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MONGOLIAN FEMALE PRACTICIONERS; QUEENS AND KHANDROMAS — PAST AND PRESENT Xandroma GarCinsaju (1924—until Today) She was born in Culüt Sum, Arxangai Aimag. She became a disciple of Siwa Siret and took her name from that lama. Also she had another teacher named Gelen Sowd, who was a vegetarian. She received the transmission of Naroxajo Coinxor from her teacher and constantly practiced it in her life. Nowadays, she has been giving this transmission to her disciples and performing the relevant puja with her disciples. She is known for her ability to heal sick people. Later Generation After democracy was established in Mongolia, people obtained the religious freedom genuinely. Since then, Buddhism has been coming back into the daily life of people. Nunneries and women’s centers have been opened. Therefore, it gave great opportunities to girls to study Buddhist philosophy and traditions. We see that the revival of Mongolian Buddhism is inseparable from the engagement of the late Kushok Bakula Rinpoche. He was really concerned about the education of these girls. So he ordained his female disciples for the first time and sent them to Dharamsala for their further studies. Also our teacher, Naidan lama, gave xandromas from Tégs Bayasgalant, Naroxajod, and Dar’ Ex important transmissions of Xajo, Tara, the Chod Practice of Nyingmapa Tradition and, particularly, the Mani Retreat by Ondér Gegeen Dsanabadsar (Khal. Ondér Gegén Janabajar), the first incarnation of the lineage of Bogd Jebtsundamba Khutagt (Khal. Bogd jawjandamba xutagt). Also he set up the orders of our pujas. So all these centers have been performing the pijas until today. His Holiness the 9" Bogd Jebtsundamba Khutagt, our Root Guru, granted us, disciples studying in Dharamsala, the transmission of Xajo and Xandro Dagini’s Chod Practice which gave us a great passage to the Tantric Tradition. In 2011, my Root Guru gave permission to uphold the Khandro Nyinggyud (Khal. Xandro Ninjüd) transmission in the future. So it became the very foundation for establishing Khandro Nyinggyud Centre for women’s education and practice. Recently, our center had organized the Great Chod Prayers for flourishing this rare transmission for four times. At these prayers, both monks and nuns, xandromas participated widely. In order to recognize the participation of xandromas and nuns in the spread of Mongolian Buddhism, we successfully organized the first conference on Buddhist women in Mongolia in 2014. The importance of this conference was about the proper education of women on Buddhism. What I have observed in recent years, what I observe is that the most of the audience or learners at various Buddhist centers are active female practitioners in Mongolia. I firmly belive that women with the proper Buddhist education can change or build a better society I firmly believe. 453
