The Treasury of Lives

Sonam Zangpo (bsod nams bzang po), who was popularly known as Tselminpa (mtshal min pa), was born in Kyerpu (kyer phu) in 1341.

He received the vows of complete ordination as a monk from Khenpo Yonten Gyatso (mkhan chen yon tan rgya mtsho, d.u.) in 1358 in Lhasa. From the age of seventeen he served as Dolpopa Sherab Gyeltsen's (dol po pa shes rab rgyal mtshan, 1292-1361) close attendant and practiced the teachings he received from him.

After Dolpopa passed away, Sonam Zangpo received many teachings from Dolpopa's major disciples: he studied epistemology at Sakya Monastery (sa skya dgon) under Nyawon Kunga Pel (nya dbon kun dga' dpal, 1285-1379) and was known as the best of Nyawon's four hundred disciples, he received the Yamari instructions from Mati Paṇchen Lodro Gyeltsen (ma ti paN chen blo gros rgyal mtshan, 1294-1376), and studied Kālacakra under Chokle Namgyel (phyogs las rnam rgyal, 1306-1386). He became one of Chokle Namgyel's main disciples, and was particularly expert in the explanation and practice of the Kālacakra. He also studied with the great masters Buton Rinchen Drub (bu ston rin chen grub, 1290-1364), Lama Dampa Sonam Gyeltsen (bla ma dam pa bsod nams rgyal mtshan, 1312-1375), and Gyelse Tokme Zangpo (rgyal sras thogs med bzang po, 1295-1369).

In 1392, when he was fifty-three years old he was invited to Lhagang Monastery (lha sgang) Monastery in Minyak, Kham, where he taught for the next eleven years. 

Sonam Zangpo then served as abbot of Joden Gendungang (jo gdan dge 'dun sgang), becoming the seventh in the line of transmission of Śākyaśrībhadra's (1127-1225) Vinaya. He was appointed to this post in 1384 by the future ruler of Tibet, Duldzin Drakpa Gyeltsen ('dul 'dzin grags pa rgyal mtshan, 1374-1432).¹ After sixteen years he retired to Tselmin (mtshal min), which he made his residence. Thereafter he was popularly known as Tselminpa.

He became the teacher of many of the great masters of the fifteenth century, such as the Sakya master Rongton Sheja Kunrik (rong ston shes bya kun rig, 1369-1449) and the Sixth Karmapa, Tongwa Donden (karma pa 06 mthong ba don ldan, 1416-1453). He was honored by the Pakmodru ruler of Tibet, Drakpa Gyeltsen (dbang grags pa rgyal mtshan, d.u.), and eulogized as the finest yogin in Tibet by the Indian paṇḍita Varnaratna. At the age of ninty-two he taught the great Vimalaprabhā commentary on the Kālacakra Tantra.

When he was ninty-three years old, he sat in the sevenfold meditation posture of Vairocana, spoke several verses of prophecy about his future lives, and peacefully passed away. Marvelous signs are said to have occurred, and wonderful images and relics emerged from his bones after cremation.

Sonam Zangpo was known to have composed several works in his later years that are no longer extant, including a commentary on the Vinaya written at the age of seventy-two; a commentary to Nāgārjuna's Dharmadhatustava written at the request of Jamyang Khache ('jam dbyangs kha che) when he was seventy-seven; a Pramāṇavārttika commentary at the age of seventy-nine; a reply to Lotsāwa Kyabchok Pel's (lo tsa ba skyabs mchog dpal, d.u.) refutation of the other-emptiness view (gzhan stong) at eighty; another commentary on the Vinaya at eighty-two; and an Uttaratantra exegesis together with several works  several texts concerning tathāgatagarbha written at the age of eighty-four.²

¹ Grags pa 'byung gnas.

² Grags pa 'byung gnas.