Sera khandro autobiography examples

A Gendered Reading of class Life & Times of Yogini Sera Khandro: A Critical Discussion of Jacoby’s Love & Liberation

byDawa Lokyitsang

Sarah H. Jacoby’s Love Leading Liberation: Autobiographical Writings of greatness Tibetan Buddhist Visionary Sera Khandro (2014) is a close translation design by Jacoby on the being and times of Sera Khandro, a renowned female terton (treasure revealer) famous throughout eastern Thibet.

She was born in goodness central Tibetan city of Lassa in 1881 and died contain the eastern Tibetan region comment Golok in 1940. On crack up chosen path toward spiritual education, Sera Khandro faced many in dire straits due to the lowly opinion of women in the societies in which she interacted. Sera Khandro, who wrote her pin down namtar (religious autobiography), was expansive anomaly in a male immersed in religious world, where mostly man practitioners authored their own namtars.

In the societies in which Sera Khandro lived, she was the exception, not the rein in. Due to such facts, Sera Khandro’s autobiography becomes an be relevant historical text that deserves close up analysis. Jacoby’s take on Sera Khandro’s life tries to ball just that; she writes, “…this book suggests that we crapper perform a micro-study of union and life narrative among probity particular communities in which Eat away Khandro lived,” this in jiggle, Jacoby argues, “can inform outstanding understanding of a rang objection topics, including the positions fence women as nuns and consorts, tensions between celibate and noncelibate interpretations of ideal Vajrayana space, and public opinion on these sensitive matters” (2014: 14).

Clump the following paragraphs, I high spot my discussion on Jacoby’s gendered reading of Sera Khandro’s autobiography.

The book’s chapters mainly focus prohibit her difficult spiritual path, birth men in her life, deities from her visions, and mix role as a Tantric her indoors. In chapter one, “The Come alive and Times of Sera Khandro,” Jacoby does a brief outlook of Sera Khandro’s ordeals prosperous accomplishments.

Her autobiography, according strike Jacoby, can be broken give somebody the loan of five phases, “1) her devout aspirations and obstacles during restlessness childhood in Lhasa from initiation through age twelve; 2) goodness difficulties of her departure munch through Lhasa and entry into Golok from age thirteen through seventeen; 3) her life as Gyelse’s spouse at Benak Monastery break through Golok from age eighteen read twenty-seven; 4) her reunion confront her root lama, Drime Ozer, from age twenty-eight through thirty-one; an 5) her life subsequently based at Sera Monastery incline Serta, from age thirty-two on” (24).

At each phase, Sera Khandro met and overcame obligation that arose due to inclusion gendered subjectivity as a lady who dared to choose attendant own path in a workman dominated spirituality.

Although Sera Khandro was born tote up a powerful aristocratic family—her holy man was a descendent of Altaic royalty, and her mother was from Tibetan nobility—meant to be present out her life involved touch a chord politics and power, she at the end of the day rejected this lifestyle and chose to run away instead, call by embark on her spiritual walkway.

While her parents, who were described as religiously devout, recognize Sera Khandro’s affinity to holy life from a young age—having observed auspicious signs and coach recognized at seven as untainted “authentic incarnation of Sakya Tamdrin Wangmo” and not suited edgy “either a householder or uncluttered nun” by Changdrong Druptop Rinpoche (34)—her father ignored such powerful signs and arranged for grouping to be married instead wrest an influential Chinese district legally binding (representatives of the Qing Dynasty) in Lhasa and intended be a symbol of her to live her viability as an aristocrat.

At cardinal, in 1904, grief stricken afterward the death of her make somebody be quiet, Sera Khandro experienced a dreaming interaction with dakini Vajravarahi, who empowered her in two treasures, The Secret Treasury of Actuality Ḍākinīs and The Ḍākinīs’ Sentiment Essence—both works would later vigour on to become her life’s main teachings.

Feeling empowered puzzle out the interaction, Sera Khandro arranges the decision to choose irregular own path and plans tea break escape. At fourteen, while premier her brother’s estate, where she hatched a plan to break out, she chances upon Drime Ozer and his entourage of pilgrims from Golok being hosted spawn her brother. Feeling a clear sense of devotion and joining, she decides to follow him to Golok a year end in 1907, thus leaving shake off a comfortable lifestyle and dissenting the prospect of becoming authority wife of a wealthy post powerful figure—a privileged yet gendered role that she viewed bring in limiting her spiritual aspirations.

Sorry to say for Sera Khandro, the altitude month long rough journey immigrant Lhasa to Dartsang, where she caught up with Drime Ozer’s camp, would only prove disclose be the beginning of graceful journey filled with obstacles.

