View source for Padmasambhava

{{Short description|8th-century Buddhist lama}}
{{pp-pc|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
[[File:Guru Rinpoche in mist 2.jpg|thumb|Colossus (123 ft, 37.5 m) statue of Padmasambhava in mist at [[Rewalsar, India]] (Tso Pema).]]
{{Infobox person
| name               = Padmasambhava
| birth_place        = [[Oddiyana]]{{refn|name="loc"|group=note|For debate on its geographical location, see also the article on [[Oddiyana]].}}
| known              = Credited with founding the [[Nyingma]] school of Tibetan Buddhism
| occupation         = Vajra master
}}

'''Padmasambhava''' ('Born from a Lotus'),{{refn|[[Sanskrit]] पद्मसम्भव {{IAST|Padmasambhava}}; {{bo|t=པདྨ་འབྱུང་གནས།|w=pad+ma 'byung gnas (EWTS)|alternative=[[THL Simplified Phonetic Transcription|TH]] Pemajungné}}); [[Mongolian language|Mongolian]] ловон Бадмажунай, ''lovon Badmajunai'', {{zh|莲花生大士}} ({{zh|p=Liánhuāshēng}})|group=note}} also known as '''Guru Rinpoche''' ('Precious Guru'), was a legendary<ref>{{cite book |last1=Gyaltsen Karmay |first1=Samten |title=The Great Perfection (rDzogs Chen): A Philosophical and Meditative Teaching of Tibetan Buddhism |date=2007 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=9789004151420 |pages=6–7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vyS71NvZPXsC&q=padmasambhava+semi+mythical}}</ref> tantric Buddhist [[Vajracharya|Vajra master]] from [[Oddiyana]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Padmasambhava {{!}} Tibetan Buddhism, Guru Rinpoche, 8th Century {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Padmasambhava |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Dudeja |first=Prof (Dr ) Jai Paul |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z4SzEAAAQBAJ&dq=Padmasambhava+born+swat&pg=PA77 |title=Profound Meditation Practices in Tibetan Buddhism |date=2023-03-14 |publisher=Blue Rose Publishers |language=en}}</ref> who fully revealed the [[Vajrayana]] in [[Tibet]], circa 8th – 9th centuries.<ref name="tthr">{{harvnb|Kværne|2013|p=[https://archive.org/details/tibetanhistoryre00tutt/page/n196 168]}}.</ref><ref name="KPSR8">{{harvnb|Palden Sherab Rinpoche|1992}}</ref>{{sfn|van Schaik|2011|pp=34–5}}<ref name="Doney 2015">{{harvnb|Doney|2015}}.</ref> He is considered an emanation or [[Nirmāṇakāya]] of [[Gautama Buddha|Shakyamuni Buddha]] as foretold by the Buddha himself.<ref name="KPSR8"/> According to early Tibetan sources including the ''[[Testament of Ba]]'', he came to Tibet in the 8th century and designed<ref name= KPSR8/> [[Samye Monastery]], the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet{{sfn|van Schaik|2011|pp=34–5}} during the reign of King [[Trisong Detsen]]. He, the king, and Khenpo [[Shantarakshita]] are also responsible for creating the [[Tibetan canon|Tibetan Canon]] through translating all of the Buddha's teachings and their commentaries into the Tibetan language.

According to Lewis Doney, while his historical authenticity was questioned by earlier [[Tibetology|Tibetologists]], it is now "cautiously accepted.” Padmasambhava himself was recorded as saying he was an historical person, and his footprints left in rocks are evidence.<ref name="KPSR8"/><ref name="Doney 2015" /> Padmasambhava later came to be viewed as a central figure in the transmission of Buddhism to Tibet.{{sfn|Buswell|Lopez|2013|p=600}}{{sfn|van Schaik|2011|pp=34–5, 96–8}} Starting from around the 12th century, [[Hagiography|hagiographies]] concerning Padmasambhava were written. These works expanded the profile and activities of Padmasambhava, now seen as taming all the Tibetan spirits and gods, and concealing various secret texts (''[[Terma (religion)|terma]]'') for future [[Tertön|tertöns]].{{sfn|van Schaik|2011|p=96}} [[Nyangrel Nyima Özer|Nyangral Nyima Özer]] (1124–1192) was the author of the ''Zangling-ma'' (Jeweled Rosary), the earliest biography of Padmasambhava.{{sfn|Doney|2014}}{{sfn|Dalton|2004}} He has been called "one of the main architects of the Padmasambhava [[myth]]os – who first linked Padmasambhava to the [[Dzogchen|Great Perfection]] in a high-profile manner."<ref name="Germano 2005">{{harvnb|Germano|2005}}.</ref><ref name="thlib.org2">{{harvnb|Gyatso|2006}}.</ref>

In modern [[Tibetan Buddhism]], Padmasambhava is considered to be a [[Buddhahood|Buddha]] that was foretold by Buddha Shakyamuni.<ref name="KPSR8" /> According to traditional hagiographies, his students include the great female masters [[Yeshe Tsogyal]] and [[Mandāravā|Mandarava]].{{sfn|van Schaik|2011|pp=34–5, 96–8}} The contemporary [[Nyingma]] school considers Padmasambhava to be a founding figure.{{sfn|Harvey|2008|p=204}}<ref name="Doney 2015" /> The Nyingma school also traditionally holds that its [[Dzogchen]] lineage has its origins in [[Garab Dorje]] through a lineage of transmission to Padmasambhava.<ref name="KPSR" />

In Tibetan Buddhism, the teachings of Padmasambava are said to include an oral lineage (''kama''), and a lineage of the hidden treasure texts (''termas'').<ref name="Khenchen" /> Tibetan Buddhism holds that Padmasambhava's termas are discovered by fortunate beings and [[tertön]]s (treasure finders) when conditions are ripe for their reception.{{sfn|Fremantle|2001|p=19}} Padmasambhava is said to appear to tertöns in visionary encounters, and his form is visualized during guru yoga practice, particularly in the Nyingma school. Padmasambhava is widely venerated by [[Tibetan Buddhism|Buddhists]] in [[Tibet]], [[Nepal]], [[Bhutan]], the [[Himalayan states]] of India, and in countries around the world.{{sfn|Buswell|Lopez|2013|p=600}}

== History ==

=== Early sources ===
[[File:Guru Rinpoche in mist 2.jpg|thumb|240x240px|[[Rewalsar Lake#Colossus of Padmasambhava|Colossus of Padmasambhava]], 123 ft. (37.5 m), high in mist overlooking [[Rewalsar Lake]], [[Himachal Pradesh]], [[India]]]][[File:British_Library_fragment_of_the_Testament_of_Ba.jpg|right|thumb|Fragment of the ''Testament of Ba'' at the [[British Library]], with six incomplete lines of [[Tibetan script|Tibetan writing]] ({{IDP|Or.8210/S.9498A}})|245x245px]]
One of the earliest chronicle sources for Padmasambhava as a historical figure is the ''[[Testament of Ba]]'' (''Dba' bzhed'', c. 9th–12th centuries), which records the founding of [[Samye|Samye Monastery]] under the reign of King [[Trisong Detsen]] (r. 755–797/804).{{sfn|van Schaik|Iwao|2009}}<ref name="Doney 2015" /> Other early manuscripts from [[Dunhuang]] also mention a tantric master associated with [[Vajrakilaya|kilaya]] rituals named Padmasambhava who tames demons, though they do not associate this figure with Trisong Detsen.{{sfn|van Schaik|2011|pp=34–5, 96–8, 273}}<ref name="Doney 2015" />

According to the ''Testament of Ba'', [[Trisong Detsen]] had invited the Buddhist abbot and Indian philosopher [[Śāntarakṣita]] (725–788) to Tibet to propagate Buddhism and help found the first Buddhist monastery at Samye ('The Inconceivable'). However, certain events like the flooding of a Buddhist temple and lightning striking the royal palace had caused some at the Tibetan court to believe that the local gods were angry.{{sfn|van Schaik|2011|pp=34–5}}

Śāntarakṣita was sent to Nepal, but was then asked to return after the anti-Buddhist sentiments had subsided. On his return, Śāntarakṣita brought Padmasambhava who was an Indian tantric adept from [[Oddiyana]].{{refn|name="loc"|group=note}}{{sfn|Meulenbeld|2001|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=Y53pT_gGE_0C&pg=PA93 93]}}{{sfn|Kazi|2020|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=_MwDEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT45 45]}}{{sfn|van Schaik|2011|p=80}} Padmasambhava's task was to tame the local spirits and impress the Tibetans with his magical and ritual powers. The Tibetan sources then explain how Padmasambhava identified the local gods and spirits, called them out and threatened them with his powers. After they had been tamed, the construction of Samye went ahead.{{sfn|van Schaik|2011|pp=34–5}} Padmasambhava was also said to have taught various forms of tantric Buddhist yoga.{{sfn|van Schaik|2011|p=35}}

When the royal court began to suspect that Padmasambhava wanted to seize power, he was asked to leave by the king.{{sfn|van Schaik|2011|p=35}} The Testament of Ba also mentions other miracles by Padmasambhava, mostly associated with the taming of demons and spirits as well as longevity rituals and water magic.<ref name="Doney 2015" />

Evidence shows that Padmasambhava's [[Tantras (Buddhism)|tantric]] teachings were being taught in Tibet during the 10th century. Recent evidence suggests that Padmasambhava already figured in spiritual hagiography and ritual, and was already seen as the enlightened source of tantric scriptures up to 200 years before [[Nyangrel Nyima Özer]] (1136–1204),{{sfn|Cantwell|Mayer|2013|p=22}} the primary source of the traditional hagiography of Padmasambhava.

