Material: Natural red copper. Cast. (Bottom can hold sacred objects)

Size: 23 cm (approximate size)

Description: Padmasambhava (Tibetan: པདྨ་འབྱུང་གནས་, Padma 'byung gnas)

Padmasambhava, also known as "Lotus Master," "Guru Rinpoche," or "Second Buddha," was the first key figure in the 8th century who introduced Vajrayana Buddhism from India to Tibet, where it truly took root. He is revered as the "Founding Master" of Tibetan Buddhism (especially the Nyingma school), second only to Shakyamuni Buddha, and is even considered an "emanation" of Shakyamuni Buddha and an "incarnation" of Amitabha Buddha.

I. Mythical Birth Legend (Origin) The birth of Padmasambhava is itself a highly mythical story, recorded in many terma (hidden treasure) Jataka tales, the most famous being the *Padmasambhava Jataka* (Padma bka' thang):

- In Oddiyāna (located in present-day Swat Valley, Pakistan), on Sindhu Lake, a giant eight-petaled lotus suddenly appeared. Seated in the center of the lotus was an eight-year-old boy, with rosy skin, possessing the thirty-two major and eighty minor marks of a great man, holding a vajra and a bell, radiating five-colored light.

- The king of Oddiyāna at that time, Indrabhuti, had no children and was praying for a son by the lake when he saw this extraordinary sight. He took the boy back to the palace and adopted him, naming him "Padmasambhava" (meaning "born from a lotus"). Later, Guru Rinpoche displayed boundless supernatural powers, but was also exiled for "killing a rebellious minister." He left the palace and began wandering throughout India, practicing asceticism in the eight great monasteries, receiving empowerments from countless deities and dakinis, attaining the highest tantric teachings such as Mahamudra and Dzogchen, ultimately becoming the "Second Buddha" of unobstructed enlightenment.

(This story symbolizes that Guru Rinpoche was not an ordinary person, but rather an emanation from the heart of the primordial Buddha—Samantabhadra—born "without cause" on a lotus to liberate sentient beings in the degenerate age.)

II. Invited to Tibet and Subduing Tibetan Spirits

In the mid-8th century, Trisong Detsen, the Tibetan king, resolved to establish Buddhism in Tibet and invited the Indian high monk Śāntarakṣita to build monasteries. However, the gods of the indigenous Bon religion of Tibet opposed this, and the monasteries were repeatedly struck by lightning and floods, causing them to be built and destroyed repeatedly.

Shantarakshita said, "The power of the Indian high monks is insufficient to subdue the spirits of Tibet; we must invite Guru Rinpoche."

Therefore, Trisong Detsen sent messengers with a large amount of gold to India to invite him. Guru Rinpoche subdued demons and monsters along his journey:

- Subdued the local protectors in the Yanglesho cave in Nepal.

- After entering Tibet, he used his supernatural powers to subdue the Bon mountain gods, dragon kings, and yakshas who opposed Buddhism, forcing them to swear oaths to protect the Dharma (these protectors later became the most important group of "worldly protectors" in Tibetan Buddhism).

- Most famously, he held a "Great Fire Offering Ceremony" at Samye Monastery (the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet) that lasted for several years, completely subduing all the spirits and monsters, allowing Buddhism to gain a foothold on the Tibetan Plateau.

Therefore, Tibetans often say, "On the surface, it was Trisong Detsen who established Buddhism, but in reality, it was Padmasambhava who established Buddhism."

III. Transmission of Tibetan Tantras and Terma Traditions

The exact duration of Padmasambhava's stay in Tibet varies (some say a few decades, others a hundred years, or even a thousand years). During this time:

1. He, along with Trisong Detsen and Shantarakshita, were known as the "Three Masters," jointly translating numerous exoteric and esoteric scriptures.

2. He transmitted the most profound Anuttarayoga Tantras, especially Dzogchen, which is considered the highest teaching of the Nyingma school.

3. He transmitted the Eight Great Herukas, Kalachakra Tantras, and other tantras.

4. Most importantly, he foresaw that sentient beings in the degenerate age, with their inferior capacities, would be unable to directly practice such profound teachings. Therefore, together with Yeshe Tsogyal (the first female Mahasiddha of Tibet), he hid countless scriptures, tantras, rituals, and teachings—"terma"—in mountain rocks, lakebeds, and even within the heart, awaiting future "tertön" (treasure revealers) to retrieve them under appropriate circumstances.

To this day, almost all the most precious teachings of the Nyingma school are labeled "Padmasambhava terma," and the tertöns who retrieved these termas (such as the Fifth Dalai Lama, Longsal Nyenpo, and Chokyi Lingpa) are considered emanations of Padmasambhava or representatives of his speech, mind, and activities.

IV. Profound Influence on Buddhism (Especially Tibetan Buddhism)

1. **Laying the Foundation for Tibetan Tantric Buddhism**

Without Guru Rinpoche, Tibetan Buddhism might have remained merely within the exoteric tradition (similar to the eight schools of Han Chinese Buddhism), unable to develop its unique Tantric system today, characterized by highly ritualized practices, initiations and lineages, deity yoga, subtle energy channels and points, and Dzogchen.

2. **The Status of the "Second Buddha"**

In Tibet, Shakyamuni Buddha is revered as the "Past Buddha," Guru Rinpoche as the "Present Buddha," and Maitreya as the "Future Buddha." Many Tibetans recite the "Seven-Line Prayer" daily, which is a supplication to Guru Rinpoche:

> In the northwest of the Pure Land of Oddiyana, spontaneously born on a lotus stem, possessing rare and supreme characteristics, surrounded by numerous dakinis, achieving wondrous merits with the Guru, I beseech you to come and bestow your blessings!

3. **Integration of Dharma Protectors and Worldly Laws**

Padmasambhava transformed all the mountain gods and dragon kings originally associated with Bon into Dharma protectors, enabling Tibetan Buddhism to thoroughly integrate with local culture. This is a unique characteristic not found in other regional Buddhist traditions (such as Han Chinese and Theravada Buddhism).

4. **Savior in the Degenerate Age**

Padmasambhava prophesied: "When iron birds fly in the sky and horse-drawn carriages run on the road (the modern technological age), Tibetan Buddhism will spread to the land of the red people (the West). At that time, I, Padmasambhava, will benefit sentient beings at an even faster pace."

Many modern Western Tibetan Buddhist centers regard Padmasambhava as their primary revered deity.

In summary: Padmasambhava is a true "patriarch-level" figure in Tibetan Buddhism. His mythical birth, his legendary subjugation of demons, his treasure-hunting system, and his profound tantric lineage have collectively shaped the unique character of Tibetan Buddhism (especially the Nyingma school) today. For millions of Tibetans and believers in the Himalayas, he is not a distant historical figure, but the Second Buddha who is "alive and still blessing all beings in the Copper-Colored Auspicious Mountain Pure Land."