The Treasury of Lives

Nyendrak Zangmo (snyan grags bzang mo) was born around 1503 in the Nyendrung (gnyan grong) area of Damzhung ('dam gzhung). Her father was named Pawo Lhundrub (dpa' bo lhun grub), and her mother was named Tashi Pelbar (bkra shis dpal 'bar). Her dates are not conclusive, with some sources suggesting she was born a full forty years later, in 1534, which would make relationships she had with some of her teachers impossible.^[1]

A Bodong lama named Jorra Chime Pelzang (sbyor ra chi med dpal bzang, 1480s–1550s) recognized her as the reincarnation of Kunga Zangmo (kun dga' bzang mo, 1459–1502) and enthroned her at Samding (bsam sding). Jorra Chime Pelzang was considered the reincarnation of Pelden Chime Drubpa (dpal ldan 'chi med grub pa, 1420s–1480s), who had been a student of Bodong Chokle Namgyel (P2627 bo dong phyogs las rnam rgyal, 1376–1451). Samding was a hermitage that Nyendrak Zangmo would ultimately develop as the monastic seat of her incarnation line.^[2] The incarnation line that began with Chokyi Dronma (chos kyi sgron ma, 1434–1467/1468) would eventually be known as the Samding Dorje Pakmo (R8LS12868 bsam sding rdo rje phags mo).

She was trained in Buddhist subjects by various lamas, including Chime Pelzang, the Fourth Zhamar Chodrak Yeshe (zhwa dmar 04 chos grags ye shes, 1453–1524), Kachupa Namkha Pelzang (dka' bcu pa nam mkha' dpal bzang), Dolpa Gyeltsen Drakpa (dol pa rgyal mtshan grags pa), and the Fourth Bodong Loden (bo dong blo rtan 04), who was also known as Nyetang Lotsāwa (snye thang lo tsA ba). After mastering Buddhist doctrinal studies, she founded Buddhist colleges at Samding Monastery and later at Nyemo Chekar Monastery (snye mo bye dkar). Among the main topics of study were Bodong Paṇchen Chokle Namgyel's (bo dong paN chen phyogs las rnam rgyal, 1376–1451) Collected Works, including the vast encyclopedic treatise in 110 volumes titled of "The Compendium of Suchness" (dpal de kho na nyid 'dus pa).^[3]

She composed several works on tantric practices, such as The Stages of the Path for Three Types of Beings (thun mong skyes bu gsum gyi lam gyi rim pa) and Instructions on the Seven Aspects of Supreme Union, Development and Completion Stages (bskyed rdzogs kha sbyor yan lag bdun ldan gyi khrid), neither of which appear to be extant today.^[4]

Nyendrak Zangmo passed away at the age of forty, in 1542 or 1543, although the twenty-first-century Tibetan historian Rase Konchok Gyatso (ra se dkon mchog rgya mtsho, b. 1969) gives her year of death as 1586. A reliquary stupa was constructed at Samding, and her skull was preserved as a relic at the palace of the rulers of Nakartse (sna dkar rtse).^[5] Her reincarnation, the Fourth Dorje Pakmo Orgyen Tsomo (rdo rje phag mo 04 o rgyan mtsho mo) was born either  around the year 1543 or in 1587.

 

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