The Treasury of Lives

Nyamme Shākya Yeshe (mnyam med shAkya ye shes), born in 1147, was the last of three children to a family with a tradition of Nyingma mantra practices named Dre (sgrad). His elder brother was Lobpon Jotsun (slob dpon jo btsun), and his elder sister was Chammo Sherbum (lcam mo sher 'bum). His birthplace was in the area of Yamdrok Lake (yar 'brog mtsho). Shākya Dorje (shAkya rdo rje) was the name given to him as a child. From age nine he studied with his father, Sanggye Namkha (sangs rgyas nam mkha').

When he was eleven Shākya Dorje heard of the fame of Lama Zhang Yudrakpa Trondru Drakpa (zhang g.yu brag pa brtson 'grus grags pa, 1123-1193) and went with his elder brother to meet him at Ronggi Tsogo (rong gi mtsho mgo).

Lama Zhang is said to have prophesied about him, "This one will hold my headquarters." He was immediately adopted as one of Lama Zhang's 'heart sons' and took his complete ordination at age nineteen. Although Lama Zhang was his most important teacher, he also studied with a long list of masters of various traditions, including Ngok Dode (rngog mdo sde).

At age forty, in 1186, he was appointed the head of the Tselpa tradition, six years before Lama Zhang's death. He was responsible for building a number of the structures that stood at Tsel Gungtang (mtshal gung thang). After his teacher's death he continued as abbot for another fifteen years, dying at the age of sixty-one.

Nyamme Shākya Yeshe was responsible for the compilation of the collections of Lama Zhang's compositions that are found in the collected works (bka' 'bum). He completed the building of the memorial stupas that held the relics of Lama Zhang, named the Kumbum Chenmo (sku 'bum chen mo) and Dungten Tongdrol Chenmo (gdung rten mthong grol chen mo).

Among his disciples one of the most notable was Tsangpa Dungkhurwa Wangchuk Tashi (gtsang pa dung khur ba dbang phyug bkra shis), who may have been the very first to introduce the Mongols to Buddhism.