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Padmasambhava

PADMASAMBHAVA

Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche

In our own present world age, one thousand Buddhas will appear. Each one will be accompanied by an emanation of Guru Rinpoche to carry out the Buddha’s activities. In the present age of Buddha Shakyamuni, all the Buddha’s activity appeared in one emanation in the form of Padmasambhava, the Lotus-Born One. He was born from a lotus flower in the middle of a lake. In his life story, he recounts, “I appeared from a lotus flower, without a father, without a mother.” In this way, he was spontaneously born, but there was another reason for this as well. As a miraculously born human being, he was endowed with great miraculous powers to subdue not only human beings but also spirits and other classes of non-humans.

Padmasambhava lived for a very long time. After his birth, he continued living in India for about one thousand years. Afterward, he arrived in Tibet and remained there for fifty-five years. At the end of his stay in Tibet, he departed for a place called Gungtang on the border of Nepal, accompanied by his twenty-five chief disciples as well as the king of Tibet. At that site, mounted upon a fabulous horse called Mahabhala, he flew off into the sky escorted by dakinis of the four classes. His companions, who were left behind, watched his image grow smaller and smaller as he slowly disappeared.

According to the story, he made his first descent in Bodhgaya, where he remained for some time. Later, he went on to his own pure land called Sangdok Palri, the Glorious Copper-Colored Mountain. Geographically, this place is situated somewhere out in the ocean, southwest of Bodhgaya. It is a type of subcontinent, which is inhabited by rakshasas, “cannibal spirits,” on the lower levels. According to a prediction given by Buddha Shakyamuni, at a certain period in history, when the average life span of human beings will be twenty years, these cannibal spirits will invade the known world, subjugating and destroying all human beings. In this way, mankind would be in great danger. However, the Buddha also predicted that Guru Rinpoche would go to this land and conquer all these rakshasas. He did just this to fulfill the prediction.

The main mountain in the center of the island is copper colored and descends deep below the ocean into the realm of the nagas. Its summit pierces the skies, even to the heights of the brahma-loka in the realm of form. On the very peak of this mountain, a miraculously manifested buddhafield exists, created by Guru Rinpoche. There are three levels: Above is the dharmakaya level, where the main aspect of Guru Rinpoche appears as Amitayus; on the middle level dwells Avalokiteshvara; and at the ground level dwells Guru Rinpoche himself in the familiar form. He is surrounded by the eight manifestations.

Appearing in this world, Guru Rinpoche is the body emanation of Buddha Amitabha, the speech emanation of Avalokiteshvara, and the mind emanation of Buddha Shakyamuni. Before manifesting in our world, he first appeared in the sambhogakaya realm as the five families of Tötreng Tsal, then as the eight and twelve emanations, and so forth, until fifty manifestations had appeared. Finally, countless different manifestations of Guru Rinpoche appeared.

Before Padmasambhava left Tibet, he made many predictions, hid many teachings to be revealed in the future, and blessed his close disciples to be inseparable from him. In this way, they would reincarnate in the future, reveal the hidden teachings, and be as powerful as Guru Rinpoche himself, endowed with great miraculous powers, such as flying through the sky, freely traversing solid matter, and unimpededly expounding all the sutras and treatises as well as the meaning of the tantras.

In particular, he prophesied the coming of 108 great tertöns, “hidden treasure revealers.” World history fluctuates, causing particular difficulties to arise at different times. Having foreknowledge of these historic intervals, Guru Rinpoche designed special practices that specific tertöns would reveal at the appropriate times, in order to aid human beings. The tertöns discovering these termas, “hidden treasures,” would then give a totally fresh, up-to-date teaching meant for that specific time and situation.

Just as we prefer to have fresh food prepared in a way that will not make us sick because it’s rotten, in the same way, the terma teachings revealed with the “short lineage” are endowed with a very special quality. By virtue of having a short lineage, the teachings have not been interrupted by any damage or samaya breakage. They have not been interpolated by anyone else, but have come directly from Guru Rinpoche by means of the revelation of one of his disciples appearing as a present-day incarnation, who then spreads the teachings to people for their immediate practice.

The Lamey Tukdrub Barchey Künsel belongs to this class of teachings. This cycle of teachings is based on guru sadhana. When I received the lineage of the Rinchen Terdzö from the previous incarnation of Jamgön Kongtrül, the one immediately following Jamgön Kongtrül Lodrö Thaye, one day he told me,

“During my lifetime, I have performed the drubchen (the “one-week sadhana” on Barchey Künsel) three times. Every single time there was some very special miraculous sign.

“The first time we performed the drubchen, the main torma on the shrine started to leak nectar, not just a little bit, but enough that it overflowed the shrine and drenched the floor all the way out to the main entryway. People were tasting it and saying it had a very special flavor that was sweet yet strong and potent, incomparable with anything else in this world. The second time I performed the drubchen, the kapala, the “skull cup” containing amrita, started to boil, and it continued to boil throughout the rest of the drubchen. The third time I performed the drubchen, we were preparing mendrub, “sacred medicine,” at the same time. The fragrance issuing from the fermentation of the mendrub was very remarkable, unlike anything people had ever smelled in this world. The scent of it spread as far as Thrangu Rinpoche’s monastery, a distance of four day’s walk. People from that monastery asked where the fragrance came from. In my whole life, I have never witnessed signs as amazing as the ones during those three times.” This could also be due to the combination of the profound terma teaching and such an extremely great master.

When great masters are practicing a fresh terma, in the beginning there are always great blessings, because the “vapor from the dakinis’ breath” has not yet had time to evaporate from the terma. In this way, terma teachings with a short lineage have a particularly great blessing and effect for those who practice them.

