The Treasury of Lives

A prophecy by the Fifteenth Karmapa Khakhyab Dorje (karma pa 15 mkha' khyab rdo rje, 1870–1922), seems to be the only written attestation of Zilnon Namkha Dorje's birth year, which he gives as the fire-hare year of 1867–1868, or perhaps the following year of the earth dragon, 1869–1869. Another source corroborates this date.[1] Alternatively, Dudjom Rinpoche's (bdud 'joms rin po, 1904–1987) son, Shenpen Dawa Rinpoche (gzhan phan zla ba, 1950–2018), relying on his father's account of meeting Zilnon Namkha Dorje in 1925 when Zilnon was fifty-one years old, places his birth in 1873–1874.[2] On another occasion, Shenpen Dawa Rinpoche suggested that Zilnon was born in 1894, though, in light of available information, this seems far too late, as it would make him only a few years older than Dudjom Rinpoche.[3]

One source states that Zilnon was born in the region of Zurmang in Kham and that in his childhood, he encountered Padmasambhava and Yeshe Tsogyel in a pure vision. It is claimed that those masters blessed him and trained him in the tantras and meditation instructions.[4]

Nothing else is recorded about his early life. However, it is clear that the Fifteenth Karmapa, with whom he established a close relationship by the end of the nineteenth century, profoundly shaped his life and career. In one undated text, the Fifteenth Karmapa lists Zilnon Namkha Dorje as one of the great masters of the era[5] and credits him with commanding him to compose texts related to Rigdzin Godem's (rig 'dzin rgod ldem, 1337–1409) Unimpeded Enlightened Perspective (dgongs pa zang thal)[6] and Sanggye Lingpa's (sangs rgyas gling pa, 1340–1396) Encapsulation of the Gurus' Enlightened Perspective (bla ma dgongs 'dus).[7] He similarly pays homage to Zilnon Namkha Dorje in the colophon of an aspiration prayer composed in 1916.[8] The Fifteenth Karmapa, in the 1910s, also dedicated himself to compiling, editing, and supplementing Zilnon's treasures, the lineage of which he was tasked with propagating.[9]

Thanks to his strong connection with the Fifteenth Karmapa, Zilnon Namkha Dorje's treasures remained circulated and practiced in Kagyu monasteries in eastern Tibet, as attested to in the Second Kongtrul Khyentse Wozer's (kong sprul 02 mkhyen brtse 'od zer, 1904–1953/1954) biography, where he describes receiving transmissions for Zilnon's Vajrakīlaya treasure in 1925–1926 from a lineage holder named Wosel Dorje ('od gsal rdo rje) at Zurmang Monastery (zur mang dgon). Khyense Wozer recalls that his treasures were practiced in conjunction with those of Chokgyur Lingpa (mchog 'gyur gling pa, 1829–1870)—the other terton of the time whose revelations were promoted by the Fifteenth Karmapa. Moreover, because of his strong connection with Zurmang, Zilnon Namkha Dorje is sometimes referred to as Zurmang Terton (zur mang gter ston),[10] not to be confused with an earlier Zurmang Terton named Rolpai Dorje (rol pa'i rdo rje, d. 1719).[11]

In his biography of the Ninth Sanggye Nyenpa Tulku (sangs rgyas mnyan pa 09 karma bshad sgrub bstan pa'i nyi ma, 1897–1962), Dilgo Khyentse (dil mgo mkhyen brtse, 1910–1991), records that Sanggye Nyenpa received, directly from Zilnon, his longevity practice treasure, The Vital Bindu of Deathlessness (tshe sgrub 'chi med srog thig), at Tsurpu Monastery (mtshur phug) in central Tibet, sometime in the 1920s.[12]

Treasure Activity and Influence in Bhutan

Zilnon's career as a terton began in 1902 when he revealed his Vajrakīlaya treasure, the Quintessence of Ultra Secret Action (yang gsang phrin las bcud dril)[13] at a mountain called Namchak Barwa (nam lcags 'bar ba) in southern, or highland Kongpo, near its border with the isolated region of Pemako.[14] That his first treasure was associated with Vajrakīlaya resonates with his identification as an emanation of Nanam Dorje Dudjom (sna nam rdo rje bdud 'joms), an eight-century disciple of Padmasambhava who is said to have been a renowned siddha of Vajrakīlaya.[15] This treasure was entrusted to Zilnon by the redoubtable protector Ekajaṭī, who appeared after he and his companions performed tantric feast offerings and prayed to fulfill his past-life aspirations to reveal treasures. Ekajaṭī first gave him the yellow scrolls coded in secret ḍākinī symbols, which he refrained from deciphering for three years while immersing himself in the treasure's general intent. When the time was ripe, Ekajaṭī reappeared to him and authorized the treasure's transcription and propagation, which was prepared in Bhutan where he would arrive by 1903–1904 and where his activities would flourish for nearly a decade. [16]   

