Alfredo Colitto Popular Books

Alfredo Colitto Biography & Facts

Ayu Khandro (Tibetan: ཨ་ཡུ་མཁའ་འགྲོ་, Wylie: A-yu Mkha'-'gro, "Long Life Dakini", 1839 – 1953), also known as Dorje Paldrön, was a Tibetan yogini, practitioner and terton of Tantric Buddhism in Eastern Tibet. An accomplished Dzogchen meditator, she is known for her extensive pilgrimages throughout Tibet, long periods of dark retreat practice, the gongter of the practice of the yidam Senge Dongma (the Lion-Faced Dakini), various forms of Chöd, and her lifelong dedication to spiritual practice. Much of the information we have about Ayu Khandro comes from the oral commentary that she gave in person to Chogyal Namkhai Norbu in Dzongsa in 1951. He wrote her namthar, or spiritual biography, which was later published in Women of Wisdom by Tsultrim Allione. Ayu Khandro met, and was taught by, many great masters of her day: Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, Jamgon Kongtrul the First, Chokgyur Lingpa, Nyala Pema Dündul, Adzom Drukpa, Togden Rangrig and the ninth Tai Situpa, Pema Nyingche Wangpo. She led the life of a hidden yogini, spending a significant amount of her life in retreat or as a wandering chodma. She was recognised as an emanation of Vajrayogini. She is reported to have lived to the age of 115. Early life (1839–1846) Ayu Khandro was born during the winter of 1839 in Kham, Eastern Tibet, in the village of Dzong Trang. Her father Tamdrin Gon and her mother's name was Tsokyi. Present at her birth, , was a local togden, Togden Rangrig, who gave her the name Dechen Khandro (Great Bliss Dakini). She joined his community at the age of seven. She grew up as the youngest in a family of three sons and four daughters; living a traditional Khampa lifestyle where the women looked after the animals and the men were traders. "Since I was the youngest and the weakest I was sent to look after the small animals and given the worst clothes." Leaving home and early meditation training (1846-1857) Togden Rangrig had a small community of meditators in the caves of a nearby mountain to where Ayu Khandro lived. This place was called Drag ka Yang Dzong. Her Aunt, Dronkyi, was a member of this community and lived in a cave near that of the Togden. At the age of seven, in 1846, Ayu Khandro went to join them. She assisted them in retreat, bringing fire wood and water. During this period she learned how to read and write Tibetan with Kunzang Longyang, a skill in which she reached a good level of proficiency, reading the Kangyur twice with the community. At the age of 13, Ayu Khandro received her first initiation, the Longsal Dorje Nyingpo (The Vajra Essence of the Clear Expanse). Following the pattern of many yoginis she was betrothed against her will. After her aunt's intercession the marriage was delayed until she was 19. In Kham, at this time, there were many important and accomplished Rinpoches. Yet there are three that stand out among the others: Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, Jamgon Kongtrul the 1st and Chokgyur Lingpa. They were all proponents of the Rime movement in Tibet. When Ayu Khandro was 14, she travelled with Togden Rangrig and Dronkyi to see these three teachers consecrate Dzong Tsho (Fortress Lake). Here she met many other masters and received considerable meditation instruction. On the return journey, we have the first mention of her meeting the 9th Tai Situpa, Pema Nyingche Wangpo from whom she received instruction on the meditation yidam White Tara. Back at Drag ka Yang Dzong, she dedicated her time to the Ngondro of the Longchen Nyingtig lineage under the guidance of Kunzang Longyang. Two years later, in 1854, she made another pilgrimage to see her root teacher Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo. Although he was in retreat due, he gave Ayu Khandro teachings on his White Tara terma, called the Pema Nyingtig (Heart Essence of the Lotus) for over a month and the spiritual name Tsewang Paldron (Glorious Life Empowerment). On return to Togden Rangrig, Ayu Khandro dedicated herself to this practice. Marriage and illness (1857–1865) In the summer of 1857, against her own and her aunt Dronkyi's wishes, Ayu Khandro was married to Apho Wangdo of the wealthy Gara Tsong family. She stayed with her husband, who was kind and generous, for three years. Yet, after this, Ayu Khandro fell ill to an undiagnosable illness and was in weakened health for the next two years. With no improvement or response to any treatment and near death, Togden Rangrig and Dronkyi were called and they stated that Ayu Khandro's marriage was blocking her strong orientation and propensity to meditation practice causing her to become ill. Apho Wangdo agreed to alter their relationship to one of vajra brother and sister and thus Ayu Khandro slowly recovered. Ayu Khandro then returned to the caves of Drag ka Yang Dzong, where she spent a year recovering, assisted by a nun in the community. During this year she began to receive teachings again, namely the terma of Guru Chowang. While she was recovering she had a dream that indicated the death of her mentor Togden Rangrig. On her request he gave her a meditation practice to extend his life and he lived another 3 years. As well as living most of her life with him and him being present at her birth he gave her all the teachings he received from his teachers; Motrul Choying Dorje, Migyur Namkhai Dorje - the Fourth Dzogchen Drubwang and Rigdzin Pema Dupa Tsel. At this time he also gave her the teachings on the Dzogchen of Nyima Drapa, from the terton Nyima Odzer (1124–92). Now having the freedom and health to practice Ayu Khandro, now 23 or 24, dedicated herself to extended, serious meditation. Death of Togden Rangrig and retreat (1865–1868) Yet in 1865, at 77, Togden Rangrig died. The sign of an accomplished meditator his body remained in final meditation posture, Thukdam, for seven days. After this period his body was the size of an eight year old. This dissolution of the body into the elements at the time of death is called the rainbow body and is the highest attainment of Dzogchen meditation. At the time of cremation signs of the meditative realization of the practitioner can appear. and at Ayu Khandro was present for this, and she recalled: " As we were making the funeral pyre and preparing the body to be burned everyone heard a loud noise like a thunderclap. A strange half-snow half-rain fell." At the end of the cremation they found that Dronkyi, her aunt and spiritual companion since she was 7 had left her body at the age of 62. Dronkyi remained in seated meditation position for 3 days after her death, a sign of high spiritual attainment. She too was cremated on the same spot as Togden Rangrig. Sounds from the cremation pyre were reported by many people. The close time of death of Togden Rangrig and Dronkyi could indicate that they were a spiritual couple, practicing the highest levels of buddhist meditation known as karmamudra. In Tibetan Buddhism realized beings are often shown in union or yabyum representing the union of wisdom and compassion. In response to these events Ayu Kh.... Discover the Alfredo Colitto popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Alfredo Colitto books.