The Treasury of Lives

Nyawon Kunga Pel (nya dbon kun dga' dpal) was born in 1285 into the royal family of Gyantse in the Nyang region of Tsang. It is said that when he was three years old he could recite the Litany of the Names of Mañjuśrī from memory.

At four years of age his mother took him to Jonang Monastery (jo nang dgon), where the master Yonten Gyatso (yon tan rgya mtsho, d.u.) stared at him, pointed his finger, and exclaimed with a laugh, "He is the rebirth of Jamyang Sarma ('jam dbyangs gsar ma, d.u.)!" Nyawon was then taken to Sakya Monastery (sa skya dgon), where he learned to read and write, and for five years studied Prajñāpāramitā, epistemology, Abhidharma, and the monastic code.

He was a brilliant youth, and after receiving the vows of a novice monk from the abbot Nyima Gyeltsen (mkhan chen nyi ma rgyal mtshan, d.u.) when he was twelve years old, Nyawon traveled around for further studies at many of the great Sakya, Kadam, and Kagyu centers of learning in U and Tsang. At the age of nineteen he received full ordination from the abbot Tashi Sengge (bkra shis seng ge, d.u.) at Nyetang Monastery (snye thang dgon), and gained the reputation of being invincible in debate.

Nyawon first met the Dolpopa Sherab Gyeltsen (dol po pa shes rab rgyal mtshan, 1292-1361) at Jagoshong Monastery (bya rgod gshong), and when they spoke for a while Dolpopa became very pleased and gave him gifts. Nyawon felt undivided faith in the great master and served him during the journey back to Jonang.

According to tradition, when Nyawon was about twenty years old he was stricken with a serious illness and could not move his arms and legs. Some friends carried him to Sakya, where Dolpopa was teaching. He requested a blessing from Dolpopa, and when the master spit and breathed upon him, Nyawon was instantly cured of the paralysis. He later received from Dolpopa countless teachings, such as the initiation of Kālacakra, the Lamdre Sakya and Zhama traditions (lam 'bras sa lugs zha lugs), and many other guiding instructions such as the six-branch yoga of Kālacakra. He also received all the scriptures that had been translated into the Tibetan language, such as the Bodhisattva Trilogy (sems 'grel skor gsum), the Tantra Trilogy of Hevajra (gur brtag sam gsum), and the ten sutras of definitive meaning.

Nyawon stayed with Dolpopa until he was fifty-six years old. He also received many teachings such as the Kālacakra from Dolpopa's major disciple Chokle Namgyel (phyogs las rnam rgyal, 1306-1386). At some point Nyawon taught for a long period at Sakya Monastery. He later became the tenth holder of the monastic throne at Jonang monastery.

Nyawon later founded the monastery of Tsechen (rtse chen) in the upper Nyang Valley (nyang stod), where he had about six hundred disciples. There he lived and constantly taught epistemology and the Vimalaprabhā commentary on the Kālacakra Tantra. When it was difficult for Dolpopa himself to come and consecrate the temple and special objects that Nyawon constructed at Tsechen, Dolpopa's major disciple Sabzang Mati Paṇchen Lodro Gyeltsen (sa bzang ma ti paN chen blo gros rgyal mtshan, 1294-1376) was invited.

Nyawon passed away at the age of ninty-five, after carefully arranging his robes, sitting with both feet in the full vajra position, and crossing his arms in the mudra gesture of Vajradhāra. It is said that he maintained this posture for eight days.