The Treasury of Lives

Sharchen Yeshe Gyeltsen (shar chen ye shes rgyal mtshan) was born in 1359, most probably at Sakya Monastery (sa skya dgon), as the son of Lama Dampa Sharchen Rinchen Gyeltsen Pelzangpo (bla ma dam pa shar chen rin chen rgyal mtshan dpal bzang po) and Machik Deden Bum (ma gcig bde ldan 'bum).

Shar chen was born into the Shar (shar) family, which was one of four families – Shar, Nub (nub), Gung (gung) and Khangsar (khang gsar) – that had aligned themselves with Sakya and did not directly descend from the Sakya Khon ('khon) clan. The Shar family is associated with Zhangzhung Gurawa (zhang zhung gu ra ba), who was one of four men that controlled the region of Sakya in general and who was in charge of the future site of Sakya Monastery in particular. The family of Zhangzhung Gurawa became associated with the Khon lineage by the marriage of his daughter or sister, Machik Zhangmo (ma gcig zhang mo) with Khon Konchok Gyelpo ('khon dkon mchog rgyal po, 1034-1102), the founder of Sakya. She was the latter’s second wife and mother of Sachen Kunga Nyingpo (sa chen kun dga' snying po, 1092-1158). Due to this alliance, the Shar family is considered the matrilineage of Sachen.

The name Shar originates with the activities of Sharpa Sherab Jungne (shar pa shes rab 'byung gnas, 1198-1261) alias Sharpa Yeshe Jungne (shar pa ye shes 'byung gnas). He was a student of Jetsun Drakpa Gyeltsen (rje btsun grags pa rgyal mtshan, 1147-1216) and Sakya Paṇḍita Kunga Gyeltsen (sa skya paN Di ta kun dga' rgyal mtshan, 1182-1251). From the latter, he took full monastic ordination (bsnyen par rdzogs pa, upasaṃpadā) and served for thirty-five years as his attendant. Together with Uyukpa Rigpai Sengge ('u g.yug pa rig pa'i seng ge, d. 1253) and Ponchen Śākya Zangpo (dpon chen shAkya bzang po, d. 1270), he, according to some accounts, held the throne of Sakya after Sakya Paṇḍita had left for the camp of Göden Khan (1206-1251). He is said to have bought the Zimkhang Nyingma (gzim khang rnying ma), one of the first buildings Konchok Gyelpo had established at Sakya, from Ponchen Śākya Zangpo and made it his residence. According to other accounts, however, it was handed over to him by Sakya Paṇḍita. Due to its location to the east of the Utse Nyingma (dbu rtse rnying ma), it was called Labrang Shar (bla brang shar), the Eastern Labrang, which from then on also became the name of the family. The masters of the Luding Labrang (klu lding/sdings bla brang) of Ngor Monastery (ngor dgon) belong to the Sharpa family as well.

As a small child, Sharchen received from his father the name Namkha Gyeltsen (nam mkha' rgyal mtshan). His family had also a younger son, Chogyel Tashi (chos rgyal bkra shis), through whom the family line continued.

In 1366, he began his monastic training under Lobpon Sengge Gyeltsen (slob dpon seng ge rgyal mtshan), learning at first how to read and continuing with the sequence of the required liturgies and the Hevajratantra. In 1370, under Nyide Lama Ngawang Zangpo (nyi lde bla ma ngag dbang bzang po), he studied the Hevajratantra commentary of Lama Dorje Sonam (bla ma rdo rje bsod nams) along with its notes by Lama Nyen (bla ma gnyan), and taught it himself to numerous students such as Geshe Lodro Pel (dge bshes blo gros dpal). He also mastered the Vajrapañjaratantra and its commentary, the Gurgyen (gur rgyan), which could most probably be identified as the commentary by Jetsun Drakpa Gyeltsen.

He also received teachings from Lama Zhang Namkha Rinchen (bla ma zhang nam mkha' rin chen) such as the empowerment of Hevajra, the reading transmission for the Hevajratantra and the ritual permission (rje gnang) for the "major and minor dharmapālas," that is, the two Mahākāla forms of Vajrapañjara and Four-faced Śrīmahākāla. Moreover, in the sixth month of 1369, at age eleven, he received monastic ordination (rab tu byung ba, pravrajyā) from seven fully ordained monks in the Labrang Shingkhang (bla brang shing khang) of Sakya. Lama Dampa Sonam Gyeltsen (bla ma dam pa bsod nams rgyal mtshan, 1312-1375), the Fourteenth Sakya Tridzin (sa skya khri 'dzin), functioned as presiding abbot (mkhan po, upādhyāya), Nyide Lama Ngawang Zangpo as ceremony master (las kyi slon dpon, karmācārya), and Lobpon Dorje Sengge (slob dpon rdo rje seng ge) as timekeeper (grib tshod pa). On that occasion, Lama Dampa also bestowed on him the name Yeshe Gyeltsen Pelzangpo (ye shes rgyal mtshan dpal bzang po).

In 1375, Sharchen obtained from his father the reading transmission for the Abhisamayālaṃkāra, for its commentary by Haribhadra, the Abhisamayālaṃkārāloka, and for the latter's commentary by Jamyang Sarma Sherab Ozer ('jam dbyangs gsar ma shes