Padmasambhava, Uḍḍiyāna and Tibet
Episodes
On the Earliest Depictions of Padmasambhava in Tibet: Emergence and Variation
25 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Christian Luczanits presents some of the earliest depictions of Padmasambhava and explores their historical and religious contexts. While Tibetan text...
Uḍḍiyāna in the Krama Literature
24 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Uḍḍiyāna looms large in early Krama scriptures, as does its karavīra charnel ground. Ben Williams investigates. Uḍḍiyāna looms large in ear...
Kashmir and Śaivism in and Around the Late Eighth Century
20 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
An overview of the histories of Kashmir and Uḍḍiyāna, and their relations with Tibet in the late 8th century. An overview of the history of Kashm...
Padmasambhava’s Tibet
20 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Brandon Dotson examines what can be said about the social and religious context of Tibet in the late-8th and early 9th centuries, that is, the period ...
Khri Srong lde brtsan and Padmasambhava's Travels through His Land."
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Lewis Doney compares three different narratives about Padmasambhava and Emperor Khri Srong lde brtsan. This talk compares three perspectives on the tr...
Were Padmasambhava and Vimalamitra de facto Sarvadharmāpratiṣṭhānavādins?
07 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Dorji Wangchuk discerns underlying similarities in the philosophical views of Padmasambhava, Vimalamita, and Rong-zom-pa. Padmasambhava and Vimal...
Padmasambhava and Nubchen Sangye Yeshe: Legend, Lineage, Legacy
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dylan Esler explores the nexus of links—both legendary and historical—that connect Nubchen Sangye Yeshe with Padmasambhava. Both Padmasambhava and...
The spells attributed to Padmasambhava in the Ba ri be'u 'bum
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sam van Schaik examines the magic spells attributed to Padmasambhava in a grimoire compiled by Bari Lotsawa (1040-1112). The grimoire compiled by Bari...
The spells attributed to Padmasambhava in the Ba ri be'u 'bum
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sam van Schaik examines the magic spells attributed to Padmasambhava in a grimoire compiled by Bari Lotsawa (1040-1112). The grimoire compiled by Bari...
Padmasambhava and the Copper-Colored Mountain
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ben Bogin sketches a cultural history of Padmasambhava's 'Copper-Colored Mountain'. Following his sojourn in Tibet, Padmasambhava is said to have dep...
Tripartite Lineages and Cremation Ground Revelations: Crossovers Between Early rDzogs chen and Kaula Śaivism
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Paul Thomas presents evidence that Indian Tantric Śaivism exerted a direct influence on Tibetan Dzogchen in the 11th and 12th centuries. As Paul Thom...
O rgyan Tshe dpag med traditions: Glimpse of an Ocean
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Cathy Cantwell traces the tradition of Padmasambhava in the form of Amitāyus from Guru Chowang in the 14th century. Many Nyingma tantric longevity pr...
On Padmasambhava’s Names, Himalayan Syncretism, and the Apotheosis of the Fierce Guru
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dan Hirshberg describes the origins of the famous 'Eight Names' of Padmasambhava, and also of his fierce form as 'Guru Dragpo'. Padmasambhava earns on...