09/07/2022
9th July.
In Bhutan, the anniversary of Guru Rinpoche's birth is a recognized public holiday. It commemorates Padmasambhava's birth, who is credited with bringing Buddhism to Bhutan.
Another name for Guru Rinpoche is Padmasambhava, which translates as "Lotus-born." On the 10th day of the 5th lunar month, Guru Rinpoche is reported to have been born as an eight-year-old boy inside a lotus flower on the lake of Dhanakosha in Oddiyana.
According to mythology, the great Indian Guru Padmasambhava, also known in Tibetan as Guru Rinpoche, was summoned to Bhutan from Tibet to slay demons causing problems for the locals of Paro Valley. On the back of a tigress, he flew from Tibet to Bhutan, landing in a cave perched high above Paro in the cliffs. He then spent the following three years, three months, three weeks, and three days in this cave, which later earned the name "Tiger's Nest," where he meditated and carried out rites to tame the land's demons. According to some, the tigress who carried the Guru was actually Yeshe Tsogyel, his consort and pupil, who assumed a different shape in order to accompany him to the Land of the Thunder Dragon.
In Tibetan Buddhism, the primary religion both in Tibet and Bhutan, Guru Rinpoche is revered as the second Buddha. His mystical prowess is well-known, and every monastery and temple in the Tibetan Buddhist world displays an image of him. He was invited to Tibet in the eighth century to tame the local demons and convert them to Buddhism, which he accomplished via numerous conflicts and fights. He subsequently left for Bhutan with a similar goal in mind: to drive out evil spirits and demons so that Buddhism could develop and people could prosper.
In Bhutan, elaborate religious rites are carried out at temples and monasteries on the anniversary of Guru Rinpoche's birth. This holiday is regarded as one of the most significant occasions by the populace.
