Women of Other Faiths
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Yeshe Tsogyal
Known For: Exemplary female figure in Tibetan Buddhism
Dates: 777-837
Faith: Buddhism
Country: China
About
Yeshe Tsogyal, alternatively known as Ye Shes Mtsho Rygal, is widely considered to be one of Tibetan Buddhism’s most important female figures. She is also thought to be an incarnation of the Bodhisattva Saraswati-devi, the divine mother of knowledge, grace, and wisdom1. It is said that when she was born in the year 777 A.D., a fresh water spring created a pond adjacent to her house, known as Lha-tso, or Divine Lake. Today, Lha-tso has become a popular pilgrimage site for many Buddhist devotees2.
In 794, at the age of sixteen, Yeshe was taken under the wing of Lord Padmasambhava, with whom she learned spiritual teachings and memorized texts 3. The following year, Yeshe found her soulmate and consort, Atsara Sahle. She journeyed with him to Bhutan to the cave of Paro Taktsang, where she practiced meditation, fasts, and various spiritual practices. It was at Paro Taktsang that Yeshe reached the fundamental stages of Enlightenment4 .
In later years Yeshe traveled throughout Tibet—accompanied by Lord Padmasambhava—to disseminate blessings and dispense spiritual texts. A nearly decade-long isolated retreat from the years 796 to 805 A.D. culminated in her attainment of the status of a fully Enlightened Buddha5. Upon her death in 837 A.D., Yeshe is believed to have ascended to the dimension of the Sacred Red Mountain, in the same location as her Guru Lord Padmasambhava6.
More Information
“Ye Shes Mtsho Rgyal (Yeshe Tsogyal),” Encyclopedia of Religion.
Dowman, Keith. Sky Dancer: The Secret Life and Songs of the Lady Yeshe Tsogyel. London, 1984.
Gyatso, Janet. “A Partial Genealogy of the Lifestory of Yeshe Tsogyal.” Journal of the International Association of Tibetan Studies 2 (2004).
Gross, Rita M. “Yeshe Tsogyel: Enlightened Consort, Great Teacher, Female Role Model.” The Tibet Journal 12, no. 4 (Winter 1987): 1–18.
Nam-mkha’i snying-po. Mother of Knowledge: The Enlightenment of Ye-shes mTsho-rgyal. Translated by Tarthang Tulku. Berkeley, Calif., 1983.
