Palden Lhamo
(By Tsem Rinpoche)
Dear Students and Friends,
Palden Lhamo is one of my favourite Dharmapalas or Dharma protectors. When I was young, I used to run to Rashi Gempil Ling temple, which was a temple close to my house in New Jersey, and make hundreds of prostrations to a thangka of Palden Lhamo. I thought to share alitle about Her here.
Palden Lhamo is a wrathful deity who is also the principal protectress of Tibet. She is the only female Dharmapala that make up the eight primary Dharmapalas along with Kalarupa, Mahakala, Vaishravara, Begste, Hayagriva, Yamantaka, etc. Through the 1st Dalai Lama’s (Gendun Drup) visions, Palden Lhamo promised Gendun Drup “that she would protect the reincarnation lineage of the Dalai Lamas”. She has kept her promised and been the personal Dharmapala (Dharma protector) for all 14 incarnations of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. She is worshipped throughout Tibet and in many major monasteries. She is said to be very swift and very beneficial.
Do read below on how this great and powerful protectoress arose as a Dharmapala for the sake of Dharma and Dharma practitioners alike. Reading about the history of enlightened beings will help us very much by inspiring us to emulate their holy actions and to practice the Dharma with more sincerity, urgency and devotion.
Through her vision, holy Palden Lhamo saw that her son would grow up to be an evil king. She ended his life to prevent him from defiling the Dharma and to accumulate more negative karma. Although in today’s age, we do not face such drastic and difficult choices in adhering to our Dharma practice, many still find it difficult to give up the multitude of their mundane attachments to better and advance their spiritual practice for the benefit of others. What is giving up one’s time, comfort, personal preferences, ego, stubbornness, laziness, money… and so many more negative qualities that pull us away from Dharma when compared to killing one’s own flesh and blood? Although it seems violent, it is all symbolic. This should always be kept in mind.
Do read about Palden Lhamo’s history below and let me know how you feel.
Tsem Rinpoche
History
Palden Lhamo, also known as Shri Devi in Sanskrit, is a Dharma protector of the Gelug tradition, and is considered to be the emanation of the Buddha Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, composition, music and poetry. In her form as Palden Lhamo, she is a wrathful deity and the principle protectress of Tibet. Dharmapalas have one particular function, which is to protect the Buddha’s teachings from being diluted or distorted; thus they are called Dharma Protectors.
The goddess Saraswati is the Buddha of composition, knowledge, music and poetry. She is considered to the consort of Manjushri, the Buddha of Wisdom.
Palden Lhamo was married to the king of the dudpos named Shinje, who was the king of Lanka (an ancient island fortress). When she married King Shinje, she vowed to make him favorable towards Buddhism, or she would put an end to the whole dynasty.
For many years, she tried to change the king’s evil ways of murdering his subjects, but he remained as vile as he was. To make things worse, their son was being raised to be the ultimate destroyer of Buddhism. After exhausting all ways to change her husband’s evil ways, she gave an ultimatum that she would kill their son.
One day while the king was away, she killed her son, drank his blood with his skull and ate his flesh. She then rode away on a horse with her son’s flayed skin. As she was riding away, her furious husband shot a poisonous arrow towards her but it pierced the mount she was riding in. The queen then removed the poisonous arrow and said “May the wound of my mount become an eye large enough to watch over the twenty-four regions, and may I myself be the one to extirpate the lineage of the malignant kings of lanka!” Thus Palden Lhamo’s mount has a third eye on the horse’s left rump.
Palden Lhamo’s form is similar to a fierce female ogress, with teeth and fangs jutting out of her mouth. The presence of her three eyes symbolizes her ability to see into the past, present and future without obstruction. The dark blue of her body represents her attaining great bliss, the realization of emptiness.
On her right hand she holds a skull cup representing the destruction of obstacles. The skull cup filled with blood represents great bliss. She carries a human-skin bag full of diseases that she collects from those who invoke her. Her legs are in a semi-relaxed posture and chains connect one ankle to the other.
Iconography
Palden Lhamo represents a wrathful form. Her holy face is outlined by wild orange-brown, or reddish-like hair, with nine peacock feathers floating above. She exposes her ferocious teeth which gnaw on a human corpse while she strike an intimidating stare with her three blood-shot eyes.
Her magnificent body is covered with ashes, fat, and blood; and she is surrounded by a halo of flames, depicting her presence in a charnel field. Her raised right hand carries a sandalwood club topped with a vajra, a weapon used to watch over the oath-bound, ensuring their dedication and integrity in upholding the Buddha Dharma.
