The Treasury of Lives

Chennga Tsamchepa Drakpa Sonam (spyan snga mtshams bcad pa grags pa bsod nams) was born in 1238 into the Kyura (skyu ra) clan, in the area of Upper Dan area ('dan stod) in the village of Tsongngu (tsong ngu). He was a relative of Jikten Gonpo Rinchen Pel ('jig rten mgon po rin chen dpal, 1143-1217), the founder of Drigung Monastery ('bri gung dgon). His paternal uncle was Won Sonam Drakpa (dbon bsod nams grags pa, 1187-1234), the third abbot of Drigung Monastery. His father, Dorje Sengge (rdo rje seng ge), was the first Gompa (sgom pa), or secular chief of the Drigung. He was the fourth of five siblings. His eldest brother was Tokkhawa Rinchen Sengge (thog kha ba rin chen seng ge, 1226-1284), the sixth abbot of Drigung. Second oldest brother was named Dorje (rdo rje), followed by Anu Gyel (a nu rgyal). His younger sibling was named Konchok Tse (dkon mchog tshe). His birth name is not known.

Soon before he reached his thirteenth birthday he received monastic ordination from his older brother Rinchen Sengge and received the ordination name Drakpa Sonam. Following ordination he began a systematic study of the Drigung teachings. At the age of seventeen he went into retreat for three years. After this, he received full monastic vows from his older brother and entered another retreat for the practice of White Vajrasattva.

He later spent thirteen years in retreat. According to his hagiography he experienced numerous visions, such as one in which he perceived all of the six realms of existence, which engendered in him limitless great compassion. For many days he even forgot to eat food. Then he saw the deity Avalokiteśvara in front of him, in the form of an ordinary being who was extending and contracting his hands.  At that point he fainted. One of his attendants became alarmed and went to Tokkhawa Rinchen Sengge. The abbot told him not to worry, as he was undergoing a cleansing of his negative karma, but that he should keep such things secret. After that, Drakpa Sonam was said to have continuously seen the presence of Avalokiteśvara.

In 1284 his brother Tokkhawa Rinchen Sengge passed away, and, at the age of forty-seven Drakpa Sonam was enthroned as the seventh abbot of the Drigung. He is remembered as a devoted defender of Drigung orthodoxy. It is said that he once taught to a large group of monks, including some who held different views. Drakpa Sonam debated with them and emerged victorious publicly enforcing the standard Drigung interpretation of Mahāmudrā and increasing the numbers of the community.

This was an era in which Drigung was in fierce competition with Sakya for civil control of central Tibet. In 1286 the Drigung army attacked and destroyed a monastery called Jayul (bya yul), presumably a Sakya institution. The community was only a few years away from the disastrous and violent confrontation with Sakya that resulted in the leveling of Drigung Monastery.

In his first year as abbot Drakpa Sonam enlarged and reconsecrated Tashi Gomang temple (bkra shi sgo mang) and ornamented it with precious substances, such as gold, silver, coral and lapis lazuli. He also built a stupa at Tashi Gomang and consecrated it.

During Drakpa Sonam's tenure, most of the monks living at Drigung Til lived in silent sealed retreat, and he himself was no exception. It is said that as he remained in retreat he taught through a hole in the wall, even placing cloth between himself and his students, so as not to make visual contact with others. Because he bound himself to live the rest of his life in retreat, he is known as Tsamchepa Drakpa Sonam, "tsamchepa" (mtshams bcad) literally meaning "bounded within limit." Civil affairs of the monastery, including the administration of the Drigung army would have been supervised by the Drigung Gompa ('bri gung sgom pa), who at that time was possibly Gompa Rinchen Sengge (sgom pa rin chen seng ge) or Gompa Wonpo (sgom pa dbon po, d.1290).

Drakpa Sonam lived to the age of forty-nine, passing away on the fourteenth day of the seventh Tibetan month in the fire dog year, 1286.