Lewis Doney notes that while numerous texts are associated with Padmasambhava, the most likely of these attributions are the ''Man ngag lta ba'i phreng ba'' (''The Garland of Views'')'','' a commentary on the 13th chapter of the ''[[Guhyagarbha tantra]]'' and the ''Thabs zhags padma 'phreng'' (''A Noble Noose of Methods, The Lotus Garland'')'','' an exposition of [[Mahayoga]]. The former work is mentioned in the work of [[Nubchen Sangye Yeshe]] (c. 9–10th centuries) and attributed to Padmasambhava.<ref name="Doney 2015" />

=== Development of the mythos ===
[[File:Thangka_%28AM_1931.626-5%29.jpg|thumb|Thangka of Padmasambhava|318x318px]]
While in the eleventh and twelfth centuries there were several parallel narratives of important founding figures like Padmasambhava, [[Vimalamitra]], Songtsän Gampo, and [[Vairotsana]], by the end of the 12th century, the Padmasambhava narrative grew to dominate the others, becoming the most influential legend of the introduction of Buddhism to Tibet.{{sfn|Davidson|2005|pp=229, 278}}{{sfn|van Schaik|2011|p=96}}

The first full biography of Padmasambhava is a [[Terma (religion)|terma]] (treasure text) said to have been revealed by Nyangrel Nyima Özer, abbot of Mawochok Monastery. This biography, ''The Copper Palace (bka' thang zangs gling ma),'' was very influential on the Padmasambhava hagiographical tradition. The narrative was also incorporated into Nyima Özer's history of Buddhism, the ''Flower Nectar: The Essence of Honey (chos 'byung me tog snying po sbrang rtsi'i bcud)''.{{sfn|Hirschberg|2013}}<ref name="Doney 2015" /><ref name="thlib.org2" /><ref name="Germano 2005" />

The tertön Guru Chöwang (1212–1270) was the next major contributor to the Padmasambhava tradition, and may have been the first full life-story biographer of [[Yeshe Tsogyal]].<ref name="thlib.org2" />

The basic narrative of ''The Copper Palace'' continued to be expanded and edited by Tibetans. In the 14th century, the Padmasambhava hagiography was further expanded and re-envisioned through the efforts of the [[Orgyen Lingpa]] (1323 – c. 1360). It is in the works of Orgyen Lingpa, particularly his ''Padma bka' thang'' (Lotus Testament, 1352), that the "11 deeds" of Padmasambhava first appear in full.<ref name="Doney 2015" /> The ''Lotus Testament'' is a very extensive biography of Padmasambhava, which begins with his ordination under [[Ānanda|Ananda]] and contains numerous references to Padmasambhava as a "second Buddha."<ref name="Doney 2015" />

== Hagiography ==
[[File:Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche, 8th century) LACMA M.2005.154.7 (1 of 6).jpg|thumb|Statue of Guru Rinpoche, Central Tibet, Tsang Valley, 15th–16th century|353x353px]]
According to [[Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche|Khenchen Palden Sherab]], there are traditionally said to be nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine biographies of Padmasambhava.<ref name="KPSR8" /> They are categorized in three ways: Those relating to Padmasambhava's Dharmakaya buddhahood, those accounts of his Sambhogakaya nature, and those chronicles of his Nirmanakaya activities.<ref name="KPSR8" />

=== Birth and early life ===
Hagiographies of Padmasambhava such as ''The Copper Palace,'' depict Padmasambhava being born as an eight-year-old child appearing in a lotus blossom floating in [[Lake]] Dhanakosha surrounded by a host of [[dakini]]s, in the kingdom of [[Oddiyana]].<ref name="Doney 2015" /><ref name=":4">{{harvnb|Trungpa|2001|pp=26–27}}</ref>{{refn|name="loc"|group=note}}

However there are other birth stories as well, another common one states that he was born from the womb of Queen Jalendra, the wife of king Sakra of Oddiyana and received the name Dorje Duddul (Vajra Demon Subjugator) because of the auspicious marks on his body were identified as those of a demon tamer.<ref name="Doney 2015" />

As [[Nyingma]] scholar [[Palden Sherab|Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche]] explains: {{blockquote|There are many stories explaining how Guru Padmasambhava was born. Some say that he instantly appeared on the peak of Meteorite Mountain, in Sri Lanka. Others teach that he came through his mother's womb, but most accounts refer to a miraculous birth, explaining that he spontaneously appeared in the center of a lotus. These stories are not contradictory because highly realized beings abide in the expanse of great equanimity with perfect understanding and can do anything. Everything is flexible, anything is possible. Enlightened beings can appear in any way they want or need to.<ref name=KPSR8/>}}

In ''The Copper Palace,'' King [[Indrabhuti]] of Oddiyana is searching for a wish fulfilling jewel and finds Padmasambhava, who is said to be an incarnation of Buddha [[Amitābha|Amitabha]]. The king adopts him as his own son and Padmasambhava is enthroned as the Lotus King (''Pema Gyalpo'').<ref name="Doney 2015" /><ref name=":4" /> However, Padmasambhava's [[khaṭvāṅga]] staff falls on one of Indrabhuti's ministers, killing him, and Padmasambhava is exiled from the kingdom, which allows him to live as a [[mahasiddha]] and practice tantra in charnel grounds throughout India.<ref name="Doney 2015" /><ref name=":4" />{{sfn|Morgan|2010|p=208}}

In [[Himachal Pradesh, India]] at [[Rewalsar Lake]], known as Tso Pema in Tibetan, Padmasambhava secretly gave [[Tantra|tantric teachings]] to princess Mandarava, the local king's daughter. The king found out and tried to burn both him and his daughter, but it is said that when the smoke cleared they were still alive and in meditation, centered in a lotus arising from a lake. Greatly astonished by this miracle, the king offered Padmasambhava both his kingdom and Mandarava.{{sfn|Samten Lingpa|1998}}

Padmasambhava is then said to have returned home with Mandarava and together they converted the kingdom to Vajrayana Buddhism.<ref name="Doney 2015" />

=== Nepal ===
[[File:Religious Cave Cave Sesh Narayan Dachhinkali Kathmandu Nepal Rajesh Dhungana (2).jpg|thumb|223x223px|[[Pharping]] cave in Nepal where the Guru did the penance combining Yangdak [[Heruka]] and [[Vajrakilaya]] and attained the ultimate [[Mahamudra]] ]]Padmasambhava and [[Mandarava]] are also said to have travelled together to the [[Halesi-Maratika Caves|Maratika Cave]] in eastern Nepal to practice long life rituals of [[Amitābha|Amitāyus]].{{sfn|Buffetrille|2012}} It was the place where, after the penance, they achieved the blessing of immortality from lord [[Amitābha|Amitāyus]], the Buddha of long life. In the village of [[Pharping]], located on the southern edge of [[Kathmandu]] district, the Guru is said to have done long penance combining the practices of Yangdak [[Heruka]] and [[Vajrakilaya]], and attained the ultimate [[Mahamudra]] (or "the Great Seal").<ref>{{Cite web |title=Asura & Yangleshö Caves (Pharping) |url=https://www.nekhor.org/padmasambhava/nepal/asura-yanglesho |access-date=2024-06-11 |website=Nekhor |language=en-US}}</ref> 
The Tibetan Buddhism also mentions that Guru Rinpoche meditated at [[Muktinath]] (lord of liberation) temple in western Nepal before departing for Tibet.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brief history of Muktinath-Chumig Gyatsa at the Annapurna Circuit - Nepal |url=https://muktinath.org/muktinath/ |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=muktinath.org}}</ref> The nuns residing in the temple complex of Muktinath are revered as goddesses and offspring of the women who were taught and initiated by Padmasambhava. A statue of Padmasambhava, which is believed to have built by him in his own image, currently resides in the Mharme Lhakhang Gompa and is taken care of by these nuns.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Muktinath: An Exemplar of Religious Symbiosis {{!}} Buddhistdoor |url=https://www2.buddhistdoor.net/features/muktinath-an-exemplar-of-religious-symbiosis |access-date=2024-08-15 |website=www2.buddhistdoor.net}}</ref> 

=== Tibet ===
[[File:Guru Padmasambhava of bSam-yas Monastery in Tibet.jpg|thumb|The famous "looks like me" statue of Padmasambhava at [[Samye]] which is traditionally said to have been blessed by him personally]][[File:Entrance to Dawa Puk, Padmasambhava's cave, Yerpa 1993.jpg|thumb|Entrance to Dawa Puk, [[Guru Rinpoche]]'s cave, [[Yerpa]], 1993]]
Padmasambhava hagiographies also discuss the activities of Padmasambhāva in Tibet, beginning with the invitation by King Trisong Detsen to help in the founding of Samye. Padmasambhava is depicted as a great tantric adept who tames the spirits and demons of Tibet and turns them into guardians for the Buddha's Dharma (specifically, the deity [[Pehar Gyalpo|Pe har]] is made the protector of Samye). He is also said to have spread Vajrayana Buddhism to the people of Tibet, and specifically introduced its practice of Tantra.{{sfn|Snelling|1987}}{{sfn|Harvey|1995}}<ref name="Doney 2015" />

The subjection of subduing deities and demons is a recurrent theme in Buddhist literature, as noted also in [[Vajrapani#Vajrapani and Mahesvara|Vajrapani and Mahesvara]] and Steven Heine's "Opening a Mountain".{{sfn|Heine|2002}}

Because of his role in the founding of Samye monastery, the first monastery in Tibet, Padmasambhava is regarded as the founder of the [[Nyingma]] school ("Ancients") of Tibetan Buddhism.{{sfn|Norbu|Turnbull|1987|p=162}}{{sfn|Snelling|1987|p=198}}{{sfn|Snelling|1987|p=196, 198}} Padmasambhava's activities in the Tibet include the practice of tantric rituals to increase the life of the king as well as initiating king Trisong Detsen into tantric rites.<ref name="Doney 2015" />

The various biographies also discuss stories of Padmasambhava's main Tibetan consort, princess [[Yeshe Tsogyal]] ("[[Jnana|Knowledge]] Lake Empress"), who became his student while living in the court of Trisong Deutsen. She was among Padmasambhava's three special students (along with the King, and [[Namkhai Nyingpo]]) and is widely revered in Tibet as the "Mother of Buddhism".<ref name="thlib.org2" /> Yeshe Tsogyal became a great master with many disciples and is widely considered to be a female Buddha.{{sfn|Changchub|Nyingpo|2002|p=xxxvii}}

Padmasambhava hid numerous termas in Tibet for later discovery with her aid, while she compiled and elicited Padmasambhava's teachings through the posing of questions, and then reached [[Buddhahood]] in her lifetime. Many [[thangka]]s and paintings depict Padmasambhava with consorts at each side, Mandarava on his right and Yeshe Tsogyal on his left.{{sfn|Meulenbeld|2001|p=52}}{{sfn|Huntington|Bangdel|2004|p=150}}

Many of the Nyingma school's [[Terma (religion)|terma]] texts are said to have originated from the activities of Padmasambhava and his students. These hidden treasure texts are believed to be discovered and disseminated when conditions are ripe for their reception.<ref name="KPSR">{{harvnb|Palden Sherab Rinpoche|Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche|1998}}.</ref> The Nyingma school traces its lineage of [[Dzogchen]] teachings to [[Garab Dorje]] through Padmasambhava's termas.<ref name="Khenchen">{{harvnb|Palden Sherab Rinpoche|Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche|2013}}.</ref>

In ''The Copper Palace,'' after the death of Trisong Detsen, Padmasambhava is said to have travelled to Lanka in order to convert its blood thirsty raksasa demons to the Dharma. His parting words of advice advocates for the worship of [[Avalokiteśvara|Avalokiteshvara]].<ref name="Doney 2015" />

According to Tibetan Buddhist legends of the local [[Monpa people|Monpa]] tribe, [[Chumi Gyatse Falls]], also known as the '108 waterfalls' got created after a mythical showdown between [[Guru Padmasambhava]] and a high priest of the Bonpa sect that ruled supreme in Tibet and surrounding areas including Arunachal Pradesh in the pre-Buddhist times. The waterfall was formed when [[Guru Padmasambhava]] flung his rosary against a rock and 108 streams gushed out.{{sfn|Arunima|2022}}{{better source needed|date=December 2022}} Chumi Gyatse waterfall is revered and holy for the [[Monpa people|Monpas]], the Tibetan Buddhists.