Her left hand is raised to the level of her chest, where she carries a blood-filled skull of a child born out of incestuous union. She sits on the back of a khyang, an un-trainable mule that acknowledges Palden Lhamo’s loud and fearful shrieks that resemble the sound of thunder.
On her navel is a small sun disc and above her head a crescent moon. She is usually depicted adorned in a black silk scarf that blows around and behind her, along with a human skin that is used as a shawl. Her upper cloths is made of black fabric and her lower garment consists of a tiger skin held by a belt of intertwined snakes.
Her neck is decorated with a long necklace of freshly decapitated human heads, the five skull crown, and the other five bone ornaments of many Heruka class deities depicted around the goddess’ wrists and ankles. These carved human bone ornaments represents the necessity to release one’s attachments towards physical existence, and that the six perfections is required to attain enlightenment.
The reins on Palden Lhamo’s mule are made of venomous snakes. It wraps around her human skin saddle. The snakes dangling from her mount hold a pouch that contains a black and white pair of dice used to determine karmic fate and also a magic ball of string made of rolled up weapons. This shows that those who receive her initiation opens a gateway to divinatory power. A red tablet used to cast spells is tied to her mount or tucked into her belt with a sack full of diseases collected by Palden Lhamo from all those who invoke her and releases it when evil is committed.
On the hind quarter of her mule is a single eye, which was formed from the wound of Palden Lhamo’s former husband’s arrow. After her unsuccessful quest to change her people’s cannibalistic practices, she followed through her vow to kill her son and used his skin as a saddle.
Below Palden Lhamo are two female animal-headed female attendants; Makarakurti and Simhavaktra. Makarakurti, the “makara-headed” dakini to Palden Lhamo’s right is dark blue in color and dressed in a human skin. She holds Palden Lhamo’s mule rein with her left hand and a snare in her right. Simhavaktra, the “lion-headed” wisdom dakini is to Palden Lhamo’s left, is red and holds a noose and kapala.
Palden Lhamo functions as the “chief guardian goddess” of the dharmapalas in Tibetan Buddhism. She is the only female Dharmapala that make up the eight primary Dharmapalas along with Kalarupa, Mahakala, Vaishravana, Begste, Hayagriva, Yamantaka, etc.
In the Buddhist context, Palden Lhamo may also be a form of Mahakala, thus a distant form of Avalokiteshvara. She is often illustrated amongst a retinue of Mahakala forms. She is known to take at least eleven different forms and thus known as a transformative Bodhisattva for her ability to take any form in order to aid sentient beings into the path of enlightenment. In addition to this, she is frequently surrounded by many subsidiary deities and attendants.
Palden Lhamo’s image indicates her function as a personal deity or a yidam, which is given to a person by his or her guru; and is to be consulted throughout one’s entire life. Thus, Palden Lhamo will guide, protect and focus specific energies of the practitioner in his or her path to enlightenment.
The Sacred Lake of Palden Lhamo
The lake of Lhamo Lha-tso, famous for being a sacred place where people can have visions. Even for those that don’t have visions, the lake is extremely sacred to visit and make prayers at.
The great Protectress Palden Lhamo residing at Lhamo Lha-tso is called Gyalmo Makzor Ma or ‘Queen Torma Mother’. The lake is also given the name ‘Palden Lhamo Kalidevi’, which indicates her connection with the goddess Kali. Lhamo Lha-tso is located in Gyaca County of Lhokha Province southeast of Lhasa. The lake is also a 4-hour trek from the nearest Chokorgyel Monastery and is at an altitude of about 5,300 meters (17,400 ft) and the lake covers an area of only about 2 square kilometers.
Gyalmo Makzor Ma has two arms, with a sun and moon disc in her hair
According to the hagiography of the 1st Dalai Lama, Palden Lhamo, the protectress of the sacred lake, Lhamo Lha-tso appeared to Gendun Drub, the 1st Dalai Lama and proclaimed that she would protect the incarnation lineage of the Dalai Lamas. Henceforth, the search party looking for the reincarnation of the next Dalai Lama would come to Lhamo Lha-tso in order to engage in meditative practices to seek visionary guidance from Palden Lhamo on where the next incarnation of the Dalai Lama would be.
