From the Medium to the Agent: Authority and Agency in Khandro Dechen Wangmo’s Prophetic Text

"Prophecies and Pure Perceptions" (ལུང་བསྟན་དང་ཉམས་མྱོང་དག་སྣང་།) is included in vol. 149 of the Bon Katen, spanning 52 pages. It is written by Khandro Dechen Wangmo (1868-1935?), a female Bonpo treasure revealer from Kham Nyarong, located in the current Ganzi prefecture of Sichuan Province, China. She was one of the few known female Bonpo treasure revealers active in Tibet. In 1918, she revealed the Biographies of the Ocean of Dakinis as a mind treasure in 1918, along with a chod (cutting) text spanning 600 folios, and many others.

In this paper, I explore the function of her text by reading it alongside her biography and other writings as contextual background. Firstly, I delve into how the text establishes authority through her encounters with various figures such as Khandro Kalasiddhi, Yeshe Tsogyal, Mandarava, Shakya Deva, Dakini Tashi Chidran, Coza Bonmo, Dakini Ozer Pagme, Vairocana, Padmasambhava, Tsewang Rigdzen, and more. Secondly, I analyze the construction of a secret autobiography parallel to her partner Sang-ngak Lingpa (1864-1934?). Thirdly, I examine the transition from the medium of prophecy, where she is spoken to, to an active agent speaking and actively prophesying. I highlight this transition through her use of literary strategies, including Dakinis immediately recognizing her upon first encounter, while she feigns ignorance when encountering them in dreams and visions. This juxtaposition between the Dakinis' immediate recognition of her and Khandro Dechen Wangmo's "feigned ignorance" allows her to claim certain authority. 

Contrary to common beliefs that authority lies in power or control, Khandro Dechen Wangmo's case demonstrates that authority can also stem from what is perceived as lacking or out of control. Her "ignorance" of the Dakinis, contrasted with their knowledge of her, allows her to exert power and agency.

Regarding the themes of "Violence, Nonviolence, and the Margin," and the questions surrounding women's response to violence and gendered violence legitimized by religion, I use Khandro Dechen Wangmo's prophetic text and biography as an example. Amidst the political and social violence in early 20th century Kham, where Ganden Podrang in Tibet and the Qing and Republic of China vie for dominance, she provides a vision for herself and Tibet, writing prophecies about the future of Tibet. As a marginalized woman and Bon practitioner compared to Tibetan Buddhism, she creates her own space through specific practices, including consort relationships, culturally specific prophecies, and a belief in reincarnation. This type of agency is not universal but rather a specific “capacity” that operates within a particular tradition. These practices provide her with a vantage point to counter violence directed towards her body and perceived "female inferiority."