thumb|[[Rewalsar Lake#Colossus of Padmasambhava|Colossus of Padmasambhava, 123 ft. (37.5 m) high, in mist overlooking Rewalsar Lake, Himachal Pradesh, India]]

Padmasambhava ('Born from a Lotus'), also known as Guru Rinpoche ('Precious Guru'), was a semi-legendary tantric Buddhist Vajra master from medieval India, who according to hagiographical sources fully revealed the Vajrayana in Tibet, circa 8th – 9th centuries. He is considered an emanation or Nirmāṇakāya of Shakyamuni Buddha as foretold by the Buddha himself.

In modern Tibetan Buddhism, Padmasambhava is considered to be a Buddha that was foretold by Buddha Shakyamuni.

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.

The Tibetan Buddhism also mentions that Guru Rinpoche meditated at Muktinath (lord of liberation) temple in western Nepal before departing for Tibet. 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.

Tibet

thumb|The famous "looks like me" statue of Padmasambhava at [[Samye which is traditionally said to have been blessed by him personally]]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 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. The Nyingma school traces its lineage of Dzogchen teachings to Garab Dorje through Padmasambhava's termas.

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 Avalokiteshvara. 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 valley. It was built around the Taktsang Senge Samdup (stag tshang seng ge bsam grub) cave where Padmasambhava is said to have meditated. Later, he travelled to 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 Kurje Lhakhang temple.

While in Bumthang, Guru Rinpoche meditated and blessed Tang Rimochen Lhakhang, Thowadrak Monastery, Kunzangdrak Monastery, Zhabjethang Lhakhang, Choedrak Monastery and Shudrak Goenpa. He also hid many treasures in Membartsho, the burning lake in Bumthang. and are described and enumerated as follows:

  1. 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.
  2. Guru Nyima Ozer (Wylie: gu ru nyi-ma 'od-zer, Skrt: Guru Suryabhasa or Sūryaraśmi), 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.
  3. Guru Loden Chokse (Wylie: gu ru blo ldan mchog sred; Skrt: Guru Mativat Vararuci,) 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.
  4. Guru Urygen Dorje Chang (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 wblue complexion, very peaceful, and is positioned in Yab-Yum with Mandarava.
  5. 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 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.
  6. Guru Senge Dradrog (Wylie: gu ru seng-ge sgra-sgrogs, Skt: Guru Simhanāda,) 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.

Iconography

thumb|351x351px|[[Thangka of Padmasambhava, 19th century, Lhasa, Central Tibet]]

Padmasambhava has one face and two hands. He is wrathful and smiling.

On his head he wears a five-petalled lotus hat,

||

: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. Tashi Kyeden is often depicted with Guru Dorje Drolo. and in other sources, these include:

  • King Trisong Detsen ()

thumb|Denma Tsémang

  • Denma Tsémang ()
  • Nanam Dorje Dudjom, Dorje Dudjom of Nanam () (image on Wikimedia commons)
  • Drokben Khyechung Lotsawa ()
  • Lasum Gyelwa Changchup, Gyalwa Changchub of Lasum () (image on Wikimedia commons)
  • Gyalwa Choyang ()
  • Dre Gyelwei Lodro, Gyalwe Lodro of Dré ()
  • Nyak Jnanakumara, Jnanakumara of Nyak()
  • Kawa Paltsek ()
  • Karchen Za, Khandro Yeshe Tsogyal the princess of Karchen ()
  • Langdro Konchok Jungue, Konchog Jungné of Langdro ()
  • Sogdian Lhapel, Lhapal the Sokpo ()
  • Namkhai Nyingpo ()
  • Nanam Zhang Yeshe De ()
  • Lhalung Pelgi Dorje, Lhalung Pelgyi Dorje ()

thumb|Palgyi Senge

  • Shuphu Pelgi Senge, Palgyi Senge ()
  • Karchen Palgyi Wangchuk ()
  • Odren Pelgi Wangchuk, Palgyi Wangchuk of Odren ()
  • Palgyi Yeshe ()
  • Ma Rinchen-chok, Rinchen Chok of Ma ()
  • Nubchen Sangye Yeshe (), reincarnated as Tsasum Lingpa
  • Shubu Palgyi Senge ()
  • Vairocana, Vairotsana, the great translator ()
  • Yeshe Yang ()
  • Gyelmo Yudra Nyingpo, Yudra Nyingpo of Gyalmo ()

Also, but not listed in the 25:

  • Vimalamitra ()
  • Tingdzin Zangpo () (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: