Sham S. Misri
Padmasambhava is sometimes called "Guru Rinpoche,"
or precious guru. He was an Indian Buddhist mystic who introduced Tantric
Buddhism to Tibet. He is credited with establishing the first Buddhist
monastery there. Sometimes called “the
second Buddha", he was an 8th-century Buddhist Tantrist.
He was a historical figure and is believed to have appeared
miraculously in the blossom of a lotus in the lake called "Ocean of
Milk" in South West Uddyana, which is also known as Lake Danakosha located
on the Afghanistan-Pakistan frontier. This area was famed for its magicians.
There are different interpretations about his birth. Some
Indian historians state that he was born to a minister or a King of Uddyana,
and some claim that he appeared directly on the summit of Mt. Malaya in Sri
Lanka. But Padmasambhava’s teachings confirm that he was born suddenly from a
lotus. This source is the most renown and thus the following history is
provided accordingly.
The great river Sindhu that springs from Kailash Mountain,
flows towards the Western Land of Uddyana and finally empties into the Arabian
Sea. When the river reaches Uddyana, it forms a lake filled with lotuses. As
the lotus roots produce a sweet-milky juice, it is called "Ocean of
Milk."
Prior to Padmasambhava’s birth, in the centre of the lake a
large, fully mature, beautiful, red lotus grew. From the lotus there arose an
eight-year-old child perfectly adorned with the typical marks. Holding a Vajra
and a lotus in his hands, he immediately began giving teachings to the gods and
dakinis of the area.
At that time, the ruler of the land of Uddyana, King
Indrabodhi, was residing in his palace with his queen and hundreds of
ministers. It is said that the king did not have a son. The king made great
offerings to the poor and destitute. He also opened the door of his treasuries
and went on distributing alms to the deprived and needy until his wealth was
exhausted. He then exclaimed, "Beggars have still not ceased, but I have
nothing to donate!” When the remaining beggars did not receive their share, they
told the king that if he did not provide them their share, his charity and
donation would be meaningless. The king heard this. He was inspired to get
wealth for the beggars. He sent his ministers to travel to the ocean. They had to
procure the wish-fulfilling jewel from the crown of the mystical creature,
Charumati, daughter of Naga. They procured the jewel and sailed back with their
boat filled with the jewels. While traveling to meet the king, the king’s
religious minister, found the extraordinary child on the lotus. He narrated the
full story of the child to the king. The king was pleased by this news. The
king and the minister went to the child. The king was thrown into a wonder of
delight. He invited the child to the palace as his son as well as religious
guide. The child was named "Padmasambhava" meaning
"lotus-born." Later he married Prabhadharani, the daughter of King
Chandan Gomashree, and ruled the kingdom in accordance with the Dharma. He
became renowned as Shikhabandh Raja or "The King with Plaited Hair."
Once he performed a mystical activity of killing the son of
a wicked minister and was exiled from the country. He settled into a graveyard
into the wilderness, becoming friend of the dakinis and meditating upon life
and death. He started to travel from graveyard to graveyard, always studying
the sacred texts and meditating, and he became disciple of various spiritual
masters. Gradually by performing mystical activities at the graveyard he
accomplished Siddhi and came to be known as Rodravajrakala, "The Wrathful
Vajra Display."
Padmasambhava --In adulthood he was driven from Uddyana by
evil spirits. Finally, in order to inspire faith towards the teachings in the
disciples of the future, he then went to Bodhgaya and many other places
displaying the act of receiving teachings from many great scholars, expert masters
and Dakinis. In Bodh Gaya, he studied at the great Buddhist University at
Nalanda in India, and he was guided by many significant teachers and spiritual
guides.
He became the disciple of a great yogi named Sri Simha, and
received tantric teachings. Then he went to the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal,
where he lived in a cave with the first of his consorts, Mandarava (also called
Sukhavati). While there, the couple received texts on Vajrakilaya, an important
tantric practice. Through Vajrakilaya, Padmasambhava and Mandarava realized
great enlightenment.
Padmasambhava became a renowned teacher, and on many
occasions he performed miracles that brought demons under control. This ability
eventually took him to Tibet, to cleanse the site of the Emperor's monastery
from demons. The demons -- the gods of indigenous Tibetan religion -- were
converted to Buddhism and became dharmapalas, or protectors of the dharma.
