1. Also called The Precious Garland of Lapis Lazuli.

      2. The same year that Phadampa Sangye passed away.

A Short Biography of Padmasambhava

      by JAMGON KONGTRUL THE FIRST

       This short life story of Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche or Padmakara, is extracted from The Precious Garland of Lapis Lazuli, a collection of life stories of the 108 main tertons written by Jamgon Kongtrul the First and found in volume 1 of his Rinchen Terdzo.

      Padmakara has influenced countless beings through the Vajrayana teachings and in particular through the activity of the profound terma treasures. This great master was not an ordinary person on the path or just a noble being on one of the bodhisattva bhumis but an emanation of both Buddha Amitabha and Shakyamuni who appeared in order to tame the human beings and spirits who are difficult to convert.

      Even the great bodhisattvas are incapable of fully explaining his life example, but in brief I will narrate it as follows.

      In the dharmakaya realm of the Luminous Vajra Essence, Guru Rinpoche has by nature attained perfect enlightenment since the very beginning as the liberated ground of primordial purity. He is renowned as the original protector, Unchanging Light.

      In the self-manifest sambhogakaya realm of the Thunder of the Drum of Perfection, he spontaneously manifested as the boundless wisdom array of the five families of Buddha Immense Ocean possessing the five certainties.

      As the external manifestation of this self-appearing display, in the countless displays of bodily forms in buddha-fields of the five families comprised of the semimanifest natural nirmanakaya realms of Mahabrahma, he appears to all the bodhisattvas on the ten bhumis. Since these all are the cloud banks of Guru Rinpoche’s wisdom display, the “inexhaustible wheel of adornment,” he is known as the All-Holding Lotus.

      By the power of these wisdom displays he appears in countless worlds of the ten directions as the magical apparition of nirmanakayas who tame beings. In particular, it is taught that only in this saha world system he illuminates fifty worlds with the lamp of the teachings of sutra and tantra appearing as the eight manifestations to tame beings in the different parts of the world.

      The dakini Yeshe Tsogyal had a vision in which she saw a manifestation of Guru Rinpoche called Immense Vajra Ocean in the direction to the east. Each of the pores in his body held one billion realms and in each realm there were one billion world systems. In each of these world systems there were one billion Guru Rinpoches, who each created one billion emanations. Each of these emanations carried out the activity of taming one billion disciples. She then saw the same display in each of the other directions and in the center.

      In this world of Jambudvipa, Guru Rinpoche is known as just one nirmanakaya who tames beings¹ but according to the different capacities and giftedness of people he is perceived in various ways. The history of The Oral Transmission of Kilaya and most Indian sources explain that he was born as the son of a king or a minister in Uddiyana, whereas the terma treasures for the most part narrate that he was miraculously born. In some texts he is said to have appeared from a bolt of lightning at the summit of Mount Malaya. Each of these wondrous stories differs in many ways. This is indeed a topic that lies far beyond the reach of an ordinary person’s intellect.

      I shall now limit the explanation down to a mere seed, the life of Guru Rinpoche according to miraculous birth as it appears in the terma teachings.

      In the land of Uddiyana situated to the west of Bodhgaya there was an island in Lake Danakosha, on which appeared a multicolored lotus flower through the blessings of the buddhas. Buddha Amitabha sent from his heart center a golden vajra marked with the letter HRIH into the bud of this lotus flower, which miraculously turned into a small child eight years of age holding a vajra and a lotus and adorned with the major and minor marks. The child remained there teaching the profound Dharma to the devas and dakinis on the island.

      At that time Indrabodhi, who was the king of the country, had no sons. He had already emptied out his treasury by making offerings to the Three Jewels and giving alms to the poor. As a last resort, in order to find a wish-fulfilling jewel, he embarked on a journey on the great lake with his minister Krishnadhara. On their return, first Krishnadhara and later King Indrabodhi met the miraculous child. The king regarded him as an answer to his prayers for a son and brought him to the palace, where he was given the name Padmakara, the Lotus-Born. Padmakara was then asked to sit on a throne made of precious gems and given lavish offerings by all the people.

      The prince grew up, bringing countless beings to maturation through his youthful sports and games. He married Prabhadhari and ruled the kingdom of Uddiyana in accordance with the Dharma. At that time he perceived that he would be unable to accomplish the immense welfare of other beings by governing a country, so he asked Indrabodhi permission to leave, which was not granted. In an act of play, he then pretended that his trident had slipped out of his hand; it fell and killed the son of one of the ministers. He was then sentenced to be expelled to a charnel ground. He remained in Cool Grove, Joyful Forest, and Sosaling, engaging in the conduct of yogic disciplines. During this time he received empowerment and blessings from the two dakinis Tamer of Mara and Sustainer of Bliss. When bringing all the dakinis of the charnel grounds under his command, he was known as Shantarakshita.

      Padmakara returned to Uddiyana, to the island in the lake, where he practiced Secret Mantra and the symbolic language of the dakinis, through which he brought the dakinis on the island under his command. He then practiced in the Rugged Forest and was blessed with a vision of Vajra Yogini. He bound under oath all the nagas of the lakes as well as the planetary spirits and was invested with supernatural powers by all the dakas and dakinis. Thus he became renowned as Dorje Drakpo Tsal (Wrathful Vajra Power).

      He then journeyed to the vajra throne in Bodhgaya, where he showed many miracles. People asked who he was, and when he replied that he was a self-appeared buddha, they did not believe him but instead defamed him. Seeing the many reasons to have a teacher, he went to Sahor, where he took ordination from Prabhahasti and was given the name Shakya Senge. He received the teaching on Yoga Tantra eighteen times and had visions of the deities. Then he went to the female master Kungamo, who was the wisdom dakini Guhya Jnana appearing in the form of a nun. He asked for empowerment, and she changed him into the letter HUNG, which she then swallowed and emitted through her lotus. Inside her body he was bestowed with the entire outer, inner, and secret empowerments and purified of the three obscurations.

      Later he met the eight great vidyadharas and received the Eight Sadhana Sections. He received Maya Jala from the great master Buddha Guhya and Dzogchen from Shri Singha. In this way he studied and received all the sutras, tantras, and sciences from numerous learned and accomplished masters of India. He became adept by learning a topic just once and had visions of all the deities even without practicing. At this time he was known as Loden Choksey, and he displayed the manner of perfecting the vidyadhara level of maturation.

      He then went to the country of Sahor, where he magnetized Mandarava, a qualified dakini who was the daughter of King Vihardhara. He took her as his sadhana support, and they practiced for three months in the Maratika Cave, after which Buddha Amitayus appeared in person, conferred empowerment