Who was Padmasambhava?
The tantric adept Padmasabhava („Born of the Lotus“) orignated from Uddiyana (Swat, Pakistan). When he reached Tibet in the 8th century, Buddhism had already begun to take hold in the Land of Snow.
There is little historically substantiated information about his life however, only legends remain that tell of his occult activites, magical powers and performing of miracles. Having assumed entirely mythical proportions, Padmasabhava was frequently depicted in Tibetan art in eight aspects that related to the phases of his teaching activity.
Since he considered men not yet ready to receive his teachings, Padmasabhava hid his writings away in the hope that later terton (treasure finders) would discover and explain them. The biography of the master written by his female pupil, Yeshe Tsogyal was similarly and intentionally concealed as a treasure (terma). The Tibetan Nyingma School, which Padmasambhava is credited with founding, reveres him as a second Buddha.
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