Hello Ladies & Gents,How are we this lovely evening ? Today I shall speak with you all,about an Person who is an Buddhist Guru. He holds high esteem & favored in most Sanskritic mantras in Tibet, the Tibetan pronunciation demonstrates dialectic variation.He is regarded as the founder of the Nyingma tradition. The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism.He is very less heard of and he is founder of Tantric Aspect of Buddhism.So lets take an looksie shall and get to know him more deeply shall we.I Give You All........... Buddhist Guru Padmasambhava :- Padmasambhava (lit. Lotus-Born), also known as Guru Rinpoche, is a literary character of terma, an emanation of Amitabha that is said to appear to tertons in visionary encounters and a focus of Tibetan Buddhist practice. In the eleventh and twelfth centuries there were several competing terma traditions surrounding, for example, Vimalamitra, Songtsen Gampo, Vairotsana and Padmasambhava. At the end of the 12th century, there was the victory of the Padmasambhava cult. Nyangrel Nyima Özer (1136-1204) was the principal architect of the Padmasambhava mythos. Although there was also a historical Padmasambhava, nothing is known of the obscure Indian sorcerer apart from him helping the construction of a temple at Samye at the behest of Trisong Detsen and shortly being chased out of Tibet. Mythos :- Nyangrel Nyima Özer (1136-1204) was the principal architect of the Padmasambhava mythos.Guru Chöwang (1212-70) was the next major contributor to the mythos. Early years : - Birth According to tradition, Padmasambhava was incarnated as an eight-year-old child appearing in a lotus blossom floating in Lake Dhanakosha, in the kingdom of Oḍḍiyāna in Ancient India and in modern times identified with the Swat Valley of South Asia present-day Pakistan. Tantra :- In Rewalsar, known as Tso Pema in Tibetan, he secretly taught tantric teachings to princess Mandarava, the local kings daughter. The king found out and tried to burn him, but it is believed that when the smoke cleared he just sat there, still alive and in meditation. Greatly astonished by this miracle, the king offered Padmasambhava both his kingdom and Mandarava. Padmasambhava left with Mandarava, and took to Maratika Cave in Nepal to practice secret tantric consort rituals. They had a vision of buddha Amitayus and achieved what is called the Rainbow Body of the Great Transference in the Vajrayana tradition, a very rare type of spiritual realization.Dzogchen Practitioners of Padmasambhavas terma still achieve this type of realization today. Both Padmasambhava and Mandarava are still believed to be alive and active in this Rainbow Body form by their followers. She and Padmasambhavas other main consort, Yeshe Tsogyal who was responsible for hiding his numerous terma later in Tibet became fully enlightened. Many thangkas and paintings show Padmasambhava in between them. Tibet :- Subjection of local religions :- Around 760,King Trisong Detsen, the 38th king of the Yarlung dynasty and the first Emperor of Tibet (742–797), invited the Nalanda University abbot Śāntarakṣita (Tibetan Shiwatso) to Tibet. Śāntarakṣita started the building of Samye,[12] the first Buddhist monastery on Tibetan ground.Demonical forces hindered the introduction of the Buddhist dharma, and Padmasambhava was invited to Tibet to subdue the demonic forces.The demons were not annihilated, but were obliged to submit to the dharma.This was in accordance with the tantric principle of not eliminating negative forces but redirecting them to fuel the journey toward spiritual awakening. Berzin gives a more prosaic account of the events: In 761, [Emperor Tri Songdetsen (Khri Srong sde-btsan)] invited the Indian Buddhist abbot Shantarakshita to Tibet. There was a smallpox epidemic. The Zhang-zhung faction in court blamed Shantarakshita and deported him from the land. On the abbots advice, the Emperor then invited Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) from Swat (northwestern Pakistan), who drove out the demons who had caused the smallpox. The Emperor then reinvited Shantarakshita. Guru Rinpoche left in 774, without having completed the full transmission of dzogchen. Seeing that the times were not ripe, he buried some texts as buried treasure texts (gter-ma, terma). They were exclusively texts on dzogchen. According to tradition, Padmasambhava received the Emperors wife, identified with the dakini Yeshe Tsogyal, as a consort. Translations :- King Trisong Detsen ordered the translation of all Buddhist Dharma Texts into Tibetan. Padmasambhava, Shantarakṣita, 108 translators, and 25 of Padmasambhavas nearest disciples worked for many years in a gigantic translation-project. The translations from this period formed the base for the large scriptural transmission of Dharma teachings into Tibet. Padmasambhava supervised mainly the translation of Tantra; Shantarakshita concentrated on the Sutra-teachings. Nyingma :- Padmasambhava introduced the people