The Treasury of Lives

Takla Norbu (stag bla nor bu) was born in the Taktok Pon family, also known as Takleb Pon (stag thog/stag leb dpon), in Golok (mgo log), Amdo, in 1889. Born into a chieftain family with access to physicians and astrologers, the young Takla Norbuwas was able to learn reading and writing, and he enjoyed carving or inscribing designs resembling astrological signs and symbols on sticks and stones. He became a monk at a young age and received the monastic name Jigme Tubten Gyatso ('jigs med thub bstan rgya mtsho). Norbu appears to be his given name. 

At the medical colleges (sman pa grwa tshang) at Dodrubchen Ngodrub Pelbar Ling (rdo grub chen dngos grub dpal 'bar gling) in Golok and Pelpung Tubten Chokhor Ling (dpal spungs thub bstan chos 'khor gling) in Derge he studied advanced linguistics, grammar, composition, religion, philosophy, medicine, and astrology, including the Indo-Tibetan planetary astrology (skar rtsis), Swarodaya astrology (dbyangs 'char), and Sino-Tibetan astrology (nag rtsis), under Ju Mipam Namgyel Gyatso ('ju mi pham rnam rgyal rgya mtsho, 1846–1912), Taktok Tsoknyi Gyatso (stag thog tshogs gnyis rgya mtsho), Chakchung Gyurme (phyag chung 'gyur med), and Pelpung Karma Trinle (dpal spungs karma 'phrin las).

Takla’s students and followers narrate some fascinating accounts recounting his power of mixing magic and astrology. Stories of how he used white magic to save animals from hunters and hunting dogs, and to intercept thieves, were popular among the locals in the Golok region. In most cases, these stories tell how he inscribed letters, numbers, and symbols on stones and sticks to produce the intended effect.

In addition to consulting him for regular natal, matrimonial, and death horoscopes, local people from all ranks of society also sought his astrological expertise for other purposes, such as predicting a prognosis, determining lifespan, retrieving lost objects, and ensuring victory in a battle. During his lifetime, he was considered one of the few astrologers who understood the intended import of the Yuddhajayārṇava-tantra, or Swarodaya Tantra on “Victory in a Battle” (g.yul las rnam par rgyal ba'i dbyangs 'char ba'i rgyud).

He was a skilled physician who excelled in all aspects of knowledge and practice of Tibetan medicine. Possessing a skill combination found in very rare cases, Takla Norbu was an expert diviner who conducted mirror divination (pra phab), chalk divination (tho le kor gyi mo pra), pulse divination (rtsa pra), and numerical divination (rtsis dpyad), and he diagnosed maladies and administered medicine through these means. His unlimited skills and knowledge of medicine and astrology earned him the byname "The All-Knowing Physician" (sman pa thams cad mkhyen pa). He was also praised as “the Second Yuthok” (g.yu thog gnyis pa), after Yutok Yonten Gonpo the Younger (g.yu thog gsar ma yon tan mgon po, 1126-1202), who is considered the father of Tibetan medicine.

Stories of his healing power abound. Once, in Tsang, Takla Norbu was said to have treated a pregnant woman who was presumed dead, having bled heavily and fallen unconscious during pre-delivery contractions. Seeing that she was hemorrhaging "live blood" (gson khrag) instead of "post-death blood" (shi khrag), Takla Norbu immediately administered moxibustion on her right kidney. The woman regained her senses and delivered her child. Takla's explanation was that the fetus had been in a breech position and was putting pressure on the mother's kidney with its hand. The heat from moxibustion loosened the fetus' grip and revived the mother, whereby her instinct ensured a safe delivery. Local people were said to have been convinced that he had brought the woman back from the state of death.

Active as a physician during the first half of the twentieth century, many people from regions around Golok that Takla Norbu treated experience miraculous cures from their disease, some considered congenital and severe. People were said to have regained their sight and walked after crippling diseases. He also practiced bovine and equine veterinary medicine, combining them with astrology.

He was said to have refused payments of wealth and livestock for these miraculous treatments, instead advising family members and locals to engage in religious activities, such as reciting mantras and prayers.

He was credited with introducing different combinations of herbs and plants. He published around thirty-two important texts and articles on medicine, writing on astrology and more than forty essential topics. He was also credited for popularizing bloodletting and moxibustion among the physicians of Golok in the mid-twentieth century.

Takla Norbu treated many famous Tibetan masters of his time, including the Third Dodrubchen, Tenpai Nyima (rdo grub chen 03 bstan pa'i nyi ma, 1865–1926); Pawo Choying Dorje (dpa' bo chos dbyings rdo rje, 1895–1945); Tsangpa Drubchen Jampa Chozin (gtsang pa grub chen byams pa chos 'dzin, 1830–1945); Dartang Chaktsa Jampel Lodro (dar thang phyag tsha 'jam dpal blo gros, 1892–1958/1959); and the Third Dzongnang Lama, Jampel Gyepai Dorje (rdzong nang bla ma 03 'jam dpal dgyes pa'i rdo rje, 1894–1958).

He also received teachings from these great masters, as well as scores of other masters such as the Thirteenth Dalai Lama Tubten Gyatso (tA la'i bla ma 13 thub btsan rgya mtsho, 1876–1933) and the Ninth Paṇchen Lama Tubten Chokyi Nyima (paN chen 09 thub bstan chos kyi nyi ma, 1883–1937). Similarly, he had a huge following of disciples including lamas and physicians in Amdo and Kham in the twentieth century, including Rigzin Jalu Dorje (rig 'dzin 'ja' lus rdo rje, 1927–1961), one of two men to be recognized as the Fourth Dodrubchen.

Takla Norbu undertook many medical retreats at sacred places and sites in and around the Golok region of Amdo, such as Nyenpo Yurtse (gnyan po g.yu rtse), Nechen Pema Rito (gnas chen pad+ma ri mtho), Wenri Lhachen Dong (dben ri lha chen gdong), Rabcha Gang (rab cha sgang), and Magyel Pomra (rma rgyal spom ra). As these sites are considered to have been blessed by Padmasambhava and Vairocana during their mystical visits in the eighth century, the medicinal plants and herbs in the region are unique, and the medical practice in the region is regarded as a powerful dharma practice.

Takla Norbu was also a devotee of Avalokiteśvara and was believed to have recited the six-syllable mantra several hundred million times throughout his life. He is said to have had visions of Black Garuda (mkha' lding nag po) and Dorje Yudronma (rdo rje g.yu sgron ma), as well as the three Medicine Goddesses (sman gyi lha mo.) Black Garuda is said to play a role in destroying the pestilent Nagas; Dorje Yudronma is important in mirror divination; and the Medicine Goddesses are central in the Medicine Buddha sādhanas. Later scholars and physicians eulogized Takla Norbu as an incarnation of the Medicine Buddha and of the famed Tibetan adept Drapa Ngonshe (grwa pa mngon shes, 1012–1090), who was credited for discovering the Four Tantras (rgyud bzhi), the foundation texts of the Tibetan medical tradition.

Takla Norbu died in Amdo, in the male earth-dog year during its eleventh month, which began on December 11, 1958 and ended on January 9, 1959. Throughout his life, he lived by the traditional Tibetan dictum: "all plants are medicinal; all treatments must be altruistic," which directs Tibetan physicians in the same way as the Hippocratic Oath guides doctors in Western medicine. 

_________________________________________________

Publication of this biography was made possible through support of National Endowment for the Humanities.

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Additional Bios Sponsored By National Endowment for the Humanities