There is a kora or circumambulation path around Lhamo La-tso that the pilgrims use on their devotional rounds. Devout pilgrims travel to the lake on pilgrimage while reciting mantras and fasting for three days while refraining from talking, they will be rewarded with a revelation of their future in the mirror-like surface of the lake. There used to be a temple to Magzor Gyalmo on the eastern end of the lake but the site is now marked only by prayer flags and offerings left by pilgrims.
The sacred lake of Lhamo Lha-tso is breathtakingly beautiful and immensely sacred to Palden Lhamo
Chokorgyel Monastery
The monastery stands at upper Metoktang Valley in the province of Dakpo and in between the confluence of three rivers. The monastery was uniquely built in the shape of a triangle to reflect the three rivers and the three mountains that surround it and it also represents the conjunction of the three elements of water, earth and fire, as well as the female principle of the protectress Palden. Today, the monastery is largely in ruins except for the massive walls that house the two monastic colleges or dratsangs and two large temples, the Lukhang and Tsuglhakhang still stands.
Mount Zhidag stands to the north of the lake and it is known as the ‘white’ residence of the ancient Bonpo protector of the earth, Shidrak and at the foot of which is the Dalai Lamas’ residence. Higher up the mountain is the remains of a temple that enshrines the footprint of the Protector Kalarupa. Above this was the ruined meditation cave of the 2nd Dalai Lama, which has his footprint in a mani wall.
The mountain to the south of the lake is known as the “blue” residence of the Protectress Palden Lhamo on which a sky burial site is located. Finally to the east of the lake is Mount Begtse, the “red” mountain residence of the Begtse, or Chamsing, a protector deity that originally came from Mongolia. On the eastern slope of this mountain lies an ancient Red Hat gompa that is known to be interdenominational and goes by the name Nyingsaka, which is composed of Nyingma, Sakya and Kagyu.
Chokorgyel Monastery, Tibet
Palden Lhamo Festival
Every year, a holy image of Palden Lhamo is carried out into the courtyard of the Jokhang Cathedral for pilgrims to make offerings to the incredibly powerful mask of Palden Lhamo.
According to legend, the daughter of Palden Lhamo, named Bal Lhamo fell in love with Tri Zong Zan, another protective deity of the Jokhang Cathedral in Lhasa. When Palden Lhamo heard of this, she was angry and banished Tri Zong Zan to the south bank of the Lhasa River, however the lovers promised to meet once a year across the river on a special day.
The Palden Lhamo festival comemorates this day, when her statue and mask, known as Pal Lhamo are brought out to face the south, in remembrance of the events surrounding her daughter.
The famous statue and mask of Palden Lhamo, known as Pal Lhamo, during the Palden Lhamo Festival in Jokhang Cathedral, Lhasa.
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/PaldenLhamoFestival.mp4
Pal Lhamo Mask and Kali Ghat Temple
The sacred mask of Palden Lhamo known as Pal Lhamo in Lhasa, is said to have a sister mask. Both these masks are said to be very powerful images of Palden Lhamo, and they both exhibit many signs. Praying to either of these images is a sacred act of worshiping Palden Lhamo.
The second mask is said to be house in the Kali Ghat Temple in West Bengal, India. Hindu consider this to be a mask of Kali, whereas Buddhist know the mask to be an image of Palden Lhamo. Though the current building of the temple dates back to the 19th Century, this area in which the temple stands has been a sacred spot for much longer.
The sister mask to the Pal Lhamo mask in Lhasa. This powerful mask is housed in the Kali Ghat Temple, West Bengal, India, and is sacred to both Buddhists and Hindus alike.
Palden Lhamo Cham Dance
Here is a video of a Cham dance dedicated to Palden Lhamo. Cham dances invoke the blessings a particular deity buy retelling their stories through ritualistic dance. These are usually done by monks from the monasteries, and although they may seem like a community gathering, are very spiritually charged and full of blessings.
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/PaldenLhamoCham.mp4
Palden Lhamo’s Practice Today
It was said that Palden Lhamo is the female guardian of a sacred lake called Lhamo Latso. She promised Gendun Drup (now known as the 1st Dalai Lama) in one of his visions that she would protect the incarnation lineage of the Dalai Lama. Ever since the 2nd Dalai Lama’s time, the Regents and high Lamas have gone to that lake to seek her guidance in finding the next incarnation through visions while meditating there. Many go to Lhamo Latso as a pilgrimage point. Many also go there to consult Pelden Hlamo and to the worthy, She will manifest visions in the lake foretelling the future.
