The Treasury of Lives

Nyiga Kunga Nyima (nyi dga' kun dga' nyi ma) was born in 1846^[1] in the upper Gato region (sga stod) of northwestern Kham. When he was a child Ngawang Shedrub Gyatso (ngag dbang bshad sgrub rgya mtsho) established a hermitage, Dzinda Neseb ('dzin mda' gnas gseb)^[2] outside of Dzinda Village and each family sent a boy to join the retreat there, and Nyiga Kunga Nyima's family sent him. The retreat center was affiliated with Tarlam Monastery (thar lam dgon). He remained there for several years, inheriting much of the founder's possessions when he passed away, which suggests that he was the designated successor.^[3]

In his teen years he want to Ngor Ewaṃ Choden (ngor e waM chos ldan)  in central Tibet; Tarlam Monastery, founded by Ga Rabjampa Kunga Yeshe (sga rab 'byams pa kun dga' ye shes, 1397–1449), a disciple of Ngorchen Kunga Zangpo (ngor chen kun dga' bzang po, 1382–1456), is considered an affiliate of Ngor. He received the Lamdre transmission and teachings on the three vows from Khangsar Khenchen Jamyang Sherab Gyatso (khang gsar mkhan chen 'byams dbyangs shes rab rgya mtsho), who had served as the Fifty-Fourth Ngor Khenchen (ngor mkhan chen 54) from 1851 to 1859.^[4]

Kunga Nyima returned after only a few years, and was back at the retreat center by the time he reached the age of eighteen. He remained there until his death. The retreat center's proximity to Tarlam enabled him to receive additional instructions from prominent lamas who would visit the region. Pende Khenpo Kunga Tenpai Lodro ('phan khang mkhan kun dga' bstan pa'i blo gros, 1822–1884), who had served as the Fifty-Third Ngor Khenchen from 1848 to 1851, gave him the Lamdre Lobshe (lam 'bras slob bshad) transmission. Drubchok Jampel Tenzin Trinle (grub mchog 'jam dpal bstan 'dzin phrin las) transmitted the Nāro Khachoma (nA ro mkha' spyod ma) and Mahākāla Drakdzong (mgon po brag rdzong) cycles. Drubwang Nyima Chopel (grub dbang nyi ma chos 'phel) of the nearby Jyekundo Dondrub Ling (skye dgu mdo don grub gling) gave him the transmission of the Lamdre Tsokshe (lam 'bras tshogs bshad) and the Lamdre Lobshe, as well as Vajrabhairava. Pende Khenpo Jampa Pelden Chodze ('phan khang mkhan po byams pa dpal ldan chos mdzad), who would serve as the Sixty-Second Ngor Khenchen from 1898 to 1904, transmitted the two great scriptural collections of Jamyang Loter Wangpo ('jam dbyangs blo gter dbang po, 1847–1914), the Compendium of Sādhanas (sgrub thabs kun btus) and the Compendium of Tantras (rgyud sde kun btus).^[5]

From the age of forty to sixty he practiced the physical yogas ('khrul 'khor) of the Lamdre tradition, and is said to have been widely known for his ability to hover about a cubit above the floor. His abilities also included rainmaking, a service he provided several times to desperate inhabitants of his region.^[6]

He also received teachings from Dezhung Lungrik Nyima (gde gzhung lung rigs nyi ma, 1840-1898), who came to Dzinda under the sponsorship of two illustrious members of the retreat community, Jamyang Gyeltsen ('jam dbyang rgyal mtshan, 1870/80-1940/50) and Gaton Ngawang Lekpa (sga ston ngag dbang legs pa, 1864–1941). Dezhung Rinpoche was impressed with Kunga Nyima and stated that "the pure Sakya doctrine still exists in the Ga region."^[7]

In 1911 he gave Cakrasaṃvara, Vajrayoginī, and Mahākāla initiations to the six-year-old Dezhung Rinpoche Kunga Tenpai Nyima (sde gzhung rin po che kun dga' bstan pa'i nyi ma, 1906–1987), who was living at Dzinda Neseb with his uncle, Ngawang Nyima (ngag dbang nyi ma, 1872/73–1951).^[8] The following year he gave the boy novice vows and the name Ngawang Zangpo (ngag dbang bzang po).^[9]

Kunga Nyima was a generous donor of books and shrine objects to multiple monasteries. Having noticed that many of the scriptures in the Derge Parkhang (sde dge par khang) were lacking proper storage, he donated wooden covers and cloth wrappings. At Tarlam he donated seventeen volumes of a Lamdre Lobshe collection and several volumes of the Collected Works of Sakya Paṇḍita (sa skya paN Di ta, 1182–1251) and those of Ngorchen Kunga Zangpo. He gave thirty-three volumes of the Compendium of Tantras to Tubten Monastery (thub bstan dgon); fourteen volumes of the Compendium of Sādhanas to Dzonggo Monastery (rdzong mgo dgon); and the Collected Works of Gorampa (go rams pa, 1429–1489) to Jyekundo Monastery.^[10]

His main disciples were Gaton Ngawang Lekpa and Ga Lama Jamyang Gyeltsen, in addition to Dezhung Rinpoche and his uncle. Other disciples included Druk Khenpo Ngawang Yonten Gyatso ('brug mkhan po ngag dbang yon tan rgya mtsho, 1902–c.1963), Dezhung Tulku Anjam (de gzhung sprul sku a 'jam 'jam, 1885-1952), and Lama Gendun Zangpo (bla ma dge 'dun bzang po).

Nyiga Kunga Nyima passed away at the age of eighty in the wood-ox year, 1925. A disciple erected a small stūpa to house relics in Dzinda village, and donated some of the salt used to preserve his corpse to Tarlam Monastery, but the monastery at the time lacked funds to erect a memorial. Twenty-two years later, in 1947, Dezhung Rinpoche and his uncle sponsored a gilt reliquary for his relics at Tarlam Monastery, with donations of silver from local leaders.^[11]

 

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