Buddhism 101

Lesson 3: Important Buddhist Figures and Related Mythology

Padmasambhava

     Padmasambhava (aka Guru Rinpoche) is sometimes known to Tibetans as the second Buddha – he is also reported to be an incarnation of the bodhisattva Amitabha, whom we will learn more about later in this lesson. He was critical to the growth of Buddhism in Tibet, and legend has it that he was invited to leave India in the eighth century CE by a king (the religious king Trisong Detsen) in order to battle demons. He brought with him Vajrayana Buddhism, and expounded its tantric elements. Those demons that he went to exorcise were persuaded from their destructive behavior to become protectors of the dharma.

His birth is said to have been miraculous, not unlike the legends surrounding the birth of the original Buddha. The tradition holds that he was discovered by the ruler of a kingdom in the northern part of the India subcontinent, named Indrabodhi. He came upon a large closed lotus (a symbol of potential Buddhahood) in a lake, marked with the symbols of Amitabha. He watched as the lotus blossomed (a symbol of completed Buddhahood) and saw within it a boy about eight years old – this was Padmasambhava, whose name means “Lotus Born”. Indrabodhi adopted the boy and raised him as a prince, just as the historical Buddha was raised.

Padmasambhava’s magic power grew, but the king forbade his leaving to pursue a religious life. The youth granted liberation to the son of one of the king’s advisors, but the court could not comprehend the act, and perceived it as an accidental killing. Padmasambhava was banished from the kingdom, but was able to pursue Buddhist teachings in exile. He developed powers, such as instant memorization and comprehension of any text, immortality and invincibility. He eventually returned home and was recognized as a great spiritual teacher.

It is said that he knew of his invitation to Tibet before the message had arrived, and he felt that Tibet was fertile ground for the seed of dharma. He traveled there and did battle with many demons on the way, using his skills of meditation to combat these forces and win them to his side. Both human beings and spiritual beings were impressed by his power, and all sought to convert to Buddhism.

Accounts vary as to how long Padmasambhava stayed in Tibet, though his influence lasted – he established the Nyngma sect, which will be discussed further in Lesson 4. His influence is also felt in the form of terma texts. These are works that were allegedly hidden by Padmasambhava or his disciples because their teachings were too advanced for the time in which they were written. They can take the form of written documents, images, or physical objects. Special bodhisattvas are prophesied, and as manifestations of Padmasambhava, are able to locate these hidden works. This tradition of rediscovering hidden texts is not unique to the Nyngma sect. Some non-Tibetan Mahayana texts were purported to have been left in the possession of the Nagas, serpent like creatures that had their kingdom under the sea.

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