Sunday

A Powerful Listener

Photo courtesy of Helen Vink

This is an excerpt from a talk by the Sakyong Wangmo at a Yeshe Tsogyal feast practice that took place in Halifax, 20 April 2009.

As you know, there is a lot of meaning in Yeshe Tsogyal. I’m sure many of you have heard stories about her, or have read books about her. I grew up listening to stories of Yeshe Tsogyal from my grandmother and my mother, so since I was very young her life has inspired me. I would always try to be like her—the way she gained accomplishment, her selfless devotion to Guru Rinpoche, and the loving-kindness and compassion that she had for other living beings.

A unique aspect of the Ripa lineage is that we have a strong lineage of women practitioners. For many generations women in my family have practiced Yeshe Tsogyal and have attained realization. My grandmother was a very highly realized practitioner. She had many practices, but her main practice was Yeshe Tsogyal. My mother practices Yeshe Tsogyal, and the same goes for me and my sisters. I feel fortunate to have this strong connection.

Yeshe Tsogyal is the female deity of wisdom and compassion who manifested in human form—somebody we can actually relate to. She was the foremost student of Guru Rinpoche and received the highest form of teachings. Her life is inspiring because of her work, her devotion to Guru Rinpoche, and her selfless dedication to practice.

Photo courtesy of Helen Vink

I feel like this is something that we all can do. If we listen to the teachings and practice the right way, with good motivation, right motivation, it is possible to help others. Therefore today is a good opportunity for all of us to remember Yeshe Tsogyal’s kindness, wisdom, and compassion as we engage in her practice. We can also feel gratitude to her for showing us the path. I feel that practicing Yeshe Tsogyal together will be very beneficial to us; it has a lot of blessings. Not only that, practicing together as a sangha deepens our connection with each other and also deepens our practice. Whatever practices we are doing, we can share with each other and build loving-kindness and compassion.