She is also the personal protector of all 14 incarnations of the Dalai Lama. Her practice is well known throughout all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Being a fully enlightened Dharma protector, propitiating her and making offerings to her is extremely beneficial to overcome our spiritual and worldly obstacles.
Palden Lhamo’s Mantra
Palden Lhamo’s mantra can be recited by anyone, even without initiation:
JO RAMO JO RAMO JO JO RAMO TUNJO KALA RACHENMO RAMO AJA DAJA TUNJO RULU RULU HUNG JO HUNG
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/PaldenLhamoMantra.mp4
Praise To The Protectoress Palden Lhamo
The Goddess Saraswati in Wrathful Form
Prostration
JHO!
PAL-DAN LHA-MO PAG-PAR KA-WA KYO
TAB-KYI CHO-TRUL NAM-KA TA-LA CHO
JANG-CHUB SEM-PA TRUL KYO-NYI-LA
LU NGAG-YI-SUM GU-PA CHAG-TSAL-LO
JHO!
Palden Lhamo, hard to measure, who
Performs the magic of Method to the ends of space
O Bodhisattva’s emanation, to you
I prostrate in devotion with body, speech and mind.
Offering
KYO-NI DAG-NI CHO-PA MA-DRIB-KYANG
PAL-DAN NGO-DRUB DAM-PA TOB-JA-CHIR
DO-PA YON-TAN KA-LA CHAR-PAB-NA
CHO-PA TSOG-DI WANG-PO GYA-GYUR CHIG
Although you have no lack of offerings
To gain the glorious, holy realizations
I rain from the sky all objects of desire
May this mass of offerings fill your senses.
Confession
PAL-DAN KYO-NI GE-DIG PANG-PO-TE
DAG-GI LU-NGAG YI-KYI NYE-PA TSOG
KYO-KYI TA-DU GYO-PA RAB-SHAG-NA
TUG-JE SHUG-KYI DRIB-PA JANG-WAR-DZO!
Palden, you are the witness of sins and virtues.
If I confess my whole collection of faults
Of body, speech and mind, with regret, before you,
By your power of Compassion, cleanse my obscurations!
Rejoicing
KYO-KYI KYA-PAR YONG-SU PAG-PA-NI
DRO-WA DON-DZA DAG-DON PUN-SUM-TSOG
GA-TUN TRAG-DOG ME-PA TRO-WA-NI
JE-SU YI-RANG KYO-KYI GYU-LA BUL
In your utterly noble qualities
Which benefit beings and with perfect help to me
Delight me, with a joy without jealousy
I rejoice, and offer it to your mindstream.
Requesting Teachings
YANG-DAG YON-TAN DAN-PA KU-CHOG-NI
NAG-DANG ZANG-MO JIG-PA CHA-JA CHAN
CHO-CHU DU-SUM KUN-TU DRO-DON-LA
GYU-TRUL DRA-WA TSUL-TON TAN-DU SOL!
Your Supreme Body, with perfect qualities
Is black, noble, female, in terrifying garb
For the good of beings in all three times and ten directions
By means of your magical net, please teach the Doctrine!
Requesting Her To Remain
DE-TAR YANG-DAG DAN-PA KU-CHOG-NI
DRO-WA DON-DANG TAN-PA SUNG-JA CHIR
NAM-KA ZA-PA MA-GYUR BAD-DU-YANG
NYA-NGAN MI-DA TAG-PAR ZHUG-SU-SOL!
You whose supreme body has such perfection
For the good of beings, and to protect the Doctrine
As long as space has not come to an end
Please stay forever, not passing beyond sorrow!
Dedication
DE-TAR CHAG-TSAL CHO-CHING SHAG-PA-DANG
JE-SU YI-RANG KUL-ZHING SOL-WA-YI
GE-WA DI-YI NGAN-SONG TONG-GYUR-NA
TAM-CHA DAG-GI JANG-CHUB CHIR-NGO-O
Thus I have prostrated, offered, and confessed
Rejoiced, exhorted and requested you
When by these merits the lower realms are emptied
I dedicate them all to Enlightenment.
Requesting The Four Activities
1. JHO! The four various actions are mind itself, they do not exist apart from mind and mind does not exist. Ultimately, there are no distinctions and neither do colour and form exist. They are miraculously shown as mere illusions by the Glorious Goddess of Peace, in accordance with our disposition. Principal Lady amidst an assembly of pacifiers, distinguished by a very brilliant white body, you have pacified, will pacify and are in a pacifying mood. I prostrate to the Mother who always pacifies. Please pacify my illnesses, evil spirits and interferences.