=== Bhutan ===
[[File:Paro, Taktsang Goemba (Tiger's Nest) (15221622304).jpg|thumb|Paro Taktsang ("Tiger's Nest") monastery|224x224px]]

[[Bhutan]] has many important pilgrimage places associated with Padmasambhava. He visited Bhutan three times. Guru Rimpoche first came to Bhutan in 810 A.D. from Nepal via Nabji Korphu in the [[Trongsa District]]. The second and third visits were from Tibet.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= 20 May 2021|title=Guru Rinpoche in Bhutan: His Visits to Bhutan and Sacred Sites |url=https://bhutanpilgrimage.com/guru-rinpoche-and-his-visit-to-bhutan/ |access-date=2024-12-14 |website=www.bhutanpilgrimage.com |language=en-US}}</ref> The most famous site of Guru Rinpoche is [[Paro Taktsang]] or "Tiger's Nest" monastery which is built on a sheer cliff wall about 900m above the floor of [[Paro, Bhutan|Paro]] valley. It was built around the ''Taktsang Senge Samdup (stag tshang seng ge bsam grub) cave'' where Padmasambhava is said to have meditated.<ref name="KPSR8"/>

Guru Rinpoche is said to have flown there from [[Singye Dzong]] on the back of [[Monmo Tashi Khyidren]], whom he transformed into a flying tigress for the purpose of the trip.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Paro Taktsang, the Sacred Place of Guru Rinpoche's Enlightened Mind |url=https://bhutanpilgrimage.com/paro-taktsang-tigers-nest-the-sacred-place-of-guru-rinpoches-enlightened-mind/ |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=bhutanpilgrimage.com |date=21 December 2021 |language=en-US}}</ref> Later, he travelled to [[Bumthang District|Bumthang district]] to subdue a powerful [[deity]], [[Shelging Karpo]] who was offended by a local king, Sindhu Raja of the [[Kingdom of Bumthang]]. According to legend, Padmasambhava's body imprint can be found in the wall of a cave at nearby [[Kurjey Lhakhang|Kurje Lhakhang]] temple.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kurjey Lhakhang {{!}} Bhutan Monastery {{!}} Bhutan Travel {{!}} Druk Asia |url=https://www.drukasia.com/bhutan/bhutan-landmarks/kurjey-lhakhang/ |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=www.drukasia.com |language=en}}</ref> 

While in Bumthang, Guru Rinpoche meditated and blessed [[Tang Rimochen Lhakhang]], [[Thowadra Monastery|Thowadrak Monastery]], [[Kunzangdrak Monastery]], [https://bhutanpilgrimage.com/zhabjethang-the-plain-where-guru-rinpoche-meditated-and-left-his-footprint/ Zhabjethang Lhakhang], [[Choedrak Monastery]] and [[Shuk Drak Goenpa|Shudrak Goenpa]]. He also hid many treasures in [[Membartsho]], the burning lake in Bumthang.<ref name=":0" /> Guru Rimpoche then traveled to Eastern Bhutan where he blessed [https://bhutanpilgrimage.com/gomphu-kora-a-meditative-cave-of-guru-rinpoche-for-circumambulation/ Gomphu Kora], [https://bhutanpilgrimage.com/gongza-ney-a-sacred-place-where-guru-rinpoche-was-offered-midday-tea/ Gongza Ney], [[Dechen Phodrang Ney]], and [https://bhutanpilgrimage.com/omba-ney-the-taktsang-of-eastern-bhutan/ Omba Ney] in Trashiyangtse. Guru Rinpoche also blessed [https://bhutanpilgrimage.com/aja-ney-a-sacred-site-of-hundred-inscriptions-of-the-syllable-aa/ Aja Ney] in Monggar, and [[Neychhen Rinchen Bumpa]] and [[Singye Dzong]] in Lhuentse.<ref name=":0" />

== Eight manifestations ==
[[File:Wrathful Padmasambhava.jpg|alt=|thumb|Guru Senge Dradrog, a wrathful manifestation of Padmasambhava (painting in Tashichho Dzong)]]
[[File:Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche, 8th century) in his form as Dorje Drolo, Subduer of Demons LACMA M.86.281.jpg|thumb|Guru Dorje Drolo, Subduer of Demons]]
[[File:Bhutanese painted thanka of Guru Nyima Ozer, late 19th century, Do Khachu Gonpa, Chukka, Bhutan.jpg|alt=|thumb|Bhutanese painted thanka of Guru Nyima Ozer, late 19th century]]

The eight manifestations are also seen as Padmasambhava's biography that spans 1500 years. As [[Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche]] states, {{blockquote|When Guru Padmasambhava appeared on earth, he came as a human being. In order to dissolve our attachment to dualistic conceptions and destroy complex neurotic fixations, he also exhibited some extraordinary manifestations.<ref name=KPSR8/>}}

In accord, Rigpa Shedra also states the eight principal forms were assumed by Guru Rinpoche at different points in his life. Padmasambhava's eight manifestations, or forms (Tib. ''Guru Tsen Gye''), represent different aspects of his being as needed, such as wrathful or peaceful for example.

The eight manifestations of Padmasambhava belong to the tradition of Terma, the Revealed Treasures (Tib.: ter ma),<ref name="KPSR8" /><ref group=note>For the eight manifestations as terma, see {{harvnb|Watt|1999}}.</ref> and are described and enumerated as follows:{{cn|date=May 2023}}

# ''' [[Padma Gyalpo|Guru Pema Gyalpo]]''' (Wylie: ''gu ru pad ma rgyal-po'', Skt: ''Guru Padmarāja'') of [[Oddiyana]], meaning "Lotus King", king of the Tripitaka (the Three Collections of Scripture), manifests as a child four years after the Mahaparinirvana of Buddha Shakyamuni, as predicted by the Buddha. He is shown with a reddish pink complexion and semi-wrathful, seated on a lotus and wearing yellow-orange robes, a small damaru in his right hand and a mirror and hook in his left hand, with a top-knot wrapped in white and streaming with red silk.
# ''' Guru Nyima Ozer''' (Wylie: ''gu ru nyi-ma 'od-zer'', Skrt: ''Guru Suryabhasa'' or ''Sūryaraśmi''{{sfn|Boord|1993|p=115}}), meaning "Ray of Sun", the Sunray Yogi, semi-wrathful, manifests in [[India]] simultaneously with Guru Pema Gyalpo, often portrayed as a crazy wisdom wandering yogi, numerous simultaneous emanations, illuminates the darkness of the mind through the insight of Dzogchen. He is shown seated on a lotus with left leg bent and with a golden-red complexion, semi-wrathful with slightly bulging eyes, long hair with bone ornaments, moustache and beard, bare-chested with a tiger-skin skirt, right hand holds a khatvanga and left hand is in a mudra, interacting with the sun.
# ''' Guru Loden Chokse''' (Wylie: ''gu ru blo ldan mchog sred''; Skrt: ''Guru Mativat Vararuci'',{{sfn|Boord|1993|p=115}}) meaning roughly "Super Knowledge Holder", peaceful, manifests after Guru Pema Gyalpo departs Oddiyana for the great charnel grounds of India and for all knowledge, the Intelligent Youth, the one who gathers the knowledge of all worlds. He is shown seated on a lotus, white complexion, wearing a white scarf with ribbons wrapped around his head, and a blue-green lotus decorating his hair, holding a damaru in the right hand and a lotus bowl in the left hand.
# '''Guru Padmasambhava''' (Skt: ''Guru Padmasambhava''), meaning "Lotus Essence", a symbol of spiritual perfection, peaceful, manifests and teaches Mandarava, transforming negative energies into compassionate and peaceful forms. He is shown with a rich white complexion, very peaceful, and wears a red monk's hat, and sits on a lotus with his right hand in a mudra and left hand holding a skull-cup.
# ''' Guru Shakya Senge''' (Wylie: ''shAkya seng-ge'', Skt: ''Guru Śākyasimha'') of Bodh Gaya, meaning "Lion of the Sakyas", peaceful, manifests as Ananda's student and brings [[Ashoka's Hell|King Ashoka]] to the Dharma, Lion of the Sakyas, embodies patience and detachment, learns all Buddhist canons and Tantric practices of the eight Vidyadharas. He is shown similar to Buddha Shakymuni but with golden skin in red monk's robes, a unishaka, a begging bowl in the left hand and a five-pointed vajra in the right hand.
# ''' Guru Senge Dradrog''' (Wylie: ''gu ru seng-ge sgra-sgrogs'', Skt: ''Guru Simhanāda'',{{sfn|Boord|1993|p=115}}) meaning "The Lion's Roar", wrathful, subdues and pacifies negative influences, manifests in India and at Nalanda University, the Lion of Debate, promulgator of the Dharma throughout the six realms of sentient beings. He is shown as dark blue and surrounded by flames above a lotus, with fangs and three glaring eyes, crown of skulls and long hair, standing on a demon, holding a flaming vajra in the right hand, left hand in a subjugation mudra.
# '''Guru Pema Jungne''' (Wylie: ''pad ma 'byung-gnas'', Skt: ''Guru Padmakara''), meaning "Born from a Lotus", manifests before his arrival in [[Tibet]], the [[Vajrayana]] Buddha that teaches the Dharma to the people, embodies all manifestations and actions of pacifying, increasing, magnetizing and subjugating. As the most depicted manifestation, he is shown sitting on a lotus, dressed in three robes, under which he wears a blue shirt, pants and Tibetan shoes. He holds a vajra in his right hand, and a skull-bowl with a small vase in his left hand. A special trident called a khatvanga leans on the left shoulder representing [[Yeshe Tsogyal]], and he wears a Nepalese cloth hat in the shape of a lotus flower. Thus he is represented as he must have appeared in Tibet.
# ''' Guru Dorje Drolo''' (Wylie: ''gu ru rDo-rje gro-lod'', Skt: ''Guru Vajra''), meaning "Crazy Wisdom", very wrathful, manifests five years before Guru Pema Jungne departs Tibet, 13 emanations for 13 Tiger's Nests caves, the fierce manifestation of [[Vajrakilaya]] (wrathful Vajrasattva) known as "Diamond Guts", the comforter of all, imprinting the elements with Wisdom-Treasure, subduer for degenerate times. He is shown dark red, surrounded by flames, wearing robes and Tibetan shoes, conch earrings, a garland of heads, dancing on a tiger, symbolizing Tashi Kyeden, that is also dancing.

