“It is important to understand that all the activities of Guru Rinpoche are designed to break through the rigidity of our dualistic concepts and conventions. He is beyond the limits of worldly views and traditions. In one sense, these conditioned forms are very important and special, but in another way, they are just conceptual systems developed to solve certain problems, none of which apply to the realization of the true nature. Our view of things is a creation or product of our conceptualization. Guru Padmasambhava’s activities transcend these definitions and indicate that in order to become enlightened we have to go beyond mundane approaches.

Guru Rinpoche has appeared in the world in the guise of kings and queens, royal ministers, peasants, children, and even as animals. He continues to appear in many different ways in order to help beings break down the walls of dualistic conceptions that restrict understanding, liberating them into the vastness of equanimity. That is the focus of Guru Rinpoche’s activity. As the embodiment of ultimate bodhichitta, he uses many different forms to communicate.

Bodhichitta is available to every sentient being all the time, throughout the day, from year to year, throughout all our lifetimes, and on into the future forever. It is something very special for every one of us. In developing bodhichitta, we don’t have to make any particular effort to remove negative qualities, such as anger and jealousy. The generation of bodhichitta naturally removes these obstacles, just as darkness naturally disappears the moment the sun rises in the eastern sky. Compassion is one of the primary roots of spiritual practice. Every spiritual discipline must be based on compassion, and for that reason Guru Padmasambhava taught that if you don’t have compassion, then the root of your spirituality is rotten. It might even start to smell.

Everybody needs love and compassion all the time. No one would refuse the gifts and benefits of love and compassion. These qualities are well symbolized by the lotus flower, or padma, which is always fresh and lovely. Everyone can appreciate its beauty. Sambhava means “essence” or “identity.” This means that the essence of all blessing and benefit for beings in samsara is bodhichitta. It is the essence of real spiritual practice and we should continually develop it in ourselves.”

 

Venerable Khenpo Rinpoches
Liberating Duality with Wisdom Display: The Eight Emanations of Guru Padmasambhava (pgs 60-61)

www.padmasambhava.org/chiso/books-by-khenpo-rinpoches/liberating-duality-with-wisdom-display-eight-emanations-of-guru-padmasambhava