Padmasambhava

Padmasambhava (also spelt Padmasambvha) was the High Lama of Det-Sen Monastery.

Life
Padmasambhava was revered as the Guru Rinpoche by the Buddhist monks of Tibet (PROSE: Night of the Intelligence) and, in life, defeated Mara on a mountain before blessing the place. Trisong Detsen would later build a chorten there to house his treasures. (AUDIO: The Secrets of Det-Sen)

Master of Det-Sen
Padmasambhava travelled the higher realms for centuries. In 1625, he returned to the physical plane to take up residence at Det-Sen Monastery, feeling that it was time to interact with his students and to live amongst them once more. Although he gave them his true name, he hid the truth of himself, wanting to be treated as no more than a high lama. Often limited forms, like that of the Tibetan lama in 1630.

Padmasambhava met the First Doctor when he visited the monastery in 1630. (PROSE: Night of the Intelligence) Travelling under the name Oddiyāna, he, along with the Doctor, Steven Taylor and Dodo Chaplet, was held hostage in the monastery by bandits, but survived the ordeal. He taught the Doctor about his religion and beliefs. (AUDIO: The Secrets of Det-Sen)

For a hundred years, he remained at Det-Sen, enjoying the company of his monks and their many stories. He was so much more than the Guru Rinpoche; that was just one of many forms he had over the millennia. (PROSE: Night of the Intelligence)

Possession
While travelling on the astral plane, he encountered the Great Intelligence, which took control of him as part of its plan to gain corporeal existence on Earth. He used his rank in the monastery to have tasks completed for the Intelligence. He hypnotised Songsten and Victoria Waterfield. When he was able to speak with his own voice, he tried to keep the monks safe and wanted them to flee the monastery.

In 1935, Padmasambhava finally died when the Intelligence was expelled by the Second Doctor, having lived over three hundred years. (TV: The Abominable Snowmen)

The astral plane
Although Padmasambhava's body died, he carried on to the astral plane, where Thomni eventually encountered him and learnt many of his secrets. In October 1969, Padmasambhava became aware of Owain Vine and his connection to the Great Intelligence. In the following months, from the astral plane, Padmasambhava nudged Owain on his journey via his meditations until January 1970 when he finally revealed himself to Owain on the astral plane. There, he explained to Owain who he really was and how he first came to be the High Lama of Det-Sen.

To drive back Sunyata, the true source of the Great Intelligence, Padmasambhava unintentionally revealed his true self to Owain: a being of light so pure, his very presence caused Owain to become lost on the astral plane for quite some time. (PROSE: Night of the Intelligence)

Legacy
By 2004, the Pilgrims Path which Padmasambhava walked in 1630 had become known as the Path of Oddiyana. (PROSE: Downtime: Child of the New Wordl)