The Treasury of Lives

Ngawang Kunga Tashi (ngag dbang kun dga' bkra shis) was born at Sakya Monastery (sa skya dgon) in 1656. His father was Ngawang Sonam Wangchuk, who served as the Twenty-eighth Sakya Tridzin (sa skya khri 'dzin 28 ngag dbang bsod nams dbang phyug, 1638-1685). His mother was named Pekar Butri (pad dkar bu khrid). According to legend, while he was still in his mother's womb, his paternal grandfather, the Twenty-seventh Sakya Tridzin, Jamgon Amnye Zhab ('jam mgon a myes zhabs, 1597-1659) told his mother that a great bodhisattva was about to take birth.

It was Amnye Zhab served as his main teacher, giving him transmission in Lamdre (lam bras) and other topics. Known for his skill in handicraft, at the age of eight he is said to have carved ritual masks at the age of eight that are preserved at Ngor Ewaṃ Choden (ngor e waM chos ldan).

At the age of sixteen he completed Vajrakīlaya practice, and the next year he completed Hevajra. His father then sent him to Lhasa, where he met with the Fifth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobzang Gyatso (tA la'i bla ma 05 ngag dbang blo bzang rgya mtsho, 1617-1682). His father had first met the Dalai Lama in 1675, and was instrumental in establishing positive relations between Sakya and the new Ganden Podrang government of Tibet – work that Ngawang Kunga Tashi continued.

He left Lhasa and went south, stopping at Gongkar Chode (gong dkar chos sde) and giving Vajrakīlaya transmissions. He is said to have had visions of Padmasambhava, and of the monastery's protectors, who told him that he was an emanation of Padmasambhava.

Starting at the age of twenty one he spent six years in tantric practice, starting with Cakrasaṃvara and continuing with Black Mañjuśrī, Nāro Khachoma (nA ro mkha' spyod ma) Vajrabhairava, the Guru Drakpo (gu ru drag po) from the Northern Treasures (byang gter); Sengge Dra (seng ge sgra); Jungdul ('byung 'dul), White Tārā, Mahākāla; and Sengdongma (seng gdong ma).

At the age of twenty-seven he received the complete transmission of the Sakya Bhairava tradition. Two years later, while he was in retreat practicing this, he built a statue of Bhairava and had it blessed by his father.

The following year, 1685, his father passed away, and he built a silver reliquary in his honor. He was enthroned as the Twenty-ninth Sakya Tridzin. That same year, at the request of the Ganden Podrang, he met with the leaders of the Drukpa Kagyu tradition and helped negotiate peace between Tibet and Ladakh, where Tibet had concluded hostilities in December of 1684, after a six year campaign that involved both Mongolian forces on the Tibetan side and Mughal Indian forces on the Ladakhi side. The conclusion established the border between Tibet and Ladakh.  

When he was thirty-two years old he received the transmission of the complete works of the five Sakya patriarchs from Khenchen Zangpo Gyeltsen (mkhan chen bzang po rgyal mtshan). At thirty-five he restored the reliquary of Pakpa Lodro Gyeltsen (p1038 phags pa blo gros rgyal mtshan, 1235-1280), and sponsored several new statues of the early Sakya masters.

At the age of thirty-six he invited Choje Trichen Jampa Ngawang Lhundrub (bco brgyad khri chen byams pa ngag dbang lhun grub), the abbot of Nalendra Monastery (na len dra), to give teachings and transmissions at Sakya. He restored the wall around Sakya Monastery, and continued to develop relations with Drukpa Kagyu institutions.

When Ngawang Kunga Tashi was forty-nine, in 1705, the Sixth Dalai Lama, Tsangyang Gyatso (tA la'i bla ma 06 tshangs dbyangs rgya mtsho, 1683-1706) visited Sakya. The Dalai Lama requested that Ngawang Kunga Tashi not travel from Sakya to meet him en route, as was the custom, but to remain at Sakya.

That same year his son was born, Ngawang Sonam Rinchen, who would serve as the Thirtieth Sakya Tridzin (sa skya khri 'dzin 30 ngag dbang bsod nams rin chen, 1705-1741).

The following year the Sixth Dalai Lama renounced his novice vows and was arrested by the Mongol Qoshud leader Lhazang Khan (1677-1717), who then controlled Tibet. When the Sixth Dalai Lama died, Lhazang Khan installed a pretender to the throne of the Dalai Lama, his own son Ngawang Yeshe Gyatso (ngag dbang ye shes rgya mtsho, b. 1686). Ngawang Kunga Tashi attended the enthronement ceremony.

He continued to teach until his death in 1711 at the age of fifty-six. Among his disciples were Lochen Dharmaśrī (lo chen d+harma shrI, 1654-1717) and Tendzin Lhundrub (bstan 'dzin lhun grub, d. 1726).

He was credited with restoring many temples.