KDTL -----Female Dharma Masters

Mayadevi was the mother of the Buddha Shakyamuni. The Buddha, born as Prince Siddhartha Guatama, entered the womb of his mother immaculately and was born from her right side as she stood between two trees. The infant Siddhartha rose up, pointing one finger to the heavens and one to the earth, declaring, “In the heavens and on the earth, I am the most venerable teacher of Gods and Men." The Buddha took birth to demonstrate to humanity that an ordinary person can become a Buddha. Mayadevi passed away seven days after the Buddha's birth. She was reborn among the pure realms, where the Buddha Shakyamuni went and bestowed teachings to her. The Buddha's return to the human realm after teaching his mother is one of the four most auspicious days on the Tibetan calendar, called Lhabab Duchen.

Venerable Gotami (Gelongma Trazema) was the Buddha's maternal aunt. She raised the Buddha after his mother passed away. She made sure all the necessities were provided for him. It was Ven. Gotami who requested for the Buddha to establish the order of ordained female practitioners, so women too can learn the dharma.

After three requests by Ananda, Gotami's son, the Buddha established the order of nuns. The Buddha's aunt was therefore the first Buddhist nun ordained into the sangha.

Gotami achieved the complete realization of an arhat. At her death, the Buddha requested, "Perform miracles so that those who doubt women can achieve realization recognize their misunderstandings." Therefore, Gotami cleared away the misunderstandings of all those present.

Bodhisattva Tara (Dolma) During the age of the Buddha Amogasiddhi, Tara appeared as a Princess and attained realization after making extensive offerings to the Buddhas. Then, a monk told her to make aspirations to be born in a male body in order to become fully enlightened and benefit others. Instead, she vowed to always be born as a woman in order to benefit beings. Tara can be shown in various forms but most commonly is white or green. Her manifestations are often depicted in Twenty-one distinct forms, each one protecting against a specific calamity. Tara is considered to be an emanation of Chenrezi, the Bodhisattva of Compassion.

The Five Female Buddhas (Vajradhavisvari, Locana, Mamaki, Pandara and Syamtara) serve as the wisdom aspect of enlightenment, complimentary to the Five Male Buddhas (Vairochana, Akshobha, Amitabha, Ratnasambhava and Amoghasiddhi).

In the Kagyu tradition, Vajrayogini and Vajravarahi are the principle female yidams meditated upon by its practitioners.

Princess Mandarava was born as the daughter of the King of Zahor in the 8th Century, who ruled northern India. She reached maturity at a young age but refused to be married. Instead, Mandarava insisted that she become a nun. At first, her father refused to agree. So, the Princess left and became a beggar. Finally, the Princess was ordained by the Abbot Shantarakshita. The King of Zahor then agreed to accept his daughter's way of life and built a palace for her to meditate in.

However, the master Padmasambhava came to Zahor. Mandarava became his disciple and consort. The King was outraged and attempted to burn the two of them at the stake. Due to their realization, the fire was transformed into a smoking lake. Today, the lake where they performed this miracle is called Tso Pema in Rewalsar, India. The King and his whole country were converted.

Afterward, the Guru Padmasambhava and the Princess went to the caves in Nepal to perform the practice of longlife of the Buddha Amitayus. The Princess also went to Pala Bengal to convert the people there. Mandarava and the Guru returned to Orgyen, where she became queen of the dakinis. Orgyen is a pureland nirmanakaya realm. She also met Yeshe Tsogyal and requested transmissions from her.

The Lady Yeshe Tsogyal was the principle disciple of Guru Padmasambhava in Tibet. Padmasambhava arrived in Tibet in the 9th Century CE, at the invitation of the King Trisong Detsen. There, he taught the Buddha's teachings and built the first monastery in Tibet. Yeshe Tsogyal accomplished complete enlightenment and was responsible for preserving the most rare teachings of the dharma.

Jetsun Niguma was born in Kashmir as the sister of the Mahasiddha Naropa. Dedicating her life towards practicing and perfecting the Buddha's teachings, she manifested as a tenth-level bodhisattva and directly saw the face of Dorje Chang (accomplished all three bodies of the Buddha). Her foremost disciple was Khyungpo Naljor, who brought Niguma's teachings to Tibet and established the Shangpa Kagyu lineage, one of the eight transmission lineages of Tibet.

Khandroma Sukhasiddhi was a laywoman with a husband and six children. However, her family chased her out of the house when she gave their last store of rice to a starving beggar. After wandering for some time, she finally met the Mahasiddha Virupa, who bestowed empowerment and the Buddha's teachings to her. Sukhasiddhi accomplished complete enlightenment and directly saw Dorje Chang.

Gelongma Palmo was an ordained Buddhist nun who founded the Nyungney tradition in India. Nyungney is one of the most popular fasting practices today, based on the One-Thousand Arm form of the Bodhisattva of Compassion Chenrezi. Gelongma Palmo was born into a royal family, but she decided to become ordained and practice the dharma. She was abandoned in the forest after contracting leprosy, an illness which is widely feared in India. King Indrabodhi appeared to her and instructed her to do Chenrezi practice. Gelongma Palmo was completely cured of her leprosy and transmitted her practices onto numerous disciples.

Machig Drupay Gyalmo was a female siddha of India who revealed the practice of the Buddha of Longlife, Amitayus.