Once the demons were pacified, the building of Tibet's first
monastery could be completed. Padmasambhava returned to Nepal, but seven years
later he came back to Tibet. The Emperor Trisong Detsen was so overjoyed to see
Padmasambhava he offered Padmasambhava all the wealth of Tibet. The tantric
master refused these gifts. But he did accept a lady from the Emperor's harem,
the princess Yeshe Tsogyal, as his second consort, provided the princess accept
the relationship of her free will.
Together with Yeshe Tsogyal, Padmasambhava hid a number of
mystic texts in Tibet and elsewhere. One mystic text is known in English as the
"Tibetan Book of the Dead." Yeshe Tsogyal became Padmasambhava's
dharma heir and she transmitted the teachings to the disciples. By now Padmasambhava
had three more consorts. In addition to them, he had five women - called the’
Five Wisdom Dakinis.’
In order to tame the people of Uddyana he returned there
disguised as a religious man who lived by asking the public for food. But many
people recognized him and he was set to be burned alive in a sandalwood fire by
a host of evil-minded ministers and people. When the fire was lit, he
miraculously transformed the fire into a huge lake filled with lotuses. Sitting
himself with consort over a giant lotus in the middle of the lake, the king,
ministers, and people were shocked and developed great faith towards him. This
was some achievement of Padmasambhava prior to coming to Tibet ** (3).
He travelled extensively through northern India and Nepal,
winning many people to the Buddhist faith. He performed miraculous feats, and
his name became widely known as one of the greatest master of his age.
Padmasambhava's life began with another Buddhist master
named Shantarakshita. Shantarakshita came from Nepal at the invitation of Tibetan
king Trisong Detsen, who was interested in Buddhism. Unfortunately, Tibetans
worried that Shantarakshita practiced black magic, and he was kept in detention
for a few months. Further, no one spoke his language. Months passed before a
translator was found. Eventually Shantarakshita gained the Emperor's trust and
was allowed to teach.
Sometime after that, the Emperor announced plans to build a
grand monastery. But a series of natural disasters -- flooded temples, castles
struck by lightning -- stirred Tibetans' fears. Their local gods were angry
about the plans for the temple. The Emperor sent Shantarakshita back to Nepal.
Some time passed, and the disasters were forgotten. The
Emperor asked Shantarakshita to return. But this time Shantarakshita brought
another guru with him -- Padmasambhava, who was a master of rituals to tame
demons.
When he was subduing various demons in the mountains of
Nepal and Bhutan, he was approached by Trisong Detsen, King of Tibet. The king
was building a Buddhist monastery in Tibet, but he was confronting the fierce
opposition of local deities and their worshipers. As the demons were causing
great problems, Padmasambhava by his divine power called them one by one by
name. He threatened each demon, and Shantarakshita -- through a translator --
taught them about karma. With his exorcist powers, Padmasambhava defeated them
all. When he was finished, Padmasambhava informed the Emperor that building of
his monastery could begin.
However, Padmasambhava was still viewed with suspicion by
many at Trisong Detsen's court. Rumours circulated that he would use magic to
seize power and depose the Emperor. Eventually the Emperor was worried enough
that he suggested Padmasambhava might leave Tibet. Padmasambhava was angry, but
agreed to leave. The Emperor was still worried, so he sent archers after
Padmasambhava to put an end to him. Legends say Padmasambhava used magic to
freeze his assassins, and so escaped (**4).
Padmasambhava walked upon the entire land of Tibet and
blessed all the mountains, lakes and caves as places for accomplishment. He
concealed treasure texts, material wealth, holy images, and gave explicit
prophesy regarding the future manifestation of these treasures, including the
revealers and protector of the treasure, as well as the time of revelation.
He then gave initiation to his new Tibetan disciples, the
king among them. He took as spiritual consort the queen Yeshe Tsogyal, and
travelled with her, hiding in secret caves holy texts to be discovered in the
future, the so-called "spiritual treasures." The year after Tri-song
Detsan died, Padmasambhava left Tibet for the last time.
After that, he left Tibet for the demon-land, where he established
the Pure Land called "The Glorious Copper Mountain".
