Minjay and Ahja; Jomo (lady) Yeshey Tshogyal left Singye Dzong for Paro Taktshang, accompanied by Acharya Saleh, Dewamo, Saleh the Mon boy, and Monmo Tashi Chidren. But her biography (KMT 2005: 113-115) notes that Archarya Pelyang was present at Paro Taktshang; he probably came directly to Paro from Tibet to join them.

Her biography does not give any account of the places they visited on their way to Paro from Singye dzong. My conjecture is that they moved slowly practicing at many places along the way such as Kurtoe Minjay, Ahja, and Bumthang, while depositing ter texts. Like many old documents, the written account of Tshogyal’s stay in Minjay, said to have existed in Churtshal Lhakhang in Minjay, had gone up in flames. Minjay is an old settlement full of association with her in the local oral tradition.

There is no direct evidence that Yeshey Tshogyal was at Ahja, though its terma neyik (sbay yul a’ brgya lung gi gnas yig mthog kun grol dang lung bstan bcas) provides indirect evidence that Tshogyal and Namkhai Nyingpo were in Ahja. The neyik notes that Guru meditated for three years and three months in Ahja Gang Rinchenpung after he controlled the demoness of the area. On the whole, it is challenging to make a coherent sense of the neyik because it contains magical allusions, reference to historical wars and individuals. It seems to have redacted parts and inconsistencies. For example, the neyik points to the existence of footprints and bodyprints of lamas who were yet to be born at the time of Guru’s prophecy such as Milarepa, Rigzin Godem, Karmapa Michod Dorji, Thangtong Gyelpo, and the ninth Karmapa Wangchuck Dorji.

The terma neyik is structured as a dialogue held at Chimphu between Guru and King Trisong Detsen, and between Guru and Tshogyal, and its colophon says that the terma was hidden by Tshogyal, and was revealed from a cliff resembling a spiraled black snake at lower Bumthang by a certain Ugyen Lingpa in the year of the water monkey.

In the terma neyik, Guru told Tshogyal about the merits of Ahja, which has abundant land formations that resemble deities, in response to Tshogyal’s inquires about the special qualities (gnas kyi yon ten) of Ahja. Guru compared certain ominous lay of Ahja to a demoness (srinmo) lying on her back. The neyik says that Guru controlled the ferocious demon of Ahja and blessed the area as a hidden valley. The Ahja holy site circuit, it is noted in the terma neyik, would take 10 days. The neyik also mentions a curious point: that the place has crystal and silver deposits.

The neyik describes Ahja as a safe place in times of invasions of Tibet by Mongols (Hor, as opposed to Sogpo in the neyik) and by Duruka. Long and murderous campaigns of the Mongols and Duruka (a people not known to me) in Tibet were foretold in the Ahja neyik. Guru instructed his followers to flee to various secluded bayuls before the merciless enemies, led by nine generals in the case of Duruka, arrived at their doorstep (sbay yul bros la bran sa bzung), although Guru said that only a handful would actually be able to escape. The neyik foretold that Durukha campaign would last 30 years whereas the barbarous Mongol killings, like being subjected to the rains of poisonous weapons (mtshon gyi char pa dug ltar bab), would go on for 19 years. For those wishing to flee, the neyik presented Ahja as the westerly bayul in a scheme of hidden places occupying ten cardinal directions. Khenpajong was the northerly bayul, which was estimated to have the capacity to accommodate 1,000 people. Pemakoed was the central bayul having a far higher carrying capacity of 10,000 people. Bachag Shingjong, the north-easterly site; and Dromojong, the south-easterly site, should fall, in my estimate, within Bhutan though I have no knowledge where they are.

Paro Taktshang
In spite of the importance of the place, the account of the Jomo Tshogyal’s stay in Paro Taktshang is very brief: hardly three pages (KMT: 113-115). The biography was admittedly kept short not to be bulky, and it says that elaborations can be found in other sources. I should add that Tshogyal’s visit to Paro Taktshang, after Singye Dzong, was not her last. Together, Tshogyal and Guru later returned to the three Taktshangs including Paro Taktshang (KMT 2005: 172-173). The other two are Onphu Taktshang and Kham Taktshang. It is thus clear that Tshogyal meditated at Paro Taktshang twice during different points in her post centenarian life of 106 years. But the reason for her and her companions’ first visit to Paro Taktshang goes back to Guru’s personalized directions given to his numerous disciples on their philosophical careers at the hermitage of Chimphu. At the gathering at Chimphu, Guru gave detailed allocation of sadhanas to each of them. Guru particularly instructed Yeshey Tshogyal to practice the sadhana of Padma Wang in Paro Takstang (KMT 2005: 78-82): I surmise that this was the initial impetus for Tshogyal to come to Paro Taktshang.

At Paro Taktshang, Jomo Tshogyal and her friends Acharya Saleh, Mon boy Saleh and Atsara Pelyang faced hardship while practicing the union of bliss and emptiness (dka ba tha ma bde stong zung ‘jug thig le’i dka’ ba spyad de). The adversity of practicing the union of bliss and emptiness was the last in the scheme of eight adversities she took up in different places in accordance with the pith instructions of Guru. Tshogyal and her fellow practitioners recited mantras night and day, without interruptions, and had training on subtle energies (rtsa rlung) continuously for seven months. They lived on the essence of medicinal plants, nearly perishing from physical exhaustion, mental disturbances and madness (yid thom myos sogs byung nas). Blisters covered Tshogyal’s entire body. Then, blisters turned into thig le leading her body to experience immense wellbeing (lus thams cad bde ba’i kyab). The brief account of Tshogyal attainment of great bliss (bde chen) at this point is difficult to comprehend as they allude to tantric expertise and associated language. It talks about bliss that blends with afflictiveness (nyon mong pa dang ‘dres pa’i bde ba), and bliss that is expansive as wisdom (ye shes rgya che ba’i bde ba). It mentions about the mixing of the white and red thigle and the maturing of their two fruits inside. Eventually, Tshogyal regains vitality and health possessing the sixteen attractiveness of a youth, and becomes like Heruka Pamo.

During this time at Paro Taktshang, Tshogyal witnessed the mandala of Amitayus (Tshe dpa’ med), who prophesied (lung stan) that she would live 225 years (half of that when calculated by current method, but she actually passed away approximately at the age of 106). Two deities, Tandin and Dorji Phagmo, cleared obstacles (bgegs bskrad) during her stay in Paro Taktshang. Five dakinis and five dakas supported Tshogyal in an inseparable way like the shadow of her body. Bodhisattvas expressed their felicitations, and she was offered the title of Tshedag Thingyod Barma (tshe bdag mthing yod ‘bar ma) at Paro Taktshang. Tshogyal and her companions then proceeded to Onphu Taktshang to meet Guru, which will be the last topic of my article, dwelling also on the phenomena of Guru Dorji Droloed.  Source: Kuenselonline