Padmasambhava Mantra
“Looks Like Me” Padmasambhava Statue
This statue of Padmasambhava was made from life and blessed by him in the eighth century in Tibet. It is believed that on seeing this statue at Samyé, he remarked, “It looks like me,” and then blessed it, saying, “Now it is the same as me!” [source RigpaWiki]
Benefits
Guru Padmasambhava Himself explained the benefits of this mantra in answer to a question from Khandro Yeshe Tsogyal,
“this essential Vajra Guru mantra — if recited with vast bodhicitta aspiration in great sacred places, in monasteries, on the peaks of high mountains and the shores of vast rivers, in places inhabited by gods, demons and evil spirits, at the heads of valleys, geophysical junctions and so on—by ngakpas with unbroken samaya, vow-holding monastics, faithful men, women of fine qualities, and the like, however many times—one hundred, one thousand, ten thousand, one hundred thousand, ten million, one hundred million, etc.— will bring inconceivable benefits and powers.
“Countries everywhere will be protected from all plague, famine, warfare, armed violence, poor harvests, bad omens and evil spells. Rain will fall on time, harvests and livestock will be excellent, and lands will prosper. In this life, future lives, and on the pathways of the bardo, fortunate practitioners will meet me again and again—at best in actuality, or else in visions, and at the very least in dreams. Having gradually perfected the levels and paths, there is no doubt that they will join the ranks of male and female Awareness Holders in Ngayab Ling.
“Even one hundred recitations per day without interruption will make you attractive to others, and food, wealth and enjoyments will appear effortlessly. If you recite the mantra one thousand, ten thousand, or more times per day, you will bring others under your influence with your brilliance, and blessings and powers will be continuously and unobstructedly obtained. If you perform one hundred thousand, ten million or more recitations, the three worlds will come under your power, the three levels of existence will fall under your glorious sway, gods and spirits will be at your bidding, the four modes of enlightened activity will be accomplished without hindrance, and you will be able to bring immeasurable benefit to all sentient beings in whatever ways are needed. If you can do thirty million, seventy million or more recitations, you will never be separate from the Buddhas of the three times nor ever apart from me; thus, the eight classes of gods and spirits will obey your orders, praise your words, and accomplish whatever tasks you entrust to them.
“At best, practitioners will attain the rainbow body; failing that, at the time of death, mother and child luminosities will meet; and at the very least, they will see me in the bardo and all their perceptions having been liberated into their essential nature, they will be reborn in Ngayab Ling and accomplish immeasurable benefit for sentient beings….
“Any sentient being who sees, hears, or thinks of the mantra will definitely be established among the ranks of the male and female Awareness Holders.”
[Excerpted from The Benefits of the Vajra Guru Mantra and an Explanation of its Syllables, A Treasure Text Revealed by Tulku Karma Lingpa]
Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Maratika Cave in Nepal where Guru Padmasambhava (also known as Guru Rinpoche) achieved the state of immortality practicing in these caves, February 2016. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche lauds Padmasambhava’s contribution to humanity:
“Due to Padmasambhava’s great compassion, Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism flourished in Tibet and now has spread throughout the entire world.
Because of that, so many people have experienced the path to enlightenment and achieved enlightenment.
Due to his great compassion, the lives of infinite number of sentient beings have become meaningful.”
– Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche
[Excerpted from FPMT’s Padmasambhava Project for Peace.]
Meaning
Guru Padmasambhava Himself explained the meaning of this mantra to Khandro Yeshe Tsogyal,
“O, Noble Daughter, the Vajra Guru mantra is not only my essential mantra, it is the life-essence of the deities of the four classes of tantra, the nine vehicles, the 84,000 aspects of the Dharma, and so on. The heart essence of all the Buddhas of the three times, the lamas, deities, ḍākinīs, Dharma protectors, and the like is encompassed by this mantra. The reason for this is as follows. Listen well and hold this in your heart. Recite the mantra. Write it. Tell it to sentient beings in the future…
OṂ ĀḤ HŪṂ purifies obscurations of the three mental poisons.
VAJRA purifies obscurations of hatred and aversion.
GURU purifies obscurations of pride.
PADMA purifies obscurations of craving and attachment.
SIDDHI purifies obscurations of jealousy.
HŪṂ purifies obscurations of delusion and disturbing emotions…
OṂ ĀḤ HŪṂ grants the attainment of the three kāyas.
VAJRA grants the attainment of mirror-like wisdom.
GURU grants the attainment of the wisdom of equanimity.
PADMA grants the attainment of the wisdom of discernment.
SIDDHI grants the attainment of all-accomplishing wisdom.
HŪṂ grants the attainment of all that stems from primordial wisdom…
OṂ ĀḤ HŪṂ crushes the forces of the five poisons.
VAJRA crushes the forces of hatred and aversion.
GURU crushes the forces of pride.
PADMA crushes the forces of craving and attachment.
SIDDHI crushes the forces of jealousy.
HŪṂ crushes the forces of gods, demons and humans.”
[Excerpted from the many benefits detailed in The Benefits of the Vajra Guru Mantra and an Explanation of its Syllables, A Treasure Text Revealed by Tulku Karma Lingpa]
Sound
Visualisation
Photo: Padmasambhava statues at Kachoe Dechen Ling. Photo by Chris Majors.
Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains the following way to visualise:
“You request to Padmasambhava and rainfalls, like rainfalls numberless Padmasambhava absorb to yourself and all sentient beings, yourself and all sentient beings in the world receive like rainfalls, and they generate refuge, faith in Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha and regret negative karma, from there all the realizations up to enlightenment, renunciation, bodhichitta, right view, you can think that when you are chanting, like rainfalls of Padmasambhavas…
“[A]lways we have to remember the kindness of Padmasambhava, then praying to Padmasambhava, one’s own guru and Padmasambhava being one, then looking at it in that way, make one-pointed prayer for success of that.
“Then, Padmasambhava said… “Anybody who has karma, capable being, devoted capable being, then make… means so strong devotion, so strong devotion then makes request to me, by the dependence of a cause and result, dependent arising prayer, by dependence of cause and result, dependent arising prayer, that I, I then quick to guide you, to grant help, to guide you, I become quicker than other buddhas to that person who has karma, cause and result dependent arising, prayers due to that.”
[Excerpted from an unedited transcript typed simultaneously as Rinpoche taught at Chenrezig Institute, Eudlo, Australia, 1–4 June 2018]
“Padmasambhava, known as the ‘Second Buddha’, has influenced countless beings through the essential vajrayāna teachings of secret mantra, and especially through his profound terma-treasure activities here in Tibet. This great master was not an ordinary person on the path, nor merely a noble being on one of the bodhisattva levels. Guru Padmasambhava was an emanation of both Buddha Amitābha and the peerless Śākyamuni, and his purpose was to pacify human and spirit beings that were otherwise difficult to tame.”