2. JHO! The four various actions are mind itself, they do not exist apart from mind and mind does not exist. Ultimately, there are no distinctions and neither do colour and form exist. They are miraculously shown as mere illusions by the Glorious Goddess of Development, in accordance with our disposition. Principal Lady amidst an assembly of developers, distinguished by a very magnificent Yellow Body, you have developed, will develop and are in a developing mood. I prostrate to the Mother who always develops. Please increase my life span and develop my merits!
3. JHO! The four various actions are mind itself, they do not exist apart from mind and mind does not exist. Ultimately, there are no distinctions and neither do colour and form exist. They are miraculously shown as mere illusions by the Glorious Goddess of Conquest, in accordance with our disposition. Principal Lady amidst an assembly of conquerors, distinguished by a very sensual red body, you have conquered, will conquer and are in a conquering mood. I prostrate to the Mother who always conquers. Please conquer all beings of the three worlds.
4. JHO! The four various actions are mind itself, they do not exist apart from mind and mind does not exist. Ultimately, there are no distinctions and neither do colour and form exist. They are miraculously shown as mere illusions by the Glorious Goddess of Wrath, in accordance with our disposition. Principal Lady amidst an assembly of terrifyers, distinguished by a very fierce black mood, I prostrate to the Mother who always terrifies. Please, with your wrath, eliminate my sicknesses, evil spirits, enemies and misfortunes.
5. JHO! Although your nature, appearing with such varied characteristics, has no concrete existence, you still benefit migrators with your four actions. By thoroughly praising you with full attention, may I also effortlessly achieve the state of the four actions and, like you, strive to benefit migrating beings.
JO RAMO JO RAMO JO JO RAMO TUNJO KALA RACHENMO RAMO AJA DAJA TUNJO RULU RULU HUNG JO HUNG (recite 21 times or more)
Serkym Offering to the Protectoress Palden Lhamo
The Golden Drink Offering
When making this offering, set out a cup of black tea for Palden Lhamo on your altar, or fill your serkym offering vessel with black tea.
OM AH HUM (x3)
JHO!
Unceasingly kind Root and Lineage Gurus;
Peaceful and wrathful deities, the yidams who bestow all accomplishments,
Powerful Lady of the Desire Realm, Magnificent Remati,
By accepting this golden drink, perform the entrusted actions.
You the Remati and your two types of servants,
The Goddess of the Four Seasons, the Five Sisters of Long Life,
The Twelve Tenmas and your assembled, ocean-like retinue,
By accepting this golden drink, perform the entrusted actions.
From the time of my parents, the protectors of the doctrine,
The principal gods, country gods, land lord,
The eight “Dregpa” and an assembled, ocean-like retinue,
By accepting this golden drink, perform the entrusted actions.
Queen of Desire, completely clarifying the three worlds,
Powerful Lady of the Desire Realm, Magnificent Remati,
By accepting this offering of the five senses,
Perform all the purposes of desire and the accomplishing actions.
(recite 3, 21, 108 times or more)
JHO!
Supreme Dharma protector who protects the holders of the doctrine,
Who protects the practitioners like children, and has magical powers.
Mistress of the Desire Realm, Goddess of Magnificence,
Accept these offerings and perform the entrusted actions.
Although in an ultimate sense, you don’t move from the state of peace,
In order to subdue the doctrine’s enemies, you show a wrathful female body.
Only Mother, Magnificent Queen of the three Worlds,
Accept these offerings and perform the entrusted actions.
Having the aspect of extremely wrathful cannibals,
A pair of agents runs in front and behind the Chief lady.
Both of you, the Makara and the Lion-faced ones,
Accept these offerings and perform the entrusted actions.
Auspicious Lady of Long Life, blue-faced Noble Lady,
Unshakable Noble-minded Lady, Diadem Noble-Necked Lady,
And Steady, White Noble-going Lady, you the five dakini sisters,
Accept these offerings and perform the entrusted actions.
Four demonesses, such as the All-famous Vajra and so on,
Four harm-givers, such as One-eyed Vajra and so on,
Four female medicine spirits such as Kong Tsun Demo,
Accept these offerings and perform the entrusted actions.
