Amitabha (Boundless/Infinite Light) is an important figure found in the Mahayana and Vajrayana schools of Buddhism, with his function varying differently between the two.
In the Mahayana schools, especially the Pure Land school, Amitabha is venerated as a fully enlightened Buddha and his realm Sukhavati (a place ideal to practice the Dharma) is aspired after death. This isn’t a permanent heaven, but rather a flawless realm for one to continue practice and achieve enlightenment in.
In Vajrayana, Amitabha is a Dhyani (meditation/wisdom) Buddha and is the head of the Lotus (Padma) family, associated with the direction of the West, the same direction of his heavenly realm Sukhavati. He is responsible for the transformation of desire and attachment into discerning wisdom. He is also invoked in the practice of Phowa meaning “transfer of consciousness.” However, when practiced in accordance with long-life rituals, he appears as Amitayus (Buddha of Infinite Life), a sambhogakaya (enjoyment body) form of Amitabha.
Amitabha usually appears as a red Buddha in meditation posture, adorned with Dharma robes and holding a begging bowl with both hands. The meditator is to visualize oneself as a bodhisattva, white in color, with Amitabha, the Bhagavat, in front. Through his sadhana, one eventually dissolves the barrier between Amitabha and oneself, becoming the very essence of “lucidity and emptiness.”
The Sanskrit Triratna (Triple Gem/Three Gems) mantra is a universal refuge prayer for all Buddhists, sung in all schools of Buddhism from the Theravada to the Mahayana and Vajrayana. The mantra proclaims the following:
“I go for refuge to the Buddha,
I go for refuge to the Dharma,
I go for refuge to the Sangha.”
Refuge in the Buddha means to acknowledge the omniscient and unshakable nature that the Buddha represents, and to aspire to acquire that state. Refuge in the Dharma means to accept the authority of the teachings and to follow them diligently as a road map to enlightenment. Refuge in the Sangha means to find solace and inspiration in spiritual friends, teachers, and community.
This is a basic interpretation of the mantra as generally understood by most practicing Buddhists. However, as one gains deeper meditative insight, one’s guru will reveal further interpretation, depending on the school one involves themselves in.
Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche, was a legendary tantric Yogi and the founder of Vajrayana Buddhism in Tibet, bringing the religion from India around the 8th century and establishing the first Tibetan sect now known as the Nyingma (Old School). He is considered by many to be the second Buddha, foretold by Shakyamuni (Gautama Buddha) to reveal the tantric/esoteric (Vajrayana) teachings and to propel and protect Buddhism in the degenerate age (Kali Yuga).
Jigme Khyentse writes in the book “White Lotus,”
“Before he [Shakyamuni] passed into mahaparinirvana, the Buddha prophesized that his activities would be prolonged and his teachings propagated and protected by Padmasambhava, whom Tibetan Buddhists frequently refer to as Guru Rinpoche, the Precious Master.”
Vajrayana is an outgrowth of Mahayana Buddhism and involves a wide collection of practices aimed at providing liberation (nirvana) in a single lifetime, hence its name meaning “Thunderbolt Vehicle.” This differs from the Mahayana (Great Vehicle) path where it can take an untold number of lives (incarnations) to accomplish complete liberation. Because of this difference in philosophy, the indigenous Tibetan and Himalayan peoples could only be persuaded by the infinite power of the Vajrayana and were quite reluctant to adopt Buddhism prior to Padmasambhava’s arrival.
Through various trials and tribulations, Padmasambhava was able to subdue the powerful gods and beings who inhabited the region of Tibet. In doing so, he gained their favor and service in return, incorporating them into the Buddhist religion as protectors and stewards of the Dharma. This is why we see numerous gods from other pantheons mentioned in the rituals and myths of tantric Buddhism, as Vajrayana practitioners of all nationalities seem to include their own ancestral deities into their practice. This is easily observed in the Tibetan, Japanese, Chinese, and Mongolian variants of Vajrayana, where each culture has created a syncretic and unique flavor of religious practice, not completely removed from its source but rather philosophically reformed and reworked.
The mantra of Padmasambhava OM AH HUM VAJRA GURU PADMA SIDDHI HUM is one of the most popular and powerful mantras used in Tibetan Buddhism, recited often to instantly evoke the Guru, gain enlightenment, and achieve siddhi (occult power). It can be translated in many ways and has various levels of meaning, but a general interpretation of the syllables would be:
OM AH HUM – Purifies body, speech, and mind.
VAJRA GURU – Perfect Teacher.
PADMA – Lotus, synonymous with nature of mind.
SIDDHI – Occult power, success in practice, accomplishment.
HUM – The syllable of enlightenment, the unshakable nature of ultimate truth.
Padmasambhava permeates everything and exists everywhere, nestled into the very fabric of space and time. At the time of his death (parinirvana), he achieved “Rainbow Body,” dissolving into light and leaving behind nothing but hair, nails, and clothing. He is known also as Padmakara (Lotus-Born), meaning he is born in our minds, existing eternally in the unstained regions of our consciousness, quickly summoned by this sacred formula. This mantra should be recited as often as needed, whether for guidance, protection, clarity, wisdom, or any other purpose.
We’ve just released another mantra track on our channel, may it benefit all beings.
Tara is a prominent goddess in both Hindu and Buddhist traditions, representing the feminine aspects of the Supreme, whether as an emanation (Mahavidya) of the great Durga or as a female embodiment of the Buddha. Tara has an exceptionally wide array of forms depending on which religious pantheon one is focusing on, varying from entirely wrathful forms to completely peaceful ones. These different emanations are necessary according to each individuals’ particular inclinations (due to karmic imprints) or specific school of practice.
In Vajrayana Buddhism, Tara is believed to have 21 forms with varying attributes, colors, and characteristics. She is invoked for protection and liberation from obstacles, to dispel poisons and bad dreams, and to destroy demons or other harmful spirits. Tara is revered as a loving mother and is often referred to as the “Mother of All Buddhas.” She guards sentient beings against fear, anxiety, and disease. Tara is often Green in color, representing all the activities of the Buddha, but white is also common, used for achieving long life and longevity. Other forms and colors exist as well. The seed syllable of Tara is TAM.
The Sanskrit word tā́rā means “star”, stemming from the Proto-Indo-European word h₂stḗr, which refers to stars (or planets) and means “shiner or glower.” Her mantra is OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SVAHA which means “Praise to Tara the Swift Liberator, Hail!” Above her sits Amitabha, Buddha of Boundless Light.
“…Homage to her whose face is like one hundred full autumn moons
And who blazes with light like that of thousands of stars…
…Homage to her whom Indra, Agni, Brahma, Vayudeva,
Ansuz Society 