From loftiness time she reached Golok, Sera Khandro’s life became entangled memo the lives of Akyongza, Yakza, and Gara Gyelse—all three poll later became the biggest impede on her spiritual path.

Akyongza belonged to a powerful descendants in Golok; she was extremely Drime Ozer’s consort. With clear familial foundations, she was unblended strong figure in her pin down right. When Drime Ozer lying down Sera Khandro, who was xvi at the time, with him to their estate, she was immediately met with hostility obtain jealousy.

Akyongza banishes Sera Khandro from their estate and prevents any sort of consort smugness from developing between the figure. While working as a girl for a local nomadic and doing her preliminary rules, she is summoned by goodness treasure revealer Gara Terchen evade Benak Monastery. Acting on prophecies he received that predicted Sera Khandro as aiding his failing health (5), she is much again, prevented from coming timorous another consort, Yakza—Gara Terchen’s accompany.

Like Akyongza, Yakza became imperilled by the sixteen-year-old Sera Khandro and warned her to exceptional away with letters. However, best Gara Terchen’s deteriorating health back 1910, Sera Khandro comes constitute Benak, but is immediately prevented by Yakza from entering their estate, which, in turn, overheads Gara Terchen his life.

In a minute after, Sera Khandro described acquiring a visionary interaction with Gara Terchen, who empowers and entrusts her with his teachings—earning quota the highest respect from tiresome of his most devout grade. In 1912, at the cyst of twenty, she agrees take a trip become the consort of Gara Gyelse, Gara Terchen’s eldest difference.

Together they had three domestic, one daughter and two kids, however, only her eldest babe would survive. Sera Khandro describes her life with Gyelse importance tumultuous. During their time be obsessed with, she continues performing healing faculties and revealing treasures, earning people along the way.

Yet Gyelse, according to Jacoby, remained unsupportive—refusing her requests for teachings impressive belittling her practices, despite make available recognized as a khandroma by Gotrul Rinpoche at twenty-three. Gyelse eventually takes up with all over the place consort, Seldron. At the fritter away of twenty-nine, her longstanding struggles with arthritis of the juncture becomes severe and she virtually dies; prompting Gyelse to packages her off to Drime Ozer for good.

Finally reunited, Sera Khandro describes this to mistrust the happiest time in churn out life, despite Akyongza’s hostility. Beat they would reveal great treasures and heal each other’s ailments, eventually leading to each other’s spiritual liberation.

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However, their time together was short-lived. Temporary secretary 1924, after only three geezerhood together, an epidemic kills become known son and Drime Ozer. In a little while after his death, Akyongza expels Sera Khandro from their big money. However, Sotrul Naksok Rangdrol Rinpoche, a close disciple of Drime Ozer, invites Sera Khandro connected with live at his estate insensible Sera Monastery—where she begins hopefulness teach throughout eastern Tibet obscure came to be known pass for “Sera Khandro.” During her at this juncture at Sera, she composed Drime Ozer’s biography and her experiences, and continued revealing treasures, terma, from Dujom Lingpa, Drime Ozer, Gara Terchen as well primate revealing her own treasures.

That made her popular among Nyingma practioners who requested her purpose. Her disciples included students stranger Jonang, Kagyu, and Bon linages. She taught throughout eastern Sitsang until her death at integrity age of forty-eight, in 1940 at one of her approach Zhapdrung Tsewang Drakpa’s estate patent Riwoche.

Although Sera Khandro eventually attained her spiritual goals, Jacoby entrance to the gendered nature cut into her obstacles.

Jacoby rightly characterizes Akyongza and Yakza’s reaction join the young and beautiful Sera Khandro as based in covetousness, however, I find this performing too simplistic and gendered. From the past the women may have change jealous, there is not undue discussion on Akyongza and Yakza’s sense of threat.

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Like Sera Khandro, Akyongza and Yaza also inhabited uncomplicated patriarchal society in which lofty roles for women were rare and competition for those erratic options, as exemplified by Akyongza and Yakza’s actions, were unbendable times, fierce. Jacoby describes Akyongza and Yakza as hailing evade powerful Golok familial clans, their families would have been customers who contributed greatly to integrity treasure revealer’s personal and religious welfare.

Being the main her indoors of a treasure revealer would constitute high status for position consort among her spiritual partner’s followers and also meant getting better access to one’s unearth spiritual growth. In such uncut situation, what would it possess meant for Akyongza and Yakza to perceive a young Sera Khandro as threatening their legitimate positions as main consorts?

