The Treasury of Lives

Sonam Sengge Wangchuk (bsod nam seng ge dbang phyug) was born in 1873, the child of the illustrious Zhalu Kuzhang family (zhwa lu sku zhang) that traced its heritage back to Tibetan imperial days and that had supplied leaders of the major Sakya monasteries of central Tibet. His father was Kuzhang Dawa Dondrub/Gyeltsen (sku zhang zla ba don grub/rgyal mtshan),^[1] whose brother was the Fifty-Ninth Ngor Khenchen, Ngawang Lodro Nyingpo (ngag dbang blo gros snying po, d. 1905/1906). His mother was from the Nyemo Seri Sherpa family (snye mo se ri she pa).

Sonam Sengge Wangchuk had three brothers and two sisters. His elder brothers were the Seventeenth Chogye Trichen, Jampa Rinchen Khyentse Wangpo (bco brgyad khri chen 17 byams pa rin chen mkhyen brtse dbang po, c. 1869–1927), and the Sixtieth Ngor Khenchen, Ngawang Khyenrab Jampel Nyingpo (ngag dbang mkhyen rab byams dpal snying po, 1871–1952). His younger brother was Zhalu Tripa Wangdu Norbu (zhwa lu khri pa dbang 'dus nor bu, 1885–c. 1954). His sisters were a nun named Tashi Chodron (bkra shis mchod sgron), who stayed in life-long retreat near Zhalu (zhwa lu), and a laywoman named Yudron (g.yu sgron).

Sonam Sengge Wangchuk was a committed Buddhist practitioner, completing four sets of the one-hundred-thousand preliminary tantric practices by the age of fifteen and focusing on the Dzogchen meditation of trekchod (khregs chod), of "breaking through." His primary practice was the widely popular Union of All Rare and Precious Jewels, or Kongchok Chidu (dkon mchog 'chi 'dus), revealed by the Nyingma mystic Jatson Nyingpo ('ja' tshon snying po, 1585–1656). Sonam Sengge Wangchuk had received this Nyingma revelation, as well as the teachings of Jigme Lingpa ('jigs me gling pa, 1730–1798), from a Kagyu master named Khyungtrul Rinpoche (khyung sprul) who was a disciple of the Fifteenth Karmapa, Khakhyab Dorje (karma pa 15 mkha' khyab rdo rje, 1870–1921).^[2] He later became a disciple of Deshek Gyelpo (bde gzhegs rgyal po), known as Degyel Rinpoche (bde rgyal rin po che) a Golok-born disciple of Dudjom Lingpa (bdud 'jom gling pa, 1835–1904).

He was married twice and sired eleven children. His first wife, who is unnamed in sources, was from the Rakashar family (C10 ra kha shar) which was also a prominent sponsor of Sakya monasteries. Her brother was the Sixty-Third Ngor Khenchen, Jamyang Kunzang Tenpai Gyeltsen (ngor mkhan chen 63 'jam dbyangs kun bzang bstan pa'i rgyal mtshan). Their four children were: Trinle Wangdu ('phrin las dbang bdud, 1894–c. 1946), who became head of the family upon his father's death; Won Rinpoche Khyenrab Jigme Gyatso (dbon rin po che mkhyen rab 'jigs med rgya mtsho, 1897–1957), who was briefly an abbatial candidate of the Chogye Labrang (bco brgyad bla brang) at Nalendra (na len dra); Kelzang Chodron (bskal bzang chos sgron, 1901–1963), who married the king of Mustang, Jampel Tenzin Dradul (byams dpal bstan 'dzin dgra 'dul, 1900–1964); and Jampa Kunzang (byams pa kun bzang, 1907–1940), who served as the Seventy-First Ngor Khenchen.

His second wife was Chime Dolkar ('chi med sgrol dkar, 1895–1966), who was also known as Namdrol Yeshe Zangmo (rnam grol ye shes bzang mo). She too came from the Rakashar family, and was in fact the maternal grand-niece of her husband's first wife. She was a Dzogchen practitioner like her husband, but more advanced, according to Jackson, and was considered to be a great yogini.^[3] Only three of their seven children survived to adulthood: Dechen Yundrun (bde chen g.yu sgron), who married a man from a prominent family in Dakpo; Tsering Namgyel Dorje (tshe ring rnam rgyal rdo rje, 1920–2007), the future eighteenth Chogye Trichen; and Kunzang Tendron (kun bzang bstan sgron), a nun who served as abbess of Rinding (rin sding/gding dgon) and later, in exile, as a teacher.^[4]

In 1924, in the company of his second wife and several of their children, including the future Chogye Trichen, Sonam Sengge Wangchuk went on pilgrimage in western Tibet for roughly two years. The family stopped over in Mustang for a time, to visit their daughter Kelzang Chodron. While there another son was born. Back in Tibet they went to Mount Kailash and met Degyel Rinpoche. The lama gave them teachings and a benediction in verse that included the lines "May Sonam Sengge Wangchuk realize the view of Dzogchen; may Namdrol Yeshe Zangmo perfect the four visions." The lines referenced Sonam Sengge Wangchuk's trekchod practice and Chime Dolkar's togel (thod rgal), or "leaping over," practice, which produces four visions. The lama also included an aspiration for their son, the future Chogye Trichen: "May the activities of Tsering Namgyel Dorje be equal to the sky." Jackson notes that the parents, although they had by then decided to make their son a monk, were surprised that their lama included their son in his prayer, and only later realized its prophetic nature.^[5]

On the family's return from their pilgrimage they lived at their hermitage Zhalu Kuzhang Lashar Labrang Khangsar (zhwa lu ku zhang la shar bla brang khang gsar). Sonam Sengge Wangchuk's eldest sons had already been placed in monasteries, in line to become the abbots of Zhalu, Ngor (ngor), and Nalendra monasteries. Sonam Sengge Wangchuk intended to install his youngest son at the Tartse lama house at Ngor, putting him in line to become abbot of that monastery. However, his second son, who came to be known as Won Rinpoche, had been placed at the Chogye Labrang at Nalendra, in line to succeed Sonam Sengge Wangchuk's brother as abbot of that monastery. But he was not suited for the position and was sent home. In 1927 the Seventeenth Chogye Trichen died, and leadership at the monastery requested Sonam Sengge Wangchuk's youngest son be installed as a replacement. They arrived at the family home with an order from the Thirteenth Dalai Lama (ta la'i bla ma 13 thub bstan rgya mtsho, 1876–1933) instructing the family to obey.^[6]

The following year, 1928, Sonam Sengge Wangchuk passed away. He prepared for his death by entering on a concentration practiced by yogis prior to death. He stayed in this state for two weeks, sitting in meditation and speaking only occasionally. As he was cremated on the roof of the family house, many rainbows appeared indicating his yogic mastery. 

 

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