This first offering of pure golden drink,
The great god Brahma’s mother, sons, ministers and so on,
An assembly of ten million emanations and re-emanations,
Accept these offerings and perform the entrusted actions.
Wide vessels of jewels, gold, silver and blazing lights,
The first taste of rice wine, grape wine and barley wine,
This in-exhaustive golden drink, like a perfectly swirling ocean,
I offer to the Great Protectress of the Teachings and her retinue.
Right here, bestow on us,
All the common accomplishments.
All attendants, teachings and wealth,
Magnificent Goddess, please increase.
Translated by Gelong Thubten Lodro (Hermes Brandt) and Ani Jampa Chokyi, from the long sadhana of Palden Lhamo entitled Magnificent Goddess, Queen of War Sickle
This is my favorite depiction of Pelden Lhamo. This is the thangka in the temple in New Jersey where I grew up called Rashi Gempil Ling. I use to sit in front of this sacred thangka for hours chanting Her mantra. The monk at the temple said that a few persons have heard the sounds of mules breathing and kicking coming out from the picture on several occasions. The mule is the mount Pelden Lhamo rides on from one part of samsara to another.
For more interesting information:
- Dharma Protectors of Tibetan Buddhism
- Kalarupa
- Shangmo Dorje Putri – The Bamo of Sakya
- Achi Chokyi Drolma – Chief Protectress of the Drikung Kagyu
- Methar of Tengyeling Monastery
- Ra Lotsawa the Yamantaka Hero
- The 14th Dalai Lama’s prayer to Dorje Shugden
- Vajrasattva and Prostrations Practice
- Discovering Yourself: A Teaching on Karma & Mindstream
- All About Manjushri / 关于文殊菩萨
- Powerful Pujas
- Tiny advice on tormas
- Learning Pujas from Gen-la
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hi, can you share the sources from where this information is collected? I am Buddhist art researcher from India and wants to read more about Palden Lhamo.
Very interesting write up on Palden Lhamo. I enjoyed reading about her background and also the video clips. I love her beautiful mantra that sings with a rhyme! ? Thank you very much Rinpoche and blog team for another interesting article on Dharma Protectress ????
Regarding Goddess Yudroma and her oracle in Dharamsala
1. I have met this oracle several times in Dharamsala. She gives very accurate predictions. I have experienced this myself.
2. She is a gentle Yudroma goddess riding on a horse and she is white in color and takes trance quite easily in this official oracle lady that lived in Dharamsala. When you go meet her, you have to bring milk and yogurt. She takes 7 sips of the milk when she first arrives and recites a host of prayers before we can consult her. We have the honor to offer her the milk to gather affinity with her.
3. She, the oracle lady became well known as over several decades ago, a western hiker was lost in the Dharamsala hills. The goddess was consulted via this oracle and Yudroma then correctly told them where to find the hiker and the hiker was found and life saved. After that she became very well known in Dharamsala.
4. Yudroma the goddess is one of the main protectors of the Gelug Gyuto Tantric Monastery in Dharamsala. They have relied on her for hundreds of years since Tibet. The monks often ask the lady oracle to take trance and through her consult Yudroma.
5. She would be pleased in this video because people are helping Gyuto Monastery, her dominion. Perhaps she is the one that brought the Australian sponsors to help in the first place in her own mystical methods.
6. She is also the protector of Gungru khangtsen in Drepung Gomang monastery in South India.
7. Sadly this lady oracle has passed away and I guess people are perhaps waiting for a new oracle to be chosen by the Yudroma goddess. Haven’t heard anything yet. How lovely this lady served the goddess, monks and monasteries and public through taking trance her whole life. So virtuous of a job. Her body was used to benefit thousands in her lifetime and serve the sangha.
Exciting.
I like oracles because humans can meet the gods directly.
Tsem Rinpoche
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videouploads/comment-1532845550.mp4
(I have attached a video of her taking trance as well as This is Goddess Yudroma thangka photo. This is a picture of the actual thangka that belonged to the oracle in the video. I got her permission to take this picture when I visited her. The Yudroma thangka was hanging in the room where the oracle takes trance in her house. Thanks. TR)
Antique Pelden Lhamo thangka with sacred Dorje Shugden at the bottom right. Can see Tsongkapa and Guru Rinpoche on the top also. Beautiful and holy.
