The text describes Padmasambhava’s spiritual journey as he works through layers of dharma and meditative practice through the personal and greater vehicles of spiritual awareness. It is an excellent description of ‘the path’ and offers us both guidance and reassurance of our progression. We can appreciate the progressive, stepwise nature of this journey, with Padmasambhava returning to his guru achieving the success of each step, with this being hardly acknowledged before a different, subtler and more profound instruction is given.

Padmasambhava is, at first, treated quite dismissively, yet as his diligence and persistence starts to manifest, we see a change in how he is received by his master until we see his tuition is more important than teaching a whole audience.

Initially, Padmasambhava is instructed to study the basic dharma. He is told Train your mind in the Tripitaka — the three baskets of Buddhist teachings. These are the Sutras (the written teachings of the Buddha), the Vinaya (the ethical code of ordained monks and laypeople), and the Abhidhamma (the technical points that support the scriptures and Vinaya). We learn he travels widely through India to gain these teachings.

I am inspired and reassured by this text as this somewhat follows my path and hopefully is reflected in this course.

Next, Padmasambhava is instructed to learn tantric Buddhism, and we learn that he travels further and, through the use of various mantra, learns to ‘bind’ his mental experiences, realising that all phenomena experience is dreamlike. When he returns to his guru, Shri Singha now calls him a ‘novice’ but also dismisses the assembly and focuses fully on his student.

Shri Singha recognises that Padmasambhava now realises cognitively that all phenomena are dreamlike — but without taking this understanding to ‘heart’, it remains as mere mental ‘platitudes’. If Padmasambhava wishes to progress, he must learn a different way of meditating and practicing.

Firstly, perhaps as a symbolic initiation into a lineage of masters, he must make an offering of a gold mandala — a symbol representing the esoteric structure of reality. I am unsure, but feel this represents a kind of contract between the guru and his student.

Next, he is given new meditation instructions based on the subtle body — a network of subtle channels that support the ‘winds’ (movements secondary to consciousness) and the ‘bindus’, collections or drops of consciousness. Firstly, he must rest in a simple, cross-legged meditation position and with open eyes, gaze at the empty expanse of sky. Such a position is optimal for the channels.

Next, the winds, which originate from the heart, must be ‘tightened’ in the lower parts and relaxed (suppressed) in the upper body. Lastly, Padmasambhava is instructed to visualise a Tibetan ཨེ (E) arising from a red bindu in the navel chakra. The red bindus are what create sensory and mental objects within our mental continuum. Next one must visualise a Tibetan བཾ (BAM) arising from the crown (head) chakra from a white bindu. The white bindus give us our experience of subjectivity. One must imagine a blazing heat arising in the navel chakra that melts the white bindus and causes both to meet in the heart chakra. We are told this is the essential point of the bindus, and is identical to the process of death as described in the Tibetan Book of the Dead. One must allow this bindu to become smaller and smaller until nothing whatsoever is kept in mind.

Padmasambhava practices in this way until he develops what are called ‘the inner signs’ — no sensation of body, no sensation of the inhalation and exhalation of breath, the feeling of being able to move unimpeded through appearances — as well as a feeling of being immortal. However, when he returns to his master to announce this, his pride in these achievements is highlighted and he is instructed to return and practice thoughtless meditation:

“Now go to a solitary place, and do not create any mental fabrications whatsoever.”

After a year of solitary practice, Padmasambhava starts to penetrate the meaning of emptiness, and recognises that:

“Emptiness is appearance! Appearance is emptiness!
Appearance and emptiness are indivisible!
There is no duality regarding buddhas and sentient beings!”

He returns to his guru for further instruction. Again, his guru recognises his progress but also his tendency for mere cognitive understanding. His guru explains that if he had really penetrated the understanding of this, his selflessness should permit the acceptance of harmful or wicked deeds done to himself, if he believes that karma can be transcended this way.

Here, Padmasambhava recognises that he has a conceptual understanding, but this is merely scratching the surface of a more thorough realisation. When ‘tested’ — is his selflessness so complete that he is truly indifferent to his welfare? Clearly, there remain deep and instinctive feelings about self, which will require further work. He is instructed:

“Now, go again to a solitary place, and let your body remain like a corpse, let your voice remain like that of a mute, and let your mind remain like the sky.”

This is now pure dzogchen training. Padmasambhava reports the following experiences:

• Clarity without inside or outside, manifesting as wakefulness and emptiness
• Emptiness with no clinging
• Bliss like melting butter, totally free
• Absence of mind-body sense, like mist
• Recognition of neither self nor others

He returns again to his guru, who says these are only the first stages. He warns against becoming attached to experiences and instead to dwell in ‘freshness’ — naked awareness.

“This mind without any projection or dissolution of thoughts… is one-pointedness.”
“There is nothing to abandon or accomplish — this is one taste.”
“There is no thing to be cultivated — this is nonmeditation.”

When Padmasambhava asks “If that is so, how should I train?”, he is told to bring forth his original mind and let it rest like space.

Eventually he reaches the final instruction, returning to his guru with no desire, no clinging, and no sense of gain. He replies:

“This is not prostrating, and I do not have even a tip of a hair’s worth of understanding to offer you. It is now like the trace of a bird flying in the sky.”

Shri Singha acknowledges full realisation has been reached and offers this final advice:

“That realisation cannot change; do not abandon it!
Without separating from that realisation, go wherever you wish.”

Padmasambhava “took to heart the fact that all things are dreamlike and illusory and that the mind itself is beyond birth and death.” He travelled through India and Tibet, spreading the teachings and establishing temples and lineages.

Final Sealed Instruction

I, Padma of Uddiyana, followed Guru Shri Singha.
This, his final instruction, liberated me, Padma.
Though not liberated by the Tripitaka or Secret Mantra, I was liberated by this secret teaching.

May all the worthy ones also be liberated through this.
May this final and direct instruction of Guru Shri Singha
Meet with a worthy person who possesses former training!

This is concealed in the Lotus Crystal Cave.
I entrust it to you, Shampo*, in case an unworthy person comes.
There is no instruction like this in the world.

SAMAYA.
SEAL, SEAL, SEAL.
SEAL OF ENTRUSTMENT.
SEAL OF SECRECY.
ITHI.

*Daklha Shampo is one of the native spirits of Tibet who pledged he would guard Padmasambhava’s treasure teachings.
Quoted material is attributed to Padmasambhava’s teachings as presented in The Treasure of the Lotus Crystal Cave, a traditional Tibetan text transmitted within the Nyingma lineage.

© 2025 Simon Robinson