Tshering Tshenga (The Five sisters of longevity)

 Buddhism is never short of gods and goddesses of different forms. There are Dakinis and deities who are known to have unparalleled unseen force. These abstract forms are jewels of religion and an integral part of everyday life.

The five sisters
(Tashi Tsheringma in the center)
PC: Dr. Dorji Wangchuk

One such example is the five sisters of longevity (ཚེ་རིང་མཆེད་ལྔ). As the name suggests, they are five sisters who possess the power to gift us with different blessings. According to the caretaker of Dzongdrakha (Paro), the sisters were demons who were subdued by Milarepa and made them the protectors of the dharma. It is also said that the sisters became the main disciples of Jetsuen Milarepa and also his secret religious consorts. However, Five sisters of long life (2008), claims the sisters to have taken the first oath from Dakini Seng gdong ma (the lion-faced). To add on, Wangchuk (personal communication, April 6, 2022), believes that the five sisters had been ferocious, as Guru Rimpoche had to transform himself into Seng ndong ma to tame them (Dr. Dorji Wanchuk has done research on the five sisters but the paper is yet to be published).  He further adds that the sisters later broke their oath and challenged Milarepa during his meditation who tamed them with his songs and teachings. The sisters then accepted Milarepa as their root teacher and assured his lineage; Kagyud. These prove that the five sisters had a great connection with Milarepa but their consort-relationship with Milarepa could not be verified further.

Dranje Goenpa: The residing 
place of Tashi Tsheringma

According to one of the caretakers of the Lhakhang, the five sisters came to Bhutan with the 5^th Je Khenpo (chief abbot). Although he did not mention the name, the 5^th Je Khenpo of Bhutan was Zodpa Thinley (tenure 1707-1724). On the other hand, the caretaker at Tengchen goenpa pointed out that the sisters escorted Lam Barawa who established Drangje goenpa. This is further verified by Wangchuk (personal communication, April 6, 2022), who found out that the sisters have followed Barawa Lam Gyeltsen Pelzang to Bhutan. Although the author could not get hold of written documents to verify the information, the sisters seem to have come with Barawa Lam Gyeltshen Pelzang as some elders also mentioned “lam Barawa” as the one who brought the sisters to Bhutan. The sisters are believed to have worked as a maid in one of the houses in Lango in Paro (Wangchuk personal communication, April 6, 2022).

As the sisters reached Doteng, they sat down on a flat hug rock and discussed their future. They then decided to move to their destined places, the present Lhakhangs. (I could not locate the flat rock in Doteng) 

Tashi Tsheringma (བཀྲ་ཤིས་ཚེ་རིང་མ)

The eldest of the sisters is TashTsheringma. Since she is the eldest of the sisters and the primary of all, she takes the center position. She is known to be the goddess of powerful protection. She protects you from premature death caused by the elements. She is also known to bless us with long life and protect against harm (Tshering, 2020)

Tashi Tsheringma rides a lioness. On her right hand, she carries the 9-spoked vajra and on her left, a long life flask embellished with the Buddhist swastika knot. (Pem, 2018). She resides in Drangje goenpa, on top of a hill above Nemjo village in Paro. The Lhakhang houses a different form of the sister which the caretaker said was the wrathful form. One will just see the huge head effigy of Tashi Tsheringma.

The Gangtey Lhakhang: 
Residing place of Taykar Drozangma.
PC: Wangmo, K. (FB)

One can walk from Tengchen Goenpa for about 45 minutes through the pine forest to reach the Lhakhang or drive for about 15 minutes from Paro hospital. The Lhakhang can be seen from Olathang primary school which is just above Olathang hotel in Gaptey. Today, the Lhakhang has a monastic school that provides monastic education to about 30 monks. The Lhakhang is looked after by the Zhung Dratshang (Central monastic body of Bhutan). The Lhakhang was established by Barawa Lam who is believed to have brought the five sisters to Bhutan

Thinggi Zhalzangma  (མཐིང་གི་ཞལ་བཟང་མ)

The second eldest of the five sisters is Thinggi Zhalzangma. She rides a mare and holds a silver mirror and the banner of the gods (Pem, 2018). In the same vein, Wangchuk (personal communication, April 6, 2022) confirmed Zhalzangma to be the second eldest. However, the son-in-law of the house (where Zhalzangma resides) believes Zhalzangma to be the youngest of the sisters and rides a doe. He further reiterated that it was confirmed by HE Patsheling Trulku to be the youngest. The son-in-law was full of praises for all the peace and tranquility the family enjoys to the statue they have on their choesham.

The house at Ramna:The 
residing place of Thinggi Zhalzangma.
PC: Gyeltshen, D. (FB)

Her name “Zhalzangma” suggests that she is youthful and beautiful, thus having the power to make you attractive in others’ eyes. Tshering (2020) also believes Thinggi Zhalzangma to bring harmony to relationships.

Unlike other sisters, Thinggi Zhalzangma is housed in the family alter at Ramna, about 200 meters from the highway (towards Ta-dzong from Paro town). The house is just a few meters above the farm road. The huge house has distinctive huge rocks in front of the doorway.

 

Miyo Langzangma (མི་གཡོ་གླང་བཟང་མ)

The third of the sisters, Miyo Langzangma is the goddess of wealth and abundance. She

Tengchen Goenpa seen from
Dranje Goenpa

 governs all aspects of prosperity, luck, assets, and wealth (Pem, 2018). She has a yellow body and rides a tigress. She holds a bowl of jewels in her left hand, signifying her power to gift wealth. If one wishes for an increase in income, she is the right answer.

