The Treasury of Lives

Machik Zhama (ma gcig zha ma) was born in Padruk (pha druk) in 1062. Her father's name was Zhama Dorje Gyeltsen (zha ma rdo rje rgyal mtshan) and her mother's name was Gyagar Lhamo (rgya gar lha mo). She had a brother named Zhama Sengge Gyeltsen (zha ma seng+ge rgyal mtshan) who is remembered for having translated Dignāga's treatise on logic into Tibetan. According to the Blue Annals she had two additional brothers: Khonpuwa Chokyi Gyelpo ('khon phu ba chos kyi rgyal po, 1069-1144), who was a student of Rongzom Chokyi Zangpo (rong zom chos kyi bzang po, 1042-1136), and Kartsa Gyel (mkhar tsha rgyal), whose ordination name was Sonam Gyelpo (bsod nams rgyal po, d.u.).

At the age of fourteen she was given in marriage to a local man named Aba Lhagyel (a ba lha rgyal, 11th century). The marriage was apparently against her wishes, and she is reported to have told her new husband that he should practice religion, as she herself intended to do. When he refused, she faked insanity and the couple split.

From age seventeen to twenty-two she served as partner in sexual yoga to her teacher, Ma Lotsāwa Gewai Lodro (rma lo tsA ba dge ba'i blo gros, d. 1089), from whom she presumably received Lamdre transmission, and is said to have attained a high realization through the practice, seeing herself and the guru as the deities.

Ma Lotsāwa seems to have had a change of heart regarding his tantric practice, as he later took ordination with Machik Zhama's brother, Khonpuwa; at age forty-six he was murdered via poisoning.  Machik Zhama first practiced in isolation, but after the death of Ma Lotsāwa she went to perform his funeral rites, after which for the next three years she was afflicted by a series of seven hardships, including a daily discharge of fluid and her body coming to be covered in abscesses and pustules.

It would seem that one of her afflictions was leprosy: there is a legend in southern Lato (la stod) about Machik Zhama suffering from that disease. She went to a large lake in the Kharta valley (kha rta) and, on the advice of her father, emptied it in an attempt to cure herself. She then erected a small temple there, which later grew into Tarpa Ling Monastery (thar pa gling).

According to the Blue Annals, still suffering, her brother brought her to Tingri (ding ri) to meet with Padampa Sanggye (pha dam pa sangs rgyas, d. c.1147). Padampa Sanggye diagnosed her misfortunes as stemming from a breach of vow, accusing her of practicing sexual yoga with other adepts, and several other infractions such as sharing a meal with vow-breakers and envy towards other tantric partners of her teacher. He then cured her in a most remarkable combination of magic, tantric rites, and devotion to the Buddha: at his command she brought him an egg laid by a black hen, the right front-leg of a sheep, a skull-cup of wine, seven post-pubescent young girls, a relic of the Buddha, a king's mat, and the footprint of Ma Lotsāwa. He then instructed her to join him in sexual union on the mat; circumambulate the relic; wash herself; offer the seven girls to the footprint; insert the egg into her vagina; and "worship" the sheep's leg and wine. He then commanded that the sacrificial food not be discontinued and passed it around to the community.

The Blue Annals records that Padampa Sanggye then demanded that she remember her past life as Kongjo (rgya bza' kong jo; Chinese Wenchen Kongjo), the Chinese princess who is said to have married Songtsen Gampo (srong brtsan sgam po, c. 617-698). In order to jog her memory he slapped her hard across the face, and explained that her failure to remember was a result of her neglecting to properly pay Ma Lotsāwa for his instruction. He then had her remove the egg, which had turned black, and break it open; it oozed a black liquid that was evidence of a magician's curse. After her afflictions were cured, Padampa Sanggye then sent her off.

She and her brother later received initiations and teachings from Sekhar Chungwa (se mkhar chung ba, 11th century), after which Machik Zhama wandered Tibet and the borderlands practicing meditation.

The Blue Annals lists several additional teachers, including Paṇḍita Vairocana, Pelchen Galo (dpal chen rgwa lo, d.u.), Purang Lotsāwa (pu hrang lo tsA ba, 11th century), and Yerangwa (ye rang ba). She taught a number of prominent men, including Pakmodrupa Dorje Gyelpo (phag mo gru pa rdo rje rgyal po, 1110-1170) and Dzeng Dharmabodhi ('dzeng sgom d+harma bo dhi, 1052-1168). She is also said to have given Lamdre precepts to Pakpa Lodro Gyeltsen ('phags pa blo gros rgyal mtshan, 1235-1280) together with her brother, but the chronology makes this impossible.

She passed away at the age of eighty-eight in 1149. Later tradition claimed her as a prior incarnation of Chokyi Dronma, the First Samding Dorje Pakmo (bsam sdings rdo rje phag mo 01 chos kyi sgron ma, 1422- 1467/1468).

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