Tsogyal LHatso
The Divine Waters of the Lake Born Queen
“Mother of Space, foremost of dakinis, Lady Kharchen Za,
Gatherer of the secret treasury of Padmakara,
Knower of all past, present and future:
Mother Tsogyal, Great Bliss Queen, to you we pray:
grant us siddhis, ordinary and supreme!”
Pavilion over the lake at Tsogyal Lhatso
at a glance
As the Buddhadharma’s foundations were being laid by the new Dharma King, another embodiment of enlightened wisdom took birth in the Drak Valley near the future site of Samye monastery. This extraordinary being was Khandro Yeshé Tsogyal, known as the Queen of Lake-Born Wisdom. She was a supreme wisdom dakini, destined to become the primary disciple and spiritual consort of Mahaguru Padmasambhava. Her spiritual journey holds immense significance in the unfolding of the Dharma in Tibet.
the story
An emanation of the goddess of sublime eloquence, Khandro Yeshé Tsogyal was born to Palkyi Wangchuk, chief of the Kharchen clan, and his fair wife Khandro Getso of Nup. This wisdom dakini’s miraculous birth caused a lake to appear, giving it the name Tsogyal Lhatso, “Tsogyal’s life-force lake.” These blessed waters, surrounded by the green growth of birch and willow, still well up from the sandy plains of the lower Drak Valley, a life-giving miracle that connects us with her extraordinary presence to this day.
An extraordinary child, even as an infant Yeshé Tsogyal bore all the signs of a wisdom dakini, awakened from the beginning. Then, as she grew of age, her unsurpassed beauty was such that suitors even took up arms to vie for her hand in marriage. Only Dharma King Trisong Detsen was deemed fit for the betrothal, a match that opened the door to meeting her destined teacher, Guru Padmasambhava. This spiritual partnership unfolded as one of the greatest in the history of great saints, for it led to the Dharma’s firm establishment in the hearts of the Tibetan people, and in the landscape of Tibet itself. Tsogyal Lhatso, then, marks the beginning of this incredible journey, for it was from these blessed waters that a dakini was born who would fulfill the Mahaguru’s activity, allowing it to shine forth and bless countless generations to come.
Words from the Masters
Rigdzin Jigme Lingpa’s Revelation of the Yumka Dechen Gyalmo Practice at Tsogyal Lhatso
Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Thayé’s Prayer Summarizing Khandro Yeshé Tsogyal’s Life and Liberation
The Fifteenth Karmapa’s Prayer to Khandro Yeshé Tsogyal
Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö’s Praise of Khandro Yeshé Tsogyal
Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö’s Prayer to Khandro Yeshé Tsogyal
How to get there
Along the northern banks of the great Tsangpo River lies the Drak Valley. This was the ancestral home of the Kharchen clan and and the place of Khandro Yeshé Tsogyal’s birth. The life-force lake that gushed forth at her birth is now a tranquil tree-lined pond around which a community of nuns has emerged, nurtured by the flow of Yeshé Tsogyal’s blessings. Tsogyal Lhatso (29°20'43.3"N 91°16'45.6"E) rests among the settlements of the lower Drak Valley, known locally as “Zhangda” or “Asha,” on the eastern banks of the valley’s creek bed. It is reached by following the main road north of Drongmoché.
While at the main site
The Tsogyal Latso has been a place of pilgrimage for more than twelve hundred years. The main temple called Changchub Ling, the Sanctuary of Enlightenment, serves as a residence for several nuns.
Yeshe Tsogyal’s Birthplace
A Stupa commemorates the exact spot where Yeshe Tsogyal was born.
The NAga Pillar
The pillar offered by the local Naga king upon Yeshe Tsogyal’s birth can still be found in the temple, along with statues of Guru Rinpoche, Khandro Yeshe Tsogyal and Lhacham Mandarava. In addition to these main statues, there are smaller statues of Rikdzin Jikme Lingpa, Avalokitesvara, Vajravahari and Dechen Gyalmo.
Foot and Handprints
The temple also contains two footprints left by Khandro Yeshe Tsogyal as an eight-year-old, and a handprint.
Beyond the main site
Natural Springs
There are two natural springs near to Yeshe Lhatso, which are said to represent Yeshe Tsogyal’s breasts. Drinking the sacred water, which is considered to be her breast milk, is said to protect one from being reborn in the hell realms. The spring water is cool in summer and warm in winter. White lotus-like flowers are found blooming next to the sacred springs during winter.