Buddhism like others religious movements in India, uses ancient sacred texts written in Sanskrit in its practices. One of these is the Guru Rinpoche mantra. This text is one of the main ones in Tantric Buddhism.

Guru Rinpoche and Tantric Buddhism

Padmasambhava is a manifestation of Buddha Amitabha. In Tibet he is better known as Guru Rinpoche - precious teacher. His appearance is a manifestation of primordial wisdom in the human world. Thanks to this great teacher, Buddhism established itself in Tibet. Guru Rinpoche is the founder of Tantric Buddhism and the source of the Terma traditions in the Nyingma schools.

Tantric Buddhism is one of the most mysterious teachings known in modern world. According to the Vajrayana movement, the true state of man is beyond the mind, birth and death. This state is eternal and indestructible. In Tantric Buddhism this is not the final state, but an intermediate one. And a person is able to achieve this state with a sufficient level of enlightenment.

The Legend of Guru Rinpoche

There are several legends about the appearance of Guru Rinpoche. It is impossible to say for sure which of them is the most plausible.

According to one legend, Padmasambhava miraculously appeared in the northwestern part of India, in Udiyana. He appeared to the world from a magical lotus flower. This happened eight years after the passing of Buddha Shakyamuni. This event dates back to 500 BC. e.

According to other sources, Padmasambhava was the son of the king or advisor of Udiyana.

There is a statement that the ruler Indrabhuti saw qualities unusual for a person in an eight-year-old boy and adopted him.

Role of Padmasambhava in Tantric Buddhism

Guru Rinpoche is considered the founder of tantras. Many schools of yoga and Buddhism began their activities with his blessing.

Padmasambhava also left many instructions and teachings for people, which were called termas. He left them all over the world. This is due to the fact that the followers of his teachings could not assimilate all the information that he gave them. Because of this, the great mentor left his predictions to the people of the entire planet.

There is a belief that Guru Rinpoche has not yet left the human world. He is among us. He acquired a rainbow body - a special state of enlightenment and wisdom, which is beyond birth and death.

Mantra for calling Guru Rinpoche

Chanting this mantra - strong way change the life of a spiritual practitioner. There are many interpretations of the meaning of each syllable of this prayer text, which is also known as the Vajra Guru mantra.

Tibetan sound of the mantra:

"Om A Hum Bendza Guru Pema Siddhi Hum"

Pronunciation in Sanskrit:

"Om A Hum Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hum"

The translation of this appeal is:

“Supreme essence of enlightened body, speech and mind, I call upon you, Guru Rinpoche Padmasabhava.”

The components of the mantra can be interpreted in different ways. Most of spiritual practitioners use two interpretations.

The first version of the syllable-by-syllable analysis of the text of Guru Rinpoche’s mantra is as follows:

Om Ah Hum is the highest essence of the awakened mind, speech and body.

Vajra is the highest essence of Vajra.

Guru is the supreme essence of the Ratna family.

Padma is a manifestation of the highest essence of the Padma family.

Sidhi is a manifestation of the highest essence of the Karma family.

Hum is a manifestation of the highest essence of the Buddha family.

The second main explanation goes like this:

Om is the complete Sambhogakaya of the five Buddha families.

A – complete, unchanging Dharmakaya.

Hum – complete nirmanakaya – Guru Rinpoche.

Vajra is the complete collection of heruka deities.

Guru is a complete collection of deities from among the lamas - holders of awareness.

Padma is a complete collection of dakinis and powerful deities in female form.

Siddhas are the heart of all wealth deities and protectors of secret treasures.

Hum is the heart of every Dharma protector without exception.

The benefits of using Guru Rinpoche's mantra are very great. The changes that come to the life of a practitioner after its use affect many aspects of a person’s life.

Using this sacred ancient text can:

1. Make the practitioner attractive to other people.
2. Bring prosperity and prosperity into a person's life.
3. Strengthen the practitioner's influence on other people.
4. Grant wishes come true.
5. To provide enlightenment and bring the practitioner to a new level of perception of the world.

The teachings of Tantric Buddhism state that the Vajra Guru Mantra is the essence of all Buddhas, divine beings and great teachers of all times.

How to meditate correctly

Correct meditation using Guru Rinpoche's mantra is slightly different from meditation using other sacred texts. This prayer text exerts its influence on a person’s life if a few simple rules are followed.

For a mantra to be effective, it must be used daily. There are several ways to use a mantra: you can listen to it, write it, or read it. During this, eye contact with the image of this great teacher is mandatory.

As an image, you can use a keychain, magnet, sticker or any other product with the image of Padmasambhava.

Not only the sound of a mantra in Sanskrit is suitable for meditation. The Tibetan version of the sacred text is no less effective when conducting spiritual practices.

Conclusion

The Mantra for Calling Guru Rinpoche is an extremely powerful ancient text. Its daily use can radically change a person’s life and significantly expand the boundaries of his human condition, bringing him closer to the divine essence. This is the teaching of Padmasambhva.

Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche)

short biography

Padmasambhava was born from a lotus flower in the Ocean of Milk, in the country of Urgyen (Oddiyana), which, according to modern scientists, was located in the Swat Valley in Pakistan. He was born eight years after Buddha's Mahaparinirvana. He gained the siddhi of immortality through tantric practices and at the age of over a thousand years, and went to Tibet in the ninth century. His followers believe that he still lives in the land of Rakash (Srin Po"i Gling) and can be seen as realized beings.

After the birth of Padmasambhava in a lotus, the king of Oddiyana, Indrabodhi, found him in the Ocean of Milk while returning from a successful journey in search of the Wish-Fulfilling Jewel. The king brought him to his palace and, since he had no heir, made him a prince. Over time, Padmasambhava married Khandro Odchangma (mKha" "Gro" Od Chang Ma). But he asked the king to allow him to renounce the kingdom in order to follow religious practice. When the king refused, Padmasambhava, practicing the Artificial Methods, when they were busy playing, killed the son of an immoral minister - who was supposed to die at that moment due to his past karma. In accordance with the law of this country, Padmasambhava was banished to the cemetery, which he used for tantric teachings and practice. This was in accordance with his desires, and he then visited other cemeteries to receive tantric teachings and perform tantric practices, he subdued the male and female spirits of these places. He was blessed by the Wisdom Dakinis, Khadroma Zhivatso (mKha" "Gro Ma Zhi Ba" Tsho) and Vajravarahi. He then met with various teachers and studied medicine, astrology, logic and art. He received ordination as a Bhksha (monk) from Acharya Prabhahasti. He studied the Yoga Shastras from Acharya Prabhahasti, the Vinaya from Ananda, and the teachings of tantra, including Dzogchen (rDzogs Ra Chen Po - in Sanskrit Atiyoga) from Prahevajra, Srisimha, Nagarjuna, Humkara, Vimalamitra and Buddhaguhya, who were fully realized masters. Through his practice, he achieved an understanding of various tantras.

A very significant event in his life occurred when he visited the kingdom of Sakhor. He taught the princess of this kingdom and her 500 maids, all of whom were nuns. The king heard rumors that some stranger - handsome as the son of the gods - was living with the princess and her girls. The king ordered the Guru to be burned in a mountain valley filled with firewood and oil. The Guru was wrapped in cloth many times and then set on fire in the presence of Sahora's people. A few days later, the Guru not only remained unharmed, but thanks to his miraculous abilities, he transformed the burning wood and oil into a mountain lake. He was seated in the center of the lake on a blossoming lotus flower and there were many gods and dakinis around him.

Seeing this, the king and his associates repented of their evil deeds, and Padmasambhava was received into the royal palace as an honored guest. The king himself received teachings from him and offered him the kingdom and the hand of the princess Mandarava. The Guru accepted Mandarava as his consort and went with her to the Maratika cave, located in modern Nepal, to perform tantric practices. There, the two of them achieved the Attainment of Immortality.

Padmasambhava, together with his wife, decided to return to the kingdom of Oddiyana. After arriving in the country, he was recognized by the evil minister, whose son he had killed, and the king ordered that he and his wife be burned in a large sandalwood pyre. A few days later, the Guru, through his powers, transformed the fire into a beautiful lake, and he and his wife sat in the center of the lake on a blooming lotus flower. The king, the ministers and all the people believed that he was a great teacher, and he remained in Oddiyana for thirteen years as a palace priest. Padmasambhava gave powerful tantric teachings such as Kadu Chokyi Gyamtsho (bKa" "Dus Chos Kyi rGya mTsho"), abbreviated texts of sadhanas, and many people of this country, including the king, were fortunate enough to achieve the Vidyadhara siddhi. After living in Oddiyana, the Guru went to Nepal to practice further. With the support of the Nepalese princess Sakya Devi, he achieved the Supreme Achievement through the practice of sadhanas of the deities Yangdag and Dorje Purba (rDo rJe Рhur Ba - Vajrakila). Through these practices, he achieved realization and abided in the form (body) of Mahamudra Vidyadhara.

Then, he visited many places in India such as Khurmuja (small island of Oddiyana), Sikodhara, Dhanakosha, Rukma, Tirahuti, Kamaru, Tharu, Champa, Khasya, Trilinga (southern India), Kanchi and Maghadha (Central India). In these places, he manifested various forms and subdued evil spirits wherever he went. He gave different kinds teachings, and many of his students achieved siddhis (achievements) that were the result of successful practice of meditation and yoga.