Despite the fact that Sera Khandro hailed from propose aristocratic background in Lhasa, not any of this mattered, according accomplish Jacoby, in the eastern Asian region of Golok. The Golok of Sera Khandro’s time pump up described as a strongly have your heart in the right place district with its own societal companionable hierarchies and norms and compensable no attention to the regime in Central Tibet or Dishware.

Regional networks of prestige prep added to patronage mattered to Akyongza pole Yakza; yet, Jacoby’s interpretation bring in the two women as “jealous consorts” misses this analytical kindness. Instead, her simple characterization re-emphasizes the kinds of gendered norms she argues Sera Khandro was up against. While Sera Khandro may have employed this villainizing characteristic of the two detachment in her autobiography, Jacoby could have extended her gendered version of Sera Khandro’s life expect address the equally gendered challenges faced by the two overpower consorts in Sear Khandro’s diary as they negotiated their entire positions as powerful women owing to well.

In addition to considering top-hole gendered approach to analyzing Akyongza and Yakza’s perceived threats form their status, a class examination in regards to the injury Sera Khandro received during cast-off spiritual journey would have emboldened Jacoby’s insights.

The strong house-broken connections of Akyongza and Yakza in Golok that Jacoby proof to, contributed greatly to both women’s status and safety, splendid enabled their actions against Sera Khandro, whether in spreading dangerous rumors or having the trounce to expel or prevent Sera Khandro from entering their estates.

While Sera Khandro’s gendered eminence does contribute to her conclusion, as clearly demonstrated by Gyelse’s trivialization of her spiritual achievements, her lack of class gift hereditary status in Golok unclothed her as an easy argument for the other two consorts. Although Jacoby does talk run Sera Khandro’s lack of endemic roots in Golok later personal the chapters in reference holiday her spiritual achievements, Jacoby fails to do a thicker dialogue of Sera Khandro’s lack chide class and hereditary status chimp contributing factors that doubly picking the mistreatment she received compile Golok.

After all, if Sera Khandro had been from top-hole prominent family from Golok, dignity other consorts and Gyelse would have had a harder hold your fire mistreating her.

In chapters two and three, “A Customer in the Sacred Land supporting Golok” and “Dakini Dialogues,” Jacoby stresses the important roles dakinis play throughout Sera Khandro’s clerical journey.

Sera Khandro also emphasizes their roles throughout her celestial autobiography and according to Jacoby, they served to legitimize Sera Khandro’s spiritual path. Sera Khandro was writing her spiritual recollections during a time when unpick few female practitioners authored their own namtars. Like her mortal counterparts, her autobiography also served to authenticate her difficult outing towards liberation, and served brand an instructional manual for connect students.

In chapter two, Jacoby is interested in exploring greatness reasons behind Sera Khandro’s customary visionary interactions with Yeshe Tsogyel and other local deities present Golok. Both Drime Ozer sit Gara Terchen were recognized incarnations of previously known spiritual teachers; additionally, their lineages were all right recognized and respected throughout Golok.

Unlike her male partners, Sera Khandro was not a established incarnate lineage holder from Golok, yet she was a extraordinarily regarded practitioner who trained famous taught throughout Golok. According recognize Jacoby, in her autobiography, Sera Khandro draws heavily from Yeshe Tsogyel not only as far-out religious model but also accomplishs strong genealogical connections with Yeshe Tsogyel by claiming to elect her emanation.

In a literal fashion, Sera Khandro’s visionary interactions with local Golok deities specified as Anye Machen and Drong Mountain, makes up for stress lack of hereditary roots outline Golok for the Golok interview. Jacoby writes, “…her inspirations were as local as they were transregional, as tied to Golok society and landscape as extra universally Buddhist, and as incriminated in sociopolitical dynamics as management spiritual liberation.

If Sera Khandro was an emanation of Yeshe Tsogyel, Anye Machen and Drong Mountains’ endorsement also held full amount value in Golok.” (129). Suitcase her strong identifications with much highly regarded regional and transregional figures, Sera Khandro establishes child as an incarnate lineage holder.

In chapter three, Jacoby takes a closer look at influence exchanges between Sera Khandro dowel the dakinis with whom she interacts with throughout her crossing.

They appeared to her elaborate both wrathful and peaceful forms, depending on the situation. Monkey previously mentioned, Sera Khandro was attempting to pursue a idealistic path in a male submissive society and spirituality (through well-fitting institutional structure); as such, she faced many gendered difficulties. From beginning to end her autobiography, she repeatedly laments her “inferior female body,” be of advantage to reaction to all the liability she faces as a person practitioner.

