The Treasury of Lives



Khaying Drolma was born in the winter of 1823 at the Sarwahai Hermitage (sar ba ha'i ri khrod) at Drongdzong (grong rdzong) in the region of Gyelmo Tsarong (rgyal mo tsha rong). She was the daughter of Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje (mdo mkhyen brtse ye shes rdo rje, 1800–1866) and Akyong Bumo Dzompa Kyi (a skyong bu mo 'dzom pa skyid). Her aunt was Ḍākki Losel Drolma (DAk+ki blo gsal sgrol ma, 1802–1861). From the time of her birth, Khaying Drolma was considered an emanation of the eight-century saint Yeshe Tsogyel (ye shes mtsho rgyal).

She learned reading, writing, and chanting from Do Khyentse and his sister, Losel Drolma. From them she also received empowerments, scriptural transmissions, and guiding instructions. She accompanied them to places such as Do Dzong Hermitage (rdo rdzong ri khrod) and Nechen Pema Hermitage (gnas chen pad+ma ri khrod) in Golok; Zhakdra Turquoise Lake (bzhag bra g.yu mtsho) in Minyak; Kardza Hermitage (dkar mdza' ri khrod); Pelri Monastery (dpal ri dgon); Lautang Monastery (la'u thang dgon); and Mahā Kyilung Monastery (ma hA skyid lung dgon) in the region of Geshe Gyelpo.

In 1841, when she was nineteen years old, her family arranged for her to marry Tsewang Rabten (tshe dbangs rab brtan), the king of Trokyab (khro skyabs), the most powerful of the eighteen kingdoms in Gyarong based in the capital city of Mutri Pelek (dmu khrid dpal legs). The king was a faithful Buddhist practitioner and Do Khyentse wished to usher in a golden age for the spread of the Nyingma Nyingtik (snying thig) and Tuktik (thugs thig) teachings in the region. The wedding did not take place, however, until 1849. Do Khyentse himself did not escort her to the capital, but the ceremonies were carried out by members of his retinue.

In the years that followed, the king received all the Nyingtik and Tuktik empowerments and guiding instructions from Ḍākki Losel Drolma and Do Khyentse. It is said that his understanding and experience flourished and Do Khyentse entrusted him as a lineage holder.

In 1852, when Khaying Drolma was thirty, she came down with a severe illness. It was said that she was poisoned by followers of the Bon tradition who were jealous of the family's influence on the court. Extensive medical treatment and rituals were not able to help her. When it was clear that her recovery was not immanent, Do Khyentse went to Trokyab to perform rituals, but they too were not effective.

In 1853, Do Khyentse and Losel Drolma went again to Trokyab to counsel Khaying Drolma and perform rituals for her health. They then left for Tseten Ling (tshe brtan gling) in Gartok, where they were engaged in teaching activities. At the Trokyab king's request, Losel Drolma returned to the capital once more that year to perform more rituals and give more counsel to Khaying Drolma.

In 1854, Do Khyentse and Losal Drolma returned to the Trokyab capital as Khaying Drolma's health deteriorated. Do Khyentse made aspirations, guided her through the paths and levels, and gave her special empowerments in preparation of her death. It is said that Khaying Drolma had no fear of dying and remained in a joyful state of mind. On the fifteenth day of the second month, she passed away, showing unmistakable signs of accomplishing the transference of consciousness.

After her passing, the Trokyab ruler, Do Khyentse, Losel Drolma, and hosts of lamas and tulkus came to the capital for her funeral services. It is said that at the time of the cremation, the sky thickened with rainbow-hued clouds and vultures circled. Losel Drolma stayed to oversee the collection of her relics, then she rejoined Do Khyentse at Tseten Ling. It was at that time after the cremation that Losel Drolma dreamed of girl dressed in white silk who said,

My emanation was in Tibet, but the ground of my emanation is going to purify its obscurations and receive the fruitional empowerment from Guru Rinpoche on the southwestern continent of Camaradvipa (rnga yab gling).

In a past life, during a teaching at the Śaṅkarakūṭa Stūpa (bde byed brtsegs pa), a worldly ḍākinī cursed me, which prevented me from benefitting beings to my full potential here in the human realm. Although I was not able to fulfill all the king's wishes, because of me he was able to consummate his practice of Tuktik and he will join me in the vidyādharas' pure land.

My emanation and its ground are one, but now, like the moon reflected in limpid water, I will return again to fulfill the wishes of my brothers and sisters and to further the practice of Tuktik.  

Tsewang Rabten built a reliquary stupa for Khaying Drolma, which Do Khyentse consecrated.

Khaying Drolma had only lived in the Trokyab capital for six years, and she and the king were not able to produce any children. Half a year after her death, Do Khyentse recognized her reincarnation as Somang Tulku (so mang mchog sprul; 1855-c.1935), the son of Dechen Rigpai Reltri (bde chen rig pa'i ral gri) and Sonam Wangmo (bsod nams dbang mo), a noblewoman from the Somang (so mang) kingdom of Gyarong.


Learn more about the Women Initiative, an effort to add 100 new biographies of women by 2026.

Joseph McClellan received a PhD from Columbia University's Department of Religion in 2013. He has taught humanities at colleges in several countries and is now an independent translator and writer based in Asia.

Published July 2023

参考书目

2008. Sras mo mkhaʼ dbyings sgrol ma'i rnam thar. In Mdo mkhyen brtse ye shes rdo rje'i gdung rgyud rim byon gyi rnam thar gsal ba'i me long, Par gzhi dang po, pp. 272–81. Beijing: Krung go'i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang. BDRC MW1KG987_BCBA47

TibShelf, trans. The Biography of Losal Drölma. TibShelf. https://www.tibshelf.org/tibetan-translations/the-biography-of-dakki-losal-drolma

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