Shechen Gyaltsab Pema Namgyal
snga 'gyur theg dgu'i tshogs bshad mdor bsdus nor bu'i tam bu ra - Concise Explanation of the Nine Vehicles, The Jewel Lute, by Shechen Gyaltsab Pema Namgyal [RY]
snga 'gyur theg pa rim dgu'i rnam gzhag mdor bsdus su brjod pa rin po che'i them skas - Concise Exposition of the Nine Vehicles, The Jewel Ladder, by Shechen Gyaltsab Pema Namgyal [RY]
pad ma 'byung gnas - In his Pond of White Lotus Flowers (p. 19-20) Shechen Gyaltsab Pema Namgyal explains that Padmasambhava was predicted in the Tantra of the Perfect Embodiment of the Unexcelled Nature, "Eight years after I pass into nirvana, I shall reappear in the country of Uddiyana by the name Padmasambhava and be the lord of the teachings of Secret Mantra." Following this prophesy, Padmasambhava appeared in this world in the following way: The fully perfected Buddha Amitabha, sovereign of the vajra speech of all the buddhas of the three times, resides in an immense celestial palace composed of the self-display of innate wakefulness in the center of the pure realm of Sukhavati. Inseparable from the luminous dharmakaya essence of Amitabha's mind, Padmasambhava is an unceasing miraculous display of the natural expression of compassionate energy, a manifestation of outer, inner and secret emanations that appear according to the countless beings to be influenced and to accomplish their welfare. In particular, in this world Padmasambhava appeared as the regent of Buddha Shakyamuni by taking birth from a lotus flower in Lake Danakosha. Through the miraculous display of his amazing deeds he was equivalent to a second buddha for Buddhism in both India and Tibet. On the relative level, in Maratika he appeared to realize the vidyadhara level of life mastery, the unified stage of the path of training, the realization of which is equal to that of a bodhisattva on the eighth level according to the causal vehicles. In the Cave of Yangleshö he acted as if reaching the Mahamudra level of the path of cultivation by the samadhi that illuminates the wisdom mandala of the nine divinities of Vishuddha and thus attained a state of realization corresponding to that of a bodhisattva on the tenth level according to the causal vehicles. In fact, his state of realization is indivisible from that of the buddhas of the three times and possesses the nature of wondrous manifestations that surpass the boundary of ordinary thought [RY]
mi pham rin po che - Mipham Rinpoche. Great Nyingma master and writer of the last century. A student of Jamgön Kongtrül, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and Paltrül Rinpoche. Blessed by Manjushri, he became one of the greatest scholars of his time. His collected works fill more than 30 volumes. His chief disciple was Shechen Gyaltsab Pema Namgyal. Mipham was a close student of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and regarded as a direct emanation of Manjushri [RY]