Padmasambhava with both temporal and spiritual attributes is
shown wearing an expression of great force and concentration while holding
various implements of power such as the Vajra, skull-cup and trident staff. He
is dressed not only in the robes of a monk but also in the garments of a king
to indicate that he is a member of both worldly and religious royalty.
Concerning his birth, Guru Rinpoche himself said:
On one famous occasion, after rumours were spread that
Padmasambhava had acted improperly while giving instructions to Princess
Mandarava and her attendants, her father — the king of Zahor — ordered her to
be cast into a pit of thorns and her guru to be burnt at the stake. Then, the
traditional accounts relate: "All the deities and the buddhas came to
Padma's aid. Some created a lake, some cast aside the wood, some unrolled the
oil-soaked cloth, and some fanned him. On the seventh day afterwards the King
came there. He saw that the smoke was still smoke coming from the pyre. He
thought to himself, "This mendicant (homeless) may have been, after all,
some incarnation," and he sent ministers to investigate. To their
astonishment they saw a rainbow lake where the pyre had been and surrounding
the lake all the wood aflame, and at the center of the lake a lotus blossom
upon which sat a beautiful child. Apparently the appealing child was about
eight years of age, its face covered with a dew-like perspiration. Eight maidens
of the same appearance as Mandarava attended the child."
Today this lake remains an important pilgrimage spot and is
considered a particularly blessed site for meditative practice.
Of all Padmasambhava's enlightening deeds, those the Tibetan
people cherish most relate to his introduction of Vajrayana Buddhism into the
Land of Snow. The teachings, usually of the highest yoga tantra level, which
Padmasambhava — often assisted by his consort Yeshe Tsogyal were concealed for
later discovery. Some were hidden in the earth while others were planted
directly into the minds of his major disciples. When the time is ripe for the
propagation of these hidden teachings, reincarnations of these same disciples
appear and are inspired to discover and reveal them. Such discoverers of these
hidden teachings are known as tertons, or treasure masters.
Then I, Padmá, gave final instructions to my devotees and to
those who would be reborn in the future: Future generations who cannot meet me
must read this explanation of my spiritual practice and self-liberated
existence in this world.
Having urged the people to aspire to Buddhahood in this
manner, I, Padmá, mounted the magical horse and was carried aloft by four
dakinis. Again, I spoke to the people: I will come to remove the suffering of
the people of the world on the tenth day of every moon but especially on the
tenth day of the monkey month. Do not forget to pray (**5)!
When the first monastery in Tibet was built, seven noble
children had top part of head without hair. They were the monks of the first
monastery in Tibetan Buddhist history. The event thus pioneered the tonsure
system of Tibetan Buddhism.
In addition to inviting Indian monks to Tibet, the king sent
trusted emissaries to China's hinterland to invite monks to lecture in Tibet.
Mahayana became one of the many Han monks who contributed to
ensuring that Han Buddhism flourished in Tibet. Mahayana remained in Tibet for
11 years lecturing on Buddhism and completing nine books on Buddhist tenets.
The Tubo kings promoted Buddhism by building monasteries and
commissioning the translation of Buddhist sutras. At the same time, they
granted monks royal incomes and even encouraged them to become involved in
government affairs in order to weaken ministers who supported the Bon religion.
Shortly after assuming power by the followers of Bon
religion, their leader Darma set out to suppress Buddhism, but was soon killed by
Tibetan Buddhists. A war erupted between the different power factions. Slaves,
who were thrown into the deep hole of misery, rose to revolt. Tibet was torn
apart by various forces. The "diffusion of Buddhism'' was thus halted.
The early 10th century witnessed the entry of a primitive
society in Tibet. Each of the Tubo ministers occupied a part of the kingdom
with outdated powers in their respective localities. They continued to promote
Buddhism in order to strengthen their own rule. Buddhism was thus revived in
Tibet. The 300-odd years of struggle between Buddhism and the Bon religion
resulted in each absorbing the strong points of the other. Buddhism was
increasingly liked by Tibetans. Tibetan
Buddhism emerged and entered a stage of rapid development.
Tibetan Buddhists follow Padmasambhava’s teachings. They
emphasize on Tantric rituals, worship, and Yoga. Texts basic to the sect’s
teachings are said to have been buried by Padmasambhava. They have begun to be
found around 1125. He also had many Tantric books translated from the original
Sanskrit into Tibetan.
