Eight Manifestation of Guru Rinpoche

Description

The eight manifestations of Guru Padmasambhava represent the life history of Guru Rinpoche. Among eight manifestations, six were peaceful in appearance while two were wrathful. Guru Padmasambhava has manifested in different forms as per situation demands as mostly during tempting the evil spirits in order to flourish Buddhism. The eight manifestation were:

1. Guru Tshokye Dorji: Vajra/Thunderbolt-holder, shown in the dark blue colour attire of the Sambhogakaya and depicted in union with consort.
2. Guru Shakya Sengye: The Lion of Sakyas who learns the Tantric practices of the eight Vidyadharas. He is shown as a fully ordained Buddhist monk.
3. Guru Pema Gyalpo: The lotus prince of Uddiyana is shown looking like a young crowned prince or king.
4. Guru Pema Jungney: Lotus arisen, the saviour who taught Dharma to people. He is portraited sitting on a lotus, dressing in the three robes of a monk, under which he wears a blue shirt, pants and heavy Tibetan boots, as protection against the cold. He holds the diamond scepter of compassionate love in his right hand and the yogi’s skull-bowl of clear wisdom in his left.
5. Guru Loden Chokse of Kashmir, the intelligent youth, the one who gathers the knowledge of all worlds. He is shown in princely clothes, beating a hand-drum and holding a skull-bowl.
6. Guru Nyima Ozer – the sun ray Yogi, who illuminates the darkness of the mind through the insight of dzogchen. He is shown as a naked yogi dressed only in a loin-cloth and holding a Khatvanga which points towards the sun.
7. Guru Dorji Drolo: The fierce manifestation of Vajrakilaya, known as “Diamond Guts” and the comforter of all, imprinting the elements with Wisdom-Treasure.
8. Guru Singye Dradog – the Lion debate, promulgator of the Dharma throughout the six realms of sentient beings. He is portraited in a very fierce form, dark blue attire and imitative of the powerful Bodhisattva Vajrapani, holding a thunderbolt scepter in one hand and a scorpion in the other.