The Treasury of Lives

Chennga Tsultrim Bar (spyan snga tshul khrims 'bar) was born in 1038, the earth-tiger year of the first sexagenary cycle, in a place called Nangragang (snang ra sgang) in the Nyen (nyan) region. His father was named Shākya Dorje (shAkya rdo rje) of the Wey clan (dbas). His mother was named Limo Yeshe Dron (li mo ye shes sgron). His childhood name was Taktsab Bar (stag tshab 'bar).

He received Abhidharma teachings from a man named Drongdulwa (grong 'dul ba) at a young age. At twelve he received transmissions from a man named Gongmo Gangpa (gong mo sgang pa) but did not, according to the hagiographies, attain any results (that would wait until he met the proper teachers). Until he was eighteen he studied at Tsatok Monastery (tsha thog dgon) in Tolung, receiving ordination from that monastery's founder, Mel Sherab Sempa (mal shes rab sems dpa'), with the name Tsultrim Bar.

He is said to have seen Atiśa Dīpaṃkara in Nyetang, where the master stayed in his old age and where, the year following his death, the famous monastery with the talking statue of Tārā, Nyetang Monastery (snye thang dgon) would be founded. Atiśa placed his hand on Chennga's head and blessed him in Sanskrit. Atiśa gave him a lotus-beaked vase that had belonged to Dharmakīrti.¹ Kadam histories also assert that Chennga received esoteric instructions from a visionary encounter with Nāgābodhi (klu'i byang chub) at Pabongtang (pha bong thang). His instruction offers a glimpse into the early Kadam synthesis of tantric practices and the monastic discipline for which they the tradition is known:

You may understand all things in your mind, but do not slander any of them. Your mind may be enlightened, but do not abandon your spiritual master. You may have no fear of cyclic existence and bad rebirth, but abandon even slight evils and non-virtues. You may understand that you are no different than sentient beings, but do not renounce great compassion for them. Place the mind in concentration, look towards perfect meaning, meditate on love and compassion and practice the rainbow body! The letter A is unborn, vital wind is without signs, the mind is without own-nature; they adhere to the body only a short while!²

Tsultrim Bar then began training to become translator, with the intention of traveling to India, but his mother, who came to him at Rukpa (rug pa), discouraged him from undertaking such a dangerous journey.³ Instead, according to the Blue Annals, his mother directed him to his main teacher, saying "If you insist on entering religion, then go to the residence of Dromton at Reting (rwa sgreng)."⁴ He went there at the age of twenty, around the year 1057 or 1058, and met Dromton Gyelwa Jungne ('brom ston pa rgyal ba'i 'byung gnas, 1004-1064), who transmitted scores of sutric and tantric teachings. He stayed with Dromton for seven or eight years, and then entered solitary retreat at a place called Jorpu (phyor phu).⁵

He received further teachings from Gonpawa Wangchuk Gyeltsen (dgon pa ba dbang phyug rgyal mtshan, 1016-1082), Neljorpa Jangchub Rinchen (rnal 'byor pa byang chub rin chen, 1015-1077), and Sherab Dorje (shes rab rdo rje), all of whom had been disciples of Atiśa.

During his studies he is said to have been extremely poor. From wearing a threadbare patched robe he earned the nickname Koshampa (ko sham pa), meaning something like "Rag-Wearer." He later acquired the honorific Chennga (spyan snga), a title which originated with the Pakdru Gomchen Drakpa Jungne (phag gru sgom chen grags pa 'byung gnas), an attendant of Drigungpa (bris gung pa) and later came to be a title for dignitaries of the Pakmodru rulers. By the fifteenth century it was applied to senior monastics.⁶

Around 1090, at the age of sixty-three (some sources say fifty-eight), Chennga founded Lo Monastery (lo dgon) in Taktse, building a small temple with four pillars and filling it with bejeweled silver reliquaries of Dromton, Neljorpa, and Gonpawa, and building three stūpas on the monastery grounds. He was known for his patronage of religious objects and monuments; according to the Blue Annals, it was said that should all the votive images (tsa tsa) he created be gathered together they would constitute a small hill.⁷ After residing there for eight years he lived at Nyukrum Monastery (smyug rum dgon) for three years, where he passed away in 1103.

In addition to Lo Monastery Chennga Tsultrim Bar also established Ney Monastery (gnas dgon) and Wosel Monastery ('od gsal dgon), both in Taktse.

His seven most prominent disciples were categorized as the three without equal and the four meditators.⁸ The first were Tolungpa Rinchen Nyingpo (stod lung pa rin chen snying po, 1032-1116), Jayulwa Zhonnu Wo (ya yul ba gzhon nu 'od, 1075-1138), and Nyukrumpa Tsondru Gyeltsen (smyug rum pa brtson 'grus rgyal mtshan, 1042-1109). The four were Zarpa Pakgom Dorje Yeshe (zar pa phag sgom rdo rje ye shes), Rukpa Tsongom (rug pa ston sgom), Mangra Gonpa Tsondru Bar (mang ra sgom pa brtson 'grus 'bar) and Relpa Senggom (ral pa seng sgom). Another disciple, Rinchen Namkha Dorje (rin chen nam mkha' rdo rje, 1077-1161) aided in the construction of Lo Monastery and became its second abbot.

¹ Vetterini, 123.

² Vetturini, 36

³ Vetturini, 123.

⁴ Blue Annals, 263.

⁵ Vetturini, 121.

⁶ Tucci, as referenced in Vetturini, 41.

⁷ Blue Annals, 285.

⁸ Vetturini, 137.