Sacred Female Biographies in the Bon Religion: A 20th Century gTer-Ma

Abstract

The present contribution is focused upon a treasure-text (gter ma) brought to light by a lady called bDe-chen Chos-kyi dBang-mo, who was born in Nyag-[rong]-shod, the lower part of present-day dKar-mdzes (Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan, in 1868. The text, discovered in 1918 at the holy mountain of rGyal-mo-rong, rGyal-mo Mu-rdo (mDo-khams/Sichuan), is entitled mKha’ ’gro rgya mtsho’i rnam thar gsang ba’i mdzod nyi ma’i snying po mun sel sgron ma, The Secret Treasure of Biographies of the Ocean of Sky-Goers (Ḍākinīs), Lamp that Dispels Darkness, Quintessence of the Sun. So far, this inedited text seems to be the only Bonpo gter ma revealed or discovered by a woman. It consists of a collection of 16 biographies of female figures, including those of Maṇḍarava and Ye-shes mTsho-rgyal. The text is analyzed in its essential features, while the biographies are presented in an abridged form, and commented as to their specific and general patterns.