A Cosmic Apprenticeship

The Life and Liberation of Padmasambhava  is a glittering, multi-faceted jewel of world literature, an epic poem which deserves to be much better known, and which takes you vividly into the rich, evocative world of Tibetan Buddhist history and culture. The eponymous Padmasambhava is actually a real, historical figure, originating in India in the 8th Century, who has taken on a mythic status in Tibet: he is a national treasure, revered as a second Buddha and a key player in Buddhism’s extraordinary flowering there over the past 1,200 years or so.

This poem tells his life story, but this is no ordinary life: if you’ve ever wondered what it might be like to take a wild ride on a magic carpet, open the pages of this book and you will start to get a real sense of it. The narrative crosses continents and time zones in a flash; it even reaches into the far flung corners of the Milky Way: prepare to be exhilarated, astounded, and, like Padmasambhava himself, liberated!

Vidyasakhi lives in Devon, south-west England and has been reading and reflecting on this poem for 20 years: using the skills she has acquired, variously as an actor/director, a literary academic, and now a Buddhist practitioner, during the course of her own life, she regularly performs a series of stories from the poem.

This time she’ll be introducing you to Padmasambhava at the moment where he embarks on his – 40 years-long – training to be a Bodhisattva (an enlightened being who generously hangs back from the full benefit of his or her achievement in order to ensure the liberation of all other beings). We’ll hear how that training culminates in his magical encounter with Princess Mandarava, his consort and a woman of great courage and ingenuity.

Expect to hear tales of gods and demons, witches, monks and shape-shifters – all grounded in the profound, compassionate and wise teachings of the original Buddha himself. These stories communicate powerfully that the universal challenges of human existence can be effectively met with the application of imagination and perspective, as well as an insight into how the richness and power of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition potentially provides antidotes for the ills of modern life.

All are welcome to attend. Please note that spaces are limited and offered on a first come first served basis.