Langzangma resides at Tengchen goenpa. One can either drive or walk to reach Lhakhang. One can drive

through the farm road that leads from Paro town (through Gaptey) and take a left turn from Shomo village. One can also take the highway towards Drugyel (from Paro town) and take the left turn just before reaching the Kitchu Lhakhang and take the farm road that will reach you to the farm road mentioned above or one can also walk for about 45 minutes along the biking trail from Drangje goenpa.

Tengchen Goenpa: The residing
place of Miyo Langzangma.

Unlike the Ramna statue, you will just see the effigy (a huge head sculpture) of Miyo Langzangma in the temporary temple since the main temple is under major renovation. Today, the Lhakhang is house to some 40 nuns of Kila Goenpa who have invested their lives in the spiritual journey. They are administered by Paro dratshang. The Lhakhang has a huge compound feasible for a university for the nuns.

Chodpan Drinzangma (ཅོད་པན་མགྲིན་བཟང་མ)

The second youngest of the five sisters is the Chopan Dzrinzangma. She rides a doe and holds a wish-fulfilling jewel. It is said that she repels the ill-effects of bad omens and bad dreams, and gathers auspicious conditions for good things to ripen (Pem, 2018). So if one wishes to have an

Dzongdrakha: The residing place 
of Chodpan Drinzangma
(Spirit)

 abundance of luck, and remove obstacles, Drinzangma could be the answer. She has red body and has no limits in bringing good luck to anyone who prays to her.

The Gangtey Lhakhang.
PC: Wangmo, K. (FB)

Wangchuk (personal communication, April 6, 2022) concluded that the actual place of residence of Chodpan Drinzangma is Dzongdrakha but the caretaker of the Lhakhang claimed the effigy there to be that of Tashi Tsheringma. The doubt was cleared by Wangchuk (personal communication, April 6, 2022) who found out that the effigy is actually that of Tashi Tsheringma. He further confirmed that Lhakhangg has replaced Chodpan Drinzangma with Tashi Tsheringma. Although Drinzangma’s spirit is believed to be in Dzongdrkha, her Ku (statue) is now replaced.

There is another interesting story about the effigy of Tashi Tsheringma of Dzongdrakha. The caretaker of the Lhakhang said that it was found by a dumb cow herder in the village below the Lhakhang, many years ago. It is said that there were many misfortunes in the village. The villagers then sought astrological help and were advised to take the effigy to the right place; the present Lhakhang but Wangchuk (personal communication, April 6, 2022) claims that the dumb boy had dreams where he was advised to take the effigy to the present Lhakhang. The two stories have similarities; it was found by a dumb boy who was destined to be brought to the present Lhakhang.

According to Wangchuk (personal communication, April 6, 2022), Dzongdrakha is the most important of all the residing places of the five sisters in Paro since there is a prophecy of Tsheringma treasures to be revealed from the cliffs surrounding the Lhakhang. This was further validated by the story of the caretaker who believed the cliffs to have the largest collection of treasures in the entire universe, hidden by Guru Rimpoche.

One can get to Dzongdrakha in a car. As you drive towards Chelila from Woochu, take a left turn when you see the signboard of the Lhakhang. There are two farm roads from the junction. Both the roads will take you to the Lhakhang but from different directions.

The Lhakhang was established by Drupthob Gembo Dorji. It is perched on the ribs of a huge cliff and looks like an eagle’s nest. There are a few more lhakahngs around it. The Lhakhang was handed over to the dratshang by the public about a decade ago. 

Drupthob Gembo Dorji had two children, a boy, and a girl. The girl settled a few meters east of the Lhakhang and built a new Lhakhang, which is taken care by her descendants. The boy settled about 100 meters from the Lhakhang and built another temple there.

 

Taykar Drozangma (གཏལ་དཀར་འགྲོ་བཟང་མ)

Drozangma is the green long life sister who increases one's inner vitality, regeneration, and life force. She prevents harmful nagas from stealing away one's life force or causing diseases (Pem, 2018). On the contrary, the caretaker of the Gangtey Lhakhang maintains the Drozangma to have the power to gift blessings of cattle thus increasing your wealth.

The cliff where the 
treasures are believed
to be hidden.

Drozangma rides a turquoise dragon (Tshering, 2020) holding a Durva grasss in one hand, and a snake noose in the other (Pem, 2018). She is also believed to possess the power to protect from diseases and avert natural disasters.

The Lhakhang is located near the gate leading to the hotel Gantey palace (the ancestral home of Kuzhu Dawa Penjor). To visit the temple, one has to follow the road leading to Taju School from Taju highway leading to Paro town.

The Lhakhang was built by Je Sherab Gyaltshen of Gorinang, the twenty-fifth Je Khenpo of Bhutan (Wangmo, 2020). The Lhakhang sits on a hill overlooking the Paro valley and facing the Ringpung dzong.

Locals believe that if a person goes on a pilgrimage and visits all five residential places of the five sisters in a single day, one will be blessed with wealth, health, and good luck. The presence of the five sisters in Paro is the reason for peace and prosperity of people in Paro.

 

References

Five sisters of long life. (2008, May 9). Ranjung Yeshe Wiki. Retrieved April 19, 2022, from https://rywiki.tsadra.org/index.php/Five_Sisters_of_Long_Life#Paro_Valley

Pem, S. Y. (2018, August 16). TSHERINGMA (five sisters of long life). Facebook. Retrieved April 14, 2022, from https://www.facebook.com/groups/178436076194799/search/?q=Five%20sisters

Tshering, P. T. (2020, April 28). Hike to sacred places of tsheringma (five sisters of long life). Facebook. Retrieved April 13, 2022, from https://www.facebook.com/page/1488153251483476/search/?q=five%20sisters