Padma Jungne is one of the names of Guru Rinpoche, as are Padmakara and Padmasambhava. Some people acknowledge Padmasambhava, who cannot be denied because of historical accounts, but not Guru Rinpoche, which is due to sectarian jealousy. Also, at the time of Padmasambhava, the garments worn by Padmasambhava were those of scholars and monks. Sometimes intellectual scholars and learned ones who are still attached about material aspects of form think that Padma Jungne, who does not wear these same garments, is different from Padmasambhava. Historically, at the time when Buddhism flourished in Tibet with enlightened beings such as Guru Rinpoche and Vimalamitra, some scholars in Indian institutes became jealous and spread much slander in order to cause disturbance by claiming these enlightened beings were not actual saints but phony siddhas, attempting to prevent Vajrayana teachings from flourishing in Tibet. However, in the general Mahayana, and especially in the Vajrayana, the state of enlightenment is the Three Kayas: the Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya, and Nirmanakaya. Sambhogakaya is always abiding in pure Akanishtha Heaven, the state of fully enlightened Buddhas’ phenomena. From that state, in order to benefit beings with many varieties of faculties, Nirmanakaya manifests. The meaning of Nirmanakaya is that there is no reality of birth or death because mind is only wisdom, but Nirmanakaya’s aspect can reflect anything according to beings’ impure and pure phenomena in order to guide them. So, the aspect of manifestation can reflect anything according to various beings’ faculties. There is not an iota of contradiction about the infinite aspects of sublime beings for those who believe in the Mahayana or the Vajrayana; these aspects are just one’s choice. Those who follow Guru Rinpoche’s teachings pray to Guru Rinpoche with many different names, such as the names given in the Eight Manifestations and in the Barche Lamsel prayer, including Pema Jungne, Tsokye Dorje, and Sangchen Dorje Drakpo Tsal. There are many more manifestations and special names beyond these. Countless manifestations logically exist according to even ordinary beings’ phenomena, so different aspects cannot be denied or prevented.

~ Thinley Norbu Rinpoche
A Cascading Waterfall of Nectar
Shambhala Publications
Footnote #51