Sky Dancer
The Secret Life and Songs of the Lady Yeshe Tsogyel
By Keith Dowman
Keith Dowman’s masterful biography of Yeshé Tsogyel is three
books in one – and it is the second section to which we
primarily direct the reader’s attention. The second section of
the book, titled ‘Commentary’, is particularly recommended
to more experienced Aro students. It consists of Keith Dowman’s
essays concerning the path of inner Tantra, the dakini principle, the history of the Nyingma lineages, and the historical context in which the biography
is set. This section is amplified by excellent notes which are crucial
to anyone wishing to understand Vajrayana as it has developed.
This commentary provides a valuable background to understanding Ngak’chang Rinpoche’s
teachings on the Mahasiddha tradition and the history of the
gö kar chang lo’i dé.
The first section is a translation of Yeshé Tsogyel’s Tibetan
biography by Taksham Nuden Dorje. This is itself a multifaceted work
comprising a namthar—or sacred biography of its
subject—interwoven with Anuttarayoga practice
instructions and the history of the reign of King Trisong Detsen,
during which she lived. The accompanying notes to the text contain a
wealth of amplification of Tibetan Dharma terms and
additional historical context.
The third section is a reference work crucial to understanding this
book, and an excellent resource in itself: indices of Tibetan words,
Sanskrit words, texts cited, place names, and the names of ‘men,
Buddhas, gods and demons’ mentioned in the book. Although this
work is demanding on many levels—the translated text is an
eighteenth-century traditional-style namthar, and the practices
described are Anuttarayoga and Dzogchen
practices—persistent study is sure to be rewarded. Not only are
Yeshé Tsogyel’s songs of realisation and exhortations to
practice compelling and inspiring, but even on the level of an
adventure story, the adventure being described is heroic and
illuminating in ways difficult to define, but available to
experience.
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