Jomo Pema ’ö-Zér

Jomo Pema ’ö-Zér Dri’mèd Yingma

Jo mo pad ma ’od zer dri ’med dByings ma

The cover illustration for the book Spacious Passion, is taken from a thangka painting of Jomo Pema ’ö-Zér Dri’mèd Yingma – Lady Lotus Light Rays in Immaculate Space (1839-1902), who was an incarnation of Tashi Chhi’drèn.

Jomo Pema ’ö-Zér’s sang-yab, or spiritual consort, was Rang-rig Togden, and together they were the mother and father of Khyungchen Aro Lingma. Jomo Pema ’ö-Zér and Rang-rig Togden were therefore the grandparents of Aro Yeshé (the previous incarnation of Ngak’chang Rinpoche).

Jomo Pema ’ö-Zér was primarily a Dzogchen long-dé master – but she was also an accomplished phurba master. It is said that her phurba vibrated when she sang phurba mantra. She is always shown in wrathful demeanour with a phurba in her belt – and also in her left and right hands.

Khyungchen Aro Lingma described her mother—Jomo Pema ’ö-Zér—as an emanation of Tsogyel Tröllö, and said that no one could meet her gaze, even though she was never wrathful in terms of how she related with people. Her wrathful demeanour seemed entirely of another dimension of experience and was only observed by Khyungchen Aro Lingma and Rang-rig Togden when they were in the presence of Jomo Pema ’ö-Zér whilst meditating. It was then that she appeared utterly terrifying.

Jomo Pema ’ö-Zér wears the Dzogchen blue chuba and is draped with the red, white, and blue shawl of the gö-kar chang-lo’i dé.