The Treasury of Lives

Nyo Gyelwa Lhanangpa Sanggye Rinchen (gnyos rgyal ba lha nang pa sangs rgyas rin chen) was the only child of both of his two parents, he had two half brothers and two half sisters. His father was Nyo Drakpa Pel (gnyos grags pa dpal), one of the four most powerful and wealthy men in U-Tsang in those times. He was not only wealthy but a religious person as well, a bearer of the special Guhyasamāja lineage that came from his famous great-grandfather Nyo Lotsāwa Jungpo Yonten Drak (gnyos lo tsa ba 'byung po yon tan grags), Marpa Chokyi Lodro's (mar pa chos kyi blo gros, c.1012-1097) traveling companion in India.

Drakpa Pel, although a layman, often gave Guhyasamāja teachings and initiations to monks. On these occasions, his son Lhanangpa, then known as Zibji Pel (gzi brjid dpal), would sit on his lap and be the first to receive the empowerments. Once he went with his father to Gungtang (gung thang) to visit the famous Zhang Yudrakpa Tsondru Drakpa (zhang g.yu brag pa brtson 'grus grags pa, 1123-1193). Zhang identified him as a reincarnation of the Great Siddha of India known by the name Kṛṣnācharya, in Tibetan Nakpo Chopa (nag po spyod pa).

It is said that during his childhood games, Lhanangpa was the one to decide who would play elephant and who would play horse, who would play the minister of exterior, the minister of interior and the general. The other children could not play as they wished, but had to ask his permission first. He made up the rules of the games, and anyone who violated them would no longer be welcomed as his playmate. Clearly, this story is meant to display his born leadership abilities, but it equally conveys the sense of entitlement that often comes with privileged birth.

As a teenager, he felt a burning desire to follow the example of his illustrious ancestor and become a translator. Knowing that India was a very hot country, he performed yogic exercises that could help to withstand the heat. He thought that if he were to die, it would have to be in India. While he was still planning his India trip, at age nineteen, he met Jikten Gonpo Rinchen Pel ('jig rten mgon po rin chen dpal, 1143-1212) and immediately perceived him to be nothing less than a real buddha.

Jikten Gonpo ordered him to go to another place to receive complete monk ordination, which he did in 1190. On his arrival at Drigung ('bri gung), he spent seven years in solitary meditation inside a sealed hut. Then he went to Tsari, where the sacred mountain Dakpa Shelri (dag pa shel ri) is located. Tsari was only at that time opening up as a place for meditation, for five more years of retreat. Tsari is a wild place of outstanding natural beauty located near the border of Assam. He spent many more years in still other secluded retreat places, included Mount Kailash, where he earned his title Lhanangpa (lha nang pa) late in his life after the name of a place where he meditated. He would never succeed in reaching India, although he did eventually visit Nepal.

His father, as his dying wish, requested that the skull-cup that had once belonged to Nāropa, passed on in the family for generations and its most treasured possession, should be presented to Jikten Gonpo. Soon afterward, both of Lhanangpa's half brothers died, as did a number of other important members of his clan. Much of the family wealth was then donated to Drigung Til and Densatil.

Lhanangpa was most famous during his times for his lavish brown sugar feasts (bur ston chen po), which became proverbial for their generosity. Although these were religious gatherings, and the offerings included much more than sugar, in those times cane sugar of the dark brown kind known as jaggery was a highly valued luxury item which had to be imported all the way from India.  At the largest and latest of his sugar feasts, held soon after Jikten Gonpo's death in 1217, 55,525 followers of the Drigungpa were in attendance. Quite late in his life, in about 1219, he founded a monastery named Lhatel Rinchen Ling (lha thel rin chen gling) where his disciples gathered to hear his teachings.

His most famous miracle occurred at Lake Mapam (mtsho ma pham), where he went to visit the under-water palace of the naga king, and then surfaced in the center of the lake sitting cross-legged. This miracle was seen not only by his followers, but by all the nomads encamped around the lake as well.

It is said that in 1216 he built the first fortress in Bhutan, Do Ngon Dzong (rdo sngon rdzong), which today lies in ruins near the monumental fortress Tashichoedzong (bkra shis chos rdzong).

Rather late in his life he went to the area then known as Lhokha Zhi (lho kha bzhi), in an attempt to settle a land claim dating back to the time of his great-grandfather. He ended up staying there for several years, attracting many to the Drigung school. His special lineage, which came to be known as the Lhapa (lha pa), formed a number of monasteries, which soon came into conflict with the Drukpa.  The Lhapa remained influential for several centuries in Bhutan.