Overview

Padmasambhava the great master is respected by all the Indic communities. He is to be credited for the fusion of ‘Tantra’ and ‘Spirituality’ across the Tibetan and Himalayan belt. Many of the biographies of guru Padmasambhava states, he was not born in the womb. He was incarnated as an eight-year-old child appearing in a blossomed lotus flower which was floating in the water body of Dhanakosha, in the kingdom of Oddiyana. This is located somewhere near the Swat district of modern Pakistan.

He was adopted by King Indrabhuti of Sambalak commonly known by the name ‘Ja’. Sister of King Ja, Laxmikara was an expert in Tantra. So, it is commonly considered that Guru Padmasambhava learned Tantra from her only.  He transferred the vast knowledge of Tantra to the places like Nepal, Bhutan, Himachal Pradesh, Tibet, and Sikkim. His teachings are still considered to have very high metaphysical value and most helpful in final enlightenment.

Gautam Buddha had predicted the appearance of Guru Padmasambhava. There are actually nineteen different sutras and tantras that mention the arrival and activities of the great Guru. In the Mahaparinirvana Sutra, Gautam Buddha had talked about his own mahaparinirvana to the disciples. The verse goes like this.

“Eight years after my mahaparinirvana, a remarkable being with the name Padmasambhava will appear in the center of a lotus and reveal the highest teaching concerning the ultimate state of the true nature, bringing great benefit to all sentient beings.”

– Gautam Buddha

Gurudongmar Lake

In the context of the Sikkim Himalayas, many stories of Guru Padmasambhava are sung as folklores. There are three mysterious stories related to him. The first one is that of Lake Gurudongmar. A story related to the frozen condition of the Gurudongmar lake is linked to the appearance of Guru Padmasambhava at the lake. Once he was returning from Tibet. He saw the lake and immediately realized that it was worthy of respect. This majestic lake represented the divine location of Dorje Nyima or Chhoedten Nyima.

The lake remained frozen for a whole year. It had no possibility of giving drinking water needs to the locals living near that area. The locals approached Guru Padmasambhava for help. The helpful guru agreed after listening to the prayers of the people. He placed his limbs on a very small part of the lake. A miracle happened and it stopped freezing during winter. This was very beneficial for the people living with water scarcity. By then, this lake is considered holy. Many of the devotees carry this sacred water for healing purposes.

Beyul, Shambhala and Guru Padmashambhava.

The texts of “The Pilgrims Guide to the Hidden Land of Sikkim by Lhatsun Jigmed Pawo revealed by Terton Sangay Lingpa” states that Sikkim is also a sacred land or Beyul. It is the sacred hidden land blessed by Guru Padmasambhava to be under the protectorate of the deities. Folklores speaks, he ordered some of the Deities to protect Sikkim from external influences. However, the location map of the Beyuls was prepared on scrolls called amyig or neyig.

They were hidden under rocks,  caves, monasteries, and stupas to maintain the secrecy. The deities who protect the location of ‘beyul’ manifest themselves as snowstorms, mists, and snow leopards. Various books in Buddhism mention that if beyuls are discovered it is to be understood that, human civilization is moving towards destruction. Also, the population becomes corrupt for spirituality.

The Beyuls of the Earth is somewhat similar to the mysterious kingdom of Shambhala mentioned in major Indic texts of Hinduism and Buddhism. This is the place where the final ‘Avatara’ of Lord Vishnu is to be incarnated. However, the Buddhist ‘Kaalchakra’ gives the list of twenty-five ‘Kalki Kings’ starting from Manjushri Yashas ( Jampal Dakpa ) to Rudra Chakrin ( Dakpo Khorlocen)

The list of Kalki King is as follows.

1. Yashas (Tib. Jampal Dakpa; “Manjushri Yashas”)
2. Pundarika (Tib. Pema Karpo)
3. Bhadra (Tib. Zangpo)
4. Vijaya (Tib. Nampar Gyäl)
5. Sumitra (Tib. Shenyen Zangpo)
6. Raktapani (Tib. Rinchen Chag)
7. Vishnugupta (Tib. Kyabjug Bäpa)
8. Suryakirti (Tib. Nyima Drag)
9. Subhadra (Tib. Shintu Zangpo)
10. Samudra Vijaya (Tib. Gyatso Namgyäl)
11. Aja (Tib. Gyälka)
12. Surya/Suryapada, (Tib. (Wonang) Nyima)
13. Vishvarupa (Tib. Natshog Zug(chän))
14. Shashiprabha (Also Sasiprabha or Chandraprabha, Tib. Dawäi Ö)
15. Ananta, Thayä (Tib. Nyen)
16. Shripaala or Parthiva (Tib. Sakyong)
17. Shripala (Tib. Pälkyong)
18. Singha (Tib. Senge)
19. Vikranta (Tib. Nampar Nön)
20. Mahabala (Tib. Tobpo Che)
21. Aniruddha (Tib. Magakpa)
22. Narasingha (Tib. Miyi Senge)
23. Maheshvara (Tib. Wangchug Che)
24. Anantavijaya (Tib. Thaye Namgyäl)
25. Rudra Chakrin (Tib. Dakpo Khorlocen)

The last Kalki King Rudra Chakrin is similar to that of the Kalki mentioned in the Hindu Scriptures. He is fierce and the taker of civilization from the dark age to the age of light. The Dalai Lamas are believed as the reincarnation of the 2^nd Kalki King Pundarika.

Relation of Rinpoche and the Chogyals of the Sikkim.

Since 1642, the state of Sikkim was ruled by the Chogyals ( Tibetan Kings). Their reign over the sacred place ended in 1975 after the abolition of the monarchy in the kIngdom of Sikkim. The tiny Kingdom officially became the 22nd state of the Indian union in 1975. However, as per various scriptures, the great guru had already predicted that Chogyals will rule the Kingdom of Sikkim in the 8th century itself. To honor the great saint, in 1997, the Dalai Lama officially laid the foundation stone of the world’s largest statue of Sikkim’s patron saint.

The statue is situated in the Samdruptse Hill also known as the ‘wish fulfilling hill’. This hill is just 5 km away from Namchi, the district headquarters of South Sikkim. It is situated at an altitude of 7000 ft. The folklores say Samdruptse hill is actually a sleeping volcano. Many believe that Buddhist monks have been visiting the top of these hills to offer prayers to the volcano so that it remains calm.

Teachings

The major teaching of Guru Padmasambhava is knowing one’s own mind for liberation called Nirvana. As per the patron sage Individuals who do not know the mind, do not know themselves. He emphasizes that  One’s Mind itself is the source of all Samsara and the happiness that is beyond. As the mind is not disturbed, mental disturbances can be made to smaller than the smallest. This makes a person to move towards the ultimate to find Nirvana as the final stage.

There are various methods to reach the final stage through the proper practice of Yoga and Mudras. The basic idea of Tantra is to cut off desires by embracing them. It is because when we embrace the function of senses, the mind understands the emotions attached to them.  However, control is required because the attachment to the senses always multiply. Let’s take an example of our favorite food, whenever we see it we get attracted to it. We feel like having it all the time when we are hungry. There are proper ‘bandhas’ (locks) in Yoga to control hunger. In the same way, there are various other techniques to control other senses. Cherised divinity within individuals is accomplished after the control using various methods while practicing the teachings of Guru Padmasambhava.

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