Tibetan Buddhists believe that a Guru Rinpoche statue portrays the second Buddha. His contemporary, Santaraksita arrived in Tibet in the 8th century to teach Buddhism to the Tibetan people. While constructing the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet, work was impeded by the interference of angry mountain spirits. At the behest of Santaraksita, Guru Rinpoche traveled to Tibet from India and performed special rituals that freed the location from these evil spirits.
His methods are secret and mysterious. Indeed, our Guru Rinpoche statue is a depiction of a rather enigmatic character. His legacy is very rich spiritually but historically there is not much record of him.
Guru Rinpoche Statue Features:
Our Guru Rinpoche statue is also known as Padmasambhava which is translated from Sanskrit as “lotus born”. Additionally, Guru Rinpoche is holding his sacred khatvanga which represents his consort – Mandarava – the realization of emptiness. Furthermore, his khatvanga has 3 severed heads impaled on the tip. These three heads represent the vanquishment of desire, form and formlessness.
The left hand of Guru Rinpoche is in Dhyana mudra and holds the vase of immortality on his lap. Additionally, the immortality vase sits inside the sacred skull cup. Inside the vase is the deathless nectar of wisdom. In his right hand he holds the vajra symbol which symbolizes the masculine attribute of compassion. The vajra also has two meanings in Sanskrit – diamond and thunderbolt.
This classic depiction, shows his eyes burning with pristine awareness. Additionally, the crown of his cap is crested with the vulture feather which shows his realization of the highest view. Furthermore, this Guru Rinpoche statue comes with a removable frame. The statue sits on a structural base depicting two garudas that are supporting him. The statue base also depicts several Dharma wheels. Click here to learn more about the founder of Tibetan Buddhism.
