A set of nine 8" x 10" color photographs of the eight emanations of Padmasambhava thangkas which are housed in the Rigdzin Ling shrineroom (five pictured here). The set combines the photographs, as well as two 8" x 11" pages identifying the names of each emanation with a write-up of their unique meaning.

THE EIGHT EMANATIONS OF PADMASAMBHAVA

Guru Padma Jungné: King Indrabodhi of Orgyen, a country northwest of India, had no son and no further resources to make offerings to the Three Jewels or to the poor. Impoverished, he journeyed to Lake Dhanakosha seeking a wish-fulfilling gem. After retrieving the gem from the nagas, he found a treasure even more precious ~ a miraculous eight-year old boy seated in a lotus. The child returned to the palace with the king, who named him Padma Jungné, Lotus Born. As a prince and royal heir, he married an immaculate princess and participated in noble activities. After five years, during which the kingdom prospered, he concluded that worldly sovereignty would have no enduring benefit. He renounced the kingdom and orchestrated his own exile through an act of liberation. Much later he was invited to Tibet where he subdued negative forces and established the great monastery of Samyé. He taught the king, queen and the subjects the sutras and tantras and placed them on the path to liberation.

Guru Tsokye Dorjé: Traveling to VajrasattvaÕs pure realm, Guru Rinpoche received the eighteen root tantras of Mahayoga. Having brought the development and completion stages of meditation to consummation, he became known as Guru Tsokye Dorjé, Lake-Born Vajra.

Guru Shakya Sengé: Journeying to Bodgaya and demonstrating various miracles, Guru Rinpoche was asked to identify himself. He replied, ÒI am a self-manifested buddha.Ó But many did not believe him. To quell the mistaken views of those who doubted him, he traveled to Zahor to take ordination with the master Prabhahasti. From Prabhahasti he received the Yoga Tantra teachings eighteen times, and without any obscurations had visions of the thirty-seven Yoga Tantra deities. Embodying the three trainings of morality, meditation, and wisdom, he became known as Shakya Sengé, Lion of the Shakyas.

Guru Nyima Özer: He went to the great charnel ground known as BodiesÕ End and gave numberless vajrayana teachings to the dakinis. He demonstrated yogic mastery of the channels, subtle energies, and spheres, and captured the life essence of all arrogant gods and demons, enjoining them to serve as protectors of the Dharma. At that time, he was known as Nyima Özer, Radiance of the Sun Guru.

Padmasambhava: Having come to the country of Zahor to teach the princess, Mandarava, Guru Rinpoche was discovered with her in the nunnery. The king, failing to perceive him as an enlightened buddha, tried to burn them both alive. The fire pit, however, was transformed into a lake and emerging from the lake was a long-stemmed lotus with Guru Rinpoche and Mandarava seated upon it. The remorseful king then deferred to Guru Rinpoche and offered him his kingdom. He became known as the Immortal Padmasambhava.

Guru Loden Choksé: Guru Rinpoche received many esoteric transmissions from the eight great Indian masters of awareness. He met Kungamo, a wisdom dakini appearing as a nun, who transformed him into a HUNG syllable, swallowed him, and thereby bestowed on him the outer, inner, and secret empowerments. At this time, he became known as Loden Choksé, the Intelligent Seeker of the Sublime.

Guru Padma Gyalpo: Later, having previously vowed to liberate the subjects of Oddiyana from the suffering of their karma and afflictive emotions, he returned and was seized, along with his wisdom consort Mandarava, by a hostile minister and others. When they tried to burn them alive, the two consorts appeared atop a lotus in the center of a lake. Because the master was wearing a garland of skulls he was called Padma Tötreng Tzal, Lotus Dynamic Garland of Skulls. Then he remained in Oddiyana as the guru of the kingdom for thirteen years and became known as Padma Gyalpo. Under his guidance, the king, queen and all who had a connection with him attained sublime Guru.

Sengé Dradrok: When five hundred teachers of extreme views disputed the Buddhist doctrine and were about to win a debate at Bodh Gaya, Guru Rinpoche accepted the challenge of refuting their arguments and vanquished his opponents. But, sullen and resentful, some of the defeated resorted to black magic and destructive mantras. The master turned their malice back on them with the wrathful mantra of the fierce Lion-Faced Dakini. A great bolt of lightning struck, liberating their consciousnesses into a state free of suffering and beyond harming others. Those who remained converted to Buddhism. While thus raising the victory banner of the Dharma, he became known as Sengé Dradrok, Roaring Lion.

Guru Dorje Drolö: Guru Rinpoche assumed an extremely wrathful form at TigerÕs Nest Cave in Bhutan in order to bind the major and minor arrogant worldly gods and demons under oath as protectors. He entrusted them with the guardianship of terma (hidden dharma treasures) which he had concealed in various places as a means to prevent the interruption or corruption of the vajrayana and to preserve its blessing power for future practitioners. These protectors guard these terma until circumstances arise for the treasures to be revealed by the terton, the destined discoverer. At that time he became known as Guru Dorje Drolö.