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Guru Rinpooche and 8 Manifestations
Part 6 — THE FIRST MANIFESTATION: GURU PADMA GYALPO (Part 2) Lion of the Lotus Family
Although Guru Rinpoche appeared in human form, he revealed something beyond all dualistic concepts and conditioned perception by manifesting from a lotus rather than through ordinary birth.
This symbolizes that Guru Padmasambhava is completely free from attachment and aggression. He carries none of the negative emotions that bind ordinary beings. Instead, he transforms attachment and anger into their corresponding wisdoms, symbolized by the magnificent lotus itself.
This means that practitioners following the path of Guru Padmasambhava or Buddha Shakyamuni must ultimately purify and transform aggression, violence, and unhealthy desire.
Up to that time, King Indrabhuti had been blind in one eye. Upon encountering Guru Padma Gyalpo, his sight was restored.
Filled with amazement, the king asked the child five questions:
“Where do you come from?
Who is your father?
Who is your mother?
What do you do?
And what do you eat?”
Guru Padmasambhava replied:
“I come from the unborn sphere of dharmata. My father is Kuntuzangpo and my mother is Kuntuzangmo.”
In Tibetan, “Kuntuzangpo” means “Always Good” — goodness that never changes: good yesterday, good today, and good tomorrow.
When asked:
“What do you do?”
the child answered:
“I have come here to benefit all sentient beings in the six realms.”
This is eternal work. Guru Padmasambhava will never be unemployed.
Regarding food, the child replied:
“I consume dualistic concepts, and my speech benefits all sentient beings.”
As a Buddhist king, Indrabhuti was overjoyed by these answers. Of course, he had already been astonished by the child’s radiant and miraculous appearance, but these words touched him even more deeply.
The light from the child’s body and speech penetrated directly into the king’s heart.
Deeply moved, and having no son of his own, the king asked:
“Would you come and live with me in my palace?”
The youthful Padma Gyalpo accepted, and returned with the royal entourage to the palace.
King Indrabhuti was compassionate and open-hearted. He governed his kingdom according to Dharma principles.
Guru Padmasambhava, under the name Guru Padma Gyalpo, was raised as a prince. He assisted the king in ruling through bodhicitta and guided the people toward the proper path to enlightenment.
He taught them how to live free from anxiety and conflict, spreading harmony and peace throughout the kingdom.
Later, Guru Padma Gyalpo married a beautiful woman named Orchima, meaning “Radiant Lady.”
One day, Buddha Vajrasattva appeared before Guru Padmasambhava and instructed him that he must leave Oddiyana in order to benefit sentient beings on a far greater scale.
Following this instruction, Guru Padmasambhava departed Oddiyana at approximately thirty years of age.
He left the palace and wandered throughout many regions. Yet even the simplest aspects of his travels were extraordinary.
For example, he could arrive instantly wherever he directed his mind. Time had no effect upon Guru Rinpoche’s activity.
He traveled throughout India, frequently visiting the most powerful and terrifying charnel grounds, known as the Eight Great Charnel Grounds.
There he subdued eight classes of spirits and guided them onto the path of bodhicitta — the union of compassion and wisdom.
On the ordinary level, Guru Padmasambhava brought the people of Oddiyana into harmony upon the path to enlightenment, helping them develop peace, love, and compassion.
On the inner level, he subdued eight classes of demonic forces and bound them into the service of bodhicitta.
Surrounded by Dakas and Dakinis, Guru Rinpoche displayed the splendor of primordial wisdom, naturally transcending even the most powerful visible and invisible beings, who honored him as supreme sovereign.
This is the true victory of Padma Gyalpo — the Lotus King — a special manifestation of Guru Padmasambhava who subdues perception and concepts beyond ego and emotional fixation, while increasing joy, peace, and spiritual realization.
We should understand the meaning of this “subjugation.”
It does not mean controlling an external object such as another being. To subdue one’s own perception means transcending worldly mental habits.
If we cannot accomplish that within ourselves, then we cannot truly help or guide others.
If we ourselves remain chaotic, how can we tame anyone else?
To benefit others, we ourselves cannot remain insane.
When we transcend dualistic perception and habitual patterns, others are naturally subdued.
Meditating upon Guru Rinpoche in the form of Padma Gyalpo helps us rise above worldly views and deluded emotions while increasing the accumulations of merit and wisdom.
Guru Padma Gyalpo openly displayed the majesty and brilliance of the Lotus Family wisdom.
He was surrounded by radiant assemblies of Dakas and Dakinis who received his teachings.
Through this vast display of enlightened retinue, Guru Rinpoche was offering that treasury itself to all sentient beings.
This is the outer meaning of this manifestation.
On the inner level, Guru Padma Gyalpo teaches that those who follow this path must subdue the senses, observe perception, tame ego-clinging, and transcend emotional fixation.
If we cut through ego-clinging, we become a great king, mastering our relationship with everything we see and hear.
When we fully master our emotions and reactions, we possess the dignity and power of a glorious king or queen.
When ego-clinging and attachment to emotional confusion are subdued, true victory is achieved.
In Tibet, transcending negativity is called attaining the level of a Hero. Such a being becomes a Tamer or Universal Monarch.
According to ancient Buddhist cosmology, a Chakravartin — Universal Monarch — rules the four continents of an entire world system.
Letting go of ego-clinging and becoming free from mental disturbance is the full recognition that the enlightenment of the Buddhas already exists within oneself.
In summary, this is the meaning of Guru Padma Gyalpo, the Lotus King, or Padma Raja.
Guru Padma Gyalpo has pink or light reddish skin and wears orange robes slightly deeper red than yellow.
He is visualized seated upon a lotus, sun disk, and moon disk in royal posture, with one face, two hands, and two legs.
He displays a semi-wrathful expression, and some traditions visualize him with four arms.
His long hair is tied up and wrapped with white cloth, with a small piece of red fabric rising above it. A red silk scarf flows behind his head as if blown gently by the wind.
He wears a crown of five jewels.
In his right hand he holds a small damaru drum. In his left hand he holds a mirror and a hook.
The mirror symbolizes wisdom. Through wisdom, all phenomena appear exactly as they are, although nothing truly exists in a fixed way.
Phenomena arise and dissolve like reflections in a mirror, like illusions appearing and vanishing.
The mirror also represents unceasing manifestation without attachment to any particular object.
Other practices describe the left hand holding a bell and hook, or a ritual arrow.
The hook symbolizes compassion drawing all sentient beings out of samsara.
This is the form to visualize when meditating upon Guru Padmasambhava as Guru Padma Gyalpo.
The concepts constituting samsara are nothing more than the thoughts and projections of individuals. Much of what we experience is shaped by our own dream-like perceptions.
They have no solid foundation and do not relate to fixed realities or concrete objects.
This is merely a dream — perhaps even a nightmare.
The dreamer does not realize it is a dream.
It is not a fixed or solid reality, but the dreamer believes it to be real.
Generate compassion for all beings temporarily trapped within this illusion and gently guide them toward liberation.
Never abandon compassion.
Persist until all sentient beings are guided to unsurpassed enlightenment.
As in every practice, begin with refuge and the generation of bodhicitta.
Generate love and compassion for all sentient beings and meditate briefly.
Then visualize a circular point of red light before you, instantly transforming into Guru Padma Gyalpo.
Recite the Twelve-Syllable Guru Mantra for as long as possible while maintaining visualization.
Finally, dissolve Guru Padma Gyalpo back into a point of red light which enters your heart, leaving no distinction between yourself and Guru Rinpoche.
Meditate in this state for as long as possible.
At the conclusion, dedicate the merit and make aspirations.
This is an especially profound and powerful practice that will greatly expand one’s realization.
According to Lama Mipham’s commentary, the results of practicing Guru Padma Gyalpo depend upon the level of the practitioner.
If one is a leader, leadership becomes more stable and compassionate.
If one is an ordinary person, one becomes more lovable and harmonious.
If one wishes to become beloved and appreciated, practice Guru Padma Gyalpo.
Mental calmness and bodily relaxation arising quickly are clear signs that negative emotions are being effectively purified.
🌿 Questions & Answers
Question:
I am interested in how thoughts arise in the mind. When Guru Padma Gyalpo traveled through the charnel grounds, did he encounter negative spirits and transform them through bodhicitta?
Answer:
Yes. He brought them into subjugation through the authentic state of bodhicitta.
Question:
Are those spirits the causes of thoughts arising within us?
Answer:
Generally speaking, yes. That is why Guru Rinpoche went to the charnel grounds after leaving the palace.
These places were terrifying and completely unlike Western cemeteries.
Western cemeteries are relatively peaceful, like parks, with beautiful flowers, fountains, and pathways. One can feel relaxed there.
But in ancient India, charnel grounds were deep wildernesses inhabited by tigers, leopards, wolves, jackals, and cobras.
Vultures circled overhead. Corpses were scattered everywhere.
These places were frightening and unpleasant.
By going to the charnel grounds, Guru Padmasambhava taught that in order to practice and meditate, one must become truly fearless.
We must develop courage beyond hope and fear and transcend all their consequences.
When all expectations and doubts are shattered, great equanimity is realized and fearless activity becomes possible.
From the perspective of realization, evil spirits are nothing more than manifestations of one’s own mental tendencies.
But for ordinary consciousness grasping at subject and object, these forces appear as mischievous external entities chasing and tormenting us.
As long as we cling to concepts of subject and object, conceptual influences and experiences continue.
Guru Padmasambhava truly subdued these “demons” within his own mind.
🌿 To Be Continued…
📚 Source
The Eight Manifestations of Guru Padmasambhava
Teaching by Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche
Translated into English by Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche
Vietnamese Translation by Dorje Rinchen — 05/2026