Padmasambhava's various Sanskrit names are preserved in mantras such as those found in the ''Yang gsang rig 'dzin youngs rdzogs kyi blama guru mtshan brgyad bye brag du sgrub pa ye shes bdud rtsi'i sbrang char zhe bya ba''.{{clarify|date=October 2018}}{{sfn|Boord|1993|p=115}}<ref group=note>See also image and description in {{harvnb|Watt|1999}}.</ref>

==Iconography==
[[File:Padma_Sambhava_FS-7619_10.jpg|thumb|351x351px|[[Thangka]] of Padmasambhava, 19th century, Lhasa, Central Tibet]]
Padmasambhava has one face and two hands.<ref name="Wangpo">{{harvnb|Wangpo|2022}}.</ref><ref name="Drakpa">{{harvnb|Drakpa|2022}}.</ref> He is wrathful and smiling.<ref name="Wangpo" /> He blazes magnificently with the splendour of the major and minor marks.<ref name="Wangpo" /> His two eyes are wide open in a piercing gaze.<ref name="Wangpo" /> He has the youthful appearance of an eight-year-old child.<ref name="Drakpa" /> His complexion is white with a tinge of red.<ref name="Drakpa" /> He is seated with his two feet in the royal posture.<ref name="Wangpo"/><ref name="Drakpa" /><ref name="Patrul">{{harvnb|Patrul Rinpoche|2022}}.</ref>

On his head he wears a five-petalled lotus hat,<ref name ="Wangpo" /><ref name="Patrul" /> which has three points symbolizing the three kayas, five colours symbolizing the five kayas, the sun and moon symbolizing skillful means and wisdom, a vajra top to symbolize unshakable [[samadhi]], and a vulture's feather to represent the realization of the highest view.<ref name="Drakpa" />

Padmasambhava wears a white vajra undergarment. On top of this, in layers, a red robe, a dark blue mantrayana tunic, a red monastic shawl decorated with a golden flower pattern, and a maroon cloak of silk brocade.<ref name ="Wangpo" /> Also, he wears a silk cloak, Dharma robes and gown.<ref name="Patrul" /> He is wearing the dark blue gown of a mantra practitioner, the red and yellow shawl of a monk, the maroon cloak of a king, and the red robe and secret white garments of a [[bodhisattva]].<ref name="Drakpa" />

In his right hand, he holds a five-pronged [[vajra]] at his heart.<ref name ="Wangpo" /><ref name="Drakpa" /><ref name="Patrul" /> His left hand rests in the gesture of equanimity,<ref name ="Wangpo" /> In his left hand he holds a skull-cup brimming with nectar, containing the vase of longevity that is also filled with the nectar of deathless wisdom<ref name ="Wangpo" /><ref name="Drakpa" /> and ornamented on top by a wish-fulfilling tree.<ref name="Patrul" />

Cradled in his left arm he holds the three-pointed [[khatvanga]] (trident) symbolizing the Princess consort Mandarava, one of his two main consorts.<ref name ="Wangpo" /><ref name="Patrul" /> who arouses the wisdom of bliss and emptiness, concealed as the three-pointed khatvanga.<ref name="Drakpa" /> Other sources say that the khatvanga represents the Lady [[Yeshe Tsogyal]], his primary consort and 

main disciple.{{sfn|Huntington|Bangdel|2004|p=358}} Its three points represent the essence, nature and compassionate energy (ngowo, rangshyin and tukjé).<ref name="Drakpa" /><ref name="Patrul" /> Below these three prongs are three severed heads, dry, fresh and rotten, symbolizing the [[dharmakaya]], [[sambhogakaya]] and [[nirmanakaya]].<ref name="Drakpa" /><ref name="Patrul" /> Nine iron rings adorning the prongs represent the nine yanas.<ref name="Drakpa" /><ref name="Patrul" /> Five-coloured strips of silk symbolize the five wisdoms<ref name="Drakpa" /> The khatvanga is also adorned with locks of hair from dead and living mamos and dakinis, as a sign that the Master subjugated them all when he practised austerities in the Eight Great Charnel Grounds.<ref name="Drakpa" /><ref name="Patrul" />

Around him within a lattice of five-coloured light, appear the eight [[vidyadhara]]s of India, the twenty-five disciples of Tibet, the deities of the three roots, and an ocean of oath-bound protectors<ref name="Patrul"/>

==Attributes==

=== Pureland paradise ===
{{Main|Pure land}}

His pureland paradise is Zangdok Palri (the Copper-Coloured Mountain).{{sfn|Yeshe Tsogyal|1993|pp=252–53}}

=== Samantabhadra and Samantabhadri ===
Padmasambhava said:
{{blockquote|My father is the intrinsic awareness, [[Adi-Buddha|Samantabhadra]] (Sanskrit; Tib. ཀུན་ཏུ་བཟང་པོ). My mother is the ultimate sphere of reality, [[Samantabhadri]] (Sanskrit; Tib.  ཀུན་ཏུ་བཟང་མོ). I belong to the caste of non-duality of the sphere of awareness. My name is the Glorious Lotus-Born. I am from the unborn sphere of all phenomena. I consume concepts of duality as my diet. I act in the way of the Buddhas of the three times.{{cite quote}}}}

Another translation of Guru Rinpoche's statement is:

{{poemquote|
My father is wisdom and my mother is voidness.
My country is the country of Dharma.
I am of no caste and no creed.
I am sustained by perplexity; and I am here to destroy lust, anger and sloth.|Guru Padmasambhava<ref name=KPSR8/>}}

== Associated practices ==
From the earliest sources to today, Padmasambhava has remained closely associated with the [[Kīla (Buddhism)|Kila (''phurba'') dagger]] and also with the deity [[Vajrakilaya]] (a meditation deity based on the kila).<ref name="Doney 2015" />

===Vajra Guru mantra===
[[File:TsozongOm-wiki.jpg|thumb|The Vajra Guru Mantra inscribed on a rock]]
[[Image:Vajra Guru Mantra.svg|thumb|The Vajra Guru Mantra in [[Lantsa Script|Ranjana script]] and [[Tibetan script]]]]

The ''Vajra Guru [[mantra]]'' is:

{{blockquote|Oṃ āḥ hūṃ vajra guru padma siddhi hūṃ<ref name="Wangpo" />}}

Like most Sanskrit mantras in Tibet, the Tibetan pronunciation demonstrates [[dialect]]ic variation and is generally ''Om Ah Hung Benza Guru Pema Siddhi Hung''. This mantra does require transmission and it is usually requested that no one shares the mantra, but it can only be read.

In the Tibetan Buddhist traditions, particularly in Nyingma, the Vajra Guru mantra is held to be a powerful mantra engendering [[wikt:communion|communion]] with the Three Vajras of Padmasambhava's [[mindstream]] and by his [[Divine grace|grace]], all enlightened beings.{{sfn|Sogyal Rinpoche|1992|pp=386–389}} The 14th century tertön Karma Lingpa wrote a famous commentary on the mantra.{{sfn|Karma Lingpa|2022}}

According to the great tertön [[Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo]], the basic meaning of the mantra is:

{{blockquote|It begins with OṂ ĀḤ HŪṂ, which are the seed syllables of the three vajras (of body, speech and mind). Vajra signifies the dharmakāya since [like the adamantine vajra] it cannot be 'cut' or destroyed by the elaborations of conceptual thought. Guru signifies the sambhogakāya, which is 'heavily' laden with the qualities of the seven aspects of union. Padma signifies the nirmāṇakāya, the radiant awareness of the wisdom of discernment arising as the lotus family of enlightened speech. Remembering the qualities of the great Guru of Oḍḍiyāna, who is inseparable from these three kāyas, pray with the continuous devotion that is the intrinsic display of the nature of mind, free from the elaboration of conceptual thought. All the supreme and ordinary accomplishments—Siddhi—are obtained through the power of this prayer, and by thinking, "HŪṂ! May they be bestowed upon my mindstream, this very instant!"<ref name="Wangpo"/>}}

=== Seven Line Prayer ===
{{Quote box
| title = Padmasambhava on Enlightenment for Female Seekers
| quote = "The basis for realizing enlightenment is a human body. Male or female, there is no great difference. But if she develops the mind bent on enlightenment, the woman’s body is better."
| width = 28%
| bgcolor = #FFE0BB
}}
The '''Seven Line Prayer''' to Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) is a well-known prayer that is recited by many Tibetans daily and is said to contain the most sacred and important teachings of Dzogchen:{{sfn|Karma Lingpa|2022}}

