Guru Rinpoche: The Mural Path

Panel 07 of 10

The Arrival in Tibet

Then, through the force of aspirations in the past,
Trisong Deutsen, who was a Dharma-upholding king,
Gave rise to deep-felt wishes that a temple be built
And invited the great pandita Shantarakshita to come and pacify the site.
While the land was actually tamed without a problem,
The paṇḍita pretended otherwise and spoke of the prophecy of my arrival.
Three emissaries were thus sent with an invitation and gold.
— The Wish-Fulfilling Tree
King Trisong Detsen welcomes Padmasambhava to the Land of Snows
King Trisong Detsen welcomes Padmasambhava to the Land of Snows

While at the Asura cave in Nepal, Padmasambhava is visited by the Dharma Guardians who appeal to him, 'Envoys of the Tibetan king are coming to meet you but they are exhausted. Master, please go and meet them at the border.'

The auspicious and prophesied time for Tibet had arrived. Padmasambhava and the Tibetan envoys meet at Mangyul, on the Nepal Tibet border.

At Drakmar's Tamarisk Grove, the king came forth to greet me.
Although he was emperor, an emanation of Mañjushri,
The veil of his human birth was extremely dense,
And so he failed to see my qualities in full.
High and mighty, full of pride, the king's attitude was offensive.
So I sang a song of my greatness and displayed my magic.
The emperor's faith was kindled; he bowed down low
And presented a throne of gold and gifts in great abundance.
All Tibet's gods and humans then came to pay their respects.
— The Wish-Fulfilling Tree

Because he is the king of Tibet, Trisong Deutsen expects his guest to bow down to him. With his clairvoyant powers, Padmasambhava knows of the king's vanity and he does not bow down, saying to him, 'Listen here, ruler of Tibet! As the bearer of the Buddha's teaching, the king should humbly bow down but it seems your lungs are inflated with your great dominion.' The king's retinue is shocked at the foreigner's disrespect. Padmasambhava continues, 'I will not prostrate to the King of Tibet, but I pay homage to the clothing you wear.' Saying so, he raises one hand in a gesture of homage. Out of the blue, the king's outer garment catches fire. This brings the Tibetan king to his senses. With great appreciation for the master's arrival in Tibet, he immediately prostrates at Padmasambhava's feet.

Then I summoned every god and demon in the kingdom of Tibet,
Gave them orders, bound them to oaths, and consecrated the land.
With vajra dance and song of hūṃ, they were brought under my command.
During the day, the people laid down Samye's foundations,
But it was the gods and demons who took up the work at night.
— The Wish-Fulfilling Tree

From atop Mt. Hepori, Padmasambhava soars upwards in the air. He looks down into the valley below. The incomplete and wrecked outline of Samye monastery is visible. In mid air, he performs the wrathful dance of subjugation. The yul-lhas or the local deities gather in great numbers, filling the entire valley, mesmerized and magnetized by Padmasambhava's compelling presence. Padmasambhava continues, 'Gods and Fiends, fulfill the aspiration of Trisong Deutsen.'