The Life and Liberation of Padmākara, the Second Buddha

Reposted from: lotsawahouse.org
Padmasambhava the manifestation of Amitābha sent to tame sentient beings:
The Life and Liberation of Padmākara, the Second Buddha
from A Precious Garland of Lapis Lazuli [1]
by Jamgön Kongtrul
Namo Guru-buddhādi-padmākara-pādāya
Padmasambhava, known as the ‘Second Buddha’, has influenced countless beings through the essential vajrayāna teachings of secret mantra, and especially through his profound terma-treasure activities here in Tibet. This great master was not an ordinary person on the path, nor merely a noble being on one of the bodhisattva levels. Guru Padmasambhava was an emanation of both Buddha Amitābha and the peerless Śākyamuni, and his purpose was to pacify human and spirit beings that were otherwise difficult to tame. Even the great bodhisattvas are incapable of fully telling the story of his life and liberation, yet I shall nonetheless give a brief outline in the pages that follow.
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