{| border=0 style="background: white; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"
|-
|
:ཧཱུྃ༔ ཨོ་རྒྱན་ཡུལ་གྱི་ནུབ་བྱང་མཚམས༔
:པདྨ་གེ་སར་སྡོང་པོ་ལ༔
:ཡ་མཚན་མཆོག་གི་དངོས་གྲུབ་བརྙེས༔
:པདྨ་འབྱུང་གནས་ཞེས་སུ་གྲགས༔
:འཁོར་དུ་མཁའ་འགྲོ་མང་པོས་བསྐོར༔
:ཁྱེད་ཀྱི་རྗེས་སུ་བདག་བསྒྲུབ་ཀྱི༔
:བྱིན་གྱིས་བརླབ་ཕྱིར་གཤེགས་སུ་གསོལ༔
:གུ་རུ་པདྨ་སིདྡྷི་ཧཱུྃ༔<ref name="Lotsawa SLP">{{Cite web |title=Seven Line Prayer |url=https://www.lotsawahouse.org/topics/seven-line-prayer/ |access-date=2022-12-26 |website=Lotsawa House}}</ref><ref group="note">A common transliteration used by Western practitioners reads:
{{poemquote|HUNG. OR GYAN YUL GYI NUB JANG TSAM
PAD MA GE SAR DHONG PO LA.
YA TSAN CHHOG GI NGO DRUB NYEY
PAD MA JUNG NAY ZHEY SU DRAG
KHOR DU KHA DRO MANG PÖ KOR
KHYED KYI JEY SU DAG DRUB KYIY.
JIN GYIY LOB KHYIR SHEK SU SOL.[https://www.ripaladrang.org/get-involved/prayers/]}}
The same text with audio can be found at [https://chagdudgonpaamrita11.wildapricot.org/Precious-Echoes], p. 5.</ref>
|| 
:Hūṃ! In the north-west of the land of Oḍḍiyāna
:In the heart of a lotus flower,
:Endowed with the most marvellous attainments,
:You are renowned as the ‘Lotus-born’,
:Surrounded by many hosts of ḍākinīs
:Following in your footsteps,
:I pray to you: Come, inspire me with your blessing!
:''guru padma siddhi hūṃ''.<ref name="Lotsawa SLP"/>
|}

[[Jamgon Ju Mipham Gyatso]] composed a famous commentary to the Seven Line Prayer called ''White Lotus''. It explains the meaning of the prayer in five levels of meaning intended to catalyze a process of realization. These hidden teachings are described as ripening and deepening, in time, with study and with contemplation.{{sfn|Mipham|2007|p={{pn|date=December 2022}}}} There is also a shorter commentary by Tulku Thondup.{{sfn|Tulku Thondup|1995|p={{pn|date=December 2022}}}}

=== Cham dances ===
[[File:Jakar tshechu, Guru Tshengye, Guru Rinpoche with two helpers and six manifestations (15222639594).jpg|thumb|Jakar [[tshechu]], Guru Tshengye, and Guru Rinpoche with two helpers and six manifestations]]
The life of Padmasambhava is widely depicted in the [[Cham dance]]s which are masked and costumed dances associated with religious festivals in the Tibetan Buddhist world.{{sfn|Dobson|2004}} In Bhutan, the dances are performed during the annual [[religious festival]]s or [[tshechu]].

=== Terma cycles ===
There are numerous [[Terma (religion)|Terma]] cycles which are believed to contain teachings of Padmasambhava.{{sfn|Laird|2006|p=90}} According to Tibetan tradition, the ''[[Bardo Thodol]]'' (commonly referred to as the Tibetan Book of the Dead) was among these hidden treasures, subsequently discovered by a Tibetan tertön, [[Karma Lingpa]] (1326–1386).

Tantric cycles related to Padmasambhava are not just practiced by the [[Nyingma]], they even gave rise to a new offshoot of [[Bon|Bön]] which emerged in the 14th century called the New Bön. Prominent figures of the Sarma (new translation) schools such as the [[Karmapa]]s and Sakya lineage heads have practiced these cycles and taught them. Some of the greatest scholars who revealed teachings related to Padmasambhava have been from the [[Kagyu]] or [[Sakya (Tibetan Buddhist school)|Sakya]] lineages. The hidden lake temple of the [[Dalai Lama]]s behind the [[Potala Palace]], called [[Lukhang]], is dedicated to [[Dzogchen]] teachings and has murals depicting the eight manifestations of Padmasambhava.{{sfn|Baker|2001}}

== Five main consorts ==
{{See also|Dakini|Yeshe Tsogyal|Mandarava}}
[[File:Padmasambhava in yam-yum.jpg|thumb|right|Padmasambhava in yab-yum form with a spiritual consort]]
Many of the students gathered around Padmasambhava became advanced [[Vajrayana]] tantric practitioners, and became enlightened. They also founded and propagated the [[Nyingma]] school. The most prominent of these include Padmasambhava's five main female consorts, often referred to as [[dakini|wisdom dakinis]], and his twenty five main students along with king Trisong Detsen.

Padmasambhava had five main female tantric consorts, beginning in India before his time in Tibet and then in Tibet as well. When seen from an outer, or perhaps even historical or mythological perspective, these five women from across South Asia were known as the ''Five Consorts.'' That the women come from very different geographic regions is understood as a mandala, a support for Padmasambhava in spreading the dharma throughout the region.

Yet, when understood from a more inner tantric perspective, these same women are understood not as ordinary women but as [[dakini|wisdom dakinis]]. From this point of view, they are known as the "Five Wisdom Dakinis" (Wylie: ''Ye-shes mKha-'gro lnga''). Each of these consorts is believed to be an [[Emanationism|emanation]] of the tantric [[yidam]], [[Vajravārāhī]].{{sfn|Dowman|1984|p=265}} As one author writes of these relationships: {{blockquote|Yet in reality, he [Padmasambhava] was never separate from the five emanations of Vajravarahi: the Body-emanation, [[Mandarava]]; the Speech-emanation, [[Yeshe Tsogyal]]; the Mind-emanation, Shakyadema; the Qualities-emanation, Kalasiddhi; and the Activity-emanation, Trashi [sic] Chidren.{{sfn|Changchub|Nyingpo|2002|pp=3–4}} }}

In summary, the five consorts/wisdom dakinis were:

* [[Yeshe Tsogyal]] of [[Tibet]], who was the emanation of Vajravarahi's Speech ([[Tibetan languages|Tibetan]]: ''gsung''; [[Sanskrit]]: ''vāk'');
* Mandarava of Zahor, northeast India, who was the emanation of Vajravarahi's Body (Tibetan: ''sku''; Sanskrit: ''kāya''); 
* Belwong Kalasiddhi of northwest India, who was the emanation of Vajravarahi's Quality (Tibetan: ''yon-tan''; Sanskrit: ''guṇa'');
* Belmo Sakya Devi of [[Nepal]], who was the emanation of Vajravarahi's Mind (Tibetan: ''thugs''; Sanskrit: ''citta''); and
* Tashi Kyeden (or Kyedren or Chidren), sometimes called Mangala, of [[Bhutan]] and Tiger's Nest caves, is an emanation of Vajravarahi's Activity (Tibetan: ''phrin-las''; Sanskrit: ''karma'').<ref group=note>Tibetan Wylie transliteration and Sanskrit transliteration are found in {{harvnb|Dowman|1984|p=193}}.</ref> Tashi Kyeden is often depicted with Guru Dorje Drolo.<ref name=KPSR8/>

While there are very few sources on the lives of Kalasiddhi, Sakya Devi, and Tashi Kyedren, there are extant biographies of both [[Yeshe Tsogyal]] and Mandarava that have been translated into English and other western languages.

== Twenty-five main students ==
Padmasambhava has twenty five main students ({{bo|w=rje 'bangs nyer lnga|t=རྗེ་འབངས་ཉེར་ལྔ}}) in Tibet during the Nyingma's school's Early Translation period. These students are also called the "Twenty-five King and subjects" and "The King and 25" of [[Chimphu]].{{sfn|Palden Sherab Rinpoche|Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche|2008|p=179}} In Dudjom Rinpoche's list,<ref name=DudjomRinpoche>{{harvnb|Dudjom Rinpoche|2002|pp=534–537}}.</ref> and in other sources, these include:

