The Treasury of Lives

Kawa Peltsek (ska ba dpal brtsegs) was born at Kawa (ska ba) in the Penpo Valley north of Lhasa. His father was Kawa Loden (ska ba blo ldan) and his mother was Droza Zema ('bro bza' mdzes ma). He was one of the first seven Tibetans who were ordained by Śāntarakṣita. According to Tibetan tradition he became a disciple of Padmasambhava, who recognized him as the incarnation of an Indian mahāpaṇḍita, purposely born in Tibet in order to translate the texts necessary for the successful transmission of Buddhism. He also studied with Kache Jinamitra (kha che dzi na mi tra), and is credited with going to India alongside Chokro Lui Gyeltsen (cog ro klu'i rgyal mtshan) to invite Vimalamitra to Tibet on behalf of King Tri Songdetsen (khri srong de'u btsan).

Kawa Peltsek translated many sutras and tantras, including those belonging to the Kriya, Yoga, and Carya classes, becoming one of the three most influential of the early translators at Samye. Among the canonical Indian treatises he contributed in translating was the Abhidharmakośa and the  Abhidharmasamuccaya. With the Indian pandit Sarvajñadeva he completed the first Tibetan translation of the Bodhicaryāvatāra. He translated the Chapter Teaching the Purification of Boundless Gateways, or Ananta-mukhapariśo-dhana-nirdeśaparivarta, a section of the Ratnakūṭa, in collaboration with the Indian scholar Surendrabodhi. He also wrote significant commentaries on tantric texts, including the important Seventeen-fold Appearance of the Sequence of the View (lta rim snang ba bcu bdun pa) and his style of calligraphy was widely imitated throughout Tibet. In colophons his name is frequently written Peltsek or Peltsek Rakṣita (dpal brtsegs rak+shi ta). 

It is said that through his practice Kawa Peltsek achieved the power of clairvoyance.

Among those said to be his reincarnations are Drapa Ngonshe (grwa pa mngon shes, 1012-1090) and the First Pakpa Lha, Pakpa Dechen Dorje ('phags pa bde chen rdo rje, 1439-1487).