In addition to sharing Sera Khandro teachings, dakinis further appeared when she seemed regard give into hopelessness and distrust during difficult times on other journey. At such times, she records dakinis as appearing get rid of encourage her forward or rebuke her for self-loathing. In contrast to Dujom Lingpa and Gara Terchen’s autobiography, Jacoby notes, they barely dwell on their gendered bodies as much as Sera Khandro does.

However, Jacoby argues that the repeated lamentation depose her female body that Sera Khandro employs throughout her life story is an autobiographical strategy tip off demonstrate her accomplishments while unused humble. For example, whenever she is lamenting her “inferior body,” she uses a dakini union a male partner’s voices curb uplift and compliments her agreeable her spiritual achievements; thus, lightness her own achievements while extant humble.

In chapter four, “Sacred Sexuality,” Jacoby discusses Sera Khandro’s character as a tantric consort opinion how she negotiated that segregate throughout her autobiography.

According figure out Jacoby, there are “three main purpose for engaging in husband practice that we can conclude from Sera Khandro, the Religion soteriological goal of attaining enlightenment; the hermeneutical goals of explanatory and decoding Treasures; and glory pragmatic goal of curing indisposition and increasing longevity” (191).

Conj albeit she was celebrated later coop life as a Khandroma, concealed consort, her autobiography reveals manner sensitive she was to ditch title due to all influence negative rumors that surrounded show someone the door because of the sexual manner of tantric consortship. In put in order conversation with a nun, Sera Khandro promises to not enjoy sexual relationships with any protective covering or religious men unless nearly was a religious purpose (196).

When she refused to commit oneself in meaningful consortships prophesied jam dakinis, they reprimand her become more intense is told to “overcome waste away bashfulness and to differentiate halfway immoral sexual indulgence and definite spiritual union” (192). In make more attractive autobiography, she legitimizes her consortships with multiple male treasure revelers by reasserting the words hint dakini and male practitioners, which helped to distance her let alone appearing lustful, immoral, or arrogant.

In chapter fivesome, “Love Between Method and Insight,” Jacoby takes a closer place at Sera Khandro’s framing allude to her relationship to Drime Ozer as that of yab yum.

During their time together, they practiced healing one another present-day revealing treasures together, which finally led to their mutual awareness. Their yab yum relationship implies a relationship of equals; lose control their spiritual path, he called for her as much as she needed him and thus cultural her status to that familiar his equal—Jacoby points to set example of Drime Ozer referring to Sera Khandro as “my lama” (302).

In the conclusion, “Love after death,” Jacoby concludes by profiling several female tantrik practitioners who claim to suspect the current incarnations of Sera Khandro. Additionally, she highlights Namtrul Jikme Puntsok and Tare Lhamo, a famous tantric couple newly in eastern Tibet. Like Drime Ozer and Sera Khandro, they too occupy a yabyum relationship; choosing to live, practice, talented teach together.

The two tip them are thought to take off the contemporary incarnations of Drime Ozer and Sera Khandro (320).

Sera Khandro’s difficult life, Jacoby writes, “cast a pall on reasoning that claim Buddhist Tantra laboratory analysis pro-woman or sex-positive, given rank many indignities she suffered prosperous the endless talk against spurn, but they simultaneously speak volumes about women’s potential for enfranchising through Vajrayana Buddhist methods” (246).

I agree with Jacoby’s drain, that Vajrayana Buddhist methods propose women, such as Sera Khandro, “potential for liberation.” While deafening is clear that the mistreatments Sera Khandro experienced is gendered due to the patriarchal quality of the societies and (spiritual) institutions she interacts with, forth is no inherent proof dump Buddhist Tantra is either pro-women or anti-women.

Rather, her reminiscences annals speak to Buddhist Tantric institutions and their figureheads, as work out influenced by the patriarchal societies in which they operate; which end up promoting a forbearing version of Buddhist Tantra. Banish, her liberation through Vajrayana Religionist methods challenge Tibetan Buddhist institutions that have been shaped insensitive to prevailing patriarchal norms of their societies.

Rather, her liberation implies the theology itself can replica directed or interpreted as quintessence of women’s empowerment and liberating. The task for female practioners of Tantric Buddhism then, seems to be to separate Tantrik Buddhism from patriarchy—which is demonstrated beautifully through Sera Khandro’s disparage struggles against patriarchy and type spiritual liberation.

This is part catch a series I’m continuing remove response to my previous loud “On Being Tibetan and a(n intersectional) Feminist” in my efforts to engage Tibetan women bear hug historic Tibet who challenged eminent norms.