At that time, the great dharma king Trisong Detsen (790-858) was the ruler of Tibet. He was the greatest ruler in Tibetan history and under his leadership, Tibetan troops captured Chang An, the capital of the Tang dynasty in China, and also advanced as far as Maghadha in Central India. King Trisong Deutsen was not only a strong lay ruler, he was also deeply devoted to the cause of Buddhism. He invited the great Indian Buddhist scholar and saint, Shantarakshita, abbot of Nalanda University, to Tibet. The king and the abbot began the construction of Samye Monastery, the first Buddhist monastery in the country. However, due to the harmful influence of the royal ministers and the evil spirits of the area, it was impossible to complete the construction of the monastery. On the advice of Shantarakshita, the King invited Padmasambhava, who by that time had a reputation as the strongest tantric master in India, to Tibet to destroy the forces that were hindering the construction of the monastery. It was for this reason that Padmasambhava went to Tibet. He quickly calmed and subdued all the forces that were hindering the construction of the Samye Monastery, as well as all other forces that tried to prevent the penetration of the Dharma teachings into the land of the Snows. Padmasambhava gave both Mahayana and Tantrayana teachings to many happy people. Together with his realized wife, Khandro Yeshe Tsogyal (mKh" "Gro Ye Shes mTSho rGyal), he traveled throughout Tibet with the help of magical powers, doing various tantric practices, performing miracles, giving teachings and blessing hundreds of caves, mountains, lakes, monasteries and temples, turning them into sacred places. Hundreds of Tibetans who received his teachings and blessings gained siddhi. He had twenty-five chief disciples (rJe "Bang Nyer lNga), including the king.

Great Samye, with its main temple, twelve small temples, four large stupas and 108 small ones, surrounded by a high wall, all of this was built in five years. It was the center from which Buddhism spread to all corners of Tibet. Many great Indian pandits were invited to Tibet by the king and they worked with Tibetan scholars to translate Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan. In one of the small temples (sGra bsGyur rGya Gar Gling) of Samye Monastery, one hundred Indian pandits and Tibetan translators worked together to translate sutras and tantras. Many texts were also brought from other countries by the miraculous power of Guru Rinpoche (as the Tibetans call Padmasambhava) and were translated into Tibetan. Thus, when the great Indian Buddhist scholar Atisha, who visited Tibet in 1042, saw the library of Samye Monastery, he was surprised to find there many tantras that he had never seen in India. “These tantras,” he said, “could have been brought from the land of Dakinis by the power of Guru Rinpoche.” In Atisha's biography, it is said that this was one of the three evidences from which he realized that the tantras have no end.

Thus, Guru Ripoche's mission to Tibet firmly established Buddhism in the Land of Snows. He removed the forces that were hindering this and explained the dharma in such a skillful manner that so many Tibetans achieved realization. The school that emerged after his mission became known as Nyingma, and it has survived, passed on by an unbroken line of masters, down to the present day.

But Padmasambhava's work after the establishment of Buddhism in Tibet did not end there. He informed the king that through the power of meditation he could transform Tibet into a rich and prosperous country. He turned wastelands, rocky lands into pastures and made water flow from the rocks. Unfortunately some of the king's ministers were against Buddhism and they told the king that the Indian Tantric was turning Tibet into a developed country to make it part of India. The ministers plotted against him and forced the king to ask the Guru to return to India. The king prostrated before Padmasambhava, made offerings of gold, and with a heavy heart asked him to return to India. Padmasambhava said that he did not come to Tibet for gold. He told the king that to him everything was gold, and he proved it by turning some common things into gold. He also said:

The king changed his decision because of the ministers. The ministers and the evil spirits of Tibet are malicious. For living beings who are experiencing the results of bad karma, even the Victorious One (Buddha) is powerless to help.

Before returning to India, the Guru gave the teachings of Man Ngag lTa Ba"i Рhreng Ba to the king and others. When he left, many people said goodbye to him part of the way. The evil ministers sent eighteen people to kill Padmasambhava , but when they met him, he, thanks to his strength, made them unable to move.

There are disputes among Tibetan scholars about the duration of the Guru's stay in Tibet. Some believe that he was forced to leave Tibet under the influence of anti-Buddhist ministers. But in Nyingma it is recognized that only a magical emanation left the country, and the real Guru Rinpoche remained in Tibet at the request of the king. They claim that the Guru remained there for fifty-five years and six months. During this time, he visited many secluded places with his wife, Yeshe Tsogyal, and continued to perform powerful tantric practices in the country. Some claim that he visited Samye Monastery and gave teachings there, and again he was threatened by the king's ministers. This time, these ministers finally had to calm down due to the manifestation of his tantric power. Those who claim that Padmasambhava stayed in Tibet for a long time (fifty-five years and six months) agree that he left Tibet only during the reign of King Trisong Detsen's son, Prince Mutri Tsenpo. Finally Padmasambhava went to the land of the Rakshasas in 864, expressively displaying his magical powers, riding a horse through the air at a place called Gungthang Lathog in front of King Mutri Tsenpo, his ministers and thousands of people who had gathered to see him off.

Guru Rinpoche visited many places in Tibet, snowy peaks, caves, forests, lakes and temples. He blessed these places, and in some of them he hid various things, including dharma texts containing teachings in full or symbolic form, predictions of the future of Tibet, holy objects and images. He entrusted the teachings to his disciples, and he placed hidden objects and symbolic texts under the protection of the Dharmapalas, who were to transmit them at a set time in the future to suitable Tertons (gTer sTon - openers of the treasuries of the Dharma).

Eight manifestations of Padmasambhava

The tradition considers eight manifestations of Padmasambhava:

• 1. Guru Urgyen Dorje Cheng(image and description)
• 2. Guru Shakya Senge(image)
• 3. Guru Pema Gyalpo(image and description)
• 4. Guru Padmasambhava(image and description)
• 5. Guru Loden Chokse(image and description)
• 6. Guru Nyima Ozer(image and description)
• 7. Guru Dorje Drolo(image and description)
• 8. Guru Senge Dralog(image)

Sogyal Rinpoche

Born from the lotus Guru.

If Shakyamuni Buddha is mainly known for teaching the teachings of Sutrayana, although secretly he also taught Tantra, then Padmasambhava came to this world, and especially to Tibet, in order to teach Tantra. Therefore, while Shakyamuni Buddha represents the buddha principle, the most important point in the Sutrayana teachings, Padmasambhava represents the guru principle, the heart of Vajrayana Buddhism, and is therefore known as sangye nipa, the second buddha.

As Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche explains:

“According to the usual buddhadharma approach, the biography of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni begins with his awakening in India in Vajrasana (Tib. Dorjeden), modern Bodhgaya. The Buddha turned the wheel of dharma three times and finally went into parinirvana. Then Padmasambhava came to complete his teachings, and especially to turn the wheel of the Vajrayana Secret Mantra teachings. While the Buddha gave the fundamental teachings and made the basis available, it was Padmasambhava who spread the Vajrayana teachings.”

Padmasambhava, or Padmakara in Sanskrit, Pemajunne in Tibetan, means “born from the lotus.” The lotus symbolizes the Padma or lotus family to which all people belong. Although the lotus grows in muddy swamps, it always produces an unsullied, pure flower. In the same way, although we have negative emotions such as desire, we can allow their inner pure wisdom energy to blossom. So there is no need to give up confusion; we can transform it into wisdom. The lotus principle represents this power of transformation.

Thus Padmasambhava is the embodiment of tantric vision and transformation; he is the transformative blessing of all buddhas. Therefore, it is especially powerful in our day, in our era, when negative emotions are stronger and confusion is greater than ever before. It is said that the more confusion and difficulties arise, the more powerful he becomes. When Tibetans need blessing or protection, their natural urge is to call upon Padmasambhava, and when great masters face difficult circumstances, even they also call upon him as if he is their SOS.

Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche continues:

“So according to the extraordinary path of Dozgpachenpo, a buddha is actually the true nature of our own mind, our inherent rigpa or pure awareness. Where did he become awakened? In the all-encompassing space of dharmadhatu. From this point of view, events such as his manifestation as the historical Buddha, in Vajrasana, are considered simply as external demonstrations.

The "Primordial Buddha" does not reside anywhere other than the nature of our rigpa, the dimension of Akanishtha. For the benefit of the bodhisattvas, he manifests from the dharmadhatu space as the sambhogakaya buddha of the five families: Vairocana, Akshobhya, Ratnasambhava, Amitabha and Amoghasiddhi. In our world he appeared in the form of nirmanakaya as the historical Buddha Shakyamuni. Although in reality he was nothing more than a manifestation of the primordial Buddha Samantabhadra, who resides in our own heart, our own rigpa.

He later appeared as Padmasambhava, the eighty-four mahasiddhas and the great masters of India such as: Nagarjuna, Asanga, Aryadeva, Vasubandhu, Dignaga, Dharmakirti, Shakyaprabha and Gunaprabha, known as the Six Ornaments and the Two Excellent. In other words, he manifested himself in a variety of ways, for all the different beings he used the method appropriate to them, taking the form of a bird among birds, an animal among animals, etc.

While the primordial Buddha Samantabhadra is our rigpa on the absolute level, the radiant and luminous nature or wisdom quality of rigpa is like the sun with its unchanging and continuous radiance. This quality of continuous luminosity of the primordial nature is the Limitless Light or the Unchangeable Light, which we call the Buddha Amitabha, Opame or Nanvataye in Tibetan.

