The Treasury of Lives

Rinchen Namkha Dorje (rin chen nam mkha' rdo rje) was born in 1077, the fire-snake year of the first sexagenary cycle, in Nub Yulrong (snubs yul rong) in Tsang. His father was a tantric practitioner named Nub Alala (snubs a la la) and his mother was named Relgyakza Chammi (ral rgyags bza' lcam mi).

According to his hagiography he gained understanding of the illusory nature of existence at the age of twelve and had terrifying visions of ḍākinīs. He later bemoaned the lack of teachers to help him stabilize his realization; a subsequent tantric initiation had muddled his perception and he had lost the insight.

Starting that year he studied under the direction of five of the most celebrated translators of his era: Ngok Lotsāwa Loden Sherab (blo ldan shes rab, 1059-1109), Bari Lotsāwa Rinchen Drak (ba ri lo tsA ba rin chen grags, 1040-1112), Nyen Lotsāwa Darma Drak (gnyan lo tsA ba dar ma grags, Ra Lotsāwa Dorje Drak (rwa lo tsA ba rdo rje grags, 1016-1128), and, finally, Tsen Khawoche (btsan kha bo che, b. 1021), with whom he studied the Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra. It was later said that there was not a single sūtra or tantra that he had not read and understood.

^{#footnote 2}Eager to study further, he undertook a journey to India. On his way through Tingri he met Padampa Sanggye (pha dam pa sangs rgyas, d. 1117), who gave him initiations and a series of simple tasks that served as predictions: putting a piece of black cloth on his head meant that he would be honored by gods and men; giving him a votive offering of the Mahābodhi temple meant he would be a master of the dharma; having him pick a dandelion and throw it into a river meant he would not be attached to worldly pleasures; and throwing a stone towards the east meant he was to go east and find his root teacher.

Learning that there was famine in Nepal, he aborted his journey and went instead to the Lhasa region, where he became well-known for his skill in philosophical debate. There an uncle gave him supplies to support a retreat in Yerpa, but he heard the name of Jayulwa Zhonnu Wo (bya yul ba gzhon nu 'od, 1075-1138), who was then residing in Drom ('brom), a man of whom people said he was blessed by the teacher but was not well educated in the teachings. Rinchen Namkha Dorje was intrigued by what he considered a contradiction, thinking "according to the tantras one was to accept the blessing of one's own teacher as one's own path."¹

On first meeting Jayulwa, Rinchen Namkha' Dorje was overcome with faith, and he was determined to receive his teachings, thinking he would need no more than two months’ time to do so. Yet on hearing Jayulwa teach, he found that his interpretation was in conflict with his own understanding. Questioning the master on a specific point of doctrine, Jayulwa asked whether he had meditated on the question, and sent him off to do so. After several weeks the realization he had when he was twelve resurfaced, and he entered Jayulwa's service as a disciple.

Jayulwa gave a tantric initiation to Rinchen Namkha Dorje, which, according to tradition, engendered his comprehension of all the tantras, visions of deities, and an understanding of the nature of reality. A fellow disciple present at the initiation, named Gyaton (rgya ston), had a vision of the Buddha Acala. Rinchen Namkha Dorje stayed with Jayulwa for fourteen years, helping to build out Jayul Monastery (bya yul dgon).2

Rinchen Namkha Dorje went on to be a prominent teacher in southern Tibet, and as long as Jayulwa was alive he donated a substantial portion of his received offerings. He was invited to become the abbot of Lo Monastery (lo dgon), recently established by Chennga Tsultrim Bar (spyan snga tshul khrims 'bar, 1038-1103), Jayulwa's main teacher.³ On Jayulwa's death in 1138, Rinchen Namkha Dorje assumed the abbacy of Jayul Monastery, occupying the post until his death at the age of eighty-five in 1161, the iron-snake year of the third sexagenary cycle.

He is said to have had fourteen main disciples, among whom was Langlungpa Tsondru Zhonnu (glang lung pa brtson 'grus gzhon nu, 1123-1193), the third abbot of Jayul Monastery.

¹ Blue Annals, 295.

² Vetturini, 140.

³ Vetturini, 141.