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"Yeshe" by Peter Huhtala
Sparks flew when the Emperor introduced the abused feminist and the enlightened magician; sparks of love between one of history’s most interesting couples.
Yeshe Tsogyal was born into Tibetan royalty. On the day of her birth an earthquake shook the country, flowers rained on the snows, and dakinis sang in the clouds. Padmasambhava (Padma) arrived on Earth as a child on a giant lotus. Both knew it was their destiny to meet each other, for they had made that commitment in the realm of light. Yeshe bolted when her parents insisted that she accept an arranged marriage. She vowed to follow the buddha-dharma and find the man she had dreamed of all her life—Padma, the Buddha incarnate in Tibet. Emperor Trisong Detsen rescued Yeshe from incarceration by a would-be suitor and took her for a wife. The Emperor protected her and joined her in the study of the dharma. |
The Emperor had a powerful dream that compelled him to build the most spectacular temple and monastery in the country, but troublesome entities thwarted the progress. He sent for Padma, who swiftly dispatched the spirits of place. Trisong Detsen learned that Padma knew a practice that could, in one lifetime, deliver enlightenment In exchange for the spiritual cleansing and the enlightenment training, he offered all his riches and his wife, Yeshe. Padma accepted Yeshe and made no guarantees.
Initially, Yeshe was Padma’s disciple and assistant. They ultimately became lovers and collaborators. Yeshe and Padma's love affair deepened as their sexuality merged with the lessons of secret tantras.
Padma and Yeshe had some special powers, siddhis, which included transmuting poisons, subduing attacks with words or songs, flying, and time travel.
Padma and Yeshe continued their work in Tibet, Nepal, India, and Bhutan. They developed a system of hiding terma—sacred texts and objects—to discover at the appropriate time and location. They hid some terma in physical places, and some they planted deep in the minds of individuals in the future. Thus, they preserved the irreplaceable teachings of Tibetan Buddhism and Dzogchen.
Yeshe Tsogal lived a human life with a rich spiritual core. Famed in Tibet as the precious mother of enlightenment, she was also a thoughtful and dignified woman of the Eighth Century. She was a fierce feminist who spoke out and took action when she encountered misogyny. She led practitioners of the Divine Feminine. She taught meditation and self-defense, as well. She spread inspiration throughout this place she called ’The Sphere.’