From his heart, Buddha Amitabha, who is identical with Samantabhadra, emitted dazzling rays of light in the form of the syllable HRI, which descended to the northwestern country of Oddiyanu to Lake Dhanakosha. In the same way as the essence received from the father and mother gives birth to a child and forms the seed of our body made up of elements, the seed syllable HRI caused the birth of Padmasambhava.

At that moment, all the buddhas of the ten directions, along with hundreds of thousands of dakinis from various divine worlds, invoked the blessings and embodiment of all the buddhas for the benefit of beings. This invocation they chanted is known as the "Seven Vajra Lines" or the "Seven Line Prayer." It is the "Spontaneous Song of Peace of Dharmadhatu." This is the most important prayer because it is the invocation through which Guru Rinpoche came into our world.

When Guru Rinpoche was born in a lotus flower on the waters of the lake, the dakinis called to him from their hearts, and their call spontaneously became the Vajra Guru mantra. Thus, this mantra is his heart mantra, the core of his life, his heart essence, and its utterance means invoking his very essence.

Then the king of Oddiyana, Indrabodhi, began to take care of him. Since Padmasambhava manifested at the nirmanakaya level, he had to act accordingly, and although in reality Padmasambhava was already a buddha, he pretended to need to receive the teachings and do the practice. He did this to show that he came as a follower of the Buddha to continue his work. Since he was born eight years after the Buddha's parinirvana, he went to Vajrasana, where he studied under the guidance of Ananda, the Buddha's closest disciple. He then went to all the Eight Great Vidyadhara Masters, received the teachings of the Secret Mantrayana and practiced them. In particular, in a pure vision he met Garab Dorje, the first human Dzogchen master, and his requests to receive Dzogchen teachings were granted. He manifested the achievement of complete realization.

Padmasambhava came to this world in order to achieve three main goals. Overall, he came to help the beings of the six worlds. Moreover, his historical mission was to bring the light of Dharma and Dzogchen teachings to the country of Tibet. It was thanks to his kindness and selfless efforts that the teachings were preserved in Tibet for more than a thousand years. Now Padmasambhava's teachings have come to the West, where he was previously unknown, and this is truly a sign of his blessing, compassion and power. Thirdly, every Buddha has a special mission, and Padmasambhava’s special mission is his appearance in this dark era, the “precipitation of time,” the Kaliyuga.

The Dzogchen teachings were first transmitted to Tibet by Padmasambhava, Vimalamitra and Vairocana, and that this transmission took place at all was mainly a result of Padmasambhava's kindness. Under his leadership in the retreat in Chuwori, which was financially supported by King Trison Detsen, out of one hundred participants, ninety-nine acquired the rainbow body, the only one who did not achieve it was Palgyi Dorje. Twenty-five close disciples of Padmasambhava, the first mahasiddhas of Tibet, all acquired a rainbow body, with the exception of Trison Detsen. At Drak Yerpa, all eighty disciples became mahasiddhas, acquired a rainbow body and never came out of seclusion; There were thirty realized siddhas from Yanzom, fifty tokdens (realized beings) from Shaldrak, twenty-five dakinis who acquired the rainbow body, and seven siddhas from Tsang. All of them, as well as many others, attained the rainbow body and realization through the power and blessings of Padmasambhava. That is why Padmasambhava is the Buddha of this time; his distinguishing feature- working with the negative phenomena of this special era, in which he is the most powerful and quickest in action.”

When the time came for Padmasambhava to leave Tibet, he went to the country of Nayab Lin in the southwest and the Copper-Colored Mountain, Sandokpalri. Dudjom Rinpoche writes:

“Here he manifested the inconceivable Palace of Lotus Light, and here he rules as a king, emitting one of his manifestations on each of the eight rakshasa continents, bestowing teachings such as the Eight Great Methods of Attainment, Kagye, and protecting the population of this world of Jambudvipa from dangers, threatening their lives. Even today he rules as the viceroy of Vajradhara, "the Vidyadhara who spontaneously realized the final path"; and so he will remain unchanged until the end of the universe.”

There are many forms of Padmasambhava. The first are called Totren De Na, the five families of Padmasambhava: Vajra Totren, Ratna Totren, Padma Totren, Karma Totren and Buddha Totren. Then there are the Eight Manifestations of Padmasambhava: Tsokye Dorje, Padmasambhava, Loden Chokse, Pema Gyalpo, Nima Oser, Shakya Senge, Senge Dradok and Dorje Drollo. There are six Gurus Rinpoches who manifest to help the hell world, the world of hungry ghosts, the animal world, the human world, the world of demigods and the world of gods. These six Gurus Rinpoches counter the six negative emotions. There are also twelve manifestations of Guru Rinpoche (Tib. Namtrul Chuni), confronting various obstacles and fears that arise in our lives, and many others.

In the practice of Sampa Lhundrupma (Spontaneous Fulfillment of All Desires) there are thirteen manifestations of Guru Rinpoche: against war, against disease, against hunger and deprivation, Guru Rinpoche as a yidam, for travel, for protection from wild animals, for protection from problems associated with the elements , for protection from robbery, against enemies, for the moment of death, for the bardo, against mental illness and against the suffering of the world in general.

The Buddha himself said: “I came like an image in a dream and taught dream-like dharma, but in reality I did not teach at all, it all simply arose in accordance with the needs of beings.” Just as whatever appears in front of a mirror is reflected in it, so the teachings appeared in accordance with the needs of beings. In the same way, the Eight Manifestations of Padmasambhava are not different Padmasambhavas, but reflect his ability to manifest according to the needs and requirements of beings. In fact, in Tibetan they are called Guru Tseng Gye, (Eight Names of the Guru). Therefore, for example, he appeared to scientists as a scientist of Pandit Guru Padmasambhava; in the form of the great Buddha Guru Shakya Senge, he preached Mahayana; he appeared as Guru Pema Gyalpo, a prince who ruled the kingdom with great skill; he took the form of a yogi and manifested as Guru Nima Osir and so on: each manifestation demonstrates a different principle.

Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche says:

“If you pray fervently to Guru Rinpoche, there is no doubt that he will actually appear to you. For no other Buddha has appeared in the visions of practitioners as often as Guru Rinpoche. Some great tertons, such as Ratna Linpa, had as many as twenty-five visions of Guru Rinpoche. Other major tertons had twenty visions, some had ten, some had six, and each of the entire thousand minor tertons had at least three visions, making a total of many thousands of visions.

The details of these visions are very precisely recorded, such as the date, place, how they occurred, teachings and prophecies given by Padmasambhava. These teachings were then written down very clearly and were later practiced by other masters, many of whom achieved rainbow bodies due to their true power. All this shows the power of Guru Rinpoche and the speed of his action. If you practice it, success on the path will come faster. No Buddha or master has appeared as many times as Guru Rinpoche; it seems that he is the most active of all."

Notes:

Akanistha, (Tib. ogmin), literally, the “highest” divine world.

Oddiyana, (Tib. Orgyen), is considered by all traditions to be the place where tantric teachings appeared. It was the birthplace of Garab Dorje and Padmasambhava, and the kingdom of King Dza. In the northwest of Oddiyana there is a lake known as Dhanakosha, which means "treasury of abundance". Many scholars believe that Oddiyana was located in the Swat Valley in Pakistan.

Twelve manifestations that are associated with a cycle of teachings known as “Barche Lamsel” (“Eliminator of All Obstacles”).

Chapter from the book by Sogyal Rinpoche. "Dzogchen and Padmasambhava" (Sogyal Rinpoche "Dzogchen and Padmasambhava").

Translation from English: Igor Kaliberda.

Before the advent of Buddhism, Tibet was an impregnable country, inhabited by wild and even cannibalistic tribes, who fought almost constantly among themselves. civil war. From time to time, several such clans united to raid Chinese territory. The Tibetan religion was a form of shamanism called Bon, which consisted mainly of ritual dances and sacrifices designed to pacify the hosts of demons who were believed to be constantly irritated by human affairs.

Before the advent of Buddhist monks, the Tibetan tribes had neither history nor writing, and their arts and crafts were of a native nature, in comparison with the arts and crafts of their neighbors - the Hindus and Chinese.

How did Buddhism come to Tibet?

Until the end of the 7th century after the birth of Christ, even the Chinese could not penetrate Tibet. There is, however, evidence that at some very ancient times occult rites were introduced into the almost inaccessible highlands of Tibet and that even before the Christian era temples of religious mysticism were built there. Such institutions had little influence on general position people, and now there is little left to confirm their existence, except perhaps greatly exaggerated legends in Buddhist books devoted to the prehistoric period.

According to one story, Buddhist priests entered Tibet in the 5th century BC. e. Another legend says that in 137 BC. e. a monastery was built on Mount Kailasa, and the third describes some sacred relics of the Buddhist faith that fell from the sky in the 4th century AD. e.

Modern historians, unfortunately, completely ignorant of the Lamaist tradition, tend to doubt that Buddhism influenced the Tibetans before the 7th century of the current era, and no complete historical information has survived until the 11th century. The completely orderly history, albeit somewhat embellished, that we have begins precisely from this time.

The first European to penetrate Lhasa, that Vatican of Buddhism in Tibet, was the Roman Catholic missionary Father Oderic of Pordenone, who reached that stronghold of Lamaism in 1328 or thereabouts.

