Padmasambhava

Historical background of Padmasambhava, Guru Rinpoche's life and times

From around 640 to 842 CE, Tibet was in a phase of expansion during which it absorbed the state of Zhang-zhung, and then substantial Chinese, Nepalese and other territories surrounding it. It was near the end of this period, that under royal patronage, the first Tibetan Buddhist monastery was founded at Sam'ye.

According to legend, local deities and demons opposed to the introduction of Buddhism, destroyed every at night what was being built during the day. Therefore, the king consulted Santarakshita, the Indian monastic who was going to be the first abbot of the new monastery. His advice was that the tantric mahasiddha (great adept) Padmasambhava be summoned from India to tame local deities and bind them to the service of Buddha-dharma.

It is Padmasambhava's journey through the Tibetan landscape during which he subdues and binds a succession of named deities at specific places that is at the core of accounts of his life. These events, mythical, legendary or historical have consequences for practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism today since they determine the way in which these beings are perceived and treated, in visualization, the making of representations and in other practices.

That is the most important aspect of his work, and the reason why he is referred to as Guru Rinpoche, being regarded as the "second Buddha." As a consequence, he is often considered the most important siddha or accomplished yogi, and he is the central figure in the lineages that continue to preserve and transmit the siddha tradition.

~ from 1995 paper by Prof. Geoffrey Samuel of Newcastle U., Australia
Courtesy of Khandro.net


Padmasambhava mantra

Oṃ Āh Hūṃ Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hūṃ
(Om Ah Hum Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hum)


Om Ah Hum, as we’ve seen, have no conceptual meaning. Often they’re associated with body, speech, and mind respectively (i.e. the whole of one’s being. So there’s a suggestion that we are saluting the qualities that Padmasambhava represents with all of our hearts (and minds, and bodies).

Vajra means thunderbolt, and represents the energy of the enlightened mind. It can also mean diamond. The implication is that the diamond/thunderbolt can cut through anything. The diamond is the indestructible object, while the thunderbolt is the unstoppable force. The vajra also stands for compassion. While it may seem odd to have such a “masculine” object representing compassion, this makes sense in esoteric Buddhism because compassion is active, and therefore aligned with this masculine symbol. (The term “masculine” does not of course imply that compassion is limited to males!)

Guru, of course, means a wise teacher. It comes from a root word, garu, which means “weighty.” So you can think of the guru as one who is a weighty teacher. Padmasambhava is so highly regarded in Tibetan Buddhism that he is often referred to as the second Buddha.

Padma means lotus, calling to mind the purity of the enlightened mind, because the lotus flower, although growing in muddy water, is completely stainless. In the same way the enlightened mind is surrounded by the greed, hatred, and delusion that is found in the world, and yet remains untouched by it. The lotus therefore represents wisdom. Again, while westerners would tend to assume that the flower represents compassion, the receptive nature of the flower gives it a “feminine” status in esoteric Buddhism, and to the lotus is aligned with the “feminine” quality of wisdom. And once again, there is no implication that wisdom is in any way limited to those who are female. The words masculine and feminine here are used in a technical sense that’s completely unrelated to biology.

And Siddhi means accomplishment or supernatural powers, suggesting the way in which those who are enlightened can act wisely, but in ways that we can’t necessarily understand. Padmasambhava is a magical figure, and in his biography there are many miracles and tussles with supernatural beings.


Pronunciation notes:

* a is pronounced as u in cut
* aa (ā) is long, as in father
* m in hum is pronounced ng, as in long
* j is hard, like j in judge
* u is short, as in put
* ū is long, as in school

Courtesy of Wildmind.org