The Treasury of Lives

Donyo Pelden (don yod dpal ldan) was born in Nyangto (nyang stod) in Tsang in 1445, the wood-ox year of the seventh sexagenary cycle. At a young age, he enrolled in Gyangtse Pelkhor Chode (rgyal rtse dpal 'khor chos bde) where he received vows of a novice monk (śrāmaṇera). There he studied under Lobpon Zopa Peljor (slob dpon bzod pa dpal 'byor, d.u.) who taught him using the commentaries composed by Gyeltsabje Darma Rinchen (rgyal tshab dar ma rin chen, 1364-1432). He received the vows of full ordination (bhikṣu) from Duldzin Lodro Bepa (byang sems 'dul 'dzin blo gros sbas pa, 1400-1475) who performed as the abbot; Choje Jamyang Drakpa (chos rje 'jam dbyangs grags pa, d.u.) as the preceptor; and Matipa (ma ti pa, d.u.) as the secret guide.

He studied Lamrim (lam rim) and Lojong (blo sbyong) with Choje Jamyang Drakpa and received commentarial teachings on the texts of Tsongkhapa Lobzang Drakpa (tsong kha pa blo bzang grags pa, 1357-1419) from Nyenton Shakya Gyeltsen (nyan ston shAkya rgyal mtshan pa, d.u.) at Rinchen Drak (rin chen brag).

He enrolled in Sera Je College (se ra byes grwa tshang) at Sera Monastery, Tekchen Ling (sera theg chen gling) for further training, studying under numerous outstanding teachers such as Nyelton Peljor Lhundrub (gnyal ston dpal 'byor lhun grub, 1427-1514), who was the second abbot of the college and later the eighth abbot of the monastery.

After he completed his studies he first served as a teacher and probably abbot -- he is recorded as "chenyenpa" ('chad nyan pa) -- at Sangpu Monastery (gsang phu dgon). He specialized in the Abhidharmakośa, and is counted in the transmission lineage that began with Tsongkhapa and passed to the Fifth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobzang Drakpa (tA la'i bla ma 05 ngag dbang blo bzang rgya mtsho, 1617-1682). He is also listed in the transmission lineage of the Ngok System (rngog lugs) of the Prajñāpāramitā.

At the age of about forty, in 1485, he was enthroned to the abbatial seat of Sera Je College as its fourth abbot. He taught the monastic curriculum of traditional texts based on the commentaries by Gyeltsabje. Among his students at Sera Je were Paṇchen Sonam Drakpa (paN chen bsod nams grags pa, 1478-1554), who went on to serve as the Fifteenth Ganden Tripa (dga' ldan khri pa 15). He served at Sera Je for about twenty-six years until his student, Jetsun Chokyi Gyeltsen (rje btsun chos kyi rgyal mtshan, b.1469 d.1544/46) succeeded him to the abbatial throne in 1511.

In 1516 or 1517 he ascended to the abbatial throne of Sera Monastery, the tenth abbot, at the age of seventy-two or seventy-three. He served for about nine years, until his death. He was the author of A Guiding Commentarial Text on Generation and Completion Stage Practices of the Thirteen Deities of Yamāntaka ('jigs byed lha bcu gsum gyi bskyed rdzogs khrid yig).

Donyo Pelden is described as having been a simple monk who strictly observed the monastic vows, avoided scandal and gossip, and gave away all that he was given. He is further said to have had had a great devotion to his teachers, and a great interest in teaching. His ease with students attracted a large number of disciples. These included Daknyakpa Lodro Pelwa (dwags nyag pa blo gros 'phel ba, d.u.); Choden Lodro (chos ldan blo gros, d. 1511); and a man named Gyeltsen Zangpo, who might be identified as the man who served as an abbot of Gyume (rgyud smad) starting in 1533, or as the man who served as the Eighteenth Ganden Tripa (dga' ldan khri pa 18), from 1546 to 1548.

Donyo Pelden passed away at the age of eighty in 1524 or 1525, on the first day of the wood-monkey year of the ninth sexagenary cycle. Gendun Gyatso, who was posthumously known as the Second Dalai Lama (tA la'i bla ma 02 dge 'dun rgya mtsho, 1476-1542), succeeded him to the abbatial throne of Sera Monastery as its eleventh abbot.