Kenneth F. Thornton II | Tibetan Healing Mantra~ Homage to Padmasambhava Mantra པདྨ་འབྱུང་གནས། @shamanizing | Uploaded December 2018 | Updated October 2024, 10 hours ago.
Like Siddhartha Gautama, Padmasambhava was raised as a prince in the court of his father (though in this case, adopted father). Also like Siddhartha, Padmasambhva's father forbade him from seeking a religious life. It is said that Padmasambhava accidentally stabbed the son of one of the king's ministers, releasing the man from the bonds of reincarnation though his skill in yogic powers. However, for this action he was banished from the court and freely chose to live in a cemetery district. Again mirroring the biography of Gautama, Padmasambhava would leave his wife in order to spread the dharma.
In exile, it is said that Padmasambhava perfected his knowledge of Buddhist teachings, and developed the power to transcend the cycle of birth and death, transiting various heavens and hells, and eventually freeing himself of the cycle samsara. He would eventually return to his father's court a great spiritual teacher.
Padmasambhava's ability to memorize and comprehend esoteric texts in a single hearing established his reputation as a master above all others. His fame became known to Trisong Detson, the king of Tibet (circa 740-798 C.E.), whose kingdom was beset by evil mountain deities, common to the indigenous Tibetan religion Bön. It is said that these powerful beings had already driven away one Buddhist teacher from the West named Śāntaraksita. The king invited Padmasambhava to Tibet where it is claimed that he used his tantric and meditative powers to subdue the evil deities he encountered along the way.
It is said that Padmasambhava knew of his impending calling to Tibet before word was sent to him from that region. According to tradition, Padmasambhava was eventually able to convert the mountain deities to Buddhism, and these supernatural beings swore loyalty to the dharma becoming positive forces in Tibetan Buddhism thereafter. Padmasambhava's battle with evil spirits echoes the original Buddha's battle against Mara, and closely mirrors the work of Shenrap, the founder of the Bön religion. The traditions involving his subjugation of Bön deities suggest that initial response to Padmasambhava's arrival in Tibet was not universally welcomed, and that his new teachings were considered a challenge by the practitioners of Bön.
Eventually Padmasambhava received the Tibetan Emperor's wife, identified with the dakini Yeshey Tsogyel, as a consort. This was in accordance with the tantric principle of not eliminating negative forces but instead redirecting them to fuel the journey toward spiritual awakening.
While in Tibet, it is claimed that he founded the first monastery in the country, Samye Gompa, initiated the first monks, and introduced the people to the practice of Tantric Buddhism. However, documents relating the life of Padmasambhava are not in consensus concerning the length of time he spent in Tibet. Accounts range between six months and fifty years. Eventually he decided to leave, and it is recorded that he spent time in many other regions of Asia. In Bhutan he is associated with the famous Taktshang or "Tiger's Nest" monastery built on a sheer cliff wall about 500 meters above the floor of Paro Valley. It is also said that he flew there from Tibet on the back of his favorite consort, Yeshe Tsogyal, who he transformed into a flying tigress for the purpose of the trip. Later he traveled to Bumthang district (in modern day Bhutan) to subdue a powerful deity offended by a local king. According to local legend, Padmasambhava's body imprint can be found in the wall of a cave at nearby Kurje Lhakhang temple, Bhutan.
Mantra by
Lama Tenzin Sangpo- Margot Reisinger
#buddhistmantra #tibetanhealingmantra
Like Siddhartha Gautama, Padmasambhava was raised as a prince in the court of his father (though in this case, adopted father). Also like Siddhartha, Padmasambhva's father forbade him from seeking a religious life. It is said that Padmasambhava accidentally stabbed the son of one of the king's ministers, releasing the man from the bonds of reincarnation though his skill in yogic powers. However, for this action he was banished from the court and freely chose to live in a cemetery district. Again mirroring the biography of Gautama, Padmasambhava would leave his wife in order to spread the dharma.
In exile, it is said that Padmasambhava perfected his knowledge of Buddhist teachings, and developed the power to transcend the cycle of birth and death, transiting various heavens and hells, and eventually freeing himself of the cycle samsara. He would eventually return to his father's court a great spiritual teacher.
Padmasambhava's ability to memorize and comprehend esoteric texts in a single hearing established his reputation as a master above all others. His fame became known to Trisong Detson, the king of Tibet (circa 740-798 C.E.), whose kingdom was beset by evil mountain deities, common to the indigenous Tibetan religion Bön. It is said that these powerful beings had already driven away one Buddhist teacher from the West named Śāntaraksita. The king invited Padmasambhava to Tibet where it is claimed that he used his tantric and meditative powers to subdue the evil deities he encountered along the way.
It is said that Padmasambhava knew of his impending calling to Tibet before word was sent to him from that region. According to tradition, Padmasambhava was eventually able to convert the mountain deities to Buddhism, and these supernatural beings swore loyalty to the dharma becoming positive forces in Tibetan Buddhism thereafter. Padmasambhava's battle with evil spirits echoes the original Buddha's battle against Mara, and closely mirrors the work of Shenrap, the founder of the Bön religion. The traditions involving his subjugation of Bön deities suggest that initial response to Padmasambhava's arrival in Tibet was not universally welcomed, and that his new teachings were considered a challenge by the practitioners of Bön.
Eventually Padmasambhava received the Tibetan Emperor's wife, identified with the dakini Yeshey Tsogyel, as a consort. This was in accordance with the tantric principle of not eliminating negative forces but instead redirecting them to fuel the journey toward spiritual awakening.
While in Tibet, it is claimed that he founded the first monastery in the country, Samye Gompa, initiated the first monks, and introduced the people to the practice of Tantric Buddhism. However, documents relating the life of Padmasambhava are not in consensus concerning the length of time he spent in Tibet. Accounts range between six months and fifty years. Eventually he decided to leave, and it is recorded that he spent time in many other regions of Asia. In Bhutan he is associated with the famous Taktshang or "Tiger's Nest" monastery built on a sheer cliff wall about 500 meters above the floor of Paro Valley. It is also said that he flew there from Tibet on the back of his favorite consort, Yeshe Tsogyal, who he transformed into a flying tigress for the purpose of the trip. Later he traveled to Bumthang district (in modern day Bhutan) to subdue a powerful deity offended by a local king. According to local legend, Padmasambhava's body imprint can be found in the wall of a cave at nearby Kurje Lhakhang temple, Bhutan.
Mantra by
Lama Tenzin Sangpo- Margot Reisinger
#buddhistmantra #tibetanhealingmantra
