The Treasury of Lives

Norzang Gyatso was born in Tanak Rangjung (rta nag rang byung) in Tsang, western Tibet. His father was Namkha Pelzang (nam mkha' dpal bzang) and his mother was Chokyab Bumnyi (chos skyabs 'bum gnyis). He is said to have learned how to read and write with little effort while still young. At age thirteen he enrolled in the monastery of Drakmar Choding (brag dmar chos sdings), where he received novice ordination and did his initial studies under the masters Lodro Gonpo (blo gros mgon po, fifteenth century) and Jangsem Chopel Gyaltsen (byang sems chos 'phel rgyal mtshan, fifteenth century).

Some years later Norzang Gyatso entered Rikhu Chode (ri khud chos sde), a monastery in Tanak that had been given to the First Dalai Lama Gendun Drub (ge 'dun grub, 1391-1474) in 1433 by the patron Gejong Karpo (dge sbyong dkar po). It is not clear whether Gendun Drub was still in residence at the time. Whatever the case, Gendun Drub, Sherab Sengge (shes rab seng ge) and others had requested another famous scholar, Drakpa Zangpo (grags pa bzang po, fifteenth century), to teach at this time. This important master—a student of Rongton Sheja Kunrik (rong ston shes bya kun rig, 1367-1449) and an important figure in the transmission of the Pramāṇasamuccaya of Dignāga and the Abhidharmakośa of Vasubandhu—was therefore teaching at Rikhu while Norzang Gyatso was in residence, and Norzangpa applied himself assiduously to his studies under this great scholar. He would later remark on the both the great discipline maintained by the audience in this great monastic assembly and the quality of the teachings. The gathering, he said, "was just as it was when the Buddha came to the world."

After completing his initial studies at Rikhu, Norzang Gyatso traveled to the monasteries of Tsum Dechen ('tshums bde chen) and Chokhor Gang (chos 'khor sgang). He continued his training, receiving empowerments, reading transmissions, and oral instructions from many masters, including "the omniscient" Sherab Rinchen (shes rab rin chen, b. 1405), who ironically was the first critic of Tsongkhapa Lobzang Drakpa (tsong kha pa blo bzang grags pa, 1357-1419), the teacher to most of his colleagues. Norzangpa then went to Tashilhunpo (bkra shis lhun po) where he received from Gendun Drub extensive teachings on the five classical subjects of the monastic curriculum -- Prajñāparamitā, Madhyamaka, Vinaya, Abhidharma, and especially Pramāṇa. It was also during this time that he received his most important teachings on the Lamrim (lam rim). Having completed his training in the five scholastic subjects, he did an academic tour known as a “monastic round,” or drakor, (grwa skor) at the famous academy of Sangpu Neutok (gsang phu sne'u thog), and from this point on his fame as a scholar grew.

At age thirty-five -- in 1458 or 1459 -- he went to Ganden and received full ordination and extensive teachings from three eminent masters: (1) the fifth holder of the Ganden throne Lodro Chokyong (chos rje blo gros chos skyong, 1389-1463), (2) Choje Dragpa Ozer (chos rje grags pa 'od zer, 15th century), and (3) Rongpo Lozang (rong po blo bzang), a master in the Vairocana Abhisambodhi and Lion-Headed ḍākinī empowerment lineages.

Two years later, at age thirty-seven, he traveled to Rinchen Gang (rin chen sgang) in Olkha ('ol kha), where he received many teachings from Choje Chodrakpa (chos rje chos grags pa, d.u.). He then entered into retreat for the rest of his life, more than forty years. Beginning at Rinchen Gang itself, Norzangpa also stayed for periods of time at Ey Ti'ura (e'i ti'u ra), Olkha Cholung ('ol kha chos lung), Gyasokpu (rgya sog phu), and Lhading (lha sdings). He is said to have attained a high level of realization as a result of his practice. As Yeshe Gyeltsen (ye shes rgyal mtshan, 1713-1793), author of the eighteenth century collection of biographies of Lamrim masters, stated "Having accomplished the practice of the stages of the path, and perfected the five stages (of Guhyasamāja) and the six practices (of Kālacakra), he could remember hundreds of thousands of lives, both his own and those of others. He had visions of many deities, and he obtained various special psychic abilities." Although he maintained the practice of doing four sessions of tantric practice every day, he also taught extensively while in retreat. He died at the ripe old age of ninety-one. Miraculous signs -- the sound of heavenly music, flowers falling from the sky, etc. -- are said to have appeared at the time of his death, and he left behind relics "for the benefit of others."

Norzangpa is counted as the fifty-seventh holder of the Lamrim transmission lineage. His most famous student was the Second Dalai Lama Gendun Gyatso (rgyal ba dge 'dun rgya mtsho, 1476-1542). The latter spent several months obtaining teachings and transmissions from Norzang Gyatso and meditating with him; this most likely occurred when Norzangpa was in his seventies or eighties. The Second Dalai Lama would also pen Norzang Gyatso's earliest biography, written as a praise of his master in verse. In this work, the Dalai Lama extols not only Norzangpa's knowledge of religious texts, but also his expertise in Sanskrit nomenclature, metrics, poetics, etc. Most of the text, which is short, is dedicated to Norzang Gyatso's prowess as a practitioner -- his expertise in exoteric meditations, certainly, but also his strict monastic discipline and ascetic practice, and of course his mastery of tantra. Much later, the great Fifth Dalai Lama would also write a praise dedicated to Norzang Gyatso.

Among Norzang Gyatso's surviving works are a treatise on the generation and completion stages of Guhyasamāja, a short (5 folio) work on how to generate the illusory body, a commentary on the Kālacakra translated into English as Ornament of Stainless Light, a work on Mahāmudrā, and a treatise on calendars and astrology. References and full texts to these and other works are available at the Buddhist Digital Resource Center.