The Treasury of Lives

Lobzang Chodrak (blo bzang chos grags) was born in 1638, the earth-tiger year of eleventh sexagenary cycle, in Darmo (dar mo), Lhokha (lho kha). As a youth, he started his monastic education at Kyitsel Lubuk Ling (skyid tshal klu sbug gling) in Lhasa (lha sa), and later enrolled Sorik Dropen Ling (gso rig 'gro phan gling), the short-lived medical school located in the western wing of the Drepung Ganden Podrang ('bras spungs pho brang nub ma). He studied medicine under the guidance of around fifty masters, including Lobzang Gyatso (blo bzang rgya mtsho, b.1590), and Drangsong Tendzin Dargye (drang srong bstan 'dzin dar rgyas, d.u.). He received the highest monastic degree of medical science of "menrampa" (sman rams pa) and became known as Darmo Menrampa Lobzang Chodrak.

After his graduation from Sorik Dropen Ling he served as the instructor at Lhawang Chok (lha dbang lcog) medical school and acted as a personal physician for the Fifth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobzang Gyatso (tA la'i bla ma 05 ngag dbang blo bzang rgya mtsho, 1617-1682). When the Fifth Dalai Lama began to experience vision issues due to cataracts, he invited an Indian medical master by the name of Manaho (rma na ho) to Lhasa. Darmo Menrampa was tasked with learning advanced treatments for eye diseases from Manaho and eventually succeeded in improving the Fifth Dalai Lama's vision using treatment learned from the Indian doctor. Darmo Menrampa also studied with one Nyanang Namkha Lha (gnya' nang nam mkha' lha, d.u.), who had apparently learned techniques for handling mercury from an Indian practitioner by the name of Śabarīśvara. The Fifth Dalai Lama had Darmo Menranpa train under another Indian medical practitioner by the name of Godararañja; the two worked together on a translation of Godararañja's Ayurvedic writings into Tibetan.

With the support of the Fifth Dalai Lama and his regent, Sanggye Gyatso (sangs rgyas rgya mtsho, 1653-1705), Darmo Menrampa participated in the creation and editing of numerous written works including Eighteen Pieces from Yutok (g.yu thog cha lag bco brgyad) and a completed edition of Zurkhawa Lodro Gyelpo's (zur mkhar ba blo gros rgyal po, b.1509) Ancestors’ Advice (rgyud bzhi'i 'grel pa mes po'i zhal lung), a commentary on the Four Treatises (rgyud bzhi) that had been left incomplete at the time of Zurkhawa's death. Ancestor's Advice was apparently an important source for the Regent's Blue Beryl, his subsequent commentary on the Four Treatises, which Darmo Menrampa requested the Regent to write.

In addition to his accomplishments as an author and editor of written medical texts, Darmo Menrampa advanced Tibetan medicine through his practical studies of anatomy. Confused about the differing views on the number of bones in the human body in various texts, he decided to undertake dissection of four cadavers in a public park in Lhasa. The results of this experiment are compiled in his work entitled Golden Annotations to the Treatise on Medical Investigations and Prescriptions (gser mchan rnam bkra gan mdzod).

Darmo Menrampa's disciples include Lobzang Chopel (blo bzang chos 'phel, 17th century), Lobzang Donden (blo bzang don ldan, 17th century), Ngawang Zhonnu (ngag dbang gzhon nu, 17th century), and Kunga Gyatso (kun dga' rgya mtsho, 17th century). He was among those present when the Sixth Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso (tA la'i bla ma 06 tshangs dbyangs rgya mtsho, 1683-1706/1746) took renunciate vows. Darmo Menrampa was also known as "Reting Khenpo" (rwa greng mkhan po), however this name is not recorded in official records. He passed away in 1710, the iron-tiger year of twelfth sexagenary cycle.