The Treasury of Lives

Kunden Repa was born iin 1148 into the Nub (gnubs) clan, a descendent of the illustrious Nub Namkhai Nyingpo (gnubs nam mkha'i snying po). When bringing provisions to his uncle, (or, alternately, his brother) Gyeltsa Rinchen Gon (rgyal tsha rin chen mgon, 1118-1195) who had joined the community at Densatil Monastery (gdan sa mthil dgon), he heard Pakmodrupa Dorje Gyelpo (phag mo gru pa rdo rje rgyal po, 1110-1170) telling the life-story of Milarepa and was amazed by it. He nudged his uncle/brother and asked him, “Who was that Milarepa?” He was so inspired by Milarepa that he resolved to practice religion. He stayed on and heard the yoga teachings from Pakmodrupa and meditated on their basis. For some time he served as a supervisor for the construction of a large temple at Densatil.

He participated in the construction of Tropu Monastery (khro phu dgon), which was officially credited to Rinchen Gon for its founding. It is said that although he never left his meditation chamber, all kinds of rare Indian fruits would appear in his hands. Once there was a famine, and Kunden Repa stuck his walking stick into a doorway of a chapel at Tropu and said, “Today, oh yoginis, give some alms to the yogi.” Then he dug out enough barley from the same spot in the doorway to feed the local community for five days. Alternate accounts have it that he brought the famine to an end by causing barley to rain from the sky.

Among his other relatives were Tropu Lotsāwa Jampa Pel (khro phu lo tsA ba byams pa dpa, 1172-1236)

He died in his seventieth year.