The Treasury of Lives

The youngest of four siblings, Lhachuk Kharwa Nyida Wo (lha phyug mkhar ba nyi zla 'od) was born in the area of Dol in the region of Loro, in a place called Zhurna Lung (zhur na lung). His family belonged to the Zi (gzi or bzi) clan, with a long history of Nyingma tantric teachings.

Although at first he studied as a layperson with some famous lamas of his time, including Ngok Dode (rngog mdo sde, d.u.) and Rechungpa Dorje Drakpa (ras chung pa rdo rje grags pa. 1085-1161), it was Zhang Yudrakpa Tsondru Drakpa (zhang g.yu brag pa brtson 'grus grags pa1123-1193) who became his main teacher. Three years after their meeting, he took monastic vows in Lhasa and received the name Nyida Wo. In all he remained under Lama Zhang's guidance for eighteen years, although some say twenty-one years. As the Red Annals states very succinctly, “He heard all the teachings. The blessings entered into him and realizations were born.”

Lhachuk Kharwa founded two monasteries. The first, Jupu ('ju phu), he founded in 1187, and the second, Lhachuk (lha phyug) in 1193. It was from the name of this monastery that his best known epithet, Lhachuk Kharwa, derives. He remained abbot of Lhachuk for eighteen years, but meanwhile, in 1210, he was appointed abbot of the Tsel Gungtang Monastery (tshal gung thang), which meant the leadership position of the Tselpa Kagyu school. In 1214, shortly before his death, he appointed his disciple Sanggye Bum (sangs rgyas 'bum) as his successor.

Lhachuk Kharwa passed away in Lhachuk at age seventy. His disciple Rutokpa Chenpo Zhikpo Tonde (ru thog pa chen po zhig po ston bde), who stayed with him until his death, soon founded monasteries in the far western parts of Tibet which led to the flourishing of Tselpa Kagyu teachings in those parts. Lhachuk remained a very important monastery until at least the middle of the fifteenth century, although its fate since that time appears to be unknown.