The Treasury of Lives

Dru Gyelwa Yungdrung (bru rgyal ba g.yung drung) was born in Yeru Wensakha (g.yas ru dben sa kha) in U. He was the fourth son of Druzha Sonam Gyeltsen (bru zha bsod nams rgyal mtshan). Although he was not officially recognized as the incarnation of a previous master (sprul sku), he was regarded as a very gifted young man endowed with an extraordinary intelligence. He is said to have explained the main work of Bonpo cosmology — The Source of the Treasury of Existence (srid pa mdzod phug) — at the early age of eight.

Later in his early adulthood, he studied with Dulwa Rinpoche, Druton Dulwa Gyeltsen (‘dul ba rin po che bru ston 'dul ba rgyal mtshan, 1239-1293) and received from him the complete vows of monk and the ordination name Gyelwa Yungdrung. His main training at that time was on outer and inner teachings associated with Secret Formulas (gsang sngags, i.e. Tantras). One day, he requested from his master Dulwa Rinpoche the direct introduction (ngo sprod) to the nature of the mind after which he put its principles into practice during personal retreats.

He is said to have declared about himself:

"I have first of all requested the vows of monk from my master and I have preserved them in pure and ethical way. Then, I have trained in listening to the teachings and reflecting on their actual meaning, thus completely cutting the roots of doubts and uncertainty. Eventually, I have required the direct introduction to the natural state and have thus recognized my own essence. All this I owe to the kindness of my benevolent master."

He then received the transmissions of the most important treasure teachings, or terma (gter ma) traditions of his time, including: the termas of the treasure revealer, or terton (gter ston) Ponse Khyunggo Tsel (dpon gsas khyung rgod rtsal, b. 1175) from Jilton Nam­kha Sonam (dbyil ston nam mkha' bsod nams) who was the nephew of the terton himself; the termas of Lungbon Lhanyen (lung bon lha gnyan, b. 1088) from the lineage holder called Lungbon Tashi Gyeltsen (lung bon bkra shis rgyal mtshan); and the termas of Maton Soldzin (rma ston srol 'dzin, b. 1092) from the lineage holder Maton Drangsong (rma ston drang srong).

From Lato Tokden Depa Sherab (la stod rtogs ldan dad pa shes rab) and Zhangton Sonam Rinchen (zhang ston bsod nams rin chen), he received the initiations and reading transmissions of the Oral Transmission from Zhangzhung (zhang zhung snyan rgyud) and the Experiential Transmission (nyams rgyud) which became his favorite cycles for practice. He even wrote a famed practice manual for the Oral Transmission from Zhangzhung which is still widely used to this day.

Regarding the places where he stayed in retreat, Gyelwa Yungdrung spent a lot of time in Kharne Drak (mkhar sna'i brag) in the Yeru region, as well as other hermitages in U and Tsang. There, he stayed secluded in retreats, meditating on the principles of Dzogchen, or Great Perfection (rdzogs chen). It is said that at the climax of his practice, the wisdom of non-discursiveness (mi rtog ye shes) arose in his continuum and purified him from dualistic grasping, karmic impregnations and discursive thoughts. He then experienced what is described in Dzogchen teachings as the Horizon of Spontaneous Clear-Light (lhun grub 'od gsal 'khor yug) during which his mind and visions became undifferentiated. It is said that at that precise time, he reached Buddhahood within the Expanse of the Great Primordial Freedom (ye grol chen po'i klong). This means that he realized the Three Bodies (sku gsum) as the Fruit of the Path and experienced the non-regressive Great Bliss (bde chen) of the Absolute Body (bon sku).

For the rest of his life, he spent his time teaching Bon to fortunate disciples and diffusing it in the Bonpo monasteries and sanctuaries of U. He is said to have passed away at the early age of forty-eight amidst miraculous signs indicating the level of his realization. His ashes were placed in a stupa in Yeru Wensakha.

Among his numerous disciples, one should mention: his nephew, Druton Sonam Gyeltsen (bru ston bsod nams rgyal mtshan) and Drusha Namkha Ozer (bru sha nam mkha' 'od zer) who became his successor in several lines of transmission, the Dzogchen teachings in particular.