* King Trisong Detsen ({{bo|t=ཁྲི་སྲོང་ལྡེའུ་བཏཟན|w=khri srong lde'u btzan}})
[[File:Denma Tsemang.jpg|thumb|Denma Tsémang]]
* [[Denma Tsémang]] ({{bo|t=ལྡན་མ་རྩེ་མང|w=ldan ma rtse mang}})<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia
| last = Mandelbaum
| first = Arthur
| title = Denma Tsemang
| encyclopedia = [[The Treasury of Lives: Biographies of Himalayan Religious Masters]]
| access-date = 2013-08-10
| date = August 2007
| url = http://www.treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Denma-Tsemang/9624
}}</ref>
* Nanam Dorje Dudjom, [[Dorje Dudjom]] of Nanam ({{bo|t=རྡོ་རྗེ་བདུད་འཇོམ|w=rdo rje bdud 'joms}})<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia
| last = Mandelbaum
| first = Arthur
| title = Nanam Dorje Dudjom
| encyclopedia = [[The Treasury of Lives: Biographies of Himalayan Religious Masters]]
| access-date = 2013-08-10
| date = August 2007
| url = http://www.treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Nanam-Dorje-Dudjom/P0RK1005
}}</ref> [[:File:Dorje Dudjom.jpg|(image on Wikimedia commons)]]
* [[Drokben Khyechung Lotsawa]] ({{bo|t=ཁྱེའུ་ཆུང་ལོ་ཙཱ་བ|w=khye'u chung lo tsā ba}})
* Lasum Gyelwa Changchup, [[Gyalwa Changchub of Lasum]] ({{bo|t=ལ་སུམ་རྒྱལ་བ་བྱང་ཆུབ|w= la sum rgyal ba byang chub}})<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia
| last = Dorje
| first = Gyurme
| title = Lasum Gyelwa Jangchub
| encyclopedia = [[The Treasury of Lives: Biographies of Himalayan Religious Masters]]
| access-date = 2013-08-10
| date = August 2008
| url = http://www.treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Lasum-Gyelwa-Jangchub/84
}}</ref> [[:File:Gyalwa Janchub.jpg|(image on Wikimedia commons)]]
* [[Gyalwa Choyang]] ({{bo|t=རྒྱལ་བ་མཆོག་དབྱངས|w=rgyal ba mchog dbyangs}})<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia
| last = Mandelbaum
| first = Arthur
| title = Gyelwa Choyang
| encyclopedia = [[The Treasury of Lives: Biographies of Himalayan Religious Masters]]
| access-date = 2013-08-10
| date = August 2007
| url = http://www.treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Gyelwa-Choyang/4903
}}</ref>
* Dre Gyelwei Lodro, [[Gyalwe Lodro]] of Dré ({{bo|t=རྒྱལ་བའི་བློ་གྲོས|w=rgyal ba'i blo gros}})<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia
| last = Mandelbaum
| first = Arthur
| title = Gyelwai Lodro
| encyclopedia = [[The Treasury of Lives: Biographies of Himalayan Religious Masters]]
| access-date = 2013-08-10
| date = August 2007
| url = http://www.treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Gyelwai-Lodro/13057
}}</ref>
* Nyak Jnanakumara, [[Jnanakumara of Nyak]]({{bo|t=གཉགས་ཛཉའ་ན་ཀུ་མ་ར|w=gnyags dzny' na ku ma ra}})<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia
| last = Garry
| first = Ron
| title = Nyak Jñānakumara
| encyclopedia = [[The Treasury of Lives: Biographies of Himalayan Religious Masters]]
| access-date = 2013-08-10
| date = August 2007
| url = http://www.treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Nyak-Jnyanakumara/9121
}}</ref>
* [[Kawa Paltsek]] ({{bo|t=སྐ་བ་དཔལ་བརྩེགས|w=ska ba dpal brtsegs}})<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia
| last = Mandelbaum
| first = Arthur
| title = Kawa Peltsek
| encyclopedia = [[The Treasury of Lives: Biographies of Himalayan Religious Masters]]
| access-date = 2013-08-10
| date = August 2007
| url = http://www.treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Kawa-Peltsek/10881
}}</ref>
* Karchen Za, [[Khandro Yeshe Tsogyal]] the princess of Karchen ({{bo|t=མཁར་ཆེན་བཟའ་མཚོ་རྒྱལ|w=mkhar chen bza' mtsho rgyal}})
* Langdro Konchok Jungue, [[Konchog Jungné of Langdro]] ({{bo|t=ལང་གྲོ་དཀོན་མཆོག་འབྱུང་གནས|w=lang gro dkon mchog 'byung gnas}})<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia
| last = Mandelbaum
| first = Arthur
| title = Langdro Konchok Jungne
| encyclopedia = [[The Treasury of Lives: Biographies of Himalayan Religious Masters]]
| access-date = 2013-08-10
| date = August 2007
| url = http://www.treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Langdro-Konchok-Jungne/86
}}</ref>
* Sogdian Lhapel, [[Lhapal the Sokpo]] ({{bo|t=སོག་པོ་ལྷ་དཔལ|w=sog po lha dpal}})<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia
| last = Mandelbaum
| first = Arthur
| title = Sokpo Pelgyi Yeshe
| encyclopedia = [[The Treasury of Lives: Biographies of Himalayan Religious Masters]]
| access-date = 2013-08-10
| date = August 2007
| url = http://www.treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Sokpo-Pelgyi-Yeshe/5281
}}</ref>
* [[Namkhai Nyingpo]] ({{bo|t=ནམ་མཁའི་སྙིང་པོ|w=nam mkha'i snying po}})
* [[Nanam Zhang Yeshe De]] ({{bo|t=ཞང་ཡེ་ཤེས་སྡེ|w=zhang ye shes sde}})
* Lhalung Pelgi Dorje, [[Lhalung Pelgyi Dorje]] ({{bo|t=ལྷ་ལུང་དཔལ་གྱི་རྡོ་རྗེ|w=lha lung dpal gyi rdo rje}})<ref>{{Cite web
| last = Mandelbaum
| first = Arthur
| title = Lhalung Pelgyi Dorje
| work = [[The Treasury of Lives: Biographies of Himalayan Religious Masters]]
| access-date = 2013-08-19
| date = August 2007
| url = http://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Lhalung-Pelgyi-Dorje/9618
}}</ref>
[[File:Palgyi Sengge.jpg|thumb|Palgyi Senge]]
* Shuphu Pelgi Senge, [[Palgyi Senge]] ({{bo|t=དཔལ་གྱི་སེང་གེ|w= dpal gyi seng ge}})<ref>{{Cite web
| last = Mandelbaum
| first = Arthur
| title = Lang Pelgyi Sengge
| work = [[The Treasury of Lives: Biographies of Himalayan Religious Masters]]
| access-date = 2013-08-19
| date = August 2007
| url = http://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Lang-Pelgyi-Sengge/96
}}</ref>
* [[Karchen Palgyi Wangchuk]] ({{bo|t=དཔལ་གྱི་དབང་ཕྱུག|w=dpal gyi dbang phyug}})<ref>{{Cite web
| last = Mandelbaum
| first = Arthur
| title = Kharchen Pelgyi Wangchuk
| work = [[The Treasury of Lives: Biographies of Himalayan Religious Masters]]
| access-date = 2013-08-19
| date = August 2007
| url = http://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Pelgyi-Wangchuk/490
}}</ref>
* Odren Pelgi Wangchuk, [[Palgyi Wangchuk of Odren]] ({{bo|t=འོ་དྲན་དཔལ་གྱི་དབང་ཕྱུག|w='o dran dpal gyi dbang phyug}})<ref>{{Cite web
| last = Mandelbaum
| first = Arthur
| title = Odren Pelgyi Wangchuk
| work = [[The Treasury of Lives: Biographies of Himalayan Religious Masters]]
| access-date = 2013-08-19
| date = August 2007
| url = http://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Odren-Pelgyi-Wangchuk/13058
}}</ref>
* [[Palgyi Yeshe]] ({{bo|t=དཔལ་གྱི་ཡེ་ཤེས|w=dpal gyi ye shes}})
* Ma Rinchen-chok, [[Rinchen Chok of Ma]] ({{bo|t=རྨ་རིན་ཆེན་མཆོག|w=rma rin chen mchog}})<ref>{{Cite web
| last = Mandelbaum
| first = Arthur
| title = Ma Rinchen Chok
| work = [[The Treasury of Lives: Biographies of Himalayan Religious Masters]]
| access-date = 2013-08-19
| date = August 2007
| url = http://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Ma-Rinchen-Chok/5234
}}</ref>
* [[Nubchen Sangye Yeshe]] ({{bo|t=སངས་རྒྱས་ཡེ་ཤེས|w=sangs rgyas ye shes}}), reincarnated as Tsasum Lingpa<ref>{{Cite web
| last = Mandelbaum
| first = Arthur
| title = Nubchen Sanggye Yeshe
| work = [[The Treasury of Lives: Biographies of Himalayan Religious Masters]]
| access-date = 2013-08-19
| date = December 2009
| url = http://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Nubchen-Sanggye-Yeshe/4626
}}</ref>
* [[Shubu Palgyi Senge]] ({{bo|t=ཤུད་བུ་དཔལ་གྱི་སེང་གེ|w=shud bu dpal gyi seng ge}})
* Vairocana, [[Vairotsana]], the great translator ({{bo|t=བཻ་རོ་ཙ་ན|w=bai ro tsa na}})
* [[Yeshe Yang]] ({{bo|t=ཡེ་ཤེས་དབྱངས|w=ye shes dbyangs}})<ref>{{Cite web
| last = Mandelbaum
| first = Arthur
| title = Yeshe Yang
| work = The Treasury of Lives: Biographies of Himalayan Religious Masters
| access-date = 2013-08-19
| date = August 2007
| url = http://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Yeshe-Yang/9141
}}</ref>
* Gyelmo Yudra Nyingpo, [[Yudra Nyingpo]] of Gyalmo ({{bo|t=ག་ཡུ་སྒྲ་སྙིང་པོ|w=g.yu sgra snying po}})

Also, but not listed in the 25:
* [[Vimalamitra]] ({{bo|t=དྲུ་མེད་བཤེས་གཉེན|w=dru med bshes gnyen}})
* [[Tingdzin Zangpo]] ({{bo|t=ཏིང་འཛིན་བཟང་པོ|w=ting 'dzin bzang po}})<ref>{{Cite web
| last = Leschly
| first = Jakob
| title = Nyang Tingdzin Zangpo
| work = [[The Treasury of Lives: Biographies of Himalayan Religious Masters]]
| access-date = 2013-08-19
| date = August 2007
| url = http://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Nyang-Tingngedzin-Zangpo/6205
}}</ref> [[:File:Nyangben Tingdzin Zangpo.jpg|(image on Wikimedia commons)]]

In addition to Yeshe Tsogyal, 15 other women practitioners became accomplished Nyingma masters during this Early Translation period of the Nyingma school:<ref name=DudjomRinpoche/><ref name=KPSR/>
* [[Tsenamza Sangyetso]]
* [[Shekar Dorjetso]]
* [[Tsombuza Pematso]]
* [[Melongza Rinchensho]]
* [[Ruza Tondrupma]]
* [[Shubuza Sherampa]]
* [[Yamdrokza Choki Dronma]]
* [[Oceza Kargyelma]]
* [[Dzemza Lhamo]]
* [[Barza Lhayang]]
* [[Chokroza Changchupman]]
* [[Dronma Pamti Chenmo]]
* [[Rongmenza Tsultrim-dron]]
* [[Khuza Peltsunma]]
* [[Trumza Shelmen]]

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="150" heights="150">
File:Pema Jungne-One-of-manifestations-of-Padmasambhava.jpg|[[Thangka]] of Guru Pema Jungne
File:Hemis Padmasambhava.jpg|Padmasambhava statue in [[Hemis]] Monastery, [[Ladakh]], India
File:Guru Padmasambhava sideview.jpg|The Holy Statue of Guru Padmasambhava at Samdruptse, [[Namchi]], [[Sikkim]], India
File:Guru Rinpoche, Yerpa 1993.JPG|Statue of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) in his meditation cave at [[Yerpa]], Tibet
File:Hand print of Guru Rinpoche embedded in rock.jpg|Guru Rinpoche hand print embedded in the rock at Pharping, Kathmandu
File:Vajra Guru Mantra - Tibetan Script.svg|Mantra of Padmasambhava in Tibetan script
File:Guru Rinpochey..jpg|Guru Rinpoche statue at Serlung Goenpa
</gallery>