At the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the nascent leader of western Bhutan, Ugyen Wangchuk (o rgyan dbang phyug, 1862–1926), was mired in conflict with rivals in the country's east. Since he had great respect for the Fifteenth Karmapa, he solicited his advice. In response, the Karmapa sent his esteemed associate, Zilnon Namkha Dorje, from Tsurpu to Bumthang in northern Bhutan. There Zilnon taught Śāntideva's Bodhicaryāvatāra and gave empowerments and transmissions.[17] While stationed in Bumthang, he became an important teacher for the Fourth Petseling, Kunzang Trinle Namgyel (pad tshal gling sprul sku 04 kun bzang 'phrin las rnam rgyal, 1892–1957) and the Ninth Peling Sungtrul, Tenzin Chokyi Gyeltsen (pad gling sprul sku 09 bstan 'dzin chos kyi rgyal mtshan, 1894–1925).[18]

In 1904, while practicing at Yeshe Tsogyel's Sengge Dzong Cave (seng ge dzong) in eastern Bhutan's Lhuentse Dzongkhag (lhun rtse rdzong khag), Zilnon revealed his second major treasure, the Vital Bindu of Deathlessness ('chi med srog thig).[19] Legend has it that this treasure was extracted from the cave rocks in the presence of many witnesses.[20] According to Shenphen Dawa Rinpoche, parts of this treasure were also worked on at Lhodrak Kharchu Monastery (lho brag mkhar chu) in southern Tibet.[21] At first, the treasure comprised only a short main liturgy. He would add an activity manual for the practice in 1908, after which he delegated expansion of the treasure to the Fifteenth Karmapa throughout the 1910s and later to Dudjom Rinpoche.[22]

He is counted as one of three eminent buddhist leaders to bolster Ugyen Wangchuk, helping pave the way for his ascent to the national throne in 1907. The other two lamas in this camp were the Eighth Bakha Tulku Khamsum Yongdrol (rba kha sprul sku 08 khams gsum yongs grol) and Serkong Tulku Ngawang Tsultrim Donden (gser kong sprul sku ngag dbang tshul khrims don ldan).[23] In 1905–1906, when the crown prince, Lhase Jigme Wangchuk (lha sras 'jigs med dbang phyug, 1905–1952) was born, Zilnon Namkha Dorje was invited to perform extensive benedictory ceremonies. He then arranged for four monks to perform continuous protective rituals for the prince for three years.[24]

During this time in Bhutan, he also played at least a minor role in textual preservation projects. For example, an unnamed editor of a new edition of the treasure revealer Dorje Lingpa wrote in a colophon that Zilnon had dictated to him some supplementary feast offering verses to be added to Dorje Lingpa's collected treasures.[25]

In addition to the two major treasure cycles already mentioned, he revealed an earth treasure (sa gter) of Vajrasattva called Natural Liberation of the Lower Realms (rdor sems ngan song rang grol), which he physically removed from stone at a site called Vajra Rock (rdo rje brag) at Gyala Sengdam (rgya la seng 'dam) in lower Kongpo. In Bhutan, at a Mon Chumo Cave (mon chu mo phug), he revealed, via pure vision (dag snang), a treasure called Cakrasaṃvara's Coemergent Wheel (lhan skyes 'khor lo sdom pa). Also in Bhutan, a mind treasure (dgongs gter) related to Dorje Drolo (rdo rje gro lod) came to him.[26] The dates of these revelations are unknown, and since they did were not actively practiced and promoted by the Fifteenth Karmapa and Dudjom Rinpoche, they seem to have eventually been lost.

