Padmasambhava, his eight manifestations, and scenes from his life

Verso Inscriptions:omahhumom ah hum vajra guru padma sidhi hum | om ye dharma he tu pra bha wa he tun te khen tatha gate haya wa det te khen za yo ni ro dha ewam bhadi maha shra ma nra so ha|| rgyal kun dgongs klong mkha’ dbyings la | pad ‘byung rol gar nyi ‘od ‘buM | mtshan dpe langtsho’i dpal ‘bar bas | byin brlab dro ‘jam stsol zhing skyongs | gang sku’i snang brnyan mtshar po’i ‘dzum | rnam thar [pad ma byung nas kyi] dri ‘phro ba | mkhas mang yi ga ‘gugs byad ‘di | rig byad ngag dbang blo las skyes | lhag gnas:me tog ‘thor mkhan dang | lag rjes gzungs byang byed pa po | sgang steng gdan sa’i ‘dzin skyong ba | ngag dbang ‘jigs med rdo rjes so ||Translations:Mantra Om Ah Hum (written vertically)Mantra of Padmasambhava(Pratītyasamutpāda verse): Those dharamas, which arise from a cause, the Tathāgata has declared their case. And that which is cessation of them, thus the great renounciant has taught.Tibetan inscription:The lotus born magical emanation of the hundred thousand rays of SunIn the expanse of sky-wide wisdom of all buddhas,With the blazing splendor of youthful attributes Fill the realm with your warm sought out blessings!Any smiling beautiful image of the [Guru’s] embodiment Spreads the vermillion’s fragrance of [Padmasambhava’s] liberating stories.This example was born by the intellect of Ngawang,Invoking the written and read works of many scholars.Ngawang Jigme Dorjé, the administrator of Gangteng monasterywas the person to perform the consecration with tossed flowers and hand prints [on the reverse of the painting].

• J. Van Alphen, Collection Highlights: Rubin Museum of Art (Rubin Museum of Art, 2014), 248-249.