About Yeshe Tsogyal

Yeshe Tsogyal lived in eighth century Tibet. Her wisdom legacy transcends time, gender, and culture. Legend informs us that she was chosen by Guru Padmasambhava to help establish the Buddhist teachings in Tibet. Thus she is considered an enlightened figure who intentionally took birth to benefit beings. She is also viewed as a role model for those seeking enlightenment, especially through the tantric path. Her life story recounts her very tangible struggles on the path and her ultimate victory—overcoming dualistic thought and compassionately benefiting countless beings. As a teacher, she uses her own life story to instruct and nurture her disciples so they can learn how to attain their own enlightenment.

On an abstract level, Yeshe Tsogyal represents the enlightened feminine. Her archetype is that of the heroine who fuses the absolute and the relative into a seamless enlightened existence. It is this integration or fluidity which gives rise to her identity as a khandro (dakini in Sanskrit), a word which means "activity (dro) in the expanse (kha) of enlightenment". Please note that this term describes a state of realization and can be applied to both men and women. In the case of women, ma is often appended to create the word khandroma.

In the end, at any level and at all times, Khandro Yeshe Tsogyal is to be viewed as identical with our own true nature—a natural manifestation of the innate purity of mind itself.