Guru Padmasambhava | 30 Aug 2024
A two-day conference on the Life and Living Legacy of Guru Padmasambhava was held in Nalanda, Bihar, organised by the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) and Nava Nalanda Mahavihara.
- The event will focus on Guru Padmasambhava’s adaptation of Buddhist teachings to local cultures and traditions.
- Guru Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche, was an 8th-century sage whose teachings significantly shaped the dissemination of Buddha Dhamma across the Himalayan region and is regarded as the second Buddha.
- Guru Padmasambhava, one of the founding fathers of Tibetan Buddhism, appeared in Tibet in 749 A.D. The other two founders were Acharya Shanta Rakshita and prevalent king Thisong Deotsen.
- Tibetan Buddhism is the Vajrayana (Tantric) form of Mahayana Buddhism from India.
- The Nyingma Sect's teachings are based on Padmasambhava. The teachings are classified into nine yanas, with Dzogchen (Great Perfection) being the most important.
- Dzogchen focuses on pure awareness through meditation, and the Vajrayana tradition involves ritual, symbols, and tantric practices to achieve nirvana.
- The IBC is a Buddhist umbrella body based in New Delhi that serves as a common platform for Buddhists worldwide. It currently has a membership of more than 320 organisations in 39 countries.
