The Treasury of Lives

Rigdzin Chodron was born around 1893 into an aristocratic gerpa (sger pa) family from Shigatse with estates of Lholing (lho gling), sometimes spelled Lhuling, Delek Rabten (bde legs rab brtan) and Dingja (lding bya). Along with the yabzhi (yab gzhis), depon (sde dpon), and midrak (mi drag), gerpa were noble families from which officials of the Ganden Podrang (dga' ldan pho brang) were drawn. Her brothers, prominent figures in government, were Tsawa Tulku Ngawang Lobzang (tsha ba sprul sku ngag dbang blo bzang, 1880–1957), Delek Rabten Dorje Yulgyel (bde legs rab brtan rdo rje g.yul rgyal, b. 1890), and the general Dingja Dorje Gyeltsen (lding bya rdo rje rgyal mtshan, b. 1896, died after 1959). Sources for her life story include family memoirs, especially Daughter of Tibet, the autobiography of her sister-in-law, Rinchen Dolma Taring (rin chen sgrol ma phreng ring, 1910–2000), who remembered her as "one of the finest people I have ever known, exceptionally kind and broadminded, well-read in religion, history and politics, and remarkably good-looking."^[1]

Before 1910, Rigzin Chodron was married to Tsarong Samdrub Tsering (tsha rong bsam grub tshe ring, 1887–1912), the eldest son and heir of the Tsarong family (tsha rong). His parents were Wangchuk Gyelpo (tsha rong dbang phyug rgyal po, 1866–1912) and Yangchen Dolma (dbyangs can sgrol ma, 1877–1919) of the Yutok family (yab gzhis g.yu thog), who were relatives of the Tenth Dalai Lama, Tsultrim Gyatso (ta la'i bla ma 10 tshul khrims rgya mtsho, 1816–1837). The Tsarongs were an aristocratic family with estates in the Sakya region. They trace their origins to the father of Tibetan medicine, Yutok Yonten Gonpo (g.yu thog gsar ma yon tan mgon po, 1126–1202).

During the 1910–1912 occupation of Tibet by Chinese forces under General Zhong Ying (鍾穎, b. circa 1890), Rigdzin Chodron sheltered at Drepung Monastery ('bras spungs dgon) with her sisters-in-law and mother-in-law while her husband and father-in-law remained in the city to defend their Lhasa home.

In 1912, Samdrub Tsering's father, an influential member of government who served as a minister, or shabpe (zhabs pad), was arrested and brought to the Potala (po ta la) where he was killed due to suspicions that he had collaborated with the Manchus during the 1910–1912 occupation. His death has also been described as an assassination because it was extra-judicial and politically motivated. Later Tibetan historians have suggested he was innocent of the charges and that personal jealousies and political rivalries were the cause of the murder. Samdrub Tsering was summoned on the same day as his father's murder and stabbed to death by a group of assailants on the Turquoise Bridge (g.yu thog zam pa). Rinchen Dolma Taring writes that her other brother, Kelzang Lhawang (tsha rong skal bzang lha dbang, 1903–1936), the remaining son of the Tsarong family, was probably not targeted because he was a recognized tulku living as a monk at Drepung.

With Rigdzin Chodron widowed, the continuation of the Tsarong house became a concern. Rigdzin Chodron's brother, Tsawa Tulku, advised the Tsarong family to bring Chensel Namgang (spyan gsal gnam gang, 1888–1959) into the family as a bridegroom, or makpa (mag pa) to assume the Tsarong name and estates. Namgang was from a modest background but had risen in prominence as a defender of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama (ta la'i bla ma 13, 1856–1875), who at one period regarded him as a favorite. After his marriage to Rigdzin Chodron, Chensel Namgang took the name Tsarong Dasang Damdul (tsha rong zla bzang dgra 'dul).

To better ensure the continuation of the Tsarong line, Dasang Damdul was also married to Pema Dolkar (tsha rong pad+ma sgrol dkar 1892–1957), the eldest surviving daughter of Tsarong Wangchuk Gyalpo—and thus Rigdzin Chodron's sister-in-law. This additional union occurred over the objection of Rigdzin Chodron's mother, who feared that the presence of Pema Dolkar—a Tsarong by birth—in the marriage would compromise her daughter's standing. Fortunately both women were extremely close. Although publicly Rigdzin Chodron was regarded as the senior wife, taking the first seat at official functions, she was privately deferential to Pema Dolkar, who was a year older than her. The two apparently were such good friends that they often wore matching outfits.

Rigdzin Chodron's birth family shared additional matrimonial ties with the Tsarongs; Tsarong Norbu Yudron (nor bu g.yu dgron, b. 1895), the third daughter of Tsarong Wangchuk Gyelpo, was married to Rigdzin Chodron's brother Delek Rabten, and Dasang Damdul's sister Yangchen (dbyangs can, d. circa 1957/1959) married her brother General Dingja. Kelzang Lhawang disrobed at some point and married Tsewang Dolma (tshe dbang sgrol ma), a niece of Dasang Damdul.

Rigdzin Chodron had two children who did not survive. She was extremely close with Pema Dolkar's children, who called her stepmother (a ma ma g.yar lags). She also cared for her younger sisters-in-law Jangchub Dolma (byang chub sgrol ma, 1912–1930) and Rinchen Dolma, particularly after their mother died. In 1928 the family sold their Lhasa house to the Pomdatsang family (spom mda' tshang).^[2] The Tsarong family moved to the new Tsarong House (tsha rong gzims shag) on the outskirts of Lhasa.

Two additional Tsarong daughters joined Rigdzin Chodron's marriage to Dasang Damdul. Tseten Dolkar (tshe brtan sgrol dkar, 1898–1940), the fourth daughter of Tsarong Wangchuk Gyalpo, joined after she was widowed by Horkhang Wangchen Puntsok Namgyel (hor khang dbang chen phun tshogs rnam rgyal, 1875/1876–1918). Rinchen Dolma also joined; she later married Jigme Taring ('jigs med phreng ring, 1908–1991) and took the Taring name.

The prominent family was evidently the target of hostility; at one point Rigdzin Chodron and Pema Dolkar both became ill from tea that had been poisoned by aconite. The origin of the poison was never discovered, although one of the household's cooks took the blame. Rinchen Dolma Taring explains that the Thirteenth Dalai Lama advised the family not to investigate the incident.^[3]

By the 1920's, when she was around thirty-seven years old, Rigdzin Chodron returned to her family's estate of Lholing in western Tibet. She took nuns' vows and spent her last years in religious practice, a custom known as "elder practice" (rgan chos). She died around 1939.

 

_________________________________________________

Publication of this biography was made possible through support of National Endowment for the Humanities.

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Additional Bios Sponsored By National Endowment for the Humanities

---

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