Thapa - Padmasambhava Legend in Tibet

DALTON:

The Early Development of the Padmasambhava Legend in Tibet769infactPT44and the Dba'bzhedwerealready part of the"mythographical radition."The Asura Caveaccount, the AMvakarnapring, and other evidence all indicate that by the timePT44and the Dba'bzhed were composed in the late tenth or eleventh century, the tradition was well established, with strong roots in the dark period of Tibetan history. Wangdu and

Diemberger'sconclusion leads them to speculation the character of a historical Padmasambhava.n the Dba'bzhed Padmasambhava's is it to Tibet is far shorterhanin later sources, as he is sent back to India by Tibetan supposing his activities.This prompts the following theory:The portrait Padmasambhavas is mainly concerned with water magic and sheer water technology (for example, when he suggests training rivers and lakes with gabions that these can

be crossed),may even hint at possible attempt important to Tibet he sophisticated irrigation systems used in this land of origin. In fact both in northern Pakistan[Padmasambhava'sirth-place] and further western region there had been along tradition of extremely advanced irrigation technology which allowed a very efficient use of springs and even made it possible to cross great

expanses of desert with covered channels.Given the political importance of control over water resources,t is not surprising that the Tibetan political leaders hipel tmore threatened than pleased.38 There is some evidence of the importance of irrigation and water rights ino the rregions of central Asia among the documents

dating from the late eighth century.39Onemightalsobetempted to use Wangdu and Diemberger's theory to explain ITJ644'sa account of our(proto-?)Padmasambhava creates the spring and the eight streams at the Asura Cave in Nepal. Moreover it is certainly the case that anyone working eighth-century india or Tibet to manipulate bodies of water would inevitably have been faced with local beliefs in

the naga spirits protecting those sites.40The tantric subjugation rites would have complemented such work, and Padmasambhava's demon-taming activities described in may well reflects this dual role. Padmasambhava's rans formation of the Tibetan landscape may have been both physical and spiritual nature. However, we should be wary of such speculations, particularly given the extensive mutability seen in all of our

evidence. Whatever the case may be regarding a possibly historical Padmasambhava and his involvement in the physical landscape,it was the spiritual aspect of Padmasambhava that captured he Tibetan imagination.The theme of violent sub-jugation is crucial to Tibetan

culture,and Padmasambhavas the demon tamer parexcel-lence. Others have noted a tendency among Tibetans to refer to themselves as "Red-Faced Flesh-Eating Demons"in need of taming.41Vajrakilaya, the main deity used for pinning demons to the ground,appear shrough outall kinds of

Tibetan rituals. Reenactments of the Buddha'staming of Rudra,or of Padmasambhava's aming of the native demons,are per-formed at almost every Tibetan festival. Padmasambhava tands at the center of all these aspect sof Tibetan culture. Whatever the historical realities

o fPadmasambhava,his legend developed a long the themes of subjugation. Ultimately,o searchfor an original Padmasambhav may in fact be less illuminatinghanto trace his continually changing manifestations hrough Tibetan history.Tibetans t hemselves 38.WangdundDiemberger000:14.39. On he at eeighth-century ocument British Library,r.9268A)concerning hestrictl ontrolledale of

waterightsaroundKhotan,eeSkjaerv0orthcoming.ndaccordingoRongXinjiang,rrigationas important around Dunhuangsee RongXinjiang004:60).40. On the links between Buddhism,agas,and water reservoirs,ee especially Shaw forthcoming;lsoGunawardana979:215-16. On the use of violent ritual n the construction f irrigation systems,eeSpiro1978:104-7;WessingndJordaan 997:117.41.SeeGyatso1987.

hold that Padmasambhava has always acted like a mirror,perfectly reflecting what ever aspects of the Buddhist teachings are required by his faithful followers.Perhaps we too learn more by seeing Padmasambhava n this way,less as a historically locatable person than a

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772Journal of the American Oriental Society124.4(2004)

@/:/'dibdunyangmkhagromazheskyangbgyi/shug 'groma zheskyang bgyi/ma chen mo bdunzheskyangbgyi/srin mochen mobdun zheskyang bgyistel/thogma nidkyil'khorrnamgnyisbshamsshingbyungbadang/matangru ta bthulba'ile'udanglas//damstsolzhinglassubskoste//durkhrod chenpophye dangbdunsrungba'isrungsmar/ /herukas bka'stsolto//deyangchenchung'dra' ba'itshogsso//deslanchadnidpal gyi yanggzungsdampa'o//de'i'ogdunirgyagargyimkhanpo padma sam ba badang/ rlang dpalgyi seng ge gnyis kyisbtulcingdambrnantel/bodkhamsgyibdagmo'dirnamslagdurdorjebyinnas rdorje 'chang gigraldumying btagsso/ /denasgzhungbzhingsangsngagssgrub parnamskyimthudangstong grogs bgyidpa dang/bod khamsmtharmyi'jigpa'i srungsmarbcolzhing/ sringmoyangyin/chejechen mornamskyiszhalgyisbzhesshing/dam bcasso//damtsigkha chu ladga'/mchodpalhagladgyesso/bsgombadangrdzasdagnantan cherbgyi'tshal/Vphyagmtshanyang 'jigstshulrnatshogs pa thogsso/(b)ar'ga'niphyagmtshansdugcingmdzespa thogsso///bdag nyidchen mordorjekungragsma/gangsdkarshamyedrdorjekuntubzang/dpalIdanIharirdorjekungsalma/brda' la btsan mordorje yeshesmchog/kharagkhyungbtsunrdorje sgronma zhe'o/byanggigser tangrdorje'odchagsma/lho'iting tingrdorjeg.yusgronma//semscandonphyir'phagspa'ispyan sngar khyed//dambcaskhas'chesgang yinde Itargyis//dkonmchogbslussam/yangna damnyamsnalrang rgyud sreg cing dmyalmyeskyig.ya'ba'i//'jigschenmyibzadde soms'dirgshegsla//zhi/rgyas/ dbangdang/mngonspyodlaskyirnams//rdzogs parmdzodlaskyon myed grub par gyis//.