Around 630 AD. e. Tsong-tsengambo ascended the throne of the united clans of Central Tibet to continue the general organizational affairs of his father, who expanded his domain to the Yarlong Valley.

The young king, being only thirteen years old, easily fell under the influence of his two young wives: Bhrikuti, the daughter of the Nepalese king, and the Chinese princess Wencheng. Both royal spouses firmly adhered to the Buddhist faith.

When Tsongtsengambo asked for the hand of the Princess of Nepal, he addressed her father with the following words:

“I, the king of barbaric Tibet, do not practice the ten virtues, but if you wish to give me your daughter as a wife and wish that I have the Law, I will live by the ten virtues... And although I do not know the arts... be it your desire ... I will build five thousand temples.”

This is how Buddhism came to Tibet.

Tsongtsengambo sent to India the wisest of his ministers, the renowned Thonmi Sambhota, who studied there with Buddhist monks for several years. He subsequently returned to Tibet, bringing what came to be called the Tibetan alphabet and several basic books scripture Buddhism.

Although Tsongtsengambo was undoubtedly the greatest of the early kings of Tibet, almost all that he did for Buddhism amounted only to establishing a precedent on the foundation of which the priests and rulers of later times were destined to build the complex structure of Lamaism. He was not religious person and led the life of a warrior: abroad - with his armies, at home - with his wives. His Nepalese princess had a fiery temper, and she constantly disturbed his household out of jealousy towards his Chinese wife.

Tsongtsengambo was posthumously canonized for opening the way to civilization in Tibet, and in the Lamaist pantheon is considered an incarnation of the great bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, known to the Chinese as Guan-yin. His two wives were also canonized as the female aspects (shakti) of the divine power, and they became the white and green Tara respectively.

The first image of Buddha came to Tibet as part of the dowry of a Nepalese princess. During the reign of Tsongtsengambo, the following Buddhist priests arrived in Tibet: Kushara and Shankara Brahmana from India, Sila Manyu from Nepal, Huashan Maha-Tse from China and Tabuta and Ganuta from Kashmir.

Birth of Padmasambhava

Padmasambhava was born in the province of Udyan, located northwest of present-day Kashmir. The exact date of his birth is not clear, but for practical purposes this miraculous event can be considered to have occurred in the early years of the 8th century.

“Lotus-Born” - by this name he is widely known to the peoples of trans-Himalayan Asia - has several titles. The Tibetans call him Guru Rinpoche, or Precious Guru, and even more simply they call him Lopon, which means “teacher.”

Udyana, the homeland of the master, has long been associated with stories of magic and witchcraft. Marco Polo writes about this northern country:

“They display amazing knowledge of black magic and witchcraft, so that they can make their idols speak. They also know how, with the help of spells, to change the weather and bring in darkness and do such extraordinary things that, without seeing them, no one will believe in them.”

At the beginning of the 8th century, the ruler of the great country of Udyana was the blind king Indrabodhi. His reign was marked by exceptional misfortunes. His people were struck by famine. To alleviate the suffering of the people, the king emptied his treasury, ruining the state. The main misfortune was the death of the king's only son, so that the kingdom was filled with sorrow, suffering and despair. At this time, the king and his people prayed to the gods for help and made numerous donations to the shrines and temples of Buddha.

And so sincere and pious were these people and so deep was their grief that their prayer ascended through all the lokas, or worlds, and was heard by the ever-hearing Amitabha. The prayers of the people of Udyana aroused compassion in the ever-meditative Lord, who sat above the universe on his lotus throne, and he realized in his soul that they should send help.

So in the blink of an eye, the mystery of awareness ejected from Amitabha a ray of light, which, piercing all the worlds, spilled onto the earth with a red ray of heavenly radiance. And finally the red ray stopped in the very center of the sacred lake in the middle of Udyana.

Indrabodhi was given a vision of an omen of a great event. Golden lightning fell from the sky and settled in his hand, and a bright light flooded the whole world. When the vision passed, the king realized that the miracle had indeed happened, for his sight was restored, and the news reached him that a rainbow of light had fallen from the sky and was floating on the surface of the lotus lake Dhanakosha. This light not only spread through all the elements of matter, but also illuminated the superphysical world, causing all nature to glow and delight.

The king, deeply feeling and experiencing ardent gratitude for the divine intercession, entered the boat and sailed across the lake. There he saw a lotus flower of extraordinary beauty swaying on the water, much more beautiful than any natural flower. In the very heart of the flower, a beautiful luminous baby sat on the petals, holding a lightning bolt in his little hand, and his body radiated an indescribable radiance.

Although the exact date impossible to determine, the event described occurred, it is reported, on the 10th day of the 7th month of the Tibetan calendar, and the child was 8 years old.

According to legend, King Indrabodhi fell on his knees in the boat, bowing before the wonderful child.

"Who are you? - he exclaimed. - Who is your father? Where are you from?"

And the boy answered:

“I know who my father was! I have come in fulfillment of the prophecy of Shakyamuni, who declared that “twelve hundred years after me... one more illustrious than myself will be born from the lotus and will be known as Padmasambhava the Lotus-Born, and he will become the teacher of my esoteric doctrine of Mantras and will relieve all beings from suffering "

The king brought Padmasambhava to the palace, where, like Gautama Buddha, he was raised and taught as a prince. He studied art, writing and martial arts. Again, as in the case of Buddha, Padmasambhava's father wanted his son to marry and take the throne. A wife was chosen, and for five years the prince lived in worldly happiness. But ultimately, again like the Buddha, Padmasambhava realized the illusory and unsatisfactory nature of all worldly things and declared his intention to renounce the world and become a monk. Then he left, leaving life in the palace for an unknown path of self-denial.

But in other respects, the path of Padmasambhava is radically different from the path of the Buddha. Padmasambhava is blamed for the deaths of several people. The king's ministers demand that he be executed by hanging. The ruler answers:

“This son is not of human origin, and since he is possibly an incarnate deity, capital punishment cannot be applied to him. Therefore, I order him to be exiled."

Thus, like other Indian siddhas, Padmasambhava's worldly life ends, and he is left with no other choice. He goes into exile and practices Buddhism for many years, now in one cremation site, now in another. He uses corpses as seats for meditation, food left by the dead for his sustenance, and their shrouds as his clothing. When hunger comes, he transforms (transforms) the flesh of corpses and thereby subsists, using the skin of the dead for clothing. During this period, Padmasambhava studied Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana with various spiritual mentors. In particular, he receives tantric initiation and instructions from many conscious practitioners Tantrism, men known as siddhas, and women known as dakinis, or "sky visitors". Ultimately, through this practice, Padmasambhava achieves realization (though since he was born in a lotus, it was in a sense in him from the beginning) and gains amazing powers. He begins to use them in the service of dharma, taming and transforming non-Buddhists and evil spirits.

Another Indian king who interacted with Padmasambhava is King Ashoka, who once had a huge empire in Asia. Previously, all his life he was very cruel and killed thousands of living beings. When he met the manifestation of Guru Padmasambhava, his heart changed completely and he promised that he would never touch a sword again. He began to work for the benefit of the dharma, making constant offerings to teachers and establishing the Buddhist dharma throughout southern Asia. It is said that Ashoka built a million Buddhist stupas in different parts your kingdom.

Despite the fact that Padmasambhava was enlightened from birth, and all knowledge spontaneously arose in his mind, he accepted monastic ordination and studied with many Buddhist Teachers, including the closest disciple of Buddha Shakyamuni, Ananda. This kind of demonstration was necessary for him, since a highly realized Teacher himself studies in order to confirm his continuity, his connection with the line of spiritual transmission of the Buddha. In addition, he received direct instructions from Masters who lived not on the material, but on the subtle planes of reality.

The path of teaching demonstrated by Guru Padmasambhava was extremely unusual. Usually he simply created situations that, as they developed, taught his students something. Moreover, he allowed for the possibility of his students making mistakes. Being enlightened himself and dealing with a polluted mind, Padmasambhava allowed delusions to take over, only to later become obvious and disappear on their own. He believed that with the help of ordinary linear logic and words in the world of phenomena, which has its own logic of the development of events, it is difficult to really change anything. And so he taught his students visually, by example, often demonstrating so-called miracles, which actually proved that a person who has perfect control over his own mind is able to influence the world around him.

Thus, one day Padmasambhava visited convent. Princess Mandarava, daughter of King Sahor, who had only recently become a nun, lived in it. The girl was kept in great strictness, and she was guarded by five hundred women who made sure that she kept her vows. Mandarava became a student of Guru Rinpoche. Upon learning of this, the king, who had very strict ideas about religious zeal, became angry and ordered Mandarava to be thrown into a pit and Padmasambhava to be burned alive. Padmasambhava did not prevent this in any way, keeping silent about the fact that he was a Great Teacher. The fire burned for seven days instead of the usual two. The king, suspecting something was wrong, sent servants to the place of execution to see what was happening. And instead of ashes, they discovered a beautiful lake, in the middle of which Padmasambhava was sitting on a lotus flower. By demonstrating his miraculous abilities and turning fire into water, Padmasambhava forced the king to admit his mistake. He invited him to the palace, freed Mandarava from the pit and accepted Buddhism along with his subjects.

