The Treasury of Lives

The First Kondor Tulku, Khedrub Shakya Lhawang (dkon rdor sprul sku 01 mkhas grub shAkya lha dbang) was born in 1586, the fire-dog year of the tenth sexagenary cycle, in Kongpo. His father Tensung (bstan srung) belonged to the same family as the Second Pakpa Lha, Sanggye Pel ('phags pa lha 02 sangs rgyas dpal, 1507-1566) and the Second Zhiwa Lha, Sanggye Jungne (zhi ba lha 02 sangs rgyas 'byung gnas, 1543-1620). Shakya Lhawang was also a close relative of the Third Zhiwa Lha, Zhiwa Zangpo (zhi ba lha 03 zhi ba bzang po, 1625-1717) to whom he gave novice vows and many teachings. His mother was called Pelmo Dolma (dpal mo sgrol ma).

According to his hagiography his birth was predicted by the Second Pakpa Lha, and two previous incarnations are given: Hangri Kachu Chopel Zangpo (hang ri dka' bcu chos dpal bzang po), a very close disciple of the First Pakpa Lha, Gyelwa Pakpa Lha ('phags pa lha 01 rgyal ba 'phags pa lha 1439-1487); and his reincarnation, Rabjampa Shakya Gyeltsen, or Lhawang Lekpai Lodo (rab 'byamps pa shA kya rgyal mtshan nam mtshan gzhan lha dbang legs pa'i blo gros). These lamas are not counted in the enumeration of the Kondor Tulkus.

Shakya Lhawang was granted the vows of novice monk by Pende Choje Ngawang Namkha Gyatso (phan bde'i chos rje ngag dbang nam mkha' rgya mtsho) and Gelek Gyatso (dge legs rgya mtsho). Subsequently he was granted full ordination by the same Choje and his assistant who later became his tutors. Besides the two tutors he also received teachings from many other scholars and became a great scholar of both sutra and tantra.

In 1604, at the age of nineteen, he was enthroned to the seat of abbot of Tashi Pende Monastery (bkra shis phan bde dgon) in Nyangpo, which was established by the First Pakpa Lha, Gyelwa Pakpa Lha ('phags pa lha 01 rgyal ba 'phags pa lha 1439-1487). At the time the monastery's tradition of empowerment on the oral transmission of Heruka was close to being lost, and in order to maintain it Kondor Tulku requested Namkha Gyatso for the transmission of empowerment with its rituals, which he then gradually spread.

Shakya Lhawang constructed the main assembly hall, the Maitreya Temple, and the Maṇḍala Temple of Heruka at Pende. He commissioned the printing of about two thousand five hundred volumes of important texts. He installed a great number of statues of the Buddha, bodhisattvas, and various lamas including Atiśa, Tsongkhapa, the Fourth Pakpa Lha, the Second Zhiwa Lha, and so forth. He also installed a great number of other objects of faith and decorative items in the various temples and shrines of the monastery.

Shakya Lhawang introduced and improved other traditions, such as prayer-festivals; the three basic practices (bi-monthly confession ceremonies, summer retreat, and closing ceremony of the summer retreat); practical rituals of the oral transmission of Heruka tantra on tenth and twenty-fifth days of every Tibetan month, and so forth. During his thirty-seven year tenure as abbot, he ran the administration smoothly and successfully, he also revised and reformed the monastic education and the codes of discipline.

Shakya Lhawang invited the Fourth Pakpa Lha, Chokyi Gyelpo ('phags pa lha 04 chos kyi rgyal po 1605-1643) to Pende Monastery while he was on a trip to Lhasa, and, he received a great number of teachings and empowerments including on Heruka tantra, Avalokeshtivara, Mañjuśrī, Vajrapāṇi, various types of Tara, Hayagriva, Amitāyus, Six-face Mahākāla, and many more.

At the recommendation of Chokyi Gyelpo, Kondor Tulku brought the infant Zhiwa Zangpo, the Third Zhiwa Lha, to Pende Monastery and took full care of him until he turned to thirteen. Kondor Tulku took charge of the tulku's education and granted him complete initiations, empowerments, and transmissions, instructions of common and uncommon esoteric practices according to their tradition. He also took care of Tulku Peljor Gyatso (sprul sku dpal 'byor rgya tsho, b. 1608) and Tulku Ngawang Gyatso (sprul sku ngag dbang rgya tsho, b.1605) with their training and basic necessary education by giving teachings and initiations and so forth.

Shakya Lhawang composed a religious history entitled Zhalnga Kagyugyi Thunmongminpai Chojung (zhal snga bka' brgyud kyi thun mong min pa'i chos 'byung) in 1640. This history contains biographies of the first four incarnations of Chamdo Pakpa Lha. He took retirement from the duties of abbacy at about that time. He passed away at the age of seventy, in 1655, the wood-sheep year of the eleventh sexagenary cycle.