==Biographies in English==
* {{cite book |title=Biography of Orgyen Guru Pema Jungne |author=Adzom Drukpa |translator=Padma Samye Ling |publisher=Dharma Samudra}}
* {{cite book |title=The Legend of the Great Stupa and the Life Story of the Lotus Born Guru |first=Orgyen |last=Chokgyur Lingpa |author-link=Orgyen Chokgyur Lingpa |translator=[[Keith Dowman]] |publisher=Dharma Publishing |year=1973}}
* {{cite book |chapter=The Wish-Fulfilling Tree |author=Chokgyur Lingpa |title=The Great [[Terton]] |translator=Phakchok Rinpoche |publisher=Lhasey Lotsawa Publications |year=2016}}
* {{cite book |chapter=The Wish-Fulfilling Tree |author=Chokgyur Lingpa |title=Following in Your Footsteps: The Lotus-Born Guru in Tibet: Volume III |translator=Samye Translations |publisher=Samye Translations and Publications |year=2023}}
* {{cite book |chapter=The Wish-Fulfilling Tree |author=Chokgyur Lingpa |title=Terchen Chokgyur Dechen Zhikpo Lingpa: The Great Tertön, The Seven Transmissions and The Thirty-Seven Treasure Sites |translator=Samyé Translations |publisher=Samyé Translations and Publications |year=2023}}
* {{cite book |chapter=A Short Biography of Padmasambhava |first=Jamgon |last=Kongtrul |author-link=Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Thaye |title=Dakini Teachings |translator=[[Erik Pema Kunsang]] |publisher=Rangjung Yeshe Publishing |year=1999}}
* {{cite book |title=The Vajra Garland and the Lotus Garden: Treasure Biographies of Padmakara and Vairochana |last=Kongtrul |first=Jamgon |translator=Yeshe Gyamtso |publisher=KTD Publications |year=2005}}
* {{cite book |title=Following in Your Footsteps: The Lotus-Born Guru in Nepal: Volume I |first=Jamgön |last=Kongtrul |translator=[[Neten Chokling|Neten Chokling Rinpoche]] & Lhasey Lotsawa Translations |publisher=Rangjung Yeshe Publishing |year=2019}}
* {{cite book |title=Following in Your Footsteps: The Lotus-Born Guru in India: Volume II |first=Lhasey |last=Lotsawa |publisher=Rangjung Yeshe |year=2021}}
* {{cite book |title=The Condensed Chronicle |author=Orgyen Padma |translator=Tony Duff |publisher=Padma Karpo Translation Committee |year=2004}}
* {{cite book |title=Dzogchen and Padmasambhava |author=[[Sogyal Rinpoche]] |publisher=Rigpa International |year=1990}}
* {{cite book |title=The Life and Liberation of Padmasambhava. Padma bKa'i Thang. (Parts I & II) |author=[[Yeshe Tsogyal]]  |translator=Gustave-Charles Toussaint |translator2=Kenneth Douglas |translator3=Gwendolyn Bays |publisher=Dharma Publishing |year=1978}} {{ISBN|0-913546-18-6}} and {{ISBN|0-913546-20-8}}.
* {{cite book |title=The Lotus-Born: The Life Story of Padmasambhava |author=Yeshe Tsogyal |translator=Erik Pema Kunsang |place=Boston |publisher=Shambhala Publications |year=1993 |editor1-last=Binder Schmidt |editor1-first=M. |editor2-last=Hein Schmidt |editor2-first=E.}} Reprint: Boudhanath: Rangjung Yeshe Publications, 2004. {{ISBN|962-7341-55-X}}.
* {{cite book |title=Padmasambhava Comes to Tibet |author=Yeshe Tsogyal |translator=[[Tarthang Tulku]] |publisher=Dharma Publishing |year=2009}}
* {{cite book |title=The Life of Padmasambhava |author=[[Taranatha]] |translator=Cristiana de Falco |publisher=Shang Shung Publications |year=2005}}
* {{cite book |title=Guru Rinpoché: His Life and Times |first=Ngawang |last=Zangpo |publisher=Snow Lion Publications |year=2002}}

==See also==
* {{annotated link|Bardo Thodol|''Bardo Thodol''}}
* {{annotated link|Epic of King Gesar|''Epic of King Gesar''}}
* {{annotated link|Padmasambhava Mahavihara monastery}}

== References ==
=== Notes ===
{{Reflist|group=note}}

=== Citations ===
{{Reflist|2}}

=== Works cited ===
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite news |title=Border Clash: India's Tourism Push Near Yangtze, Holy Site for Arunachal and Tibet, Riled Up the Chinese? |author=Arunima |editor-first=Nitya |editor-last=Thirumalai |website=News18.com |publisher=CNN-News18 |date=13 December 2022 |place=New Delhi, India |url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/border-clash-indias-tourism-push-near-yangtze-holy-site-for-arunachal-and-tibet-riled-up-the-chinese-6606283.html |access-date=2022-12-26}}
* {{cite web |first=Ian A. |last=Baker |date=4 January 2001 |title=The Lukhang: A hidden temple in Tibet |website=Asianart.com |url=http://www.asianart.com/articles/baker/index.html |access-date=2022-12-26}}
* {{cite book |last=Boord |first=Martin |year=1993 |title=Cult of the Deity Vajrakila |publisher=Institute of Buddhist Studies |isbn=0-9515424-3-5}}
*{{cite book |last=Buffetrille |first=Katia |author-link=Katia Buffetrille |editor-last=Buffetrille |editor-first=Katia |date=2012 |title= Revisiting Rituals in a Changing Tibetan World |pages=163–208 |chapter=Low Tricks and High Stakes Surrounding a Holy Place in Eastern Nepal: The Halesi-Māratika Caves |chapter-url=https://www.academia.edu/3011609 |location=Leiden/Boston |publisher=Brill | series=Brill's Tibetan Studies Library |volume=31 |isbn=978-9004232174| issn=1568-6183 |via=Academia.edu}}
* {{cite book |editor1-last=Buswell |editor1-first=Robert E. |title=The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism |editor2-last=Lopez |editor2-first=Donald S. Jr. |date=2013 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-1-4008-4805-8 |location=Princeton, NJ}}
* {{cite conference |last1=Cantwell |first1=Cathy |last2=Mayer |first2=Rob |chapter=Representations of Padmasambhava in early post-Imperial Tibet |year=2013 |editor1-first=Christoph |editor1-last=Cüppers |editor2-first=Robert |editor2-last=Mayer |editor3-first=Michael |editor3-last=Walter |title=Tibet after Empire: Culture, Society and Religion between 850–1000 |series=LIRI Seminar Proceedings Series |pages=19–50 |isbn=978-9937-553-05-6 |chapter-url=https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:5d15f677-4bb2-44a7-8305-330d5a299348/download_file?file_format=pdf&safe_filename=Representations_of_Padmasambhava_in_earl.pdf&type_of_work=Book+section |access-date=2022-12-26}}
* {{cite book |first1=Gyalwa |last1=Changchub |first2=Namkhai |last2=Nyingpo |title=Lady of the Lotus-born: The Life and Enlightenment of Yeshe Tsogyal |translator=the Padmakara Translation Group |publisher=Shambhala Publications |place=Boston & London |year=2002 |isbn=1-57062-544-1}}
* {{cite journal |last=Dalton |first=Jacob |jstor=4132116 |title=The Early Development of the Padmasambhava Legend in Tibet: A Study of IOL Tib J 644 and Pelliot tibétain 307 |journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society |volume=124 |number=4 |date=October–December 2004 |pages=759–772|doi=10.2307/4132116 }}
* {{cite book |last=Davidson |first=Ronald M. |title=Tibetan Renaissance |publisher=Columbia University Press |year=2005}}
* {{cite conference |conference=UNESCO Regional Expert Symposium on Arts Education in Asia |place=Hong Kong |year=2004 |title=Dancing on the demon's back: the dramnyen dance and song of Bhutan |first=Elaine |last=Dobson |url=https://pdfcoffee.com/demonpdf-pdf-free.html |access-date=2022-12-26}}
* {{cite book |last=Doney |first=Lewis |year=2014 |title=The Zangs gling ma: The First Padmasambhava Biography. Two Exemplars of the Earliest Attested Recension |place=Andiast |publisher=International Institute for Tibetan and Buddhist Studies |isbn=978-3-03809-118-9 |url=https://www.academia.edu/11971945 |access-date=2022-12-22| via=Academia.edu}}
* {{cite book |last=Doney |first=Lewis |year=2015 |chapter=Padmasambhava in Tibetan Buddhism |editor-last=Silk |editor-first=Jonathan A. |display-editors=etal |title=Brill's Encyclopedia of Buddhism |pages=1197–1212 |publisher=Brill |place=Leiden, Boston |isbn=978-9004299375}}
*{{cite book |first=Keith |last=Dowman |author-link=Keith Dowman |title=Sky Dancer: The Secret Life and Songs of the Lady Yeshe Tsogyal |publisher=Routledge & Kegan Paul |year=1984 |isbn=978-0710095763 |url=https://archive.org/details/skydancersecretl00dowmrich |url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book |author=Dudjom Rinpoche |author-link=Dudjom Rinpoche |title=The Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism: Its Fundamentals and History |translator=Gyurme Dorje and Matthew Kapstein |place=Boston: Wisdom Publications |year=2002 |isbn=0-86171-199-8}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Gyatso |first1=Janet |title=A Partial Genealogy of the Lifestory of Ye shes mtsho rgyal |journal=The Journal of the International Association of Tibetan Studies |date=August 2006 |issue=2 |url=http://www.thlib.org/collections/texts/jiats/#!jiats=/02/gyatsoj/ |access-date=2022-12-23}}
* {{cite book |last=Fremantle |first=Francesca |year=2001 |title=Luminous Emptiness: Understanding the Tibetan Book of the Dead |place=Boston |publisher=Shambhala Publications, Inc. |isbn=1-57062-450-X}}
* {{cite journal |last=Germano |first=David |year=2005 |title=The Funerary Transformation of the Great Perfection (Rdzogs chen) |journal=Journal of the International Association of Tibetan Studies |number=1 |pages=1–54}}
* {{cite book |last=Harvey |first=Peter |year=1995 |title=An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices |publisher=Cambridge University Press}}
* {{cite book |last1=Harvey |first1=Peter |title=An Introduction to Buddhism Teachings, History and Practices |date=2008 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |isbn=978-0-521-67674-8 |edition=2nd}}
* {{cite book |last=Heine |first=Steven |author-link=Steven Heine |year=2002 |title=Opening a Mountain. Koans of the Zen Masters |location=Oxford |publisher=Oxford University Press}}
* {{cite serial |url=http://www.treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Nyangrel-Nyima-Ozer/5999 |title=Nyangrel Nyima Ozer |last=Hirschberg |first=Daniel |date=April 2013 |work=The Treasury of Lives |issn=2332-077X |access-date=2017-07-18}}
* {{cite book |first1=John |last1=Huntington |first2=Dina |last2=Bangdel |title=The Circle of Bliss: Buddhist Meditational Art |publisher=Serindia Publications |place=Chicago |year=2004 |isbn=978-1932476019}}
* {{cite book |last=Kazi |first=Jigme N. |title=Sons of Sikkim: The Rise and Fall of the Namgyal Dynasty of Sikkim |date=2020 |publisher=Notion Press |isbn=978-1-64805-981-0}}
* {{cite book |last1=Kværne |first1=Per |url=https://archive.org/details/tibetanhistoryre00tutt |title=The Tibetan history reader |date=2013 |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=978-0-231-14469-8 |editor1-last=Tuttle |editor1-first=Gray |location=New York |author-link1=Per Kværne |editor2-last=Schaeffer |editor2-first=Kurtis R. |editor2-link=Kurtis Schaeffer |url-access=limited}}
* {{cite book |last=Laird |first=Thomas |year=2006 |title=The Story of Tibet: Conversations with the Dalai Lama |publisher=Grove Press |place=New York |isbn=978-0-8021-1827-1}}
* {{cite book |last=Meulenbeld |first=Ben |title=Buddhist Symbolism in Tibetan Thangkas: The Story of Siddhartha and Other Buddhas Interpreted in Modern Nepalese Painting |date=2001 |publisher=Binkey Kok |isbn=978-90-74597-44-9}}
* {{cite book |last=Morgan |first=D. |year=2010 |title=Essential Buddhism: A Comprehensive Guide to Belief and Practice |place=Santa Barbara |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-0-313-38452-3}}
* {{cite book |last1=Norbu |first1=Thubten Jigme |author1-link=Thubten Jigme Norbu |last2=Turnbull |first2=Colin |year=1987 |title=Tibet: Its History, Religion and People |publisher=Penguin Books  |isbn=0-14-021382-1}}
* {{cite book |first=Khenchen |last=Palden Sherab Rinpoche |author-link=Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche |title=The Eight Manifestations of Guru Padmasambhava |translator=Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche |place=Padma Gochen Ling |date=May 1992 |publisher=Turtle Hill |url=https://turtlehill.org/cleanup/khen/eman.html |access-date=2022-12-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221204090128/https://turtlehill.org/cleanup/khen/eman.html |archive-date=2022-12-04 |url-status=live}}
*{{cite book |first1=Khenchen |last1=Palden Sherab Rinpoche |first2=Khenpo |last2=Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche |editor-first=Joan |editor-last=Kaye |year=1998 |title=Lion's Gaze: A Commentary on Tsig Sum Nedek |publisher=Sky Dancer Press |translator=Sarah Harding |isbn=978-1880975053}}
*{{cite book |first1=Khenchen |last1=Palden Sherab Rinpoche |first2=Khenpo |last2=Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche |title=Illuminating the Path: Ngondro Instructions According to the Nyingma School of Vajrayana Buddhism |year=2008 |publisher=Padmasambhava Buddhist Center |isbn=978-0965933940}}
*{{cite book |first1=Khenchen |last1=Palden Sherab Rinpoche |first2=Khenpo |last2=Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche |title=The Beauty of Awakened Mind: Dzogchen Lineage of the Great Master Shigpo Dudtsi |year=2013 |publisher=Dharma Samudra |isbn=978-0983407416}}
*{{cite book |last1=Powers |first1=John |title=Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism |date=2007 |publisher=Snow Lion Publications |location=[[Ithaca, New York]] |isbn= 978-1-55939-282-2 |edition=rev.}}
* {{cite book |author=Samten Lingpa |translator1=Lama Chönam |translator2=Sangye Khandro |title=The Lives and Liberation of Princess Mandarava: the Indian Consort of Padmasambhava |year=1998 |place=Boston |publisher=Wisdom Publications |isbn=978-0861711444}}
* {{cite book |last=Snelling |first=John |year=1987 |title=The Buddhist Handbook: A Complete Guide to Buddhist Teaching and Practice |location=London |publisher=Century Paperbacks}}
* {{cite book |author=Sogyal Rinpoche |author-link=Sogyal Rinpoche |year=1992 |title=[[The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying]] |publisher=Rider |isbn=0-7126-5437-2}}
* {{cite book |author=Tulku Thondup |year=1995 |chapter=The Meaning Of The Vajra Seven Line Prayer To Guru Rinpoche |title=Enlightened Journey: Buddhist Practice as Daily Life |publisher=Shambhala Publications, Inc. |isbn=978-1570626074 |chapter-url=http://www.quietmountain.org/links/teachings/7_Line_Prayer_To_Guru_Rinpoche/7lnpryr.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080107172252/http://www.quietmountain.org/links/teachings/7_Line_Prayer_To_Guru_Rinpoche/7lnpryr.htm |archive-date=2008-01-07 |url-status=dead}}
* {{citation |author-link=Chogyam Trungpa |last=Trungpa |first=Chögyam |year=2001 |title=Crazy Wisdom |place=Boston |publisher=Shambhala Publications |isbn=0-87773-910-2}}
* {{cite book |last=van Schaik |first=Sam |author-link=Sam van Schaik |title=Tibet: A History |date=2011 |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=978-0-300-19410-4}}
* {{cite journal |last1=van Schaik |first1=Sam |last2=Iwao |first2=Kazushi |year=2009 |title=Fragments of the Testament of Ba from Dunhuang |journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society |volume=128 |number=3 |pages=477–487 |issn=0003-0279}}
* {{cite web |last=Watt |first=James |date=January 1999 |title=Padmasambhava – 8 Forms: Dorje Drolo |website=Himalayan Art Resources |url=http://www.himalayanart.org/image.cfm/261.html |access-date=2022-12-26}}

