"...The vulture, who soars through the skies,
Descends for food by the power of desire.
Doesn't it notice when it is caught in a snare?

The white snow-lioness,
who majestically poises on the glaciers,
Strays down into the woods by the power of desire
Doesn't she notice when a blizzard has built up?

The tiger, who lives in the sandalwood forests,
Roams through ravines by the power of desire.
Doesn't he notice when an avalanche is striking?

Your mind, the primordial buddha,
Searches elsewhere by the power of desire.
Doesn't it notice that it is wandering in samsara?..."

Introduced Buddhist doctrine into Tibet and exorcized its demons. He is one of the historically identifable founders of Tibetan Buddhism and of the Lamas, as Tibetan Buddhist monks are generally called.

Padmasamhhava (literally, born of the Lotus) was born in the extreme north-west of India, now Pakistan. He was already an accredited Tantric master at the Nalanda university when he was called to Tibet by King Thn-Srong Detsan (740-786). Buddhism had doubtlessly arrived in Tibet one century before, during the reign of the first king, Stong-Btsan (c.610-649) who had married two Buddhist princesses, one from Nepal, and the other from China.

However, it was only under Thi-Srong Detsan that the new religion began to spread. There had been no indigenous Buddhist monks in Tibet, althouh many visits had been made by Indian and Chinese monks from the time of King Srong Detsan. King Srong Detsan invited the highly educated monk Santirakshita to his kingdom, where he began construction of the first Buddhist monastery, but could not complete his task because of the interference of demons from the ancient indigenous religion.

These demons were most probably the priests themselves. Santirakshita, who was a philosopher, did not have the means to fight them, and advised the king to call in Padmasambhava who was a Tantric siddha, and therefore, an exorcist.

His journey to Tibet was a triumphant march. One by one the demons were beaten and one by one they had to swear to become loyal protectors of the Doctrine. The methods of Padmasambhava reanged from the use of rigtual implements such as the phurba to the mastery of the meditation techniques of dzogchen.

The Samye monastery was opened in 779, at the same time as Buddhism was declared the state religion and the first seven Buddhist monks ordained. A few years later, the last representatives of Ch’an, the Chinese school of Buddhism which had been very influential, were expelled, and the Vajrayana school, or Indian Tantric Buddhism reigned supreme.

King Srong Detsan caused two pillars to be constructed in Lhasa which contain epigrams stating that Padmasambhava’s patron was himself, Srong Detsan; tese pillars are dated 783, and approximately 790. In these edicts, the word ‘Lama’ does not occur, thought eh kings states “by a blessing, the orthodox religion was procured”. This ‘orthodox’ or ‘inside’ religion is still the ordinary term applied to Buddhism as opposed to Bon or other faiths.

It is significant that the enthusiasm and skill imparted by Padmasambhava that seven of the first group trained by him and his deputy attained literary distinction shown in their scrupulously accurate work of translation of Indian Buddhist canons to Tibetan language. They had remarkable attainment in both Sanskrit and Tibetan languages.

Padmasambhava disposed of the antagonistic priests of the old Bon religion. In later times he was denigrated by the resentful older Bon tradition in relatingh his achivements; There are extant witnesses to his character that he was flagrantly magical and necromantic. Tibetan buddhism has certain tantric elements which give rise to such tales. Ritualistic spells are also ascribed to the Buddha himself in certain 14th century manuscripts, which date from the era that ascribe similar ritualism to Padmasambhava.

After the persecution of Buddhism which accompanied the collapse of the monarchy (842), a popular form of the religion survived which remained faithiul to the teachings of the ‘Great Guru’ whose writings were hidden and not discovered until several centuries later.

Padmasambhava is closely linked to the oldest Tibetan monastic order, Nyimgma-pa. In the course of centuries the figure of Padmasambhava, who continued the tradition of the mahasiddhas, took on an increasingly legendary character. Throughout Buddhist Himalaya, he is known as the Great Guru, or Precious Jewel (Lopon Rinpoche) is worshipped as the Lama par excellence and is even considered by some to the ‘Second Buddha’.

His birthday, (the tenth day of the fourth month of the Tibetan calendar (end of June/beginning of July) is celebrated with sacred dances, particularly at Hemis in Ladakh. He is the patron saint of the “Red-Hat” sect of Tibetan Buddhism.

Tag: Padmasambhava