The Treasury of Lives

Gyawa Tamche Khyenpa (rgya ba thams cad mkhyen pa) was born in Putang Gyadrong (phu thang rgya grong) in Yarlung (yar lung). His father was called Gya Dorje Jikje (rgya rdo rje 'jig byed) and his mother was Denma Zakyi Tso (ldan ma bza' skyid mtsho). His father gave him a Dorje Tumpo (rdo rje gtum po) empowerment, during which he gave him the name Dorje Khyung (rdo rje khyung).

According to legend, when he was eight he repeated the entire Mañjuśrīnāmasaṃgīti after having heard it recited once. He was sent to Won ('on) and studied with one of Pakmodrupa Dorje Gyelpo's (phag mo gru pa rdo rje rgyal po, 1110-1170) disciples named Lobpon Tsilungpa (slob dpon rtsi lung pa). He also studied with Khenpo Sumtokpa (mkhan po sum thog pa) and Neljor Choyung (rnal 'byor chos g.yung, 1103-1199), a disciple of Gampopa Sonam Rinchen (sgam po pa bsod nams rin chen, 1079-1153).

At the age of nine he performed a religious dance at Ngamcho (ngam shod) for Jikten Gonpo Rinchen Pel (jig rten mgon po rin chen dpal, 1143-1217), who was visiting. The elderly lama gave him teachings, gifts, and the name Jampelgyi Bu ('jam dpal gyi bu).

When he was twenty he went to Drigung Til Monastery ('bri gung mthil) and studied with Jikten Gonpo for three years. He received Hevajra, Mahāmāyā and Cakrasaṃvara empowerments and teachings from Lobpon Sumpa (slob dpon sum pa), presumably the third abbot of the monastery, Sonam Drakpa (bsod nams grags pa, 1187-1234), under whom he later served. In the winter of the monkey year he took full monastic ordination from Gurawa Tsultrim Dorje (gu ra ba tshul khrims rdo rje, 1154-1221), the second abbot of Drigung. He stayed on at Drigung and taught, acquiring the epithet of Tamche Khyenpa (thams chad mkhyen pa), Omniscient One.

He received all of the instructions of the Ngam Dzong Nyengyu (ngam rdzong snyan brgyud) from Gungtang Repa (gung thang ras pa) and he is counted among the lineage holders in that lineage.

He was also known for his realization songs, such as:

By the power of the blessings of Jikten Sumgon,
The lord, protector of beings,
One sees the essence of mind, masters Mahāmudrā
And liberates it into its own state
Without having done anything.
There's no need to search for the result anywhere else.
The four kāya and primordial wisdom are inseparable
And abide in the natural state that doesn’t need to be achieved.

He passed away on the fifteenth day of eleventh month of the rooster year, at the age of eighty-eight. This would have been either 1249 or 1261.