Palden Lhamo is a protecting Dharmapala of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. She is the wrathful deity considered the fiercest of the fierce. Palden Lhamo seem to be an iconic figure from Tibetan Buddhism. She is a wrathful protector of Tibet where she is known for her gruesome story. Very interesting reading her story and to get a better understanding of this wrathful deity. Penden Lhamo is one of the more wrathful female deities of Buddhism. She is also the special protector of the city of Lhasa, the Gelukpa Order, and the Dalai Lamas of Tibet. According to legend, she is the protector of Lhamo La-tso, the scacred oracle lake of Lhasa, Tibet. Amazing many pilgrims will visit this sacred lake and as it a place of pilgrimage for those seeking visions.
Thank you Rinpoche for this interesting sharing and of those rare footage of the Cham folk dance and of the Tibetan fair festival which I do enjoyed watching.
I gazed in owe when I had my first Palden Lhamo thangka. I was quite new to Tibetan Buddhism that time but I was simply attracted by her although she looks so different from my perspective about how Bodhisattva/Protector should looks like.
What caught my attention was the dice dangling from her mount. I thought it might be some ornament or something that looks like a dice. And now I know it is indeed a dice! Those who are fortunate to receive her initiation open a gateway to divinatory power. This reminds me of Dorje Shugden’s dice divination. Palden Lhamo dice divination system uses 3 dices while Dorje Shugden system of divination uses 1 dice. This is an ancient predictive technique in Tibet that has been very beneficial to many.
Due to Rinpoche’s compassion, Palden Lhamo prayer text is available for anyone who wishes to get closer with her and receive her blessing. We can recite her prayer without worries because Palden Lhamo is an enlightened being.
The additional information is so very helpful taking this to another level.
I had always only thought of Vajrayogini being connected with Ma Kali, maybe because of the skull necklace and the Dakini stance and stepping on desire. Maybe, it is also because Ma Kali was considered extremely compassionate as she provide moksha/liberation to her children/practitioners. I had never thought of Palden Lhamo being connected with Ma Kali. So, Palden Lhamo destroys and break us down in the sense that our ego, desire, perceptions and projections are destroyed and then only will she build us up again from a new, clean slate.
The Cham dance was delightful but I could not fully appreciate the dance as I am not conversant with the significance of the movements and thus was unable to cannot follow the story and appreciate the full significance and receive the full impact. Nonetheless, it was indeed a blessing to witness such a spiritual dance.
Chokorgyel Monastery in the Metoktang Valley at the confluence of 3 rivers between 3 mountains signifying the three elements of water, earth and fire, as well as the female principle of Palden Lhamo in the form of an inverted triangle is intriguing to say the least. It would be interesting to visit this monastery.
Thank you, Rinpoche for these teachings.
Palden Lhamo demonstrates that she is totally loyal to the dharma, to the point that even though in her time and form in marriage to the King Shinje, she rather have them dead than have them defile the dharma. Her sense of right from the point of dharma.
And, from the iconography we can see that she is ready to protect the practitioner that propitiates he, not just passively but actively from the pouch that carries disease to be released against obstructions. And from the iconography of the bag of dice carried by the snakes on her saddle of human skin, her practice brings with it, the power of divination’ just like tummo is the side effect of the breath meditation of the Six Yoga of Naropa.
So, practiced well, it brings with a certain “siddhi”. A very precious and effective practice. Love the mantra too. It seems to have a beautiful flow to it.
Thank you for Rinpoche for this teaching.
Thank you Rimpoche for your great guidelines. .as from our childhood we have been kept away from many of our great warth darmapalas ..saying that they can create many problems. ..as they are looking like a evils which they are not.
Thank you soo much Rimpoche. ..may I hope you will be always be there for helping for all human beings.
Rimpoche can I recite mantra of holy palden lhamu without any guidelines of guru everyday. .Please guide me…
Dear Ongdupbhutia,
You can recite Palden Lhamo’s mantra anytime you like without guidance. This is because she is an enlightened Dharma protector, which means nothing can go wrong, when doing her mantra. You can recite her mantra everyday, and this will be very beneficial in your life. I hope this helps.
I have had some interest in buddhism since I was young.. When I was 14 I saw a on tv, about Pheissel who was the first westerner to go to Bhutan. Then I said to my father; When I grow up I’ll go there. But so many things got in my way… But my interest in Buddhism kind of realy arose when I was downand-out, and it struck me that I could find some good things on the internet.
