The Savage Shaman

One day, when [the nomad group] was staying on a sunny mountain range, the dakini discarded her top; when she got up she cut the thin belt [that was holding her skirt up], and discarding this, [she] peeled off [her skirt.]

Rinchen Pel said, “All of your basic needs have been discarded: clothing, food, shoes, even your [meaning unclear]. You cut all the belts and don’t have a single one [left]. Now your entire body is uncovered and naked, [but] you don’t even seem ashamed!”

Sonam Peldren replied,

“Severing the belt from the waist is severing the ‘self’ at the root.

Discarding clothing from my back is discarding the covering of the two [undesirable mental states of] drowsiness and agitation. Uncovering the naked body is uncovering naked awareness. Displaying the vagina, the female sign, is presenting the basis of faith. Singing this little song from my mouth is the dawning of realization in the mind. Not engaging in religious practice is the shamelessness of experience and realization.”

– Echoes of Enlightenment: The Life & Legacy of the Tibetan Saint Sonam Peldren by Suzanne M. Bessenger pg 116

Sonam Peldren was an extraordinary 14th century Tibetan woman, who was doubted, shunned, and excommunicated for her audacious behaviors, and yet canonized as a Buddhist saint after her death. Her biography was only recently discovered, translated and published by Suzanne M. Bessenger in 2016. Her story, however, remains as potent and prescient as it was when it was written. Because of this written record of the events in her life, including evidence of several miracles, Sonam Peldren is recognized today as one of the very few and precious examples of fully enlightened females.

AS A BUDDHIST WOMAN

AS A BUDDHIST WOMAN I relate to the incredulity that Sonam Peldren faced when her behavior challenged the normative rules of conventional society. Her “outlandish” behavior included refusing an arranged marriage, talking out of turn, refusing to speak when spoken to, going naked, and wandering alone. Sonam Peldren was illiterate, and lived as a wandering nomad. Amidst these quotidienne challenges, she nonetheless manifested spontaneous visions of divine beings, impressively articulated comprehensive discourses on Buddhist philosophy, and demonstrated a miraculous “rainbow body” at her death. Modern Buddhist women’s experiences are not so different: the same outrageous behavior by a man is lauded while a woman is shunned, silenced, and ghosted. (viz this refreshing new article published by Adele Tomlin, “PLAYFUL PRACTITIONERS OR MINDLESS MYSOGYNISTS? THE ‘ARTS OF LOVE’ OR ‘ARTS OF A**HOLERY’? The question of sexists double standards, silent women and two Tibetan Buddhist male ‘heroes’ Gendun Chophel and Drukpa Kunley)

Sonam Peldren said:

“My body, a divine body, lacks inherent existence. This mirror-like reflection abides in the state of the three stainless, pure bodies: [I make] no distinction between beautiful and ugly form.

My speech, the image of divine speech, resounds like an echo of sound-emptiness. Completely pure and stainless speech resounds as melodious teaching: [I make] no distinction between beautiful and ugly speech.

Because I understand the food offering of the tantric feast to be the essence of ambrosia, I achieved the supreme tantric accomplishment: I make no distinction between clean and dirty food.”

– Echoes of Enlightenment: The Life & Legacy of the Tibetan Saint Sonam Peldren by Suzanne M. Bessenger pg 144

Sonam Peldren’s behavior is not outrageous for its own sake. It’s actually an example of one individual interpretation of an ancient yogic discipline known as “The Practice of the Observance”:

“[The Practice of the Observance is] essentially a special type of physical, verbal, and mental conduct used to enhance an already stable meditative concentration that has been achieved through practice of the creation and completion stages of Vajrayana meditation.”

– Echoes of Enlightenment: The Life & Legacy of the Tibetan Saint Sonam Peldren by Suzanne M. Bessenger pg 110

And, for those who ascribe to the idea that Sonam Peldren was actually, fully enlightened, and a living emanation of a Buddhist Goddess (according to her own claims!) her behavior was also meant to teach Dharma and relieve suffering.

FOR LOVERS OF WISDOM

For lovers of wisdom and dedicated spiritual seekers, it is not enough to read these words with an empathetic sentiment. Sonam Peldren’s example calls for nothing less than radical actualization of enlightened potential, through complete abandonment of attachment, expectation, judgements and concepts. Sonam Peldren is calling out to all of us to walk and live in ultimate freedom.

“The Life’s image of Sonam Peldren standing naked and using her body to demonstrate tantric principles similarly calls to mind a tantric image: that of a dancing, naked, and transgressive female dakini appearing alone as the main deity at the center of her own mandala in a variety of Tibetan Buddhist visualization systems…’Altogether, Vajravarahi reveals her passionate and abandoned nature through her exultant nakedness, her blood-red color, and her hair, which flies loose in defiance of socio-sexual constraint.’”

– Echoes of Enlightenment: The Life & Legacy of the Tibetan Saint Sonam Peldren by Suzanne M. Bessenger pg 117

Tantric Buddhism, Hindu Asceticism, Butoh, Shamanic Traditions, Rushen and Chod all embody this self-abandonment in pursuit of a greater, more wholistic experience of our humanity. These philosophies/rituals/practices are designed to push the edges of conformity, comfort, and what we take for granted as “normal” states of awareness. The result, as demonstrated in the inspiring biography of the Tibetan Saint Sonam Peldren and in other similar examples throughout history, is the authentic transcendence of mundane and meaningless existence, to the ultimate meaning of self-actualization: the alleviation of suffering and the cause of suffering.

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