Padmasambhava is one of the most important characters of Tibetan Buddhism.
Sometimes called 'the second Buddha,' he is credited for the diffusion of Buddhism in Tibet in the eighth and ninth centuries.
As such, Padmasambhava is a peerless guru in the Tibetan tradition, with the vidyādhara’s control over lifespan, who became revered in Tibet when Emperor Trisongdetsen invited him, by which time he had already been a living legend in India for many centuries...
Padmasambhava is the master of Buddhist tantra who is credited with bring Vajrayana to Tibet and Bhutan.
He is said to have been born as an eight-year- old from a lotus flower, to have overpowered and converted demons, and to have lived to be more than one thousand years old...
It is said that in order to propagate and spread the teachings of the Dharma in general, and particularly the secret mantra and Dzogchen teachings, he appears to every being of the three thousand billion world systems in a form to benefit them according to their personal karmic vision.
In this way Guru Padmasambhava has countless unimaginable biographies, one biography for each being.
So forth were the enlightened activities performed for the sake of sentient beings by Guru Padmasambhava’s eight manifestations which are as follows:
Padmavajra, Vajra of the Lotus, severed the roots of the five poison.
Padmaraja, King of the Lotus, provided mundane and ultimate benefits to sentient beings.
Padmasambhava, the Lotus-born, blessed beings endowed with faith.
Dorje Droled tamed the Yakshas and haughty beings.
Suryaprabha, the Rays of the Sun, taught the essence of secret mantra.
Sakyasimha, the Lion of Sakyas, guided beings towards the path of liberation.
Simhanada, Roar of the Lion, defeated the outside aggressors of non-Buddhists.
And Dhimanvaruchi, the Supremely Wise Love, showered the teaching of sutra and mantra.
The results of Guru Padmasambhava’s activities include the attainment of liberation by his twenty-five disciples and eighty other disciples who attained rainbow body.
In addition, three million disciples achieved stability in tantric generation stage practice, one hundred thousand disciples showed signs of accomplishment, ninety thousand disciples achieved the uncontaminated Illusory Body, and eighty million disciples had some attainment.
Having accomplished these great activities, knowing his personal beings to be tamed on Earth were exhausted, he departed for the South-western universe of the magical cannibals, to help the beings there and to protect Earth from their harm.
Hidden Treasures?
Guru Rinpoche's knowledge of efficient practices of tantric secrets gave him supernatural powers according to the legends.
Being convinced that tantric Buddhism could degenerate in the future, he buried his wisdom and knowledge as secret books and other treasures at unknown places like in mountain caves so that future generations might find them one day.
It is said that Guru Rinpoche left Tibet one day towards the 'Tibetan-Nepalese border region in the Himalayan mountains and simply disappeared.
The legend says that he rode on a sun ray towards heaven...
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