And then – I do not know How And Why! I looked for Palden Lhamo, From where I got that name I DO NOT KNOW!!! Was just there in my head! And when I saw a picture, It made me so happy, and in some way relieved. This was in januari 2012. English is not my first language, so it is a bit difficult to explain all that happened and has ahppened since then. BUt I still Feel very godd when I see Palden Lhamo. It is powerful.
Dear Eva,
Thank you very much for your nice sharing here on H.E. Tsem Rinpoche’s blog and welcome! 🙂 Most of the time we are attracted to certain things we’ve never seen or heard before and we do not know why. I call this affinity but there is an even better and clearer explanation given by Rinpoche about this, and it is called IMPRINTS… take a read, you’ll find it fascinating https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/you-and-your-imprints-how-to-break-bad-habituations.html
Based on this teaching, it would mean you probably have practiced Buddhism and perhaps Palden Lhamo was one your main practices in the past? It is pretty interesting how it is all connected, yet nothing is ever random and without reasons. Take a read or watch the video and do leave a comment on what you think and feel after. Looking forward 🙂
Thank you for this. It has helped me understand a dream and was very valuable to read.
Tsem Rinpoche thank you for this excerpt regarding Palden Lhamo…what drew me to her was her dedication to bringing the repressed out in the open; her unfailing insistence that to deny our damaged selves is to keep us all enslaved by what is not true. I live by this philosophy regardless of the resistance. I try to model this approach but it isn’t easy. Blessings to you and your congregations, communities, and associations. Peace.
I must say I was drawn to Her story being a female that has the courage to preserve Buddhadharma even up to the point that she has to kill her own child. Instead of praying to be a man (which is said to be more advantageous) to continue the journey of spirituality, I, on the other hand, yearned to be a women just as Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, Palden Lhamo and Lady Tara.
I am happy that the iconography of Palden Hlamo is available online because, honestly, She has quite a complicated iconography with so many things depicted in Her Thangka. Thank you Rinpoche for making this available online.
Having said that, I’m glad I’m still on my path. Nothing much has changed since but still, I’m here.
I am so grateful you put this mantra up for us Rinpoche. I have a great bond with this protector. I am an epileptic and use Her mantra to help me manage the syptems
Thank you with folded hands for this informative post, Rinpoche. I enjoyed reading about this she-Dharmapala. Her story is indeed inspiring, putting Dharma and the welfare of the many beings before her own flesh and blood.
Thank you with folded hands for this informative post, Rinpoche. I enjoyed reading about this she-Dharmapala. Her story is indeed inspiring as she put Dharma and the welfare of the many beings before her own flesh and blood.
Dear Rinpoche,
Great article of Palden Lhamo. I have a more knowledge about her now.
Thank you.
So blessed to read about the this main protector who is the only female amongst the 8 key dharmapalas. I have not being introduced to her liturgy or practice but I think she is very awesome for being the protector of the Dalai lama incarnations. The Dalai Lama since he left Tibet has done nothing but bring Buddhism into a whole new level and awareness.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this sacred and powerful dharma protector with us.
May all those who have the the rare privilege to know and to chant the mantra of Palden Lhamo be blessed and receive her compassionate protection like those past Dalai Lamas and other holy beings.
I love Pelden Lhamo! I have ever since I first laid eyes on her in Rinpoche’s ladrang in BU. I don’t really know why but of all the yidams and protectors, she seemed the most familiar to me. I could have sworn I have seen her before on a relative’s altar. But the thing is none of my relatives are Tibetan Buddhist. I dunno, I guess I take that as a sign that I were a Buddhist in a previous life and seeing her opened some latent karmic seeds within me. It could also mean I am delusional, which is probably the case. Whatever it is, she’s electrifying to me. I don’t do her practice but I recall very clearly how I was just so amazed with her when I first came into Buddhism.
Palden Lhamo is indeed a very special and unique Dharma Protector. Thank u Rinpoche for sharing with us. With the description I now know why the mule have a eye on the hind quarter which have been puzzling me for sometime…
May we all have the merit to be able to learn more dharma from u our Honorable Tsem Rinpoche.
Thanks for Rinpoche’s sharing. very details introduction of Palden Lhamo and her story. May all spiritual teachers have good health and long life and protect by all Dharma protector .
Thanks Rinpoche for the sharing.
Palden Lhama indeed is a very powerful dharma protector. May she protect Dalai Lama and Tsem Rinpoche.
May Rinpoche’s obstacle be removed and stay healthy always, and continue to turn the Dharma Wheels.