Khandro Déchen
Penarth, Bay Area of South Glamorgan, Wales – September 1998
Khandro Déchen Tsédrüp Rolpa’i Yeshé is wearing the Ögyen Pèdzha – the lotus crown worn by Nyingma lineage holders. She is wearing her uncut hair in the yogic style known as Phodka Ling-ngé (phod ka ling nge). This was the style in which most of the female practitioners wore their hair in the Aro Gar in Tibet. This style of hair is linked with the term gö-kar chang-lo (gos dKar lCang lo) which means ‘white skirt – long hair’. The etymology of the word lCang lo relates to the branches of the willow tree which hang down into the water. The idea is the cyclic linkage between the elements. The willow tree connects the elements through drawing up water with its roots and allowing its leaves to hang down into the water to complete the circle. Long flowing hair is therefore a symbol of completeness.
Khandro Déchen is wearing the Aro gTér lineage shawl designed by Aro Lingma for her son Aro Yeshé and for his two sang-yums: A-yé Khandro and A-shé Khandro. This form of the Aro gTér lineage shawl is of the ‘shi-wa’ or peaceful type. There are also ‘joyous’ and ‘wrathful’ shawls. The Shi-wa Aro Gyudpa’i Sen is worn particularly when giving Dzogchen transmissions. Khandro Déchen’s transmission speciality is the ‘Shintu Zabmo Mélong’ – the Profound Lady, Mirror of Ati-yoga. This transmission is given by showing a mirror individually to disciples whilst dwelling in the state of rigpa. The disciple gazes non-conceptually at the surface of the mélong and receives transmission through the spontaneous understanding that their own reflection is indivisible from the empty quality of the mirror.