Machig Lhabkyi Dronma (1055-1152) founded the lineage of Chod practice in Tibet (one of the eight transmission lineages of Tibet) and mastered the Prajna paramita sutra. She is the only Tibetan to have directly founded a transmission lineage and whose lineage was brought back to India by disciples. Chod is a powerful practice which involves "cutting through the ego." This practice remains popular throughout Tibet and Mongolia.

Some of the famous female disciples of the 11th century yogi Milarepa were:

~Rechungma first tested Milarepa's realization upon their first meeting, but she gained complete faith in her guru. She also was a close companion to Rechungpa, one of Mila's foremost disciples. Milarepa imparted to Rechungma all the pith-instructions without reserve. She practiced in complete silence for eight years and also was known to fully understand Milarepa's teachings. At the time of her passing, she went to the pure realm of the Dakinis.

~Padarbum achieved complete enlightenment in a single lifetime. After first angrily belittling the Jetsun upon their encounter, accusing him of striking an old woman (who was crying out of devotion for Milarepa's songs), she was converted to the dharma. Padarbum flew to the pure realms in her human body, playing a drum for all to hear, at the time of death.

~Sahle Aui meditated in solitude for many years, achieving enlightenment. She taught the dharma widely to many disciples in Tibet. At first, she shunned Milarepa when he begged for food. However, complete devotion arose in her and Milarepa instructed her in the dharma.

~Also Tseringma, now a tenth-level Bodhisattva, was a female goddess tamed by the Jetsun Milarepa. She is now a protector of the dharma.

Jomo Menmo (1248-1283) was born as the activity emanation of Yeshe Tsogyal, and also that of Machig Lhabdron. She was the consort of Guru Chowang, one of the five Terton Kings of Tibet. Jomo Menmo herself discovered terma by the time she was a teenager and hid many of these treasure teachings throughout Tibet. She passed away by dissolving into the sky with two female disciples.

Jetsunma Mingyur Paldron (1699-1769) was the daughter of the Terton Terdak Lingpa. Terdak Lingpa founded Mindroling Monastery, which is considered one of the main seats of the Nyingma lineage. She became an accomplished master in both the new and old traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. By the time she was fourteen, Jetsunma already mastered Tsalung and Tigle practice and she received the complete transmission for many teachings. In particular, from masters such as Lochen Dharmashri, Kathok Rigdzin Shabdrung and other masters she was bestowed teachings.

When the Mongols invaded Tibet in the 18th Century, Mindroling monastery was destroyed. Jetsunma and her younger brother Rinchen Namgyal fled to Sikkim. When they returned to Tibet, Jetsunma was responsible for rebuilding the monastery founded by her father. She transmitted the entire cycle of empowerments to the assembly. She also founded Samten Tse Nunnery, where she spent most of her later life, writing commentaries and giving teachings.

Jetsunma Thrinley Chodron was one of the root lamas to Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo. She was the daughter of 5th Minling Trichen Thinley Namgyal. She was an ordained nun, studying from many great masters and becoming accomplished in the Dzogchen tradition. She also taught widely throughout Tibet and had many disciples.

Jetsunma Shukseb, renown as Ani Lochen, (1865-1951) was a master of Chod. She was born in Rewalsar, India, and her connection was mainly to the Drukpa Kagyu and Nyingma lineages. From childhood, Ani Lochen was a diligent practitioner. Her mother was also a devoted practitioner, who accompanied her daughter on many pilgrimages and encouraged her practice. When she visited Ladakh, the King and everyone wept in tears after seeing Ani Lochen (only a little child) reciting Manis and encouraging everyone else to do so!

Ani Lochen took Pema Gyatso as her root guru. Under his guidance she became a practitioner of Terma and Chod. In the 1890s she became ordained, but still kept her hair long. Ani Lochen went on many pilgrimages with her master and also visited many of Tibet's great monasteries.

She founded the Shukseb nunnery, which is east of Lhasa. There she encouraged the women to become ordained. Many masters such as Reting Rinpoche, the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, Trulshik Rinpoche and the Shechen Rabjam came to visit Ani Lochen.

Ani Lochen was known as a living mahasiddha who was accomplished in Dzogchen and Mahamudra. Her nunnery was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution but is slowly being rebuilt.

Sera Khandro Deway Dorje (1899-1952) was a great female Terton whose treasure texts are revered by many great Nyingma masters. She was the wife of Drimey Ozer, one of the sons of the illustrious Terton Dudjom Lingpa. She was also one of the root gurus to Chatral Rinpoche.

Khandro Urgyen Tsomo was the consort to the 15th Gyalwa Karmapa and an incarnation of Yeshe Tsogyal. Through her practices and recitations of mantra, the Gyalwa Karmapa was healed of illness and his life was prolonged. After the Karmapa's passing away, she remained at Tsurphu Monastery in retreat and instructed others in the dharma. She became renown as the Great Khandro, or Dakini, of Tsurphu.

Jetsunma Tsewang Lhamo passed away in 1995, remaining in the state of samadhi for three days. She was the daughter of Tritsab Pema Wangchen and the grandaunt to the present Mindroling Trichen. Jetsun Tsewang Lhamo's root guru was Jampal Dewei Nyima from whom she took her ordination vows and received the highest mind instructions. Jetsunma also received profound instructions and teachings from Khenchen Khyentse Norbu and Chung Rinpoche. After the Cultural Revolution, Jetsunma lived with Chung Rinpoche until he passed away in 1979. In 1982, Jetsunma left Tibet for Mindroling monastery in India, with her younger sister Jetsun Dechen Wangmo and her grandnephew, Khenchen Khenrab Gyatso, the present Minling Khenchen.