Return to Tibet and Later Life

After helping Ugyen Wangchuk win the throne of Bhutan and teaching the people there, Zilnon traveled back to Tibet, most likely around 1910. While his movements and activities during the 1910s remain mostly unknown to history, we do know that, during this time, he deepened his bond with the Fifteenth Karmapa. It is said that when the Karmapa practiced Zilnon's longevity treasure, his ritual longevity arrow grew longer, the water in his ritual vase boiled, and other such signs indicated the practice's efficacy.[27] During this decade, the Karmapa, along with two lamas named Pema Zhepe Wangpo (padma bzhad pa'i dbang po) and Chokzik Gyatso (mchog gzigs rgya mtsho), compiled, edited, and transmitted Zilnon's treasures.[28]

Roughly around this time, the great scholar Jokyab Pema Trinle Nyingpo (jo khyabs pad+ma 'phrin las snying po, 1903–1960) evoked Zilnon Namkha Dorje and his earlier incarnations in an undated lineage prayer:

Namo guru!
Padmasambhava, who is great bliss;
Pema Totreng Tsel, who overwhelms the three worlds;
Dorje Drakpo Tsel, who pervades the reaches of space;
And guru who is inseparable from them, to you, I pray.

Vairocana, king of translators;
Dudjom Dorje, foremost master of Vajrakīlaya;
And lord of treasure revealers, dramatic emanation,
Zilnon Namka Dorje, to you I pray.  

I and others, all your followers to be tamed,
Please accept us and let us partake of the nectar of your instructions.
May we consummate the paths and levels of the bodhisattvas, please you with our practice,
And remain inseparable from you, the vidyādhara, and your three secrets.[29]  

In 1924, when Zilnon was fifty-one and staying at Dingpoche (sding po che) near Dranang (grwa nang) in central Tibet,[30] he met Dudjom Rinpoche, then twenty-one years old, who came to see him from Mindroling Monastery (smin grol gling), where he was studying.[31] At this meeting, Zilnon entrusted him with his treasure cycle, the Vital Bindu of Deathlessness and made favorable predictions about his future. Dudjom Rinpoche recounts that near the end of their meeting,

He bestowed Jamgon Kongtrul's ('jam mgon kong sprul, 1813–1899) secret empowerment of Guru Dorje Drolo. He looked at me with eyes wide open and shouted, "Phat!" In that instant, my body, perception, and mind became unimpeded, and all notions of solidity disappeared. "That is the absolute wisdom empowerment. Supra tishta soha!" Saying this, he tossed barley grains skyward. From that time on, my mind remained relaxed and open. I felt no need to boast about spending months and years in retreat; nor did I feel the need to focus forcefully on my meditation, nor cling to practice schedules. I knew the power of the lineage realization of absolute truth had been transferred to me. This karmically connected great teacher was none other than Guru Rinpoche.[32]

During that audience, he also told Dudjom Rinpoche that he was destined to preserve and propagate not only Zilnon Namkha Dorje's treasures but the entire Nyingma tradition.[33] When Dudjom requested Zilnon to expand his treasures for the benefit of disciples, he is said to have replied, "All in all, it is up to you to decide what is needed for the dharma teachings of my termas."[34] Zilnon also conferred on Dudjom the terton-title Drodul Lingpa ('gro 'dul gling pa).[35] Another source indicates that around this time, Dudjom Rinpoche accompanied Zilnon on pilgrimage in central Tibet.[36]

Legacy

With Zilnon's encouragement, Dudjom Rinpoche, like the Fifteenth Karmapa before him, dedicated considerable effort to expand and propagate Zilnon's treasures, particularly the Quintessence of Ultra Secret Action and the Vital Bindu of Deathlessness. He did much of this work many decades later in Nepal in the late 1970s.[37] As he grew older, he credited his Vital Bindu of Deathlessness practice with keeping him healthy.[38] Following their teacher's lead, many of Dudjom's disciples also adopted the Vital Bindu of Deathlessness as their principal longevity practice.[39]

In Los Angeles, 1983, Dudjom Rinpoche bestowed the Quintessence of Ultra Secret Action along with the Vital Bindu of Deathlessness, saying to the assembly,

Guru Padmasambhava intended these two teachings to be practiced in these degenerate times, and so at this juncture they are replete with power and blessings. When I received this teaching from the great tertön himself, my life and activities flourished and were fulfilled, and likewise it will be of great benefit for you to practice this.[40]

Nothing is known about Zilnon Namkha Dorje's death, though his reincarnation was recognized as a Choying Zangpo (chos dbyings bzang po), who remains obscure,[41] seemingly a casualty of the Cultural Revolution.

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