The Treasury of Lives

Sharchen Jampa Kunga Tashi (shar chen byams pa kun dga' bkra shis) was born at the Guru (gu ru) residence in Sakya in 1558, the earth-horse year of the ninth sexagenary cycle. His father was named Kunga Yeshe (kun dga' yes shes) and his mother was called Wangden Gyelmo. His childhood name was Kunga Peljor (kun dga' dpal 'byor).

At the age of seven he began to study reading, writing and memorization of daily prayers under the tutorship of a Gelong Yutokpa (dge slong g.yu thog pa, d.u.). In 1568, at the age of eleven, he matriculated at Ngor Evaṁ Choden (ngor e waM chos ldan) where he received teachings on Lamdre (lam 'bras) from the Eleventh Ngor Khenchen, Sanggye Sengge (ngor mkhan chen 11 sangs rgyas seng ge, 1504-1569), the Eleventh Ngor Khenchen. In the same year, he was granted the lay vows by Sanggye Sengge, Sharkhangpa Sherab Gyeltsen (shar khang pa shes rab rgyal mtshan, d.u.), and Drangti Namkha Pelzang (brang ti nam mkha' dpal bzang, 1535-1602), the Thirteenth Ngor Khenchen. They gave him the name Kunga Tashi.

Until he the age of twenty he studied poetry and grammar with a monk named Lodro (blo gros), Lamdre with a monk from Zhalu monastery and with the Twelfth Ngor Khenchen, Konchok Pelden (dkon mchog dpal ldan, 1526-1590). He also received teachings from Sharkhangpa.

At the age of twenty-two he received full monastic ordination from Jamyang Konchok Gyatso ('jam dbyangs dkon mchog rgya mtsho, d.u) who gave him the name Jampa Kunga Tashi Drakpa Gyeltsen (byams pa kun dga' bkra shis grags pa rgyal mtshan).

In addition to those masters, he studied under many other masters including the Twenty-third Sakya Trichen, Kunga Rinchen (sa skya khri chen 23 kun dga' rin chen, 1517-1584); his successor on the throne of Ngor, Jamyang Kunga Sonam Lhundrub ('jam dbyangs kun dga' bsod nams lhun grub, 1571-1642), and Sonam Zangpo (bsod nams bzang po, 1547-1625).

In his mid-twenties, under the command of Konchok Pelden, he went to Amdo and Kham to teach for eight years.

In 1595, at the age of thirty-eight, Jampa Kunga Tashi was appointed to the throne of Ngor monastery, succeeding the Thirteenth Ngor Khenchen, Drangti Paṇchen Namkha Pelzang.

Among his pupils were Dakchen Jamyang Tutob (bdag chen 'jam dbyangs mthu stobs, b. 1588); Dakchen Kunga Zangpo (bdag chen kun dga' bzang po, d.u); the Sixteenth Ngor Khenchen, Pelden Dondrub (dpal ldan don grub, 1563-1636); the Seventeenth Ngor Khenchen, Namkha Sanggye (nam mkha sangs rgyas, d.u); and Sherab Jungne, the Eighteenth Ngor Khenchen (ngor mkhan chen 18 shes rab 'byung gnas, 1596-1653).

His writings include several biographies, including those of the Twenty-fifth Sakya Trichen, Jamyang Sonam Wangpo (sa skya khri chen 25 'jam dbyangs bsod nams dbang po, 1559-1621) and Konchok Pelden.

Jampa Kunga Tashi passed away at the age of fifty-eight, in 1615, the wood-rabbit year of the tenth sexagenary cycle.