The Buddhist chronicles say that in total Padmasambhava propagated the Dharma in India and its surrounding countries for about one thousand five hundred years. On this occasion, Padmasambhava in one of his predictions said that in the future "many learned men, both truly knowledgeable and ignorant" will doubt the veracity of some information about his life, but that this does not matter, because those who will simply rely on Guru Rinpoche in your spiritual practice, you will receive help and blessings without hindrance.

Padmasambhava goes to Tibet

After India, Guru Rinpoche went to Tibet. The Tibetan king Trisong Detsen, considered the embodiment of the bodhisattva of wisdom Manjushri, invited the great scientist and abbot of the famous Nalanda monastery Shantarakshita to preach the Dharma and build Samye, the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet. However, local ministers and spirits are said to have interfered with construction. Then the king, on the advice of Shantarakshita, sent messengers to invite Padmasambhava, who had the fame of a great magician. Anticipating this, Guru Rinpoche was already on his way. The main difficulty he had to face in preaching the new doctrine was traditional religion Tibet - bon.

Or here's another story. It is believed that Tibet is protected by twelve goddesses living in the Himalayan mountains. When Padmasambhava came to Tibet, one of them refused to recognize him and tried to run away from him. But wherever she ran, she ran into Padmasambhava. Either he, waiting for her, danced on the top of the mountain, or sat on a stone in the valley. Ultimately, she decided to hide in the lake, but Padmasambhava turned it into molten iron, and she had to surrender, bowing to Padmasambhava's omnipresent mind and his ability to be in all places at once.

During his stay in Tibet (about 55 years in total), Padmasambhava achieved a lot by teaching the local people to overcome the limitations of their perception and eradicate delusions. He initiated many of his followers into the deepest Buddhist teachings, including transmitting the instructions of the Highest Yoga Tantra, Dzogchen (“Great Perfection”) to his closest disciples; incorporated the magical traditions of the Bon religion into Buddhism, changing their “color”, and subjugated local deities and spirits, binding them with an oath to protect the Buddhist teachings; consecrated the construction site of the Samye Monastery, after which it turned into the largest center for the study and translation of Buddhist scriptures, and so on.

Padmasambhava truly loved the Tibetans. His activities led to Tibet reaching new stage spiritual development. To this day, Tibetans consider Guru Rinpoche their spiritual father.

Padmasambhava’s “crazy wisdom” was also manifested in the fact that with the help of his disciples, he hid sacred relics in many places, as well as secret teachings intended for future generations. This was done in order to protect the secret tantric teachings from disappearing and being distorted by fools and intellectuals in the future. For each of these treasures, called terma, Guru Rinpoche left detailed instructions about the time of their opening in the future, and also named the disciple who will open them. This focus on the future of his spiritual mission determined the special place that Padmasambhava occupied in the inner world of the Tibetans and his significance for the present time.

Terma teachings contain methods of implementation intended for a specific era, a specific generation of people and a specific person who discovered them. These teachings are still being discovered today. They have become a living source of Dharma for many generations of Buddhist practitioners. The very principle of the possibility of constant self-renewal of spiritual tradition, embedded in terma, determines their enormous significance. There were also predictions directly related to the Europeans, which said that during the decline of Tibet, the Dharma would come to the “land of white people.”

Having blessed the land of Tibet and leading hundreds of disciples and disciples to the highest realization, Padmasambhava gave the last instructions to his closest disciple and associate Yesha Tsogyal, Prince Lhasa and other disciples, after which, in fulfillment of another prediction of Buddha Shakyamuni, he “mounted a lion and departed across the sky to the continent of Chamara , inhabited by bloodthirsty cannibals-rakshasas." Having converted them to Buddhism, he erected on the top of the Glorious Copper-Colored Mountain the inconceivable Lotus-Colored Palace - his pure land. It is said that he remains there to this day as the holder of knowledge and will remain until the end of samsara, supporting all those who follow the path of Tantrayana.

Some believe that I appeared in a lotus flower, among the pollen in the Dhanakosha lake in Oddiyana, some believe that I was born as a prince in that region. Others believe that I came with a flash of lightning on the top of Mount Namchak. Their beliefs are diverse, for I appeared in many forms. Twenty-four years after the parinirvana of Shakyamuni Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, Adi-Buddha of Infinite Light , filled with Bodhichitta, thought about Enlightenment and from the heart of Mahakaruna, in the form of Mahakaruna, I, Padmasambhava, the lotus-born guru, arose as the syllable “Sri”. I came as rain comes into the world, in countless forms for those who are ready to receive me. The actions of the Enlightened Ones are incomprehensible. Who will determine the measure for them?

When Shantarakshita came to Tibet, he realized that resistance to the teachings of Buddhism was strong. The metaphysical and psychological content of the Buddha Dharma had little relation to local religion. However, the prospect of the emergence of a community of self-disciplined individuals, bound by vows and loyal to their mentor, created the prospect of the emergence of a new powerful social and political force in Tibet. Bon priests created two lines of argumentation against the construction of the Samye Monastery. The ministers objected to the change in traditions and the emergence of a new political unit. The priests used their magical skills to create formidable omens showing the unhappiness of the local deities over the presence of Shantarakshita. Trisong Detsen was not an absolute monarch and when he felt that he was being forced to cancel plans to establish a Buddhist tradition in Tibet, Shantarakshita offered him the following: he, Shantarakshita, would leave Tibet, and Padmasambhava would be invited to Lhasa.
The Tibetans were aware of myriad types of nature and elemental spirits. Bon priests learned the types of magic used to control them, although they kept these methods secret and many people developed religious superstitions about the power of deities and demons and the abilities of Bon priests to calm and pacify them. Shantarakshita decided that someone who had mastered magic, Buddhist doctrine, and asceticism would resist Bon resistance “on his own territory,” and Padmasambhava achieved perfection in all three aspects.
Many legends have been created around the life of Padmasambhava. He was not the compiler of either doctrinal texts or commentaries, and his exploits associated with the subjugation of the local deities of Tibet were glorified in legends and became more and more beautiful with each retelling.
The work of early Buddhist teachers survives in Terma, documents said to have been hidden and discovered centuries later by tertons (treasure finders), often monks, who found hidden manuscripts, collections of old chronicles, or wrote what they discovered it's in progress deep meditation on unification with a mandala dedicated to the teacher.
In Tibet, the tension that existed between Hinayana and Mahayana – forms of the Buddha's teachings, was resolved through a hierarchical understanding of their relationships. The Hinayana doctrine and methods of practice are suitable for those who follow the path of personal Enlightenment with deep commitment. This- the path of Pratyekabuddha (the One who is awakened alone), who achieves liberation for himself. Mahayana –This is the path of the bodhisattva who wants to achieve Enlightenment in order to help all beings and renounces the fruit of Liberation in order to work in the world for the redemption of humanity. To this were added the Vajrayana (diamond vehicle) and Mantrayana (the vehicle of Mantra), which is the secret path to the highest Truth and always remains a secret for those whose consciousness itself has not yet sufficiently become the Truth. Sriguhyagarbhamahantararaja teaches: “Dharma, which is the supreme secret behind manifold manifestation, is extremely secret due to self-existence, and nothing else is secret.” Since the absolute Truth is unique, consciousness must necessarily transcend all habitual, discriminating and differentiating modes of operation in order to see it. Wisdom, jnana, is incomprehensible and yet hidden in the stream of consciousness. This – the source of all good qualities, however, just as the light emitted by the Sun covers the globe, so the good qualities flowing from Jnana hide the source of their origin.
The Hinayana constitutes the publicly available teachings of the Buddha. Mahayana consists of instructions given to nearby disciples. A Vajrayana – it is a discipline which he taught as a guru to those who had fully prepared themselves to accept it. More precisely, Vajrayana is powerful and involves all of life, the entire existence of a person without a trace. She's dangerous. Just as for a ship crossing a stormy ocean, the slightest deviation from the charted course will lead to it breaking on the rocks, so Vajrayana presupposes complete self-control and precision in thoughts, feelings and actions. The potential for abuse due to misunderstanding and desire for personal glory, as well as the likelihood of terrible spiritual and psychological damage, is so great that Tsongkhapa in the fourteenth century based his radical reform on the principle that a person must master the Mahayana before he can begin to study the Vajrayana. . His reformed school, Gelugpa (Yellow Hat School) is a tradition of the Dalai Lamas. And although the "old schools", especially the Nyingma, did not accept the reform, they nevertheless calmly accepted some of its elements. Even in modern times, Blavatsky found it necessary to warn that those who are not ready should not try tantric practices, because if they do not initially have understanding, and continue to engage in them, then these practices will lead to distortions and even destroy consciousness. Since the unknowable Truth can only be hinted at, the practitioner must completely detach himself from the colorful and creative, cruel and erotic images used in the Vajrayana to point to the depths of the mysteries of being and becoming. Vajrayana is never taught from books, except in coded language, its meaning is taught to the student by the guru, adapting it to the nature and needs of his consciousness.
Vajrayana works with the integration of prajna and upaya, wisdom and tricks, doctrine and disciple. According to Kanjur, fusion of meditation occurs on four levels. The first works with the student still attached and involved in external activities, including ritual purification. This – Kriya Tantra, it is represented by laughing deities. Charya Tantra – for those who enjoy both external and internal activities equally. She is represented by gazing deities. Yoga-Tantra is represented by intertwined deities and is used by those who have mastered meditation to overcome attachment to the life of consciousness. Anuttara Tantra – for those who have fully absorbed inner yoga and enjoy it. Tsongkhapa found it necessary to remind the monks that images relate to transcendental psychological and ineffable metaphysical states, and not to essences, just as the occult philosophy's view of the human form has nothing to do with anatomy.
Three Nadis or channels can also be found in thin garments. – Rasana, Avadhuti and Lalana, which correspond to the Indian Pingala, Sushumna and Ida – located on the right, in the middle and to the left of the spinal ridge. Along the central channels are chakras, centers of power and energy that correspond to states of consciousness. According to Tsongkhapa, the waking consciousness is located in the center of Nirman (Indian name – Manipura). In sleep, consciousness rises to the neck, to the Sambogha center (which the Indians call Vishudda). IN deep sleep dreamless consciousness is in the heart, which the Upanishads call Anahata. When consciousness unifies all polarities, it rises to the mahasukha (ajna) center. Complete control of consciousness, within the skillful veil, prepares the student to receive the initiation of the light of the guru's wisdom.
No one knows the levels of prajna and types of upaya that Padmasambhava considered acceptable to teach, but all the stories about his life praise his unsurpassed achievements as a yogi and siddha (possessor of supernatural powers).
Shantarakshita reportedPadmasambhavaabout resistance to the teachings of Buddha in Tibet, and about the requestTibetan King Trisong Detsen , who dedicated his life to the establishment of dharma, to provide assistance inspreading dharma in Tibet.
In the mid-eighth century, Guru Padmasambhava arrived in Tibetwith the following plan: to meet with the Bon priests and show that he is superior to them according to their own criteria. When Padmasamyuhava came to Tibet, he did not go directly to Lhasa, but wandered through the plateaus and valleys in search of local spirits and deities. In a terma recorded by Yeshe Tsogyal, Padmasambhava tells the story of his life and lists the demons he encountered:

