Chökyi Drönma (1422-1455) was a Tibetan princess and Buddhist leader. She was the main consort of Thang Tong Gyalpo, who recognized her as an emanation of Machig Labdrön through the lineage of Vajravārāhī and appointed her as the first

Samding Dorje Phagmo The Samding Dorje Phagmo () is the highest female incarnation in Tibet''The Power-places of Central Tibet: The Pilgrim's Guide'', (1988) p. 268. Keith Dowman. . and the third highest-ranking person in the hierarchy after the Dalai Lama and the Pa ...

Biography

Chökyi Drönma was born in 1422 as the daughter of Thri Lhawang Gyaltsen, the king of

Mangyül Gungthang Mangyül Gungthang (), ) alternatively known as Ngari Me (Lower Ngari) is the name of a Tibetan kingdom established under Sakya overlordship in Southwest Tibet around 1265. Historically it lies in an area that was an important transit point between ...

. In 1438 she married a prince from the Southern Tibetan Kingdom of Lato in order to create an alliance between Gungthang and Lato. In 1440, she gave birth to a daughter. When her daughter was old enough to begin schooling, Drönma negotiated with her husband to have her educated according to Buddhist principals. A few years later she returned to Gungthang with an army to assist in an on-going conflict. While she was away her daughter died. After her death, Drönma formally announced her desire to take religious vows, to which her family refused. She became a student of Thang Tong Gyalpo and, eventually, his main consort. Gyalpo reportedly recognized her as the incarnation of Machig Labdrön through the lineage of Vajravārāhī. As part of her relationship with Gyalpo, Drönma received the complete teachings of the Heart Practice (''thugs sgrub'') of treasure teachings from Trasang (''bkra bzang gter kha''), as well as

Chöd Chöd ( lit. 'to sever') is a spiritual practice found primarily in the Yundrung Bön tradition as well as in the Nyingma and Kagyu schools of Tibetan Buddhism (where it is classed as Anuttarayoga Tantra). Also known as "cutting through the ego ...

(teachings of Machig Labdrön and

Mahāmudrā Mahāmudrā (Sanskrit: महामुद्रा, , contraction of ) literally means "great seal" or "great imprint" and refers to the fact that "all phenomena inevitably are stamped by the fact of wisdom and emptiness inseparable". Mahāmudr ...

) instructions from him. She became the first

, the highest-ranking female

Tulku A ''tulku'' (, also ''tülku'', ''trulku'') is a reincarnate custodian of a specific lineage of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism who is given empowerments and trained from a young age by students of his or her predecessor. High-profile examples o ...

in Tibet and the third highest-ranking Buddhist leader after the

Dalai Lama Dalai Lama (, ; ) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current Dal ...

and the

Panchen Lama The Panchen Lama () is a tulku of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. Panchen Lama is one of the most important figures in the Gelug tradition, with its spiritual authority second only to Dalai Lama. Along with the council of high lamas, he ...

. As Samding Dorje Phagmo, she contributed to art, architecture, and engineering in Tibet. She was committed to women's education, establishing Buddhist convents, and creating religious dances for women. Drönma was a leading figure in the Tibetan Bodongpa tradition which gradually waned under Gelugpa rule, but was restored in the modern era. She died at the Manmogang Monastery in Tsari to the southeast of Dakpo, near the Indian border, in 1455.Diemberger, page 236

References

{{Authority control 1422 births 1455 deaths 15th-century Tibetan people Asian royalty Female buddhas and supernatural beings Tibetan Buddhists from Tibet Tibetan women in politics Samding Dorje Phagmos