The Treasury of Lives

Rigdzin Pelchen Dupa (rig 'dzin dpal chen 'dus pa) was born in Kham in 1887, the fire-pig year of the fifteenth sexagenary cycle.

When he was seven Jamgon Kongtrul ('jam mgon kong sprul, 1813-1899) identified him as the reincarnation of Pema Norbu (padma nor bu, 1679-1757), the third throne holder of Pelyul Monastery (dpal yul) and installed him there. He was also regarded to be the reembodiment of the eighth century Indian master Vimalamitra.

The Third Karma Kuchen, Dongak Chokyi Nyima (karma sku chen 03 mdo sngags chos kyi nyi ma, 1854-1906) gave him novice vows and the name Pema Kunzang Tendzin (pad+ma kun bzang bstan 'dzin), and instructed him in Dzogchen (rdzogs chen) starting at the age of nine. Over the next few decades the Karma Kuchen transmitted the central Pelyul scriptures, including the Namcho (gnam chos) revelations of Mingyur Dorje (mi 'gyur rdo rje, 1645-1667), the Lama Gongdu (bla ma dgongs 'dus), and the revelations of Jatson Nyinpo ('ja' brtson snying po, 1585-1656), Karma Lingpa (karma gling pa, 13th century), and Ratna Lingpa (ratna gling pa, 1403-1479).

At Pelyul he also received teachings from Muksang Pelwe Tulku Jigme Chokyi Lodro (rmugs sangs dpal be sprul sku 'jigs med chos kyi blo gros, d.u.), and Muksang Kenpo Padma Sherab Zangpo (rmugs sang mkhan po padma she rab bzang po, d.u).

At the age of seventeen, at a place called Gyapu Kardrak (rgya phu dkar brag) he received empowerments, transmission and instructions from the great Nyingma scholar Ju Mipam Gyatso ('ju mi pham 'jam rgya mtsho, 1846-1912).

Thereafter he went to Tsadra Rinchen Drak (rtsa 'dra rin chen brag), Jamgon Kongtrul's retreat hermitage above Pelpung Monastery (dpal spungs) where Pelpung Lama Tashi Chopel (dpal spungs bla ma bkra shis chos 'phel, d.u.) gave him the empowerments of Hevajra Tantra and transmission of the Kangyur (bka' 'gyur). Tubten Gyeltsen Ozer (thub bstan rgyal mtshan 'od zer, b 1862), a student of Jamgon Kongtrul, gave the transmission of the Rinchen Terdzod (rin chen gter mdzod) to him and the Eleventh Tai Situ, Pema Wangchok Gyelpo (ta'i si tu 11 pad+ma dbang mchog rgyal po, 1886-1952). And Kongtrul himself gave him an empowerment of Chokgyur Lingpa's (mchog 'gyur gling pa, 1829-1870) treasure revelations.

According to his hagiography, when the Third Karma Kuchen passed away in 1906 Pelchen Dupa was distraught, partly due to his not having received the Eight Heruka (bka' brgyad bde gshegs 'dus pa) transmissions of Nyangrel Nyima Ozer (nyang ral nyi ma 'od zer, 1124/1136-1192/1204). The Karma Kuchen then appeared in his dreams for three consecutive nights to give this transmission.

While still young he spent time at Katok Monastery (kaH thog) where he studied Prajñāpāramitā, Madhyamaka, logic and the Bodhicaryāvatāra under the directions of Khenchen Kunzang Deldan (mkhan chen kun bzang dpal ldan, 1862-1943) and Khenpo Ngakchung Ngawang Pelzang (ngag chung dpal bzang, 1879-1940), who also granted him full monastic vows and who would later help him open Pelyul's monastic college, Tosam Norbu Lhunpo (thos bsam nor bu lhun po). Khenpo Ngakchung gave him the ordination name Tubten Chokyi Langpo (thub bstan chos kyi glang po). The Third Katok Situ, Chokyi Gyeltsen (kaH thog si tu 03 chos kyi rgyal mtshan, 1880-1925) gave him the transmission for Jamgon Kongtrul's Damngak Dzod (dam sngags mdzod).

He studied medicine with a doctor named Dondrub (don grub) and astrology from a Katok lama named Duldzin Khyenrab Ozer (kaH thog 'dul 'dzin mkhyen rab 'od zer, d.u.). Pelpung Drangnyin Tsewang (dpal spungs grang nyin tshe dbang, d.u.) taught him grammar and metrics and Chula Sonam Tseten (chu bla bsod nams tshe brtan, d.u) taught him poetry.

