March 30, 2009 - 11:57am
Why Padmasambhava?
“Following in your footsteps, I pray to you. Come and bless me with your grace!” Common Tibetan prayer to Padmasambhava
Why Padmasambhava? For the layers upon layers of story, both visible and hidden. There is the man Padmasambhava, born from a lotus, future king and exiled murderer, lover of women, tamer of spirits, emissary of Buddhism, practicing the highest skills, inhabiting that ethereal realm between myth and history.
There are the countless treasures, buried across Tibet’s mountains and valleys, spiritual gems of the highest order. They lie in wait, obscured and hidden, patient for the right person, at the right place, at the right time; the terton, or “Treasure Discoverer.”
These spiritual pirates wander Tibet’s mysterious and powerful landscape, engaged in one great big treasure hunt. Padmasambhava and the elusive search for spiritual renewal is the first story of Triptych Journey.
A footnote to the Drigung Mandala: just before the only right-angle bend halfway up the Shoto Valley, below Terdrom, on the north side of the road, are to be found a number of saucer-sized concavities in the rock-face. It was explained by a local informant that these hollows were formed by laymen who would rub the top of their heads in the hollows in prayerful appeal to the Drigung treasure-finders to reveal Guru Rimpoche’s teaching, to provide instruction for these difficult times. And to replace the loses of the Cultural Revolution. (121, The Power Places of Central Tibet, Keith Dowman)
Hi Marc
fantastic idea and website looks great, hope you have many triptych journeys with that bring much discovery and insight. Would love to join you in the footsteps of Padmasambhava, i may not be a creative artiste but i’m sure i could contribute in some way (but not as your porter). I’ll keep checking in now and again to see how it all progresses. Best of luck, Jim