of Tibet to the practice of Tantric Buddhism. He is regarded as the founder of the Nyingma tradition. The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism.The Nyingma tradition actually comprises several distinct lineages that all trace their origins to Padmasambhava. Nyingma literally means ancient, and is often referred to as Ngagyur or the early translation school because it is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan, in the eighth century. Nyingma maintains the earliest tantric teachings. The Nyingmapa incorporates mysticism and local deities shared by the pre-Buddhist Bon religion, which has shamanic elements. The group particularly believes in hidden terma treasures. Traditionally, Nyingmapa practice was advanced orally among a loose network of lay practitioners. Monasteries with celibate monks and nuns, along with the practice of reincarnated spiritual leaders are later adaptations,though Padmasambhava is regarded as the founder of Samye Gompa, the first monastery in the country.In modern times the Nyingma lineage has been centered in Kham in eastern Tibet. Bhutan :- n Bhutan he is associated with the famous Paro Taktsang or Tigers Nest monastery built on a sheer cliff wall about 500m above the floor of Paro valley. It was built around the Taktsang Senge Samdup (stag tshang seng ge bsam grub) cave where he is said to have meditated in the 8th Century. He flew there from Tibet on the back of Yeshe Tsogyal, whom he transformed into a flying tigress for the purpose of the trip. Later he travelled to Bumthang district to subdue a powerful deity offended by a local king. Padmasambhavas body imprint can be found in the wall of a cave at nearby Kurje Lhakhang temple. Detailed Iconographical study of Buddhist Guru Padmasambhava :- Iconography, manifestations and attributes :- Iconography General :- He has one face and two hands. He is wrathful and smiling. He blazes magnificently with the splendour of the major and minor marks. Head :- On his head he wears a five-petalled lotus hat, which has Three points symbolizing the three kayas, Five colours symbolizing the five kayas, A sun and moon symbolizing skilful means and wisdom, A vajra top to symbolize unshakable samadhi, A vultures feather to represent the realization of the highest view. His two eyes are wide open in a piercing gaze. He has the youthful appearance of an eight-year old child. Skin :- His complexion is white with a tinge of red. Dress :- On his body he wears a white vajra undergarment. On top of this, in layers, a red robe, a dark blue mantrayana tunic, a red monastic shawl decorated with a golden flower pattern, and a maroon cloak of silk brocade. On his body he wears a silk cloak, Dharma robes and gown. He is wearing the dark blue gown of a mantra practitioner, the red and yellow shawl of a monk, the maroon cloak of a king, and the red robe and secret white garments of a bodhisattva. Hands :- In his right hand, he holds a five-pronged vajra at his heart. His left hand rests in the gesture of equanimity, In his left hand he holds a skull-cup brimming with nectar, containing the vase of longevity that is also filled with the nectar of deathless wisdom and ornamented on top by a wish-fulfilling tree. Khatvanga :- The khaṭvāńga is a particular divine attribute of Padmasambhava and intrinsic to his iconographic representation. It is a danda with three severed heads denoting the three kayas (the three bodies of a Buddha, the dharmakaya, sambhogakaya, and nirmanakaya), crowned by a trishula, and dressed with a sash of the Himalayan Rainbow or Five Pure Lights of the Mahabhuta. The iconography is utilized in various Tantric cycles by yogis as symbols to hidden meanings in transmitted practices. Cradled in his left arm he holds the three-pointed khatvanga (trident) symbolizing the Princess consort (Mandarava). who arouses the wisdom of bliss and emptiness, concealed as the three-pointed khatvanga trident. Its three points represent the essence, nature and compassionate energy (ngowo, rangshyin and tukjé). Below these three prongs are three severed heads, dry, fresh and rotten, symbolizing the dharmakaya, sambhogakaya and nirmanakaya. Nine iron rings adorning the prongs represent the nine yanas. Five-coloured strips of silk symbolize the five wisdoms The khatvanga is also adorned with locks of hair from dead and living mamos and dakinis, as a sign that the Master subjugated them all when he practised austerities in the Eight Great Charnel Grounds. Seat :- He is seated with his two feet in the royal posture. Surrounding :- All around him, within a lattice of five-coloured light, appear the eight vidyadharas of India, the twenty-five disciples of Tibet, the deities of the three roots, and an ocean of oath-bound protectors.There are further iconographies and meanings in more advanced and secret stages.
Posted on: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 13:06:43 +0000
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