Aro Yeshé
Ngak’chang Drüpchen Aro Yeshé
Ngak’chang Drüpchen Aro Yeshé Wangdrak Düd’dül Dorje (sNgags ’chang grub chen a ro ye shes dBang sGrags dud ’dul rDo rJe, 1915-1951) was the son and only child of the Nyingma gTértön Khyungchen Aro Lingma. He received Khyungchen Aro Lingma’s gTérma cycle, as well as gTérmas of Jomo Chhi’mèd Pema, Jomo Pema ’ö-Zér, and A-Kyong Düd’dül Dorje. Aro Yeshé, Khyungchen Aro Lingma’s successor, held these lines of transmission in concert with his two consorts – A-yé Khandro and A-shé Khandro, but it was the two consorts who actually gave teachings and transmissions. Aro Yeshé manifested secret activity as a khandropa – never giving teaching or transmission on anything but an individual basis. Whenever A-yé Khandro and A-shé Khandro taught, however, he would sit with them engaged in the four chog-zhag – the four absorptions of Dzogchen men-ngag-dé.
Although not a wrathful Lama, Aro Yeshé was, like DoKhyentsé Yeshé Dorje, extremely fond of guns, which he enjoyed shooting into the air. He never loaded the guns with shot, preferring simply to produce the sound. He enjoyed startling students with the sound of discharging his weapons, but beyond that his only occupation was wandering widely in the mountains and spending time in the company of A-yé Khandro and A-shé Khandro. The three Lamas – Aro Yeshé, A-yé Khandro and A-shé Khandro, taught and gave transmission as an inseparable set, and their disciples considered the silence of enigmatic Aro Yeshé to be as loquacious as the oral instructions of the two khandros. Aro Yeshé was said to be very much a male reflection of his mother and disciples often saw the two of them merging during the times when transmissions were given to the vajra assembly.