There are four versions of the primary guru sadhana of the Barchey Künsel: the extensive version, the Trinley Gyepa; the medium-sized edition, the Trinley Dringpo; the condensed medium-length version, which is like its essence, the Trinley Nyingpo; and the extremely short Concise Daily Practice. That doesn’t mean something is lacking or lost when being condensed—it becomes even more precious, just as butter is the essential extract of milk.

In the mandala circle of this practice, Guru Rinpoche is surrounded by twelve emanations of himself that are inseparable from twelve different yidams. The inseparability of the yidam and guru aspects is called the “twelve manifestations.” Additionally, above Guru Rinpoche’s head is Amitayus, representing dharmakaya. Beneath Amitayus is Avalokiteshvara, representing sambhogakaya. Guru Rinpoche is the nirmanakaya representation. In the four cardinal and intermediate directions, four and eight emanations appear respectively—twelve emanations altogether. At the four gates, in the four directions, are the four gatekeepers. These are the deities included within this mandala.

It is said that the tantric scriptures of Mahayoga are included within the scriptures of Anu Yoga; and the scriptures of Anu Yoga are included within the oral instructions of Ati Yoga. All of these are included within the sadhana scriptures, which are included within your own application.

In this particular context, all the different classes of deities are embodied within the twelve manifestations of Guru Rinpoche, such as the eight herukas, the mamos, the peaceful and wrathful deities, Yamantaka, as well as Kilaya and Gongdü. These indispensable yidams in the Nyingma tradition are called Ka, Gong, and Phur, which represent Kabgye (Eight Heruka Sadhanas), Gongdü (Lama Gongdü, mind embodiment of the gurus), and Phurba (Vajra Kilaya).

In the Tukdrub Barchey Künsel, these twelve manifestations correspond to various emanations of Guru Rinpoche. Gyalwey Dungdzin is Padma Gyalpo. Mawey Senge is Manjushri. Kyechok Tsülzang is Jambhala. Dükyi Shechen is Dorje Phurba. Dzamling Gyenchok is Vishuddha Heruka. Pema Jungney is Urgyen Dorje Chang. Kyepar Phakpey Rigdzin is Guru Rinpoche taming the dakas, dakinis, and spirits. Dzutrül Tuchen is Dorje Drollö. Dorje Draktsal is Guru Drakpo and Pema Heruka. Kalden Drendzey is all eight herukas together, especially Palchen Heruka. Raksha Tötreng is Vajrapani. Dechen Gyalpo is Gongdü and Chakrasamvara.

In the past, when Guru Rinpoche did the practices of Kabgye, Gongdü, Phurba, and all the other yidams, he and the yidams became inseparable. Thus the blessings became greater, the accomplishments became swifter, and the practice became superior to any other. This is why the blessings are greater and the accomplishment swifter in the Barchey Künsel than in the other termas of Chokgyur Lingpa. For this practice, no obstacles can arise. The oral instructions of the great tertön himself say that if a practitioner can perfect the preliminary practices according to the Barchey Künsel, no obstacles will arise for that practitioner. This is the promise that was passed down to my own teacher.

What was the actual moment of discovering this terma? Chokgyur Lingpa and Jamyang Khyentse went to a place called Da-Nying Khala Rong-Go. Between the cliffs and the place where the terma was unearthed is the great Tsangpo River (Brahmaputra). The cliff overlooking the site is extremely steep.

Chokgyur Lingpa and Jamyang Khyentse, with their large entourages, arrived on the precipice overlooking the Tsangpo River. Chokgyur Lingpa pointed to the opposite shore and said, “On the other side, at the white rocks, there is a terma that I must take out.” His attendants said, “Yes, but it will take at least a day to walk there. First you have to climb all the way down this cliff, find a place to ford the river, and then walk back up to the actual site on the other shore. That must be at least a day’s hike.” Chokgyur Lingpa said, “No, no, no! It won’t take long at all. There is one very easy way to reach there.” Saying this, he unfolded his shawl and using it as “wings,” he simply flew through the air to the other side of the river. Landing there, he took the terma out. Returning, he simply walked across the water itself and climbed up on the opposite shore. All the people who witnessed this were utterly amazed and felt he truly possessed miraculous powers. Tertöns are people like this.

Guru Rinpoche practice is extremely important, because Guru Rinpoche, the Lotus-Born One, is not just a legendary figure from some old story of the past. He is an actual person who continuously carries out spontaneous activities, not only by sending emanations of himself into this world as tertöns, so there is always a fresh, unimpaired teaching that people can practice, but also because Guru Rinpoche’s spiritual influence and blessings are unceasing. If we can practice this sadhana, it will be very beneficial.

It’s best, of course, if we can do the actual practice in an intense way, according to the three versions of the sadhana, but next best is to perform the even shorter version—just one and a half pages in length—called the Concise Daily Practice Manual, or Gyüngyi Köljang. If we don’t find time to do even this, we should at least say the six-line supplication to Guru Rinpoche that starts out Düsum sangye, Guru Rinpoche, meaning Buddhas of the three times, Guru Rinpoche, and so forth. Each day, we should also say at least one mala of the Vajra Guru mantra. This will be extremely beneficial for our own development, because Guru Rinpoche, being miraculously born, is totally unharmed by gods, demons, or humans. Moreover, he manifested in such a way as to be the resplendent subjugator of appearance and existence, meaning of all worlds and beings. Therefore, the practice of Guru Rinpoche and the recitation of his mantra dispel all obstacles and accomplish all harmonious circumstances.