The Treasury of Lives

Lama Karma Sangngak was born in Nangchen around the year 1885. His mother was Konchok Peldron (dkon mchog dpal sgron), the daughter of the nineteenth-century treasure revealer Chokgyur Lingpa (mchog 'gyur gling pa, 1829–1870). His father was Orgyen Chopel (o rgyan chos 'phel), from the Tsangsar family (gtsang sar), a noble house of Nangchen. Lama Sangngak was the third of four male siblings. His brothers were Samten Gyatso (bsam gtan rgya mtsho, 1881–1945), Chime Dorje ('chi med rdo rje, 1885–1948), and Tersey Tulku (gter sras sprul sku, 1887/89–1956/57). He also had two sisters: Tashi Chime (bkra shis 'chi med) and Rigdzin Peldron (rig 'dzin dpal sgron).

The Fifteenth Karmapa, Kakhyab Dorje (karma pa 15 bka' khyab rdo rje, 1870–1922), identified him as a reincarnation from Sertsa (ser tsha dgon), a monastery in the district of Gygyel Riwo (dge rgyal ri bo). The monastery's leadership thereafter sent a delegation to Konchok Peldron to bring him to the monastery. According to his nephew, Tulku Urgyen (sprul sku o rgyan, 1920–1996), whose remarkable memoir is the source for his biography, the identification came after Konchok Peldron's other three sons had also been identified as incarnations: Samten Gyatso was then being trained at Lachab Monastery (bla khyab dgon), and Chime Dorje had been taken against his mother's will to Tsangsar Namgon Monastery (gtsang sar rnam mgon). Konchok Peldron's youngest was then at Tsike Monastery (rtsi ke dgon), having been identified as the reincarnation of her own brother, Wangchuk Dorje (dbang phyug rdo rje, c. 1860–1886), and henceforth known to the family as Tersey Tulku, meaning "emanation of the treasure revealer's son." Konchok Peldron refused to allow the monastery to take her one remaining child, and so Lama Sangngak was never enthroned, and remained with his mother until her death.^[1]

According to Tulku Urgyen, Lama Sangngak ordained and maintained his vows his entire life—of the four brothers only Chime Dorje had children. Also like his mother and brothers, he was an active propagator of his grandfather's revelations, particularly a master of the ritual mudrās and melodies, which were taught to him by his mother and which he transmitted to his nephew.^[2] Tulku Urgyen explained that also transmitted the details of the tradition's tormas, and that he had perfect recall, remembering everything his mother taught him.[3] He regarded his brother, Samten Gyatso, as his root teacher. He served as his brother's attendant on multiple occasions, carefully handling the empowerment objects.^[4]

Tulku Urgyen describes his uncle as a simple yogi who, following Konchok Peldron's death, stayed in retreat for the remainder of his life. Although he had received all the empowerments and transmissions of his grandfather's revelations, he refused to pass these forward, deferring to his famous elder brother. Tulku Urgyen notes one interesting exception to this, however. Lama Sangngak had received the transmission of the Three Sections of Dzogchen (rdzogs chen sde gsum) from Tsike Chokling Konchok Gyurme (rtsi rke mchog gling dkon mchog 'gyur med, 1871–1939), who had received it from Chokgyur Lingpa's disciple Karmey Khenpo (dkar med mkhan po), who had himself received it from Chokgyur Linpa via visionary experience after the treasure revealer had passed away. His brother Samten Gyatso, however, had received the transmission of the cycle from Chokgyur Lingpa's eldest son, Tsewang Norbu (tshe dbang nor bu, 1856–1915/16), who had received it from his father in person. Wanting both transmission streams—the visionary and the in-person, Samten Gyatso insisted that his younger brother give him the transmission that he held. On the completion of the ceremony, Samten Gyatso then repeated the entire transmission, himself now in the role of the master, and Sangngak in the role of the student.^[5]

Like Samten Gyatso, his main personal practices were the Dzogchen cycles Heart Essence of Samantabhadra (kun bzang thugs thig), a revelation of Chokgyur Lingpa, and the Heart Essence of Chetsun (lce btsun snying thig), one of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo's main revelations.

Despite his reticence to teach, Lama Sangngak gave a few empowerments and instructions to Tulku Urgyen, who lived with his uncle for a number of years at Dzonggo Ling (rdzong mgo gling), the hermitage above Lachab Monastery.[6]

Lama Sangngak unsuccessfully encouraged Tulku Urgyen to ordain, arguing that both Tersey Tulku and Tulku Urgyen's father Chime Dorje had difficult lives as noncelibate lamas. This occurred at Tsike Monastery while the Second Kongtrul, Khyentse Wozer ('jam mgon kon sprul 02 mkhyen brtse 'od zer, 1904–1953)—popularly known as Karsey Kongtrul (kar sras kong sprul), as he was the son of the Fifteenth Karmapa—was in residence. Lama Sangngak promised Tulku Urgyen all his worldly possessions should he ordain, but his nephew declined, and went on to marry several times.^[7]

Lama Sangngak died around the year 1949.

 

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