Foreword

The teachings included in Advice from the Lotus-Born were spoken directly by Padmasambhava to his close disciples in Tibet. Primarily they were given in response to questions from Lady Tsogyal, the princess of Kharchen, who wrote them down and concealed them as a precious terma treasure to be revealed many centuries later. Almost every chapter mentions that these instructions were given for the benefit of practitioners of future generations, and often they include the words: “May this meet with all worthy and destined people in the future!”
Advice from the Lotus-Born is a companion volume to Dakini Teachings (Shambhala Publications, 1989), and part of an ongoing effort to present the teachings of Padmasambhava for application by modern-day practitioners. Padmasambhava is the great master who established Buddhism in Tibet during the latter part of the eighth century. The Lotus-Born (Shambhala Publications, 1993) contains the details of his life.
Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche expressed the conviction that an English translation of these precious teachings would bring great benefit. He asked me to seek out and select the most profound instructions involving topics different from those presented in Dakini Teachings.
This volume containing the oral advice of Vajrayana’s most outstanding master was collected from various terma teachings. While these revelations span many centuries and were revealed by different people at different places, their language and grammatical style are almost identical.
The material presented here represents only a fraction of the immense body of terma treasures revealed over the last millennium. This book was compiled from the following sources: Rigdzin Godem’s Gongpa Sangtal, Nyang Ral’s Martri, Sangye Lingpa’s Lama Gongdu, Tongwa Donden (a compilation), Pema Ledrel Tsal’s Khandro Nyingtig, and the New Treasures of Chokgyur Lingpa.
The first chapter, entitled the Jewel Spike Testament, and the sixth and longest chapter, the Treasury of Precious Jewels, are taken from the famous Gongpa Sangtal, a cycle of terma teachings revealed by Rigdzin Godem (1337-1408), the master of the Jangter or ‘northern terma’ tradition of the Nyingma school. Rigdzin Godem literally means ‘the vidyadhara with the vulture feather’; he received this name because three vulture feathers grew from his head when he was twelve years old, and five more when he was twenty-four. A reincarnation of Dorje Dudjom of Nanam, one of the nine close Tibetan disciples of Padmasambhava, he is also counted among the five king-like tertons.
Gongpa Sangtal is an abbreviation of ‘Showing Directly the Realization of Samantabhadra,’ the primordial buddha. This collection of teachings also contains the renowned ‘Aspiration of Samantabhadra.’ Gongpa Sangtal consists of five sections; these chapters belong to the one called Kadag Rangjung Rangshar, ‘self-existing and self-manifest primordial purity.’
The second major source is Nyang Ral’s Martri, the ‘Direct Instructions’ of Padmasambhava revealed by the great master Nyang Ral Nyima Özer (1124-1192). In Dakini Teachings I briefly described Nyang Ral’s life. This set of teachings was included by Jamgon Kongtrul (1813-1899) in Rinchen Terdzo, a renowned collection of terma teachings known as the Precious Treasury of Termas.
The third source is Lama Gongdu, revealed by Sangye Lingpa (1340-1396). The name means the ‘embodied realization of the master’ (Padmasambhava). Sangye Lingpa was a reincarnation of the second son of King Trisong Deutsen (790-844), and is counted among the Eight Lingpas or major tertons. His principal revelation was the massive Lama Gongdu cycle of termas in 18 volumes of approximately 700 pages each, and the Kathang Sertreng, the extensive biography of Padmasambhava known as the Golden Chronicles.
Tongwa Donden means ‘meaningful to behold,’ and is a biography of Padmasambhava compiled from three major sources: the Katang chronicles revealed by Orgyen Lingpa (1329-1360/67), Nyang Ral (1124-1192), and Guru Chowang (1212-1270). Consisting of 274 large block-print folios, this manuscript was found in the library of Shechen Tennyi Dargye Ling in Boudhanath. The colophon mentions that it includes material from: 1) the Extensive Biography of the Great Master of Uddiyana, revealed by Orgyen Lingpa from the supreme place of the Crystal Cave of Yarlung; 2) the Testament of Padma, revealed by the great terton Nyang Ral; 3) the Biography of 45 Deeds, composed by Princess Mandarava and condensed into the Biography of 11 Deeds by Guru Chowang, the terton of Lhodrak; and 4) separate instructions, various replies to questions, and prophecies from the Lama Gongdu cycle of Sangye Lingpa.
As the fourth source, I used a chapter from Pema Ledrel Tsal’s Khandro Nyingtig, the ‘Heart Essence of the Dakinis.’ Padmasambhava concealed his teachings on the Innermost Unexcelled Cycle of the Great Perfection to be revealed in the future as Khandro Nyingtig. The terton of this important cycle was Pema Ledrel Tsal (1291-1315/9), a reincarnation of Princess Pema Sal, the daughter of King Trisong Deutsen. His immediate rebirth was as the illustrious master Longchen Rabjam (1308-1363) followed by Pema Lingpa (1445-1521). In recent years this master incarnated as Khenpo Ngakchung, alias Ngawang Palsang (1879-1941), who also used the name Pema Ledrel Tsal.
Lastly, the Aspiration of the Vajradhatu Mandala is the single most important chant of good wishes in the Chokling Tersar. It is recited from memory at the end of almost any spiritual gathering in the Kagyu and Nyingma traditions. The Chokling Tersar, the ‘New Terma Treasures of Chokgyur Lingpa’ (1829-1870), were discovered by the great terton and his two close associates Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (1820-1892) and Jamgon Kongtrul the First (1813-1899).
Thanks to His Eminence Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, who upholds the heart of Padmasambhava’s teachings, for kindly explaining any question I had and for his profound instructions illuminating the depth of the view presented in this book; and to Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche for extensively teaching the Dharma over the years, including two seminars covering questions and answers between Padmasambhava and Yeshe Tsogyal.
Lastly, I rejoice in the fact that these translations were completed at the Asura Cave Temple on the tenth day of the lunar month, a day on which Padmasambhava promised to come from his pure land, the Glorious Copper-colored Mountain, to bless whoever calls upon him. May these precious teachings deeply inspire whoever reads them!
Erik Pema Kunsang
Nagi Gompa, 1994