Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche

The Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche (Tib. གུ་རུ་མཚན་བརྒྱད་, guru tsen gyé; Wyl. gu ru mtshan brgyad) are the eight principal forms assumed by Guru Rinpoche at different points in his life:

Guru Tsokyé Dorje, 'Lake-born Vajra' (birth)
Guru Shakya Sengé, 'Lion of the Shakyas' (ordination)
Guru Nyima Özer, 'Rays of the Sun' (subjugating demonic spirits)
Guru Padmasambhava, ‘Lotus-born’ (establishing Buddhism in Tibet); Guru Pema Jungné (Wyl. gu ru pad+ma 'byung gnas)
Guru Loden Choksé 'Wise Seeker of the Sublime' (mastery of the teachings)
Guru Pema Gyalpo 'The Lotus King' (kingship)
Guru Sengé Dradrok 'The Lion's Roar' (subjugation of non-buddhists)
Guru Dorje Drolö 'Wild Wrathful Vajra' (concealing terma, binding spirits under oath)

The Eight Manifestations of Padmasambhava do not depict different Padmasambhavas, but reflect his ability to appear according to different needs and demands. In fact, they are called in Tibetan Guru Tsen Gyé, the eight ‘names’ of the Guru; each manifestation demonstrates a different principle that unveils the innermost nature of mind. As Guru Rinpoche said: “Mind itself is Padmasambhava; there is no practice or meditation apart from that.”^[1]

Alternative Names & Lists

Other lists include:

Orgyen Dorje Chang (Skt. Guru Vajradhara)
Guru Padmakara
Guru Pema Tötreng Tsal

Pema Kathang

In the Pema Kathang revealed by Orgyen Lingpa the eight manifestations are mentioned in chapter 19:

Guru Shakya Sengé (east)
Guru Pema Gyalpo (south)
Guru Padmasambhava (west)
Guru Dorje Drolö (north)
Guru Nyima Özer (southeast)
Guru Padmakara (southwest)
Guru Sengé Dradrok (northwest)
Guru Loden Choksé (northeast)

Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo

In his praise of the eight manifestations entitled A Garland of Youthful Utpalas (ut+pal gzhon nu'i do shal)^[2], Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo lists the eight as:

Guru Tsokyé Dorje
Guru Loden Choksé
Guru Pema Gyalpo
Guru Shakya Sengé
Guru Nyima Özer
Guru Sengé Dradrok
Guru Dorje Drolö
Guru Padmakara

Dungkar Lobzang Trinlé

In his Great Tibetan Dictionary (p.500), Dungkar Lobzang Trinlé lists them as follows:

Guru Tsokyé Dorje
Guru Dorje Drakpo Tsal
Guru Shakya Sengé
Guru Loden Choksé
Guru Pema Tötreng Tsal
Guru Pema Gyalpo
Guru Nyima Özer
Guru Sengé Dradrok

Tukdrup Yang Nying Kundü

In the empowerment of Tukdrup Yang Nying Kundü, Guru Rinpoche and his Eight Manifestations appear as:

the master Padma Thötreng,
the vidyadhara Padmajungné,
the bhikshu Padmasambhava,
the scholar Loden Choksé,
the majestic and overpowering Padma Gyalpo,
the yogin Nyima Özer,
the bhagavan Shakya Sengé,
the great wrathful Senge Dradok and
the crazy Dorje Drolö.^[3]

Gallery

Sets of thangkas of the Eight Manifestations include a central image of Guru Pema Jungné.

Guru Tsokyé Dorje
Pema Jungné or Orgyen Dorje Chang
Shakya Sengé
Nyima Özer
Padmasambhava
Loden Choksé
Pema Gyalpo
Sengé Dradok
Dorje Drolö

The Empowerment of Padmasambhava and his Eight Manifestations

Tukdrup Yang Nying Kundü (Tib.), the empowerment of Padmasambhava and his Eight Manifestations according to the Sangwa Gyachen (Tib.), the Pure Visions of the Great Fifth Dalai Lama, has been given to the Rigpa sangha by His Holiness the Dalai Lama at:
- the Pagode de Vincennes in Paris, 1982,
- San Jose 1989 and
- Lerab Gar 2000.

References

↑ Adapted from Dzogchen & Padmasambhava
↑ Collected Works, Vol. ka, pages 132-4
↑ Dalai Lama, Dzogchen, page 230.

External Links

Padmasambhava: Eight Forms at Himalayan Art

[1] Adapted from Dzogchen & Padmasambhava

[2] Collected Works, Vol. ka, pages 132-4

[3] Dalai Lama, Dzogchen, page 230.

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