The Treasury of Lives

Khedrub Rinchen Lodro (mkhas grub rin chen blo gros) was born in Yeru Wensakha (g.yas ru dben sa kha), the famous Bon sanctuary in Tsang, where the Wensakha monastery was located. His father was Pontsang Kunga (dpon tshang kun dga') and his mother Drusha Zagyenma (bru sha bza' rgyan ma).

At the age of eleven, he met Lobpon Selwa Yeshe (slob dpon gsal ba ye shes, d.u.) with whom he trained in the methods of listening (thos), reflecting (bsam) and meditating (sgom) on the teachings, thus clarifying all his doubts.

Later, from Tsenden Namgyel Kara (mtshan ldan rnam rgyal ka ra, d.u.), the previous lineage holder of the Atri (a khrid) system of Dzogchen, he received numerous outer, inner and secret initiations (dbang), as well as their corresponding reading authorizations (lung), and the direct introduction to the Great Vehicle (theg pa chen po’i ngo sprod).

At the age of twenty, Rinchen Lodro was exhorted by his master Namgyel Kara to move to Nalendra monastery where he followed the Buddhist teachings from the Sakya master Rongton Sheja Kunrig (rong ston shes bya kun rig, 1367-1449). There he studied Prajñāpāramitā, Abhidharma, Madhyamaka, logic, and so forth.

After his return to Wensakha, he received from Drinchen Yungdrung Yeshe (drin chen g.yung drung ye shes, d.u.) all the oral instructions dealing with the practice of Dzogchen and, after that, he decided to roam around the country, traveling to U, Tsang, Ngari, as well as Amdo and Kham.

It is said that his practice was so intense that he reached Buddhahood in a single lifetime. His knowledge was such that he clearly mastered the principle (don) free from extremes and perfected all the qualities of the Stages and Paths leading to Enlightenment. He is said to have reached the Body of Immaculate Light (zag med 'od kyi sku) at the age of sixty-four, amidst a display of sounds, lights and rays, while his mind dissolved within the Space of Reality (bon nyid kyi dbyings).

The tradition reports that among the ashes of his cremation, his disciples found a small statue of Buddha Tonpa Shenrab (ston pa gshen rab) in the form of Nampar Gyelwa (rnam par rgyal ba), as well as numerous other relics. These were all placed in a reliquary (ga'u) and kept in Wensakha.

Rinchen Lodro had numerous disciple from U, Tsang, Kham and Amdo. The most important among these were Drangsong Rinchen Gyeltsen (drang srong rin chen rgyal mtshan, d.u.) and the famed Nyamme Sherab Gyeltsen (mnyam med shes rab rgyal mtshan, 1356-1415) who was his direct heir in the transmission lineage of the Atri system.