His other teachers included Terton Orgyen Rinchen Lingpa (gter ston o rgyan rin cheng gling pa, d.u); Muksang Karma Tsepel (rmugs sangs karma tshe dpal, d.u.); the First Lhatrul, Padma Garwang Tendzin (lha sprul 01 pad+ma gar dbang bstan 'dzin, 1852-1935); and Ka Sherab Lama Neten Jampa Taye (ka she rab bla ma gnas brtan byams pa mtha' yas, d.u.). Adzom Drukpa Drodul Pawo Dorje (a 'dzom brug pa 'gro 'dul dpal bo rdo rje, 1842-1924) gave him transmission into the Longchen Nyingtik, and, in turn, Pelchen Dupa have him empowerments on the Eight Heruka and the Sutra of Enlightened Intent (dgongs pa 'dus pa'i mdo).

He was particularly interested in the rituals of maṇḍala construction and chanting. He studied both topics in the Pelyul tradition with Shatang Tseten (sha thang bla ma tshe brtan) and Dila Do-ngak Tendar (dil mgo bla ma mdo sngangs bstan dar) and others. The head chanters of Katok, Gyakhar (rgya khar) and Draknak (brag nag) monasteries – men named Mongpel (rmong 'phel), Drakchok (grags mchog) and Kunzang Tutob (kun bzang mthu stobs), respectively, all taught him the chanting traditions of Mindroling Monastery (smin grol gling). Pelchen Dupa composed a manual on the Pelyul tradition and had it published at Pelyul. This was likely the Ritual Melodies of the Pelyul Tradition: The Chariot of the Early Translation of the Teachings (snga 'gyur bstan pa'i shing rta dpal yul pa'i phyag bzhes kyi gdangs dbyangs), which continues to be used at Pelyul. His collected writings fill seven volumes.

At the age of twenty, in 1906, he was enthroned as the ninth head of Pelyul. In 1923, he founded Pelyul's monastic college, Tosam Norbu Lhunpo (thos bsam nor bu lhun po), with Khenpo Ngakchung, whom he appointed as the first abbot. Soon after he formally assumed the abbacy, passing the position to Rigdzin Ozer (rig 'dzin 'od zer, d.u.) at an unspecified date. He also founded a monastery called Gojo Wanak (go 'jo sba nag) and assigned the Second Kangnang Lama, Shedrub Gyatso (khang nang bla ma 02 bshad sgrub rgya mtsho, d.u.) as abbot. He taught at other monasteries included Gojo Gara (go 'jo rgya ra) and Rakchab (rag chab).

When the main temple of Dago Monastery (brda go) near Pelyul burned down, he sponsored the rebuilding and vastly expanded the ritual calendar, instituting a series of primarily Nyingtik practices.

From 1928 to 1931 he sealed himself in retreat to practice the Liberation of Suffering (sdug bsngal rang grol), an Avalokiteśvara liturgy from the Longchen Nyingtik.

Among his disciples were the Third Dzongnang Lama, Jigme Chokyi Dawa (rdzong ngang bla ma 03 'jigs med chos kyi zla ba, 1894-1958); the First Dzongnang Jepon, Kunzang Gyurme (rdzong nang rje dpon 01 kun bzang 'gyur med, d.u.); the Third Gyangkhang, Konchok Tenpai Gyeltsen (gyang khang 03 dkon mchog bstan pa'i rgyal mtshan, d.u.); the sixth throne holder of Dartang, Pema Samdrub Dorje (pad+mad bsam grub rdo rje, 1887-1937); Tsangyang Lodro (tshang byangs blo gros, 1908-1959), and Drekye Tulku Jamyang (sbre skye sprul sku 'jam dbyangs, d.u.).

He is said to have given to complete Rinchen Terdzod empowerment five times.

In 1932, at the age of forty-five, Rigdzin Pelchen Dupa became ill. Wishing to see his lama Khenpo Ngakchung before passing away, he was carried to Nyoshul Monastery (smyo shul dgon) on a palanquin, a distance of over one hundred fifty kilometers. Khenpo Ngakchung performed a host of longevity rites, but was unable to forestall Pelchen Dupa's death on April 9, 1932. An alternate account, by Tulku Thondup, has it that Khenpo Ngakchung traveled to Pelyul to see his disciple, but arrived only after the Second Penor had passed away.