====Sadhanas and commentaries====
* {{cite web |first=Chökyi |last=Drakpa |date=17 March 2022 |title=A Torch for the Path to Omniscience: A Word by Word Commentary on the Text of the Longchen Nyingtik Preliminary Practices |website=Lotsawa House |url=http://www.lotsawahouse.org/tibetan-masters/chokyi-drakpa/a-torch-for-the-path |access-date=2022-12-20}}
* {{cite web |author=Karma Lingpa |date=4 May 2022 |title=The Benefits of the Vajra Guru Mantra and an Explanation of Its Syllables: A Treasure Text Revealed by Tulku Karma Lingpa |website=Lotsawa House |url=https://www.lotsawahouse.org/tibetan-masters/karma-lingpa/benefits-vajra-guru-mantra |access-date=2022-12-26}}
* {{cite book |author=Mipham |translator=Padmakara Translation Group |year=2007 |title=White Lotus: An Explanation of the Seven-line Prayer to Guru Padmasambhava |publisher=Shambhala |isbn=978-1590305119}}
* {{cite web |author=Patrul Rinpoche |author-link=Patrul Rinpoche |date=28 June 2022|title=Brief Guide to the Stages of Visualization for the Ngöndro Practice |website=Lotsawa House |url=https://www.lotsawahouse.org/tibetan-masters/patrul-rinpoche/brief-guide-ngondro |access-date=2022-12-20}}
* {{cite web |first=Jamyang Khyentse |last=Wangpo |author-link=Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo |date=7 April 2022 |title=Illuminating the Excellent Path to Omniscience: Notes on the Longchen Nyingtik Ngöndro |website=Lotsawa House |url=https://www.lotsawahouse.org/tibetan-masters/jamyang-khyentse-wangpo/illuminating-excellent-path |access-date=2022-12-20}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite journal |journal=Csoma de Körös Memorial Symposium |last=Bischoff |first=F. A. |year=1978 |title=Padmasambhava est-il un personnage historique? |trans-title=Is Padmasambhava a historical figure? |location=Budapest |publisher=Akadémiai Kiadó |pages=27–33 |isbn=963-05-1568-7 |editor1-first=Louis |editor1-last=Ligeti |ref=none}}
* {{cite book |last=Guenther |first=Herbert V. |author-link=Herbert V. Günther |year=1996 |title=The Teachings of Padmasambhava |place=Leiden |publisher=E.J. Brill |isbn=90-04-10542-5 |ref=none}}
* {{cite journal |last=Jackson |first=D. |year=1979 |jstor=2053510 |title=Review: The Life and Liberation of Padmasambhava (Padma bKaí thang) |journal=The Journal of Asian Studies |volume=39 |pages=123–25 |doi=10.2307/2053510 |s2cid=161669619 |ref=none}}
* {{cite book |author=Padmasambhava |editor-first=Marcia Binder |editor-last=Schmidt |title=Advice from the Lotus-Born: A Collection of Padmasambhava's Advice to the Dakini Yeshe Tsogyal and Other Close Disciples |publisher=Rangjung Yeshe Publications |year=1994 |isbn=978-9627341208 |ref=none}}
* {{cite book |last=Pattanaik |first=Prabir Kumar |title=Uddiyana Guru Padmasambhava : The Second Buddha |place=Odisha, India |publisher=B K publications Private Limited |year=2024 |isbn=978-81-19348-70-1 |ref=none}}
* {{cite book |last=Thondup |first=Tulku |title=Hidden Teachings of Tibet: An Explanation of the Terma Tradition of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism |place=London |publisher=Wisdom Publications |year=1986 |isbn=978-0861710416 |ref=none}}
* {{cite journal |last=Wang |first=S. A. |year=1975 |title=Can Man Go Beyond Ethics?: The System of Padmasambhava |journal=The Journal of Religious Ethics |volume=3 |number=1 |pages=141–155 |jstor=40017721 |ref=none}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
* {{wikiquote inline}}
* {{commons and category-inline|Padmasambhava}}

{{Buddhism topics}}
{{Indian Philosophy}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Padmasambhāva| ]]
[[Category:8th-century Buddhists]]
[[Category:8th-century Indian philosophers]]
[[Category:8th-century writers]]
[[Category:Bodhisattvas]]
[[Category:Brahmins]]
[[Category:Buddhas]]
[[Category:Buddhism in Afghanistan]]
[[Category:Dzogchen lamas]]
[[Category:Dzogchen lineages]]
[[Category:Founders of Buddhist sects]]
[[Category:Indian Buddhist missionaries]]
[[Category:Indian royal advisors]]
[[Category:Indian scholars of Buddhism]]
[[Category:Nyingma]]
[[Category:Nyingma lamas]]
[[Category:Politics of Tibet]]
[[Category:Rinpoches]]
[[Category:Tibetan Buddhist yogis]]
[[Category:Asian people whose existence is disputed]]