The Treasury of Lives



Orgyen Tendzin Gyatso (o rgyan bstan 'dzin rgya mtsho) was born in the nineteenth century. He was trained initially at Kongpo Chapkar Monastery (kong po chab dkar), and later enrolled at the Chakpori medical school in Lhasa, Rikje Dropen Ling (lcags po ri rig byed 'gro phan gling).

He served as the vice-personal physician for the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Tubten Gyatso (tA la'i bla ma 13 thub bstan rgya mtsho, 1876-1933) and for the regent, the Ninth Demo, Ngawang Lobzang Trinle Rabgye (de mo 09 ngag dbang 'phrin las rab rgyas, 1855-1899). With their patronage he organized the printing of various medical texts and the commentaries of the Eighth Situ, Chokyi Jungne (si tu 08 chos kyi 'byung gnas, 1699-1774).

He later taught at Chakpori, and also edited the Four Medical Tantras for publishing. However, he fell afoul of certain members of the medical school and aristocrats, and he was imprisoned, ostensibly for including the image of Padmasambhava at the end of Four Medical Tantras. He was ultimately exiled to Bhutan. It is said that even after being forced to leave Tibet he sent offerings to Chakpori.

He gave back his monastic vows in Bhutan and fathered two sons.

Sonam Dorje is an independent scholar based in Amdo, he completed his Ph.D. in Dunhuang Tibetan Literature Study at Northwest Minzu University in Lanzhou, China

Published January 2016

Bibliography

Byams pa phrin las. 2000. Gangs ljongs gso rig bstan pa'i nyin byed rim byon gyi rnam thar phyogs bsgrigs. Pe cin: Mi rigs dpe skrun khang, pp. 410-413. TBRC W1KG15446.

View this person’s associated Works & Texts on the Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center’s Website.