(Watercolor by Choegyal Rinpoche)
Dharma lineages in Tibet often have specific dharma protectors associated with them. Dorje Yudronma is a wisdom deity that manifests out of her compassion in the form of a protectress. Tsoknyi Rinpoche has a special connection with her and asked her to reside on Yeshe Rangsal and help his students clear obstacles and progress on the path. There is a beautiful shrine to honor her, close to the Stupa of Enlightenment on the Yeshe Rangsal Retreat Land.
Dorje Yudronma Statue (She will be gold leafed and painted soon!)
Tsoknyi Rinpoche commissioned a statue of Dorje Yudronma to be made by highly skilled artists in Nepal in 2008. This statue will grace the new Dorje Yudronma shrine scheduled for completion in July, 2009. Rinpoche will perform a consecration ceremony when he is teaching in Crestone this September.
Here is the story behind the making of this statue, written by Brady Hogan in Kathmandu:
Coming into Being
Dorje Yudronma came into our lives by way of the artist Choegyal Rinpoche’s watercolor [see above] that we’ve come to know and love as Dorje Yudronma, our Dharma, land, and lineage protectress. Everyone needs a fierce and tender-hearted woman in their court, and we’ve got ours–she is even more than that: Divinely fierce and tender.
I recently asked Tashi-la (Rinpoche’s assistant) how he went about having her crafted into a three-foot sitting statue. He said it was a big challenge. Looking at the painting, he then went to find an authoritative text to give her the proper proprortions in order to begin the process. He wasn’t able to find any specifics, so he discussed this problem with Tsoknyi Rinpoche and Mingyur Rinpoche. Realizing that what is presented in the U.S. will be the first and foremost understanding of her, he wants it to be as precise as possible. Both Tsoknyi Rinpoche and Mingyur Rinpoche are confident that Choegyal Rinpoche did not create anything new and that the painting is appropriate to use as a model.
The craftsmen then used her face for the basis of the rest of her proportions. They estimated six to seven months in order to complete the statue, thereby assuring its delivery to Crestone in time to move her into her shrine, currently being built by Gary Simonson and Neil Hogan, before the summer retreat season of 2009 begins.
Putting in more than 25 hours himself, working closely in hand with the craftsmen (driving, phoning, chasing after, encouraging, scolding, praising, encouraging) and many, many hours of careful consideration, Tashi-la is in the midst of helping to bring her home. She is in her fifth month of labor and will be cutting it very close according to her delivery date. The constant turmoil of Nepal these days makes all things seemingly impossible. Ten hours of random power cuts per day and night, coupled with citywide strikes stopping all traffic for days on end–usually about one strike per week–has ground most businesses to a halt. But perseverance pays, and that is what it always takes to bring anything to completion in Nepal.
Because Tashi-la would like her to be adorned in the same colorful way that she is depicted in the painting, this requires a very highly skilled painter who works with enamels in a special way. There are only a few of these artists around today. It is such a rare process that it costs about the same as having her completely gold leafed. As is, her face and hands will be done in gold and the rest in stunningly colorful robes.
Please pray for her timely completion and safe delivery to her new home in Crestone. May we all enjoy a lovely housewarming gathering together!
Prayer to Protectress Dorje Yudronma
Yeshe katag tro dang trel wa ley
Rigpa osel Dorje Yudronma
Rig tsel gagmey khor ki tsok dang chey
Sol lo cho do do ton yishin drup.
In primordial purity and wisdom free from elaborations, Is the luminous awareness Dorje Yudronma, Accompanied by her retinue, the unceasing expression of awareness. We supplicate and make offerings. Accomplsih our desires as wished!