On the shores of Lake Nyimakhud in Tibet, I conquered a cruel mountain deity and barbaric cannibal spirits. Now they are all bound to the Dharma by vow. At Khala Pass, I subdued the twelve guarding goddesses of the White Mountain. I have subjugated all the land lords of the northern regions. In Tsang I subdued the destructive spirits of Oyug: they are all bound by vows to the Dharma.

The Terma called Padma Ka'i Tang (the life and liberation of Padmasambhava) (also attributed to Yesha Tsogyal) explains how Padmasambhava managed to defeat the visible and invisible antagonists, making them responsible for the safety of the Teaching:
In the fall, Padma came to Mang Yul Castle. The local demoness Zhang Zhung Jamun, a known enemy, thought that she could destroy the guru between two stone mountains. But he grew to the skies and trampled on the demoness who offered the heart of her life. Since her secret name was "The Debt of Turquoise and Diamonds", the guru assigned her to look after the great treasure.
He conquered everyone Padmasambhava met, including priests, magicians, sorcerers and shamans, first by avoiding their traps and then by handing over something precious that needed to be protected. Each treasure symbolically illustrated aspects of the Buddha's teachings. He also changed the meaning of signs and omens:

On Mount Kailash I bound the Star Forces of the Lunar Palaces and on Targo I brought the dark forces of the Planets under the control of Dharma.

I am a lotus-born buddha with instructions for the highest realization.

Having acquired training in the fundamental teachings of sutra and tantra, I explain Buddhist methods without embarrassment. I am a lotus-born Dharma and have instructions on best practices. Outwardly I wear the saffron robes of a monk, but internally I am the highest of the Vajrayana yogis. I am the lotus-born school, where there are instructions that combine understanding and practice. My knowledge is higher than heaven.

Guru Padmasambhava subdued all negative forces and blessed the entire Tibetan land.Thanks to the joint efforts of King Trisong Detsen, Guru Rinpoche and Shantarakshita, the Teachings of the Buddha began to establish themselves in Tibet.
Soon Padmasambhava expelled the spirits from the place reserved for the Samye monastery, and Shantarakshita was summoned from Nepal, where he voluntarily retreated – in order to freely observe the construction and consecration of the monastery.Guru Padmasambhava consecrated the land of Samye Monastery, the first Tibetan monastery, and supervised its construction.The first seven Tibetan youths from aristocratic families were ordained into monasticism by Shantarakshita and Padmasambhava, these first monks of Tibet were called the “Seven Men of Trial”, or “Seven on Novitiate”. Padmasambhava gave Vajrayana teachings to his disciples according to theirindividual needs and abilities, and, thanks to his teachings and transmissions, many Tibetans have achieved enlightenment. Among his most famous disciples were twenty-five close disciples, nine of whom were called his heart disciples, and eight great siddhas.
During this period of the dawn of Buddhism, many wonderful disciples appeared in the Land of Snows, devoted to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. In the "Blue Chronicle" of Goy-lotsava Shonnupel it is said about this time:
“During the reign of this king (Trisong Detsen) twelve large monastic schools were established as far as Kham. Contemplative monasteries were built at Yerpa and Chimpu. It is known that many of the inhabitants of Yerpa had the ability to float in the air.” The maintenance of the monks was provided by the king. Many texts from the classes of sutras and tantras were then translated and corrected during the study. Later Dipankapa said: “Even in India there was no such Teaching as there was in Tibet in those days!”
From "A Brief Biography of Padmasambhava" by Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche:
“Then (after the consecration of the Samye temple complex) the king wished to translate the sacred texts and establish the Dharma, and therefore, at his command, many bright Tibetan boys began to study to become translators. Having invited other Tripitaka teachers from India, he ordered Kenpo (Shantarakshita) to dedicate ordination of the seven first Tibetans and gradually created a monastic sangha.Then Khenpo Bodhisattva and Padmakara, as well as other pandits, including Vairocana, Kawa Paltseg, Chogro Lui Gyaltsen and other translators, translated into Tibetan all existing Buddhist texts on the Sutra and Tantra, as well as most of the treatises explaining them.
Vairocana and Namkhai Ningpo were sent to India, where Vairocana studied Dzogchen with Shrisingha, and Namkhai Ningpo received the teachings of Heruka Vishuddha from the great Teacher Humkara. They both achieved realization and spread these teachings in Tibet."
The king's Bon ministers still interfered with Padmasambhava's work, but the priests quickly adapted to the new regime. Thus the reformed Bon arose and apparently became deeply connected with the traditions of the Nyingma school. Tsepong Dze, one of the king's wives, tried to undermine the Buddhist efforts by destroying the translation project. She managed to expel several Tibetan translators. She expelled Namkhai Ningpo and he had to go to Bhutan and there he became a famous preacher of the Buddha's teachings. Most of all she was angry with Padmasambhava and his disciples. Padmasambhava was exiled to Turkestan, and when he returned, his opponents were waiting for some pretext to drive him out of Tibet again.
Although some of the ministers saw the fall of Padmasambhava, King Trisong Detsen was drawn into the circle of his closest disciples. Trisong Detsen asked Padmakara to give him initiation and instructions in Vajrayana. Padmasambhava gave him a one-year probationary period. The king took some time to think about the gift he was to give to his guru.
At Chimpu, in a retreat (a secluded place for spiritual practice; Chimpu was the name for the cave places of hermitage located near Samye), located above Samye, the great Teacher revealed to the nine main disciples, among whom was the king, the mandala of the sadhanas of the eight herukas and gave them initiation. Each of them was entrusted with a separate transmission, and all nine students achieved siddhi through the practice of the teachings.
Yeshe Tsogyal was a princess from the Karchen family, and while young, she married Trisong Detsen. She was involved in the teachings of the Buddha and the teachings of Padmasambhava. When the time came for the king's initiation, she willingly allowed herself to be presented as a gift to the teacher.
From "A Brief Biography of Padmasambhava" by Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche:
“Padmakara gave countless profound and extraordinary teachings related to the three internal tantras to many chosen disciples headed by the king and his sons, as well as twenty-five disciples in Lhodraka, Thidro and many other places...
It is impossible to count exactly how many disciples in Tibet received initiation personally from Padmakara, but the most famous of them are the twenty-five early disciples, the twenty-five intermediate disciples, and the seventeen and twenty-one subsequent disciples. The rainbow body was manifested by eighty of his disciples in Yerpa and one hundred and eight meditators in Chuwori, thirty tantrists in Yangdzong, as well as fifty-five realizers in Sheldrag. Among the disciples were twenty-five dakinis and seven yoginis. The bloodlines of these close disciples continue to this day."
Below is the terma text of the Song of the Twenty-Five Disciples. It includes direct instructions to Guru Rinpoche's twenty-five closest disciples. These tips are essential personal instructions. The vajra master transmits such instructions to students who have the ability to realize them, having discovered the “awakened mind of enlightenment” - an inalienable, originally existing state, having “neither middle nor edge”, beyond the five skandhas.

Songs for the Twenty-Five Disciples.

The king and twenty-five disciples asked the precious Teacher from Uddiyana:

– We beseech you to grant us profound instruction that addresses the root issue, which is comprehensive yet easy to practice.
In response, Padmasambhava chanted:

Oh, miracle!
The Tsar, the princes and you, all the other disciples,
The true meaning is not accessible to everyone.
When the unworthy hears him,
This gives rise to slander, misunderstanding and violation of samaya vows.
I have given you important predictions about the future,
But the wicked Tibetan leaders
They have no faith, no matter how much they listen,
By sowing lies, they engage in idle talk.
However, I will briefly explain
What you, having faith, asked me about.
Now is the time not to spread,
And everyone should practice correctly and independently.
Since this teaching will be hidden for the future as a terma treasure,
Swear an oath to keep it secret!

