The Treasury of Lives

Jonub Dorje Yeshe (jo snubs rdo rje ye shes) was the eighth abbot of Drigung Monastery ('bri gung dgon). He was born in 1223, the water-sheep year, into the Nub (snubs) clan in the lineage of Nub Namkhai Nyingpo (snubs nam mkha'i snying po, eighth century) and Nubchen Sanggye Yeshe (snubs chen sangs rgyas ye shes, 832?-962?).

Dorje Yeshe received monastic ordination from Chung Dorje Drakpa (gcung rdo rje grags pa, 1210-1278), the fifth abbot of Drigung. Dorje Drakpa and Tokkhawa Rinchen Sengge (thog kha ba rin chen seng ge, 1226-1284), the sixth abbot of the Drigung, gave him the complete transmission of Drigung teachings.

Not much is known about Yeshe Dorje's life until 1286, when the seventh abbot of Drigung, Chennga Tsamchedpa Drakpa Sonam (pyan snga mtshams bjad pa grags pa bsod nams, 1238-1286) passed away. At the time, Chunyipa Dorje Rinchen (bcu gnyis pa rdo rje rin chen, 1278-1314), was next in line in the Kyura clan that had controlled Drigung since its founding. The boy was only seven years old, however, and so could not ascend the abbot’s throne. Thus, Yeshe Dorje, who was by that time sixty-two years old, was enthroned as the eighth abbot. It was probably after this time that the epithet "Jonub" was added to his name, as he acted as an older brother "jo" (jo) to Chunyipa Dorje Rinchen, with "nub" referring to his clan.

Jonub Dorje Yeshe's tenure as abbot was not destined to be an easy one. Jikten Gonpo Rinchen Pel, ('jig rten mgon po rin chen dpal, 1143-1217), the founder of the Drigung tradition and the monastery, is said to have left in his last will and testament an admonition against choosing a throne holder outside of the Kyura clan. Since the Kyura clan held so much power in both civil and religious affairs in Drigung -- the office of the Drigung Gompa ('bri gung sgom pa), the civil administrator of the community also came from the family -- any abbot who came from outside of the family would have a hard time gaining support of a majority of the people.

His tenure, from 1286 to 1293, was at a tumultuous time in the history of the Drigung Kagyu, during which the long-simmering conflict with Sakya finally erupted into wide scale violence. The same year he began his tenure the Drigung army attacked and destroyed a monastery called Chayul (bya yul), presumably a Sakya institution.

The Drigung Gompa of the period was most likely Gompa Wonpo (sgom pa dbon po), whose personal name may have been Kundor Rinchen (kun rdor rin chen); the starting dates of his service is not known. But the conflict proceeded Gompa Wonpo by decades, starting during the era of the forceful Drigung Gompa named Śākya Rinchen (ShAkya rin chen), the second man to hold the office. Śākya Rinchen continued the close ties between Drigung and the Pakmodru family that controlled Densatil Monastery (gdan sa thil dgon), an alliance that came to be seen as a threat to Sakya rule.

In 1290 Drigung launched a revolt against the Mongol-backed Sakya rule of Tibet, a revolt known in Tibetan history as the Linglok (gling log), "the revolution." The Drigung army, its forced combined with that of Horto (hor stod), or Upper Hor -- likely those of Khaidu Khan (c. 1040-1100), an opponent of Khubilai in the struggle for control of the Mongol Empire.

The Drigung and Upper Hor forces were decisively defeated at Pelmo Tang (dpal mo thang) by a Mongolian army led by an imperial prince named Temür, who was possibly a son or grandson of Khubilai himself. The victorious army proceeded to Drigung Monastery and put it to the torch, utterly destroying it and killing possibly ten thousand people. Gompa Wonpo was captured by the Sakya forces, brought back to Sakya Monastery and beheaded.

The destruction at Drigung was extensive. It included the temples built by Jikten Gonpo Rinchen Pel, with subsequent additions built by Won Sonam Drakpa (dbon bsod nams grags pa, 1187-1234) and Chennga Drakpa Jungne (spyan snga grags pa 'byung gnas, 1175-1255), as well as vast numbers of statues, scriptures and stupas. Also destroyed were the great temple and eighteen great statues built by Chung Dorje Drakpa.

Dorje Yeshe fled to Kongpo with Chunyipa Dorje Rinchen and surviving members of the Kyura family and monastic community, where the forces regrouped for an eventual return to Drigung to reconstruct the monastery. He passed away there in 1293 at the age of seventy-one.