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“As Guru Padmasambhava himself said, the purpose of attaining enlightenment is to benefit all beings. Benefitting beings is the activity of the buddhas. The source of this activity is the power of loving-kindness and compassion, along with the wisdom of nonduality. When buddhas act on behalf of beings, they do so primarily through the four activities of pacifying, increasing, magnetizing, and subjugating. By performing these activities individually or in combination, buddhas remove all the negativities and suffering of sentient beings and show them their own enlightened qualities. Sentient beings are heavily saturated and burdened by negative emotions, which are like blocks of ice. But when beings connect with the buddhas, those blocks of ice begin to melt quite easily. The activity of buddhas is therefore to awaken sentient beings to buddhahood—their innate nature— by whatever means necessary. All the activities the buddhas perform for the sake of sentient beings are embodied in Guru Padmasambhava.
Guru Padmasambhava’s activities are limitless, like the number of stars in the universe. He doesn’t just do one thing at a time—he can perform an inconceivable number of beneficial acts for the sake of an inconceivable number of beings in a single instant. When Guru Padmasambhava acts, there is no hesitation, no delay, no obstacle, and nothing missing. The movements of the ocean tides can be measured and relied on; yet Guru Padmasambhava’s activities are even more timely and accurate. Guru Padmasambhava performs all of the activities of all enlightened beings. We pray to that activity. We pray to Guru Padmasambhava.”
Venerable Khenpo Rinpoches
Vajra Sound of Peace: Practicing the Seven Chapter Prayer of Guru Padmasambhava (pgs 220-221)
Photo of Guru Padmasambhava Statue at PBC Padma Samye Chokhor Ling Monastery in Sarnath, India in 2013.
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