Guru Rinpoche
Guru Rinpoche is the lotus
heart of the boundless luminosity of the absolute, the eternal enlightened mind,
the primordial wisdom, the Bodhicitta –the heart of enlightened mind.
Guru Rinpoche’s spiritual
reality transcends time and space. He is
the quintessence
of all spiritual practice, beyond all dualities, whose body and mind are not
separate.
Guru
Rinpoche is the eternal Mind Stream, the universal compassion, the blessings
and wisdom of Buddhas of past, present and future.
Guru
Rinpoche is the single vast expanse of timeless awareness. His essence is non-substantial definite
nature of reality. His presence is ever
present. His presence is not subject to
any corporeal form.
Guru Rinpoche is the embodiment of all the Buddhas of past, present and
future, the primordial wisdom itself, a fully awakened one, a precious Guru -master.
Guru
Rinpoche’s body, speech, mind, qualities, and activities, pervades as far as
the reaches of space to benefit beings for as long as Samsara exists.
In Maha Parinirvana Sutra, Lord Buddha says, “Eight years from my
Parinirvana, a remarkable being with the name Padmasambhava will appear in the
centre of a lotus who will give teaching on ultimate state of the true nature,
benefiting all sentient beings.”
As the time approached on the tenth day of the waxing moon of monkey
month of the earth monkey year, Buddha Amitabha, the Buddha of wisdom and
compassion, the embodiment of Buddha Nature, with his unimpeded, omniscient
vision, saw that the time had come to advance the Dharma.
Moved by compassion at the suffering of the sentient beings, Buddha
Amitabha sent out from his heart a golden Vajra. The Vajra descended on a lotus blossom in the
lake of Dhanakosha in the kingdom of Oddiyana and transformed into exquisitely
amazing eight year old boy.
The king Indrabhuti of Oddiyana received the boy to whom he declared:
"My
father is the self-arisen Samantabhadra.
My
mother is the sphere of reality, Samantabhadri.
My
caste is the union of primordial wisdom and the Dharmadhatu.
And
my name is the glorious Padmasambhava."
This is how Guru Rinpoche manifested on this earth in the form of
Padmasambhava, also known by the names Padmakara and Tsokye Dorjee, as the emanation
of Buddha Amitabha. Rightly
Padmasambhava grew up to the being of Guru Rinpoche in form.
As Guru Padmasambhava, Guru Rinpoche unfolded the teaching on Vajrayana
encouraging us to take a deeper look at our perception, to understand the
primordial nature and learn to maintain mind at that state.
Indeed,
Guru Padmasambhava is the mind emanation of Buddha Amitabha. He is Guru Rinpoche.
Guru
Padmasambhava is the essence of Buddha Amitabha, all-pervading lord of the
Three Jewels and Three Roots, inseparable from Dharmakaya Samantabhadra.
Guru Padmasambhava appeared in different form with
different names at different time and place.
In doing so the eight aspects of Guru Rimpoche were manifested collectively
affirming his ability to appear according to the needs of the
circumstances. The eight manifestations
of Guru Rinpoche are: (1) Padma Gyalpo, (2) Loden Chokse, (3) Nyima Ozer, (4) Padmasambhava,
(5) Shakya Senge, (6) Senge Dradok, (7) Padma Jungne, and (8) Dorji Drolo.
The eight names of the Guru Rinpoche are collectively
called Guru Tsen Gye. Each manifestation
demonstrates a different principle that unveils the innermost nature of
mind.
Guru Padmasambhava travelled to Tibet where he stayed for fifty five and
half years. Under the supervision of Guru
Padmasambhava, Vimalamitra, Santaraktsita and Kamalashila, 108 young Tibetan
monks were trained in translating the teachings from Sanskrit to Tibetan Tsokey,
among whom Vairoccana was the best translator.
They translated the Sutras and Tantras that today form the Tibetan
Buddhist cannon.
In Tibet, Guru Padmasambhava established two kinds of traditions: (1) Celibate
monastic tradition, and (2) Non-celibate, non-monastic tradition. To both the dress codes were specified. To the practitioners of non-celibate,
non-monastic tradition, the white dress was specified. The tradition is called the Ngakpa order and
the practitioners stay with their families in the villages. With the introduction of second type of tradition,
Dharma flourished among ordinary people far and wide.
Guru Padmasambhava had five spiritual consorts. Indeed they were the five wisdom Dakinis, the
emanation Goddess Vajravarahi, the Matrika –the emanation of supreme Divine Mother,
for protection from evils from all direction.
They were: (1) Mandarva –body of Vajravarahi, (2) Kalasiddhi –quality of
Vajravarahi, (3) Sakya Devi –mind of Vajravarahi, (4) Yeshe Tsogyal –speech of
Vajravarahi, (5) Mangala –Tashi Kyedren, the activity of Vajravarahi.
Collectively the five spiritual consorts of Guru Padmasambhava represent
awareness –knowledge, wisdom –skilful action, and mindfulness with which they protect
all sentient beings from suffering.
Guru
Padmasambhava is the lord of all Mandalas –universe, the Vidhyadhara –fountain
of knowledge and wisdom, and the ultimate refuge.
Guru Padmasambhava is the manifestation
of non-conceptual compassion, the perceiver of all to be known, the ocean of
virtue, the victorious one who transcends both Samsara and Nirvana.
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If I have made mistake, may I be forgiven by three roots?
May I benefit from your compassion to demystify
my ignorance?
