The Treasury of Lives

The Eighth Dorje Drak Rigdzin, Kelzang Pema Wanggyel (rdo rje brag rig 'dzin 08 skal bzang pad+ma dbang rgyal) was born into the hereditary lineage of Marpa Lotsawa Chokyi Lodro (mar pa lo tsA ba chos kyi blo gros, 1012-1097), in Lhodrak (lho brag), southern Tibet, in 1848, the earth-monkey year of the fourteenth sexagenary cycle. Chuzang Namkha Longyang (chu bzang nam mkha' klong yangs, d.u.), a close student of the Sixth Dorje Drak Rigdzin, Khamsum Zilnon (rdo rje brag rig 'dzin 06 khams gsum zil gnon, c.1770) who had identified and outlived the Seventh Dorje Drak Rigdzin, Ngawang Jampel (rdo rje brag rig 'dzin 07 ngag dbang 'jam dpal, c.1810-c.1840), identified him as the Eighth Dorje Drak Rigdzin and enthroned him at the seat of the incarnation line, Tubten Dorje Drak Evaṁ Chokgar (thub bstan rdo rje brag e waM chog sgar).

Chuzang Namkha Longyang served as his principal teacher, focusing primarily on transmitting the Jangter (byang gter), or Northern Treasure tradition, as well as other teachings of the Nyingma school. In addition to his main teacher, Kelzang Pema Wanggyel received a great variety of teachings from eminent teachers of the Nyingma and other traditions.

He completed retreats at a cave complex nearby named Drak Yangdzong (sbrags yang rdzong) and at his own monastery, and is said to have achieved significant experience and realization through his practice of Dzogchen. He came to be regarded as a great yogi, and was highly honored by many prominent teachers of his day, including the Eighth Paṇchen Lama, Tenpai Wangchuk (paN chen 08 bstan pa'i dbang phyug, 1854/55-1882), who was so impressed by his scholarship that he invited him to Tashilhunpo Monastery (bkra shis lhun po) to give him teachings from both the treasure and spoken word (bka' ma) lineages of the Nyingma school. They also engaged in heated discussion and debate on various difficult points of Buddhist philosophy, after which the Paṇchen Lama again expressed his admiration and respect for Kelzang Pema Wanggyel's learning.

At one point the government in Lhasa requested Pema Wanggyel to employ magical means to repel the Singbu (sing bu) army, which was close to invading Tibet. He performed a ritual called the "Ring of the Lord of Death" (mngon spyod gshin rje'i 'khor lo) at Drak Yangdzong, which was credited with preventing the invasion. The government awarded him the title "Dorje Drak Rigdzin Hutukhtu," echoing the title the Chinese Emperor had given to the Third Dorje Drak Rigdzin, Ngakgi Wangpo (rdo rje brag rig 'dzin 03 ngag gi dbang po, 1580-1639).

He passed away at the young age of thirty-three in 1880, the iron-dragon year of the fifteenth sexagenary cycle.

His subsequent incarnation, Tubten Chowang Nyamnyi Dorje (rdo rje brag rig 'dzin 09 thub bstan chos dbang mnyam nyid rdo rje), was born near Lhasa in 1886.