What People Are Saying About Tsogyal Latso
My experience of Tsogyal Latso was one of the high points of the pilgrimage. Spending time at the lake was the most serene experience of the entire pilgrimage. The sense of relaxation, mind, body and spirit, is still palpable. I loved hanging out with the nuns, doing practice around the secret breast milk stream, drinking the "milk" and finding the entrance to the lake itself through the wire fence. Thanks to the intrepid Leroy who scaled the steep bank of the lake, we got several jars of precious mud from the lake. Jane and I brought them home (no customs problems!) and presented a jar of mud to Loppon Rinpoche at a Yeshe Tsogyal Tsog. He opened the jar and smeared a dab of mud at our third eye points. Nirvana ensued.
The latso-lake is not very well respected by the government. It is surrounded by an old wire fence and a canopy (to protect the lake from leaves and other debris) that has seen better days The nuns need support. Contributing to this effort gives us the opportunity to make a concrete connection with nirmanakaya. May all be auspicious! Chuck Goldman 2009 Pilgrimage
Tsogyal Latso, the birth place and sacred lake of Yogini Yeshe Tsogyal, was a humble and unassuming place given the importance of Yeshe Tsogyal, a main heart disciple of Padmasambhava. I was surprised that so little had been done to preserve this sacred location, while simultaneously extremely pleased and impressed that this small group of nuns were maintaining and caring for this sacred location. Their dedication and support of this holy place is remarkable and one for which all Vajrayana practitioners can be proud and grateful. For all of these reasons, it is important to support them and their care of this location. May all have the opportunity to visit and be inspired by Yeshe Tsogyal's birthplace, lakes and stupa like we were on the 2009 Pilgrimage. Gretchen Groth, now known as Lama Pema Chokyi, 2009 Pilgrimage
Visiting Tsogyal Latso in the 2010 Pilgrimage was a highlight of my life. the deep meaning and truth of this sacred sight is a wonder of this world. please help support the nuns and do yourself a favor: pay a visit to this sacred place. love, mu Mukara Meredith, 2010 Pilgrimage
I am from Mexico City and this past October I had the great fortune to visit this sacred space along with my girlfriend and a group of fellow practitioner. I want to share with you a few lines to transmit my feelings and connections to this land and specially to Tsogyal Latso. We have been practicing Buddhism for some years now and we are Nyingma, so for us, Guru Rinpoche and Yeshe Tsogyal represent the path and the achievement of self-realization and understanding of the infinite potential and infinite possibility. During empowerments and practices that are often presented, the lama would always mention all these sacred places in Tibet. I would have never imagined that one day I was going to visit such places. So walking the grounds of the birth place of Yeshe Tsogyal was something quite amazing and auspicious. By just arriving there, I could only be thankful and imagine that I must have some positive karma to be there! Everything, although very new, seemed very known, like arriving to a place were you have been before. The nuns and the people around there seemed so part of me that I felt a huge warmth and connection between all of us! Nowadays, we all know many things but very few know that these historical,sacred,mystical places do exist and you can truly connect with the energy of the great, great beings that have arrived in the past and continue to do so to this day. We don’t understand that undertaking a pilgrimage and going back to the source is the biggest blessing we can imagine. And all the preparation before is just that—the beginning of a journey back home. To be able to touch the ground, meditate, or just be in these power places reopens a flow of energy, grace, and consciousness that doesn’t close and grows day by day. And to be able to meet the guardians of such places is even more inspiring because in these times of darkness, the last thing we remember is our spiritual past or conscious lineage and we only care for our immediate survival. To see with your eyes the effort that these nuns undergo to make this place a reality in times of decadence is admirable. Many or most of these experiences are impossible to express in words because you loose the ability to express that which is so subtle, so magical, that can’t be defined, and Tsogyal Latso is such a place. The teachings are heard to this day like they were discovered today and practiced with the passion and faith required for spiritual transformation and it’s only because of this devotion and love. I feel completely connected to this place. I just close my eyes and I’m there once again—the dust, the sun, the sounds—its all in me now and I do feel that it’s a great honor and responsibility to share and help these places keep their vibrancy and life. I feel the blessing of the sacred objects, of the holy waters, of the holy streams, and I feel the warm embrace of the great mother Yeshe Tsogyal. The teachings are comprehended even more when you realize that all this places are real and have kept their sacredness and holiness for thousands of years just for the benefit of beings. Pepe Rosillo, Pilgrimage 2010
Being at Tsogyal Latso as part of the 2009 Jnanasukha Pilgrimage to the sacred sites of Yeshe Tsoygal in Tibet was a high light for me. This birth place of the Lady Tsoygal has retained a spacious peace and purity. The green grass greener, sky even bluer, the structures of the nunnery and holy relics humble and yet illumined, the Shrine and lake, stupa and humble abodes of the people all made me feel like I could actually live there. The nuns and villagers have cared for this holy place as best they could and welcomed us as family.
My personal story is about Ani Samten who manages and takes care of everyone at Tsogyal Latso. I happened to have this awkward and over large day pack with me during our full day with the Nuns. We walked to the stupa and Yeshe Tsogyal's life supporting sandalwood tree a kilometer or so from the nunnery. As we started out walking back, Anila insisted on taking my pack and carrying it all the way. I was embarrassed at this attention and generosity and yet I could sense that this gesture was like a practice for her. We walked together, the language barrier dissolving in the simple sharing of making an offering and receiving.This gesture of a simple and deeply committed nun had a profound impact on me and is a constant inspiration in my life.The focus to support Tsoygal Latso as a result of the Pilgrimage seems to me natural and very important. I sincerely pray that I will be able to return to visit and work there myself. Supporting the nuns and caring for their environment is an offering to the great Yogini Yeshe Tsoygal and a very worthy cause. Yeshe Palmo 2009 Pilgrimage
Tsogyal Latso was one of the most profound spots of pilgrimage for me, especially because I was not expecting or projecting that. The place just had an amazing energy! Nyima Olmsted 2010 Pilgrimage
We were so fortunate to be recipients of the generosity and kindness of Ani Samten and the nuns who reside at Tsogyal Latso. They have devoted their lives and resources to keeping alive and available to everyone this most precious place and experience. As we camped on the grounds of their home, Ani and the nuns treated us as welcome and honored guests. As I listened to their morning practice, and watched them go thorough the motions of their daily chores, always cheerful, I was so impressed by their relentless joy and industry despite the hardships they faced and continue to face.
Contributing to the work and support of these amazing women is a privilege. We have the opportunity to play a small role in the preservation of a deeply sacred place and in the support of the nuns who have ensured its survival. I urge everyone will contribute whatever they can. It is truly "enlightened self interest" to invest in such a jewel in these dark times. Tashi Many 2010 Pilgrimage