The "King of Samadhi" in Tibetan Buddhism and the Monthly Offering Day (Ten-Day Offering)

In Tibetan Buddhism (especially the Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, Gelug, and other schools), the so-called "King of Samadhi" (Tibetan: བསམ་གཏན་རྒྱལ་པོ, often translated as King of Samadhi or Great King of Meditation in English) usually refers to Padmasambhava (Tibetan: པདྨ་འབྱུང་གནས, commonly known as Guru) Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) is the wrathful form of the "King of Meditation" manifested in certain tantras, or more broadly, the principal deity in the "Ten-Day Protector Offering" (the smoke offerings and rituals performed on the 10th, 20th, and 30th days of each Tibetan month) associated with Padmasambhava—the "King of Meditation Protector."

 

However, most Tibetans and monasteries, when referring to the "King of Meditation" during the "Monthly Offering Days," are referring to the following important protector:

 

Correct name: Dorje Shugden? → No. Many Han Chinese mistakenly believe it to be Dorje Shugden, but it is not. The traditional Tibetan Buddhist worship of the "Dhyana King" existed centuries before the Dorje Shugden controversy. The main deity is actually:

 

**The true "Dhyana King" = "Great Red Lord of Fate" (Tibetan: ཚངས་པ་དམར་པོ, Tsangpa Marpo)**

 

Also known as "King of Dhyana," "King of Playful Topknots," "Holy King of Dhyana," etc.

 

He is the chief of the four most powerful worldly protectors (one of the four great Lords of Fate) subdued by Padmasambhava during his subjugation of demons in Tibet. He was incorporated into Buddhism by Padmasambhava and became one of the most important "Red Protectors" of the Nyingma school, later widely worshipped by various schools.

 

Origin of the Story (Most Circulated Version)

 

In the 8th century, Padmasambhava was invited by King Trisong Detsen to Tibet to propagate Buddhism. At that time, Tibet was filled with powerful Bon deities and demons obstructing the Dharma.

 

Near Samye Monastery lived an extremely ferocious local deity named Tsangpa Marpo (white-topped, red-bodied, holding a lasso and human hearts), one of the ancient Tibetan war gods. He led countless demons and spirits in chaos, killing many monks and craftsmen who built the monastery.

 

Padmasambhava subdued this war god at Samye Monastery with great divine power. Tsangpa Marpo initially refused to submit, but Padmasambhava nailed him to his body with a vajra dagger, and through great compassion, transformed him into vowing to protect the Dharma. He bestowed upon him the name "King of Playful Topknots" (or "King of Meditation"), making him wear a five-skull crown, with a red body and white topknot, riding a red horse, holding a lasso and human hearts, becoming one of the eight great emanations of Padmasambhava (Liruha), and also the Western Red Lord of the Five Directions (Lords of Life in the East, West, North, South, and Center).

 

Guru Rinpoche further prophesied:

 

"Wherever my teachings remain in the world, you shall be the most valiant protector. On the 10th, 20th, and 30th (or the 10th and 25th) of each Tibetan month, you shall extensively receive smoke offerings and offerings, protecting the Dharma and the practitioners of Vidyadhara."

 

Thus, the "Comprehensive Offering" (Tibetan: བསྤན་གཏོར་མའི་མཆོད་པ, a grand smoke offering and torma offering unified by various schools of Tibetan Buddhism, held on these three days each month according to the Tibetan calendar), also known as the "Ten-Day Protector Offering" or the "Meditation King Offering," was established.

 

Impact and Importance on Buddhism

 

1. **Becoming the Most Common "Monthly Protector Day" in Tibetan Buddhism**

 

Before the Dorje Shugden controversy, almost all Tibetan monasteries (including Gelugpa) held large-scale "Great Offering to the King of Meditation" on the 10th, 20th, and 30th (or 25th and 30th) of each Tibetan month. This offering was made to hundreds or even thousands of deities, including Guru Rinpoche, protectors, dakinis, and local deities. This was one of the most important and widely participated-in rituals in Tibetan Buddhism.

 

2. **A Significant Example of "Subduing Demons and Taking Refuge in the Buddha"**

 

The origin of the King of Meditation embodies the unique tradition of subduing demons in Tibetan Buddhism's Vajrayana tradition: "using ferocity to subdue ferocity, using demons to convert to Buddhahood." The most ferocious demons can be transformed into the most powerful protectors. This became the core idea of ​​Tibetan Buddhist protector worship.

 

3. **Inseparable from Guru Padmasambhava**

 

The Dhyana King is considered one of Guru Padmasambhava's "activity emanations" and most important retinue members. All Nyingma texts' "Seven-Line Prayer to Guru Padmasambhava" and "Sukhavati Aspiration Prayer" specifically mention the Dhyana King and the four brothers of the God of Destiny.

 

4. **Cross-Sectarian Offerings**

 

Not only the Nyingma school, but also major monasteries in the Kagyu, Sakya, and Gelug schools (such as Sera Monastery, Ganden Monastery, and during the time of Buton Rinpoche) have long offered the Great Red God of Destiny as one of their main protectors, until modern political factors partially changed this.

 

Summary

 

The Dhyana King is actually the ancient Tibetan war god "Great Red God of Destiny" (Tsangpa Marpo), who was subdued and converted by Guru Padmasambhava.

 

He became one of the most important and widely offered protectors in Tibetan Buddhism due to Guru Padmasambhava's blessings.

 

The monthly "Universal Offering Days" (Tibetan calendar 10th, 20th, and 30th) are dedicated to commemorating and making offerings to him and all the local protectors subdued by Guru Rinpoche. This is an important traditional ceremony in Tibetan Buddhism that has continued for over 1200 years, and it remains a grand event in Tibetan monasteries in Bhutan, India, and Nepal.

 

If you have participated in the "Ten-Day Protector Offering" or "Universal Offering" in Tibetan monasteries, you may have heard the name "བསམ་གཏན་རྒྱལ་པོ (Dhyana King)," which refers to this fierce protector deity with a red body, white topknot, riding a red horse, and wielding a lasso and human hearts.