The Treasury of Lives



Sengge Sherab (seng+ge shes rab) was born into the Gya (rgya) clan, the eldest of two sons of a Drukpa lama named Wontak (dbon stag).

At the age of eleven he took ordination with Zhonnu Sengge (gzhon nu seng ge, 1200-1266), the third abbot of Ralung Monastery (rwa lung) and the second of the “Nine Incomparable Lions” (mnyam med seng ge dgu), patriarchs of the Drukpa Kagyu tradition.

Sengge Sherab spent three years at the monastic seat of Gotsangpa Gonpo Dorje (rgod tshang pa mgon po rdo rje, 1189 d. 1258), Bardrok Dorje Ling (bar 'brog rdo rje gling), at the request of Orgyenpa Rinchen Pel (o rgyan pa rin chen dpal, c.1229-1309). While there he met Tsangpa Gyare Yeshe Dorje (gtsang pa rgya ras ye shes rdo rje, 1161-1211) and received teachings from him.

He entered a solitary retreat at a place called Shangkar Tenri (shang dkar brten ri)



Although Sengge Sherab never held the throne of Ralung, he is considered part of the lineage because he trained with Nyima Sengge (nyi ma sengge, 1251-1287), the fourth abbot of the monastery and the third of the “Nine Incomparable Lions,” and among his disciples were Sengge Rinchen (seng+ge rin chen, 1242-1297), the fifth abbot of Ralung, and Pang Lotsāwa Lodro Tsenpa (dpang lo tsA ba blo gros brtan pa, 1276-1342), whom he ordained.

Sengge Sherab died at the age of forty-one.

Alexander Gardner is Director and Chief Editor of the Treasury of Lives. He completed his PhD in Buddhist Studies at the University of Michigan in 2007. He is the author of The Life of Jamgon Kongtrul The Great.

Published February 2010

Images

Drukpa Kagyu Lineage of Bhutan

Nineteenth century painting of the Drukpa Kagyu lineage of Bhutan.

Gampopa together with early Drukpa Kagyu masters

A magnificent eighteenth century painting depicting Gampopa with a number of early Drukpa Kagyu masters, including early abbots of Ralung Monastery and several of the "Nine Incomparable Lions."

Bibliography

Grags pa seng+ge. 1975 (1771). Rdo rje gling pa seng+ge shes rab kyi rnam thar. In Rwa lung dkar brgyud gser ’phreng. Pelampur: SNGP, vol 2, pp. 185‑233.

Sgrub sprul phrin las rgya mtsho. 2009. Gdams ngag bka’ rgya can lnga yi bla ma brgyud pa’i rnam thar dad gsum chu gter ’phel byed ngo mtshar lza ba’i me long. Swayambhu: Shree Gautam Buddha Vihara, pp. 150-152.

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