1
O king! Listen!
Take a cross-legged pose
Once you are seated, keep your back straight and meditate.
Keep your attention free from thoughts
And not conditioned by mental constructs.
Because your concentration goes beyond any objects,
Without dwelling on any sign of concreteness,
Be calm, serene and present.
If you are in this state,
Signs of progress appear naturally:
Clarity of consciousness, neither arising nor disappearing,
And awareness completely free of delusion.
This is the awakened state
What is present in yourself,
Not something sought somewhere, but self-existent - oh, a miracle!

2
Listen, devoted Tsogyal of the Karchen clan!
Your mind can't be seen
As something that really exists, and therefore
In the natural, uncontrived,
Spontaneously present state
Abide, without distraction, in the realm of non-meditation!
In such a stay, liberation comes naturally.
It in itself is a state of awakening!

3
Listen, Palgi Senge,
My distinguished noble son!
All dharmas of samsara and nirvana are your own mind
And do not arise separately from this mind –
They are devoid of their own nature,
Beyond thoughts, words and definitions.
Do not accept the pleasant and do not reject the unpleasant,
Don't affirm or deny
Don't give preference to anything
But remain in clear awareness
In a state of uncreated naturalness!
In such a stay, signs of progress
Are that your body, speech and mind
Free and uninhibited
Not limited by pleasure and pain.
This is the moment of understanding the awakened consciousness!

4
Listen, worthy Vairocana!
Everything that appears and exists, samsara and nirvana,
Arising from your own mind –
A mind that cannot be grasped
In which there is no middle and no edge.
In the natural state of boundless equanimity, primordial and unborn,
Abide without distraction, in great spontaneity, free from effort!
Whatever thought appears in the mind,
It arises as a dimension of pure presence –
This is precisely the state of the Awakened One.
When self-knowing pure presence is fully realized,
It gets the name "Buddha"!

5
Listen, Yudra Ningpo from Gyalmo!
If your mind does not manifest, nothing is perceived.
Free from thoughts, without creating any concepts,
Don't follow your thinking!
Do not accept or reject, but remain,
Liberated in yourself!
In this state, the flow of thoughts is stopped,
And wisdom develops, erasing
The line between samsara and nirvana!

6
Listen, Namkhai Ningpo, wandering yogi from Nuba!
Your mind is sincere simplicity, free from "I",
Therefore abide in its self-existence,
A self-soothing state, free from tricks!
At this moment, bliss is born from within,
Spontaneously appear
Signs of successful promotion;
This in itself is an awakened state!

7
Listen, Jnanakumara,
Without being distracted, heed this instruction!
Your mind was not created by any causes in the beginning
And in the end it will not be destroyed by any circumstances,
Therefore remain effortless
In an indescribable and unimaginable condition!
At this moment the fruit is revealed in you
Without striving for it.
Apart from this, you will not find any other Awakened One!

8
Listen, Gyalwa Cho-yang of Ngenlam!
Awakened mind of enlightenment
Not created through meditation,
Therefore, free from thinking,
Without generating thoughts or preventing them,
Stay with your feelings open to everything,
Letting your thinking calm down on its own!
In this state, your thinking spontaneously dissolves
And wisdom arises without searching, by itself.
This is the discovery of the awakened state!

9
Listen, Dorje Dudjom of Nanam!
The so-called "awakened mind of enlightenment"
Inseparable from you and initially exists on its own,
Having no middle or edge.
Don't correct him, but in a self-aware state
And naturally calm,
Without changing anything, without redoing anything,
Stay relaxed in naturalness!
When you remain like this, your mind, free from confusion,
And there is the Awakened One himself!

10
Listen, Yeshe Yang of Ba, and master this instruction!
Your mind is unshakable
When not focused on subject and object,
We are not distracted by effort, hope and fear,
By storing thoughts and eliminating them.
Do not correct, but remain in your natural state.
Do not move away from what the Awakened One himself is!

11
Listen, Palgi Yeshe of Sogpo!
The awakened state of mind is not created,
Not achieved - it exists on its own.
Without effort aimed at holding subject and object,
Remain in an unimaginative state
Natural ability to know!

The flow of excitement is cut off and stopped.
Recognize that this moment is the Awakened One himself!

12
Listen, Nanam Yeshe,
A young wandering yogi from the country of Shang!
Do not burden your attention with dual actions,
Do not affirm or deny anything,
But remain without mental constructs and efforts,
Without accepting or rejecting anything.
The awakened state means precisely such undistracted abiding!

13
Listen, Palgyi Wangchuk from Karchen!
Leave your mind in non-meditation,
Don't give it any direction
But, without inventing anything, stay

When you remain in this state, without rejecting samsara,
The natural dissolution of the flaws of samsara is the wisdom of the Awakened One!

14
Listen, Denma Tsemang, exalted one!
Your mind has no subject and object and is not created,
Therefore, do not resort to effort and invention,
Don't create anything through meditation
But stay, without distractions,
In the self-existent natural ability to know!
When you're in this state,
The natural ability to know is released.
If you reject him, you will never find the Awakened One!

15
Listen, translator Kawa Paltsek from Chinbu!
If subject and object are eliminated, mind cannot be shown.
Likewise, it cannot be created or corrected.
Stay in a state of equanimity
Without falling into focusing on specifics.
To remain in it is the very state of awakening!

16
Listen, Palgi Senge from Shubu!
Awakened state of mind
Free from ideas of “more” or “less”.
Being in this state,
Uncontrived and naturally free from<понятия>
The subject who accepts or rejects the object,
Don't stop at anything
Be free from all obstacles
Being in such a state is the Awakened One himself!

17
Listen, Gyalwe Lodro, wandering yogi from Dre!
Your mind is something that cannot be thought about, that cannot be observed.
It lies beyond being and non-being, eternity and decay.
Therefore, be free from meditation on the meditator and the object!
When you are not distracted from such a state,
This is called the dharmakaya of the Awakened One!

18
Listen, Loki Chungpa, to my instructions!
Don't burden your mind
[The concepts of] the knower and the knowable,
Don't concentrate, but be free
Relax without wanting anything
And remain in a state of knowledge,
Having no nature of its own.
Stay in it without deviating,
And there is the awakened state itself!

19
Listen, Drenpa Namkha!
Your mind that perceives
And yet free from materiality
And he knows without thoughts - he feels everything, but is indescribable.
Free from the movements of rational thinking,
Remain in this alert and open state.
Staying in this essence is the Awakened One himself!

20
Listen, Palgi Wangchuk from O-dren!
The awakened mind is the perceptive emptiness,
Empty and at the same time luminous ability to know.
Remain in its self-existent state,
Without changing it or correcting it.

And there is the Awakened One himself!

21
Listen, Rinchen Chok!
The essence of your attention, which is not composed of anything,
There is no need to confirm, just as there is no need to create
or discard in meditation.
Do not correct or change its pristine freshness,
But stay in your original state,
which is spontaneously present!
While in this state, do not allow your mind to wander,
Because you will never find another fruit!

22
Listen, Sange Yeshe, wandering yogi from Nuba!
Perceiving, the awakened mind is empty,
And in the same way, remaining empty, he perceives.
Incomprehensible unity of perceptionand conscious emptiness
Stays in naturalnesswithout being distracted from this dimension.
Staying in this state without leaving it,
And there is the Awakened One himself!

23
Listen, Palgi Dorje Wangchuk of Lhalung!
The nature of your mind has no concreteness,no signs.
Don't try to invent it or improve it,
And staying in it, without changing or forgetting.
Such abiding is the Awakened One himself!

24
Listen, Konchog Jungne of Langdro!
Your mind is not concrete and is initially pure,
By nature empty and unimaginative,
Therefore remain in a state where there is no
Neither the meditator nor the object of meditation.
Through this you will achieve the fruit of Buddhahood!

25
Listen, Gyalwa Zhangchub of Lasum!
Your mind neither arises nor is destroyed,
It has neither qualities nor specificity.
By nature it is empty and the ability his unhindered to knowledge.
Steady abiding in it is the Awakened One himself!

I encourage you all to use
These instructions in your practice!
Can you compare the sutras and tantras of the Buddha?
And comments to them
With many words
that go beyond space
But the condensed meaning is precisely
In these vital positions.
Practice them and hide them like treasure
According to your vow!

Thus spoke Padmasambhava, and through this gift of true pith instructions alone all the disciples gained freedom and attained realization.

Offering the princess and king's wife as a student and companion to a wandering ascetic violated the traditions of those times. Tsepong Tse and the Bon ministers were furious, many scandalized and raised the question of the need to expel Padmasambhava.
Fearing that both the guru and Yshe Tsogyal could be killed, the king accepted the demand for exile, but instead of sending them to distant regions, he established places of separate exile, and saw to it that the two of them went secretly to Thidro for meditation.
The Guru and his disciple remained in Tidro for many years. According to Terma, including The Secret Life and Songs of the Tibetan Lady Yshe Tsogyal , the princess achieved perfection in meditation and successfully went through a series of initiations. She united her consciousness with Padmasabhava and he sent her to Nepal, where she visited the ancient Vihara. She returned to Tidro, bringing her students with her.
Events after returning from the retreat are mixed up. The king summoned Padmasambhava and his disciples to Lhasa. For a time, religious and social peace was restored in the kingdom, and Trisong Detsen felt confident enough to send trained monks throughout Tibet. When Trisong Detsen died, legal intrigue threatened the unity of Tibet. Tsepong Jie poisoned her son shortly after he ascended the throne. His brother was crowned and given the name Mutik Tsenpo and ruled for ten years. Although Yshe Tsogyal stopped the internecine war and convinced the ministers to stop the heresy, Tsepong Jie kicked her out. Padmasambhava decided that his work in Tibet was finished and announced his intention to go south, where he disappears from history and remains a mystery of ancient traditions. Shantarakshita died and Kamalashila became the second abbot of Samye Monastery. When King Repachan ascended the throne, Yshe Tsogyal came back to honor the memory Shantarakshita in Samye and everything after that she died. Repachan honored her memory and announced her parinirvana around 817.
The termas tell how Padmasambhava passed away. The king and many disciples followed him up a large pass. There he flew away in a southerly direction, leaving a rainbow trail in the sky. Then they plunged into meditation and “saw him like a ray of sun passing over India and not touching Uddiyana; they saw him reach the top of Mount Jambuza and stop... Not far from the City of Fire, he sits in the cool shadow of the heavenly Magnolia.”
Since the virtues of the guru are innumerable, let the beings of the future preserve the image of Padmasambhava.
Guru Rinpoche, Precious Teacher, is how the Tibetans began to call Padmasambhava.

Not all texts composed by Guru Padmasambhava – this is terma. Some of them – these are kama, oral instructions, systematized and written down in the form of books. Here are some of his kama texts:
A Garland of Essential Instructions on View, a commentary on the Guhyagarbha Tantra entitled The Brilliant Light of the Sun and Moon
and another tantric commentary,
Decoration of the Cemetery Cuckoo.
Another text that talks about how to work with wild female spirits, – how to balance the actions of mom.

There is a famous story about what Guru Padmasambhava looked like when Ratne Lingpa first appeared. Ratna Lingpa was a terton ( a person destined to discover a treasure during his lifetime – terma ) and he lived in the fifteenth century. When he was bornRatne Lingpa, there were many favorable signs indicating that this was an unusual child. His family was wealthy, and as an adult he married and lived as a homeowner; he did not receive a systematic education. At twenty-four years old, he saw Guru Padmasambhava for the first time.
In many Tibetan villages, young people would get together and party all day and evening. During the day they competed, for example, in archery, and in the evening they danced, sang and drank chang, Tibetan beer. The day before Ratna Lingpa saw Guru Padmasambhava, he spent the entire day and night with young people from his village. The next morning he went out to take care of his animals. Since he was quite rich, he hadEarth, yaks and sheep.
He released the animals to graze in the meadow, and he himself sat down to rewrite the biography of Guru Padmasambhava. This biography was found by another famous terton named Nyang-ral Nyima Ozer. It contains a great prayer as well as a biography of Padmasambhava. Ratna Lingpa was eager to obtain a copy of this prayer to use in his practice. He sat down to rewrite the text and due to the fact that the day before he had been archery, drinking and dancing all day, he felt very tired and fell asleep. When he woke up, he felt different; he felt joyful and fresh and, raising his head, saw that a little old man was standing in front of him. He had long beard and long hair, and he was wearing a robe of yellow cotton. Cotton is not usually worn in Tibet. They wear wool there because even in summer it is quite cold. But this man was wearing cotton clothes, and he was just standing there. Ratna Lingpa did not know how this man could have ended up there.
Immediately this man picked up the text that Ratna Lingpa was transcribing and said: “This is the biography of Guru Padmasambhava, revealed by the great terton Nyang. Are you devoted to Guru Padmasambhava?” Ratna Lingpa replied, “Yes, since birth I have felt a special and abiding devotion to him. That is why I have copied this. I want to read this as part of my practice.” And the man said, "Oh, that's good, you good man"Then the old man looked around and asked, "Is there a mountain here called Garuda Soaring?" Ratna Lingpa replied that he did not know about any mountain called Garuda Soaring, but pointed to a distant mountain called Garuda Mountain. The old man said, " Yes, this is it," and then pulled out a paper scroll from his chuba (a Tibetan garment similar to a kimono), which can hold many things. Taking out the paper chuba scroll, he told Ratna Lingpa to open it and read what was written on it. When Ratna Lingpa opened it and found that it contained his name, the names of his parents, the year and place of his birth, and that when he grew up he would discover the Terma teachings.The entire course of his life was predicted there.
When Ratna Lingpa read this, he was very happy, but at the same time he thought that this could not really be written about him - it must be about someone else. But the letter even described the marks on his body. The letter also contained advice on what he should do to open a terma. He was very happy, so he said, "This is wonderful. May I rewrite this?" And this man said, "You don't have to rewrite it; I'm giving it to you. You have to keep it."
It was already noon, and Ratna Lingpa called the yogi to his home to eat and rest. Since the yogi looked somewhat cold, Ratna Lingpa wanted to offer him some warm clothes. They approached Ratna Lingpa's house, but the yogi said that he preferred to stay outside. Ratna Lingpa brought out tea with butter, tsampa, chang, meat, cheese and offered it to him. Before eating, the yogi read many prayers and made offerings. After eating, he gave Ratna Lingpa many tips on how to follow the instructions in the scroll.
Since it was already late and there were no villages nearby, Ratna Lingpa invited the yogi to spend the night so that he could reach another village during the day. But the yogi did not want to stay. Ratna Lingpa said, “The night will be very cold and you have so little clothing. I would like you to take my new woolen chuba and have something to eat.” But the yogi refused, saying: “No, where I am going, I will not need them. Now it is time for me to leave.” They walked for a while together, and after a few steps the yogi stopped and said, “You must remember all the advice that I have given you. You must have constant, pure devotion and you must continue to pray to Guru Padmasambhava. Always follow the instructions that I have given you.” Today."
He didn't say, "I am Padmasambhava," but he gave a few hints. Then he pulled out a small horn from his forelock and blew it in different directions. And at the same moment, having done this, he disappeared. When Ratna Lingpa saw that the yogi had disappeared, he thought that perhaps the yogi was a magician, and that the scroll of paper that he had placed on his altar had disappeared. He ran back to check and saw that the paper was still there.
After meeting the yogi, Ratna Lingpa's behavior and appearance completely changed. He was always very happy and his mind remained in a natural state. Even the vibrations of his house had changed. That evening when his wife came home, she immediately asked why he looked so radiant. She noticed that there was a different smell in the house and wanted to know what happened.
Ratna Lingpa felt that he should not tell her everything that had happened. The yogi told him that he must keep their meeting a secret for three years. His wife continued to insist, and Ratna Lingpa was so happy that he finally showed her the scroll of paper and explained how he came by it. They both kept this secret for three years, as he was told. After three years, Ratna Lingpa began to find terma in many places in Tibet.
Here is an example of how Guru Padmasambhava can appear in another form, in the form of a small old man in yellow cotton robes.

"The great teacher Padmakara is an emanation of Buddha Amitabha. Having trained his mind on numerous Mahayana sutras, he loves all living beings, like a mother his only child. Constantly working for the benefit of others, he is the helmsman, transporting all beings of Samsara to Nirvana. Without waiting for requests, he gives instructions to all who need to be pacified. Endowed with great compassion, he is the king of all bodhisattvas."

"The influence of Padmakara on countless beings occurs through the Vajrayana teachings and especially through the actions of the profound treasure teachings, terma. This great teacher was not an ordinary person on the path, or simply a noble being residing on one of the bhumi (levels) of a bodhisattva, but the emanation of Buddha Amitabha and Buddha Shakyamuni, who appeared to pacify people and rebellious spirits."

Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche.

“In the world period in which we are now, a thousand Buddhas will appear. Likewise, for each of these Buddhas, a Guru Rinpoche will appear to continue their activities. In the present age of Shakyamuni Buddha, one such emanation appeared in the form of Padmasambhava, Born of the Lotus. The biography of Padmasambhava says that he was born without a father or mother, by himself, from a lotus flower in a lake.As a human being, born miraculously, he was endowed with great powers, which helped him overcome not only people, but also spirits and other various beings of non-human nature. Guru Rinpoche lived for a very long time. He stayed in India for about a thousand years, and then spent fifty-five years in Tibet. When he prepared to leave Tibet, he was accompanied by twenty-five chief disciples and the king. At the borders of Nepal, surrounded by dakinis of the four classes ", he mounted the horse Mahabala. This legendary horse soared into the skies, and Guru Rinpoche's disciples watched as the image of the teacher, diminishing, slowly disappeared into the heights."
I realized that all dharmas are like a dream, an illusion.
In the country of Tibet, I performed immeasurable deeds for the benefit of sentient beings.
In the era of decline, I will help living beings.
Therefore, I hid innumerable terma treasures,
That they will be discovered by those who are destined to do so.
All the lucky ones who have a connection with these termas,
Fulfill the will of the Lotus-Born!"

Guru Padmasambhava. From the terma teaching “The Covenant is a Precious Edge.”

Above is the thangka "The Eight Manifestations of Guru Padmasambhava." These eight manifested forms of Guru Rinpoche reflect Padmasambhava's enlightened activities at different periods of his life. Here are the names of the eight manifestations in the order of their appearance in Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche's short biography of Padmasambhava:

From the book “The Eight Manifestations of Guru Padmasambhava” by Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche and Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche.






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