The Lotus Born

" Don't mistake mere words to be the meaning of the teachings. Mingle the practice with your own being and attain liberation from samsara right now." Padmasambhava Padmasambhava is the primary master of Vajrayana, the teachings for our time. Out of his great compassion and wisdom, he instructed his main disciple Yeshe Tsogyal to conceal terma treasures to be revealed at the destined time for future practitioners. The profundity of this advice is meant to be personally applied by all individuals in all circumstances. It is a classic work, which contains valid truth for anyone who sincerely wants to follow a spiritual path. "The chief compiler of Padmasambhava's teachings was Yeshe Tsogyal, an emanation of a female Buddha. There may be some people who believe that only men can attain enlightenment, but her life is proof to the opposite. The awakened state of mind is neither male or female." Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, from Introductory Teachings

In English translation for the first time, this is "the most authoritative scripture" regarding how the Dharma was planted in Tibet, according to His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. Titles in the original Tibetan "The Sanglingma Life Story," it was recorded by the dakini Yeshe Tsogyal, concealed in the ninth century at Sanglingma (Copper Temple) in Samye, and revealed by Nyang Ral Nyima Oser in the twelfth century. In addition to narrating the legendary story of a unique spiritual personality, the book contains oral instructions and advice that he left for the benefit of future generations. Also included are "A Clarification of the Life of Padmasambhava" by Tsele Natsok Rangdrouml;l, an extensive glossary and index, and a bibliography of Tibetan and English sources.

The first Tibetan to attain complete enlightenment was in all probability the woman Yeshe Tsogyal, the closest disciple of Padmasambhava, the master who brought Buddhism to Tibet in the eighth century. This classical text is not only a biography but also an inspiring example of how the Buddha's teaching can be put into practice. Lady of the Lotus-Born interweaves profound Buddhist teachings with a colorful narrative that includes episodes of adventure, court intrigue, and personal searching. The book will appeal to students of Tibetan Buddhism and readers interested in the role of women in Buddhism and world religions.

Based on the author's thesis (doctoral--Harvard University, 2012) under title: Delivering the Lotus-Born: historiography in the Tibetan Renaissance.

Following in Your Footsteps - The Lotus-Born Guru in Nepal, is the first of a three-part series of books dedicated to the sacred sites of Padmasambhava in India, Nepal, and Tibet. This series will trace the full arch of the journey of the Guru, who, beyond being a historical personage, is known as the very embodiment and personification of the tantric Buddhism. In this, the first of this three part series of books, we will present Guru Rinpoche's life and deeds in Nepal. The mountains and valleys of Nepal played a unique role in the life of Guru Rinpoche. It is here that Guru Rinpoche went on extensive retreat, gave countless teachings to disciples, hid terma treasures and blessed the hills and valleys. In these pages we will encounter the stories behind the sites, learning how these miraculous events unfolded, and how masters throughout the ages have drawn upon their inspiration. The first part of this book presents an introduction to sacred sites, an introduction to Guru Rinpoche, traditional literature surrounding Guru Rinpoche, and an overview of Guru Rinpoche's time in Nepal. The second part, the main body of the book, tells of Guru Rinpoche's life in Nepal through the places where he practiced and accomplished the path, taming hosts of humans and spirits all along the way. Finally, the third part presents an essential selection of prayers for invoking Guru Padmasambhava. Why focus this first book on Nepal? It is because generations ago, a certain devoted young man made the aspiration to be reborn as a realised master in the land of Nepal, before the great Jarung Kashor Stupa - this devoted son later became known as Padmasambhava. Aspirations hold power, and it is our aspiration that this guide serve as a catalyst for your own journey, to follow in the footsteps of the one renowned as the Lotus-Born.

The Lotus-Born is the amazing story of the mystic, master scholar, and outrageous yogi Padmasambhava, who grew up an adopted prince, was banished, and burned at the stake in a neighboring kingdom, yet continued, miraculously unscathed, to live more than 500 years. His dramatic, illuminating story is available for the first time in English in this translation of Princess Yeshe Tsogyal's ninth-century biography of Padmasambhava. A master whose insights filigree this book, Padmasambhava is considered second in importance only to the Buddha in the Tibetan spiritual tradition.

The commentary translated in these pages is unusual and rare. But if the commentary is a rarity, its subject matter—the seven-line invocation of Padmasambhava—is one of the best-known prayers in the Tibetan Buddhist world. The overall significance of the Seven-Line Prayer is perhaps best appreciated in relation to a practice called guru-yoga, or "union with the nature of the guru." The purpose of guru-yoga is to purify and deepen the student's relationship with his or her teacher. It is introduced as one of the preliminary practices, and it remains crucial—in fact, its importance increases—as one progresses through the more advanced levels of the tantric path. The cultivation of devotion to the guru and the blending of one's mind with his or her enlightened mind is, in the words of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, "the most vital and necessary of all practices and is in itself the surest and fastest way to reach the goal of enlightenment." Regarding the origin of this commentary, Mipham refers in the colophon to an event that triggered the abrupt appearance in his mind of the hidden meaning of the prayer. It is interesting to note that the language Mipham uses suggests that the commentary itself is not an ordinary composition but perhaps a treasure teaching, specifically a "mind-treasure" or gongter.

The first Tibetan to attain complete enlightenment was in all probability the woman Yeshe Tsogyal, the closest disciple of Padmasambhava, the master who brought Buddhism to Tibet in the eighth century. This classical text is not only a biography but also an inspiring example of how the Buddha's teaching can be put into practice. Lady of the Lotus-Born interweaves profound Buddhist teachings with a colorful narrative that includes episodes of adventure, court intrigue, and personal searching. The book will appeal to students of Tibetan Buddhism and readers interested in the role of women in Buddhism and world religions.