Dechen Trinle Tsomo (bde chen 'phrin las mtsho mo) was born in Ponzim (dbon gzim) in Taklung (stag lung) in 1641. Her father was named Tenzin Dorje (bstan 'dzin rdo rje) and her mother was named Peldzom Butri (dpal 'dzoms bu 'khrid).[1]
Trinle Gyatso, the Second Jorra Chetsang (sbyor ra 02 'phrin las rgya mtsho) identified her as the reincarnation of the Fifth Samding Pakmo, Kacho Yeshe Tsomo (bsam sding phag mo 05 mkha' spyod ye shes mtsho mo). He enthroned her at Samding Monastery (bsam sding dgon) and gave her novice monastic vows with the name Tenzin Trinle Tsomo (bstan 'dzin 'phrin las mtsho).
She trained in both sutra and tantra under the direction of various Bodong masters, including the Second Jorra Chungtsang, Drogon Dorje Nyingpo (sbyor ra chung tshang 02 'gro mgon rdo rje snying po).
According to the biography of the Fifth Dalai Lama (ta lai bla ma 05, 1617–1682), Dechen Trinle Tsomo had a close relationship with the rulers of Nakartse (sna dkar rtse). The Fifth Dalai Lama had contact with Samding Dorje Pakmo via his maternal uncle, the Nakartse Zhabdrung (sna dkar rtse zhabs drung), and viewed the incarnation line favorably due to the connections with Nakartse and with Tangtong Gyelpo (thang stong rgyal po), the teacher of the First Dorje Pagmo (rdo rje phag mo 01 chos kyi sgrol ma, 1434–1467/8).[2]
She passed away at the age of sixty-six, around the year 1707. She was memorialized with a silver reliquary stūpa, which was installed at Samding Monastery.
Learn more about the Women Initiative, an effort to add 100 new biographies of women by 2026.
དཔྱད་གཞིའི་ཡིག་ཆ་ཁག།
Diemberger, Hildegard. 2007. When a Woman Becomes a Religious Dynasty; The Samding Dorje Phagmo of Tibet. New York: Columbia University Press.
Ra se dkon mchog rgya mtsho. Gangs ljongs skyes ma'i lo rgyus spyi bshad. 2003. Lhasa: Bod ljong mi dmang dpe skrun khang. BDRC WA29229.
Bla rung ar+ya tA re'i dpe tshogs rtsom sgrig khang. 2017. Bsam sding rdo rje phag mo 'i 'khrungs rabs dang sku phreng rim byon gyi mdzad rnam by Rdo rje phag mo bde chen chos sgon and Grwa thub bstan rnam rgyal, in Mkha' 'gro'i chos mdzod chen mo, vol. 14, pp. 156-172. Lhasa: Bod ljongs bod yig dpe rnying dpe skrun khang. BDRC MW3CN2459
Deji Zhuoma (Bde skyid sgrol ma). 2003.Zangchuan fojiao chujia nüxing yanjiu (A Study of Tibetan Buddhist Nuns). Beijing: Shehui kexue wenxian chubanshe.
Rdo rje phag mo bde chen chos sgon and Grwa thub bstan rnam rgyal. 1994. "Bsam sdings rdo rje phag mo'i 'khrungs rabs dang/ sku phreng rim byong gyi mdzad rnam/ yar 'brog bsam sdings dgon gyi dkar chag bcas rags tsam bkos pa." Bod ljongs nang bstan, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 31–58.