Guru Padma Sambhava: the second Buddha

During the 8th century, the great Buddhist Saint, Guru Rinpoche originally known by the name Padma Sambhava made visits to Bhutan beginning with the year 746 A.D. Following these visits of Guru Rinpoche Buddhism flourished throughout the country.

As a Buddhist tantric master he brought the Vajrayana teachings to Bhutan and the other Himalayan countries. To his followers he is the second Buddha. He is said to have been born by virtue of the Buddha's prophecy made to his weeping disciples during his mahaparinirvana:

"Twelve years after my departure; From a lotus flower on the Dhanakosha Lake; There will be born one called Padma Jungney; Who will be greater than myself."

The Birth, discovery and adoption

Guru was born miraculously from the lotus in the middle of Lake Dhanakosha and the King Indrabodhi who was grief stricken due to loss of his son adopted Guru who can be depeicted as 'the Miraculously Born', without geneology. Whe the boy grew older, the king entrusted him with th government of the kingdom. He became reknowned for his excellence in poetry and philosophy, arts, music and meditation. A few years later he married a beautiful princees called Bhasadhara. But he soon realized that there was no real meaning to life based on the excercise of political power and other worldly pleasures and happiness. So he renounced the kingdom and and took a period of extended meditation and learnt the teachings from numerous masters.

The supernatural power

One of his greatest qualities was the supernatural powers of multiplying his bodily form. Eight manifestions was on of the methods he used to praech the Buddgist doctrine and subdue the anti-Buddhist forces. One time on a mission to sudue unrighteousness, he came to the city of Zahor, in the present day Himachal Pradesh, he met Princess Mandarava, the daughter of the king of Zahor. The princess chose to become his disciple,which the king got infuriated and Guru was burnt alive. Guru, however turned fire into water, creating a lake and appeared in the middle of the lake seated on a lotus flower. The king then realized that the Guru was indeed a supernatural being and made humble repentance and converted himself to Buddhism.

Guru's visit to Bhutan

His first vist took place in 746 A.D when he was invited to Bhutan to recover the life force of Sendha Gyap the ruler of Bumthang. Sendha Gyap who lost in one of the family feuds was foreced to live in exile with his retinue in Bumthang. He had a war with Naoche, the king of Duars area and one of his sons was killed in a battle. Sendha was upset at he desecrated all the abodes of the local tutelery diety, Shelging Karpo of Bumthang. Sheging Karpo as a act of revenge he took away the life focrce of Sendha and fell ill and was at the point of dying. Then the mission was sent to Nepal (Guru was miditating at this time here) to invite him to Nepal. Then Guru through his supernatural powers converted to Garuda and subdued Shelging Karpo and bounded by an oath to protect Buddhism. King's life foece was thus recovered and offered back to him. He was made a peace between Sindha and Naoche and returned back to India.

A year after he visited Bhutan, he was invited by the Tibetan King Thrisong Detsen, to help build the first Buddhist monastery in Lhasa. King could not build the monastery because of the hindrances by the demonic forces. Guru then visited Tibet and subdued the local demons using his tantric powers and the monastery was successfully built. It was during this stay in Tibet that Guru decided to visit Bhutan for the second time. This time he stayed in Bhutan for a condiderable time, visited many places and blessed them and then returned to Tibet.

Guru Rinpoche made a third brief visit to Bhutan during the reign of Muthri Tsenpo who succeeded his father Thrisong Detsun as the King of Tibet. His third visit to Bhutan took place while helping Muthri Tsenpo to overcome Khykharathoe (step son of king Thrisong Detsen) who was panning to destroy Samye Monastery. The Guru banished Khykharathoe beyond Tibetan border.

Both the beginning and the end of Guru are shrouded in mystery. He came to the world to help the humans and all the other sentient beings transcend from darkness to light. So as his birth, death or where about of Guru is miracle and mystery and in one of is epic stories it says "dha ta lho nup sinpoi khanan zed" meaning guru is at present in south west subdueing evil forces.