The Treasury of Lives

Naktso Lotsāwa Tsultrim Gyelwa (nag 'tsho lo tsA ba tshul khrims rgyal ba) was born in 1011 in a place called Lhadong (lha gdong) in Ngari Zongga (mgna ris rdzong dga). His family belonged to the Naktso (nag tsho) tribe.

He received a religious education in his youth, and, with his novice ordination, was given the name Tsultrim Gyelwa. He became an expert in Vinaya and earned the title Duldzinpa ('dul 'dzin pa), or Holder of the Vinaya. Among his Tibetan teachers was Gya Lotsāwa Tsundru Sengge (rgya lo tsA ba brtson 'grus seng ge, d.u.), with whom he studied the Abhidharma and later travelled to India.

In 1037 Tsultrim Gyelwa was sent to India by Lha Lama Jangchub Wo (lha bla ma byang chub 'od), the king of Purang (spu hreng) who was then attempting to reintroduce monastic Buddhism to Tibet. Jangchub Wo had previously sent young Tibetans to Kashmir to study and bring back new Buddhist traditions, and it was from one of these men, Rinchen Zangpo (rin chen bzang po, 958-1055), that he is said to have learned of Atiśa Dīpaṃkara Śrījñāna (c.982-1054), reportedly a brilliant master based at the great Indian monastery-university Vikramaśīla. Tsultrim Gyelwa's mission was to invite Atiśa to Tibet.

He traveled with five other companions to India with thirty-two srangs of gold dust and another piece of gold. Tradition holds that the leadership of Vikramaśīla refused to allow the Tibetans to take Atiśa away, and the sources make much of the efforts made to prevent Atiśa's departure. Atiśa is said to have actively deceived his abbot in order to obtain permission; he told his abbot that he was going to show the Tibetans the pilgrimage sites of India. The abbot, Ratnakara, saw through the deception, but permitted Atiśa to leave on the condition that he would return in three years.

In 1040 Atiśa and Naktso set out for Tibet, accompanied by Gya Lotsāwa, who had met them at Vikramaśīla, serving as translator. Gya Lotsāwa did not survive the journey, passing away en route to Nepal. After two years of travel they reached Tolung (stod lung), the capital of the Purang Kingdom.

He is said to have studied under Atiśa for nineteen years, which is not possible if Atiśa's year of death, 1054 is correct; at that point they would have been in contact for only sixteen years, assuming Naktso's date of arrival at Vikramaśila to have been 1038. Regardless, around the year 1045 they traveled together to Naktso's homeland, Mangyul (mang yul), where they stayed together for about a year. Atiśa had intended to return to India from Mangyul, but, prevented from returning to India by a war in the region, he wrote his abbot for permission to remain in Tibet.

Naktso Lotsāwa Tsultrim Gyelwa is credited with around one hundred translations in the Kangyur, including texts in the Prajñāpāramitā and tantra sections, and in the Tengyur, including works by Atiśa. He also authored a biography of Atiśa, the "Extended Biography" (rnam thar rgyas pa).

He passed away in 1064.