The Mahasiddhas:
The root gurus of Tantric Buddhist Yoga

It is only the Mahasiddha who is a pure living mandala, embodying the realization by his existence in all of the worlds that samsara is nirvana.

It is apparent that the eighty-four mahasiddhas all had one thing in common: They practiced the advanced third cycle teachings of Lord Buddha, in which extremely unfortunate circumstances that an individual finds himself in and that would normally make enlightenment impossible are completely reversed into a state of total enlightenment.

— excerpt from Snowboarding to Nirvana by Rama ~ Frederick Lenz
Each Mahasiddha is known for his or her songs.
Virupa
DombipaI, who live in spontaneous reality
Depend upon the Magnificent Symbol.
I, who exist in things as they are,
Without self, not thinking, not achieving,
Am saved from the pit of nihilism by existential self-awareness,
Am saved from an eternal heaven by absolute detachment.
I live in consummate pure delight and perfect awareness.
Kukkuripa
GantapaWhere conscious effort and striving are present
The Buddha is absent,
Thus, ritual and offerings are futile.
Within the peak experience of the guru's grace
The Buddha is present,
But will the fortunate recipient see it?
Santipa
His song to his student Kotalipa is profound.
Masters of Enchantment
The Book

Here are the stories and yogas of the Great Indian Siddhas -- the magicians and saints who founded the Buddhist Tantric lineages of Tibet -- presented in an extraordinary illustrated format.

An extraordinary book by Keith Dowman that tells the stories of the eight-four Mahasiddhas. Throughout are stunning paintings of the Mahasiddhas, done by Robert Beer. Available for purchase at iMeditate.com