The Treasury of Lives

Kodrakpa was born in 1182, in Dingri (ding ri), long famous as the region where Padampa Sanggye (pha dam pa sangs rgyas, d.) had lived and taught for two decades. His father was Tsowo Gyelyung (gtso bo rgyal g.yung) and his mother was named To Jema (stod rje ma). His birth name is not known. Kodrakpa's clan was the Dong (ldong).

He took lay vows as a young adult when he received Lamdre (lam 'bras) teachings of the Zhama lineage from Shangton Semikpa (zhang ston se mig pa). Later on, he heard Lojong (blo sbyong) teachings from the visiting Kashmiri paṇḍita Śākyaśrībhadra (1127-1225). At the same time he studied Dzogchen (rdzogs chen) with a Nyingma teacher and is said to have achieved realization of Mahāmudrā (phyag chen). He received the empowerments of Cakrasaṃvara from the Nepali Paṇḍita Ratnarakṣita.

It was when he took all the monastic ordinations all at the same time at age twenty-nine that he received the name Sonam Gyeltsen (bsod nams rgyal mtshan). His chief ordinator was the well-known Drigung Kagyu teacher Nyo Gyelwa Lhanangpa (gnyos rgyal ba lha nang pa).

Kodrakpa spent five years in meditation retreat at Mt. Kailash. It was there where it is said that he achieved the total knowledge that comes with enlightenment, realizing both “what there is” (ji snyed pa) and “how things are” (ji lta ba). Or, stated in terms associated with the Vajrayāna, he achieved true realization of the nature of the Vajra Body (rdo rje lus). According to legend, once a naga spirit emerged above the surface of Lake Mapam, known also as Manasarovar, (mtsho ma pham) and granted him magical feats associated with water (chu'i dngos grub). Later, when he founded Kodrak (ko brag) hermitage in Upper Nyang (myang stod), he is said to have made a spring broke out over the parched earth.

The famous Bengali teacher Vibhūticandra had first come to Tibet as part of the group of nine paṇḍitas who came with Śākyaśrībhadra. Later on, he settled for some time in Kathmandu, and received a special visionary teaching on the Six-Limbed Yoga of the Kālacakra directly from the Indian master Shabari. His main concern was to locate a disciple worthy of receiving this exceptionally profound teaching, so when he heard about his former student Kodrakpa's success in meditation, he decided to invite him to Nepal for this purpose.

Kodrakpa, staying at Dingri Langkhor (ding ri glang 'khor) at the time, on the other hand, realized that there would be benefits for many more Tibetans if Vibhūticandra could be persuaded to come once again to Tibet. The Bengali teacher, who was able to speak and write in Tibetan, stayed two years in Dingri, teaching Kālacakra teachings especially, before returning to Nepal. It is interesting and may seem odd that this Indian paṇḍita received teachings from his student. One rarely hears of Indians receiving lineage teachings from Tibetans. In a similar way it is said that Ga Lotsāwa Namgyel Dorje (rgwa lo tsA ba rnam rgyal rdo rje, 1203-1283) was both Kodrakpa's student and his teacher in Kālacakra.

Kodrakpa was particularly renowned for his mastery of meditation, including special techniques for overcoming the obstacles to spiritual growth. The list of his students is therefore very long. But his fame and influence went further, beyond the usual monastic and eremetical circles, such that the Blue Annals even says, “All bowed at his feet — Masters of the Old and New Tantras, kings, Mongol nobles of the imperial family, officials, landowners and others.” It is very probable that he achieved this universal fame above all on account of his spiritual songs.

These songs are not particularly ornate. Neither were they composed in the classical Indian style. They do reach occasional poetic heights in imaginative descriptions of natural phenomena. We are reminded that he spent most of his life in retreat places of outstanding natural beauty. His main poetic device lies in the regular repetitions of both sounds and words. This is appreciated in Tibetan poetry much like alliteration and rhyme in English verse. Here is a short sample from song number thirty-eight, as translated by Cyrus Stearns:

Deer, antelope, and argali.
These three were this beggar's livestock.
White grouse, pigeons, and partridges.
These three were this beggar's neighbors.
Mind watching mind.
That's this beggar's experience of practice.
Cherishing others more than myself.
That's this beggar's application of practice.

Regarded as his most important disciple at the time, even if little is known about him, is one Porog Dode Gonpo (pho rog mdo sde mgon po), who lived between 1195 and 1257 in the Blue Annals. However, Yanggonpa Sanggye Drak (yang dgon pa sangs rgyas grags, d.u.) was the disciple who, as founder of a branch of the Drukpa Kagyu, would go on to have far-reaching influence on Tibetan Buddhist history. When Kodrakpa died in his eightieth year, it was Yanggonpa who presided over the cremation and funeral rites.