dagyeba Dayerpa Trayerpa The entrance to the Yerpa Valley is about 16 km northeast of Lhasa on the northern bank of the Kyichu

His fame became known to Trisong Detsen, the 38th king of the Yarlung dynasty, and the first Emperor of Tibet (742–797), whose kingdom was beset by evil mountain deities. Trisong Detsän or Trisong Detsen ཁྲི་སྲོང་ལྡེ་བཙན (Tibetan Wylie Khri-srong-lde-btsan; ipa ʈʂʰisoŋ tetsɛ̃; PRC Events By Place Asia Chinese poet Li Po is presented before the emperor and given a position in the Imperial court (approximate date Events By Place Byzantine Empire July 17 — Irene orders her son Byzantine Emperor Constantine VI, captured and 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. A Dakini ( Sanskrit: ḍākinī Tibetan: khandro; Wylie: mkha'-'gro-ma; TP: Kandroma; Chinese language Yeshe Tsogyel, also known in the Nyingma tradition as the Great Bliss Queen, is a semi-mythical female Deity or figure of enlightenment ( This was in accordance with the tantric principle of not eliminating negative forces but redirecting them to fuel the journey toward spiritual awakening. Tantra ( Sanskrit: तन्त्र; " Weave " denoting continuity) tantricism or tantrism is any of several esoteric In Tibet he founded the first monastery in the country, Samye Gompa,[5] initiated the first monks, and introduced the people to the practice of Tantric Buddhism. The Samye Monastery or Samye Gompa ( is the first Buddhist Monastery built in Tibet, constructed in approximately 775 AD under MONK is a Monte Carlo software package for simulating nuclear processes particularly for the purpose of determining the neutron multiplication factor or k-effective Vajrayana Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayana, Mantranaya, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and

Padmasambhava had five major female tantric companions, the so-called 'Five Wisdon Dakinis' (Wylie: Ye-shes mKha-'gro lnga) or 'Five Consorts. ' In Padmasambhava's biography - they are described as the five women "who had access to the master's heart", and practiced secret sexual tantric rites which are considered to have exorcised the previous demons of Tibet and converted them into protectors of the the country. '[6] They were: Mandarava of Zahor - the emanation of Vajravarahi's Body; Belwong Kalasiddhi of (North-West) India - the emanation of Vajravarahi's Quality, Belmo Sakya Devi of Nepal; the emanation of Vajravarahi's Mind, Yeshe Tsogyal of Tibet; the emanation of Vajravarahi's Speech and Mangala or Tashi Kyedren of "the Himalayas" - the emanation of Vajravarahi's Activity. Vajrayogini ( Tibetan: Dorje Naljorma, Wylie Rdo rje rnal ’byor ma) Is the Vajra Yogini, literally 'the diamond female [7][8]

Thangka depicted Padmasambava
Thangka depicted Padmasambava

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, otherwise known as Nirvana. Phowa ( Wylie: 'pho ba; also spelled Powa or Poa phonetically is a Tibetan term for a Buddhist meditation practice that In sramanic philosophy Nirvana (निर्वाण| Nirvāṇa; निब्बान Nibbāna; Prakrit: णिव्वाण

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. The Kingdom of Bhutan (buːˈtɑːn is a Landlocked nation in South Asia. Taktshang is the most famous of monasteries in Bhutan. It hangs on a cliff at 3120 metres (10200 feet some 700 meters (2300 feet above the bottom of 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. Bumthang is one of the 20 Dzongkhag (districts comprising Bhutan. See also List of deities A deity is a Postulated Preternatural or Supernatural Being, who is always Padmasambhava's body imprint can be found in the wall of a cave at nearby Kurje Lhakhang temple. Kurjey Lhakang, also known as Kurjey Monastery, is located in the Bumthang valley in the Bumthang district of Bhutan.

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. Terma are key Tibetan Buddhist and Bön teachings originally Esoterically secreted hidden by various adepts such as Padmasambhava and his Terma are key Tibetan Buddhist and Bön teachings originally Esoterically secreted hidden by various adepts such as Padmasambhava and his [9] 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. Karma Lingpa (14th century a great Tertön, is embraced as a reincarnation of Chokro Luyi Gyaltsen ( Cog ro klu'i rgyal mtshan) a great master

Padmasambhava is attributed with the quotation, "When the iron bird flies and the horse goes on wheels, the Dharma will travel west to the land of the red men. " Although it has become common to interpret this as a prophesy regarding the West, Buddhist scholar Stephen Batchelor argues that it more likely refers to the dharma coming to Tibet from China, with "Iron Bird" referring to the Iron Bird year (781, when Chinese scholars were invited to teach at Samye), the "red faces" being Tibetans (who painted their faces red for battle), and "wheeled horses" being chariots, a traditional symbol of power. Stephen Batchelor (c 1953 is a self-described Agnostic born in Scotland, and is the author of many books relating to Buddhism. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The chariot is the earliest and simplest type of Carriage, used in both peace and war as the chief vehicle of many ancient peoples [10]

Iconography

The khatvanga, a danda with three severed heads denoting liberation from the three worlds or triloka, crowned by a trishula and dressed with a sash of the Himalayan Rainbow or Five Pure Lights of the Mahabhuta is a particular divine attribute of Padmasambhava and endemic to his iconographic representation. The khatvanga, a Danda with three severed heads denoting liberation from the three worlds or Triloka, crowned by a Trishula and dressed with In the Devanāgarī script, the danda (दंड daṃḍa lit In Indian religions, Moksha ( Sanskrit: sa मोक्ष mokṣa) or Mukti ( Sanskrit: sa मुक्ति literally "release" Trisula redirects here For the Genus of noctuid Moths see Trisula (moth. The Five Pure Lights (Tibetan 'od lnga) are a conceptual mystery in the Dzogchen tradition of Bön and Nyingma and are aspects of Definitions In the Pali canon, the most basic elements are usually identified as four in number but on occasion a fifth and to an even lesser extent a sixth element The katvanga is also emblematic of Padmasambhava when depicted as an accoutrement of his divine consorts, Mandarava and Yeshe Tsogyal and according to the Twilight Language is representative of Yab-Yum in these examples. Mandarava is one of the two principal spiritual consorts of Padmasambhava and is considered a female Guru - Deity. Yeshe Tsogyel, also known in the Nyingma tradition as the Great Bliss Queen, is a semi-mythical female Deity or figure of enlightenment ( For the former brothel in Amsterdam see Yab Yum Yab-yum ( Tibetan literally "father-mother" is a common symbol in the Buddhist art

Manifestations

Padmasambhava is said to have taken eight forms or manifestations (Tib. Guru Tsen Gye) representing different aspects of his being - wrath, pacification, etc. :

Statue of Guru Rinpoche in his meditation cave at Yerpa, Tibet
Statue of Guru Rinpoche in his meditation cave at Yerpa, Tibet

In the 14th century, Christian missionaries came to Lhasa, Tibet hoping to convert the population. Yerpa. Also Brag Yer-pa Drak Yerpa Dagyeba Dayerpa Trayerpa The entrance to the Yerpa Valley is about 16 km northeast of Lhasa on the northern bank of the Kyichu A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Lhasa, ( in English l̥ʰásə or in Tibetan; Chinese: 拉萨 Pinyin: Lāsà sometimes spelled Lasa, is the administrative capital of the After hearing the Christians recount the story of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the Tibetans exclaimed, 'It was he!' "The pious Buddhists were completely convinced that Jesus Christ was an incarnation of Padmasambhava. Within the body of Christian beliefs the resurrection of Jesus is a core event on which much of Christian doctrine and theology depend " The Christians then stopped trying to convert the population because the Buddhists thought the teachings of Christ were a "confirmation of the teachings that had been proclaimed by Sakyamuni, Padsambhava, and other Buddhist saints. Siddhārtha Gautama ( Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual Teacher from Ancient India and the founder " [11]

When Theos Bernard visited Tibet in 1937, he was accepted as a reincarnation of Padmasambhava, what enabled him to take part in many special religious ceremonies and to discuss Tibetan teachings with some of the leading lamas at famous Tibetan monasteries. Theos Casimir Bernard ( December 10, 1908 – unknown probably mid-September 1947 was an accomplished American practitioner of Yoga

The Vajra Guru mantra

The Vajra Guru (Padmasambhava) mantra Om Ah Hum Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hum is favoured and held in esteem by sadhakas. A mantra ( Devanāgarī मन्त्र (or mantram is a religious or mystical syllable or poem typically from the Sanskrit language A sadhaka ( Sanskrit) is a practitioner of a particular Sadhana. Like most Sanskritic mantras in Tibet, the Tibetan pronunciation demonstrates dialectic variation and is generally Om Ah Hum Benza Guru Pema Siddhi Hung. A dialect (from the Greek word διάλεκτος dialektos) is a variety of a Language that is characteristic of a particular group of In the Vajrayana traditions, particularly of the Nyingmapa, it is held to be a powerful mantra engendering communion with the Three Vajras of Padmasambhava's mindstream and by his grace, all enlightened beings. The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism (the other three being the Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug) The Three Vajras namely 'body' 'speech' and 'mind' are a formulation within Tibetan Buddhism which reflects the full experience of Buddha-nature and the attempt by Mindstream is a compound Lexical item composed of Mind and Stream used to translate a term from Buddhist philosophy. In Christianity, divine Grace refers to the sovereign favour of God for humankind — especially in regard to Salvation — irrespective of actions [12]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ Norbu, Thubten Jigme and Turnbull, Colin. Before the introduction of Buddhism in Bhutan, Bön religion was prevalent in Bhutan. Theos Casimir Bernard ( December 10, 1908 – unknown probably mid-September 1947 was an accomplished American practitioner of Yoga (1969) Tibet: Its History, Religion and People, p. 155. Chatto & Windus. Reprint: Penguin Books (1987), p. 162.
  2. ^ Karmay, The Treasury of Good Sayings, Oxford University Press, London 1972: xxxii n. 4
  3. ^ Dudjom Rinpoche: Continually he prayed that all those who saw him, heard him, came in contact with him or even thought of him would be freed from suffering. Dudjom Rinpoche ( is the title of a prominent line of Tulkus of the Nyingmapa order of Tibetan Buddhism. It was prophesied that all who had taken refuge in him or anyone who had any sort of connection with him would be reborn in Padmasambhava's Pureland known as Zangdok Palri (the Copper-coloured Mountain).
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ Norbu, Thubten Jigme and Turnbull, Colin. (1969) Tibet: Its History, Religion and People, p. 162. Chatto & Windus. Reprint: Penguin Books (1987).
  6. ^ Norbu, Thubten Jigme and Turnbull, Colin. (1969) Tibet: Its History, Religion and People, p. 162. Chatto & Windus. Reprint: Penguin Books (1987).
  7. ^ The Five Consorts The Yoniverse
  8. ^ [1] Five Wisdom Dakinis.
  9. ^ Laird, Thomas. (2006). The Story of Tibet: Conversations with the Dalai Lama. Grove Press, New York. ISBN 978-0-8021-1827-1.
  10. ^ "Tibet, Tibet. " Batchelor, Stephen. From an unpublished (and unfinished) paper delivered at a symposium on Tibet at the University of Colorado in Boulder, 28 January, 2000. [2]
  11. ^ Kersten, Holger. Jesus Lived in India: His Unknown Life Before & After the Crucifixion. New York: Penguin Books, 1981. p. 33-4.
  12. ^ Sogyal Rinpoche (1992). The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, pp. 386-389 Harper, San Francisco. ISBN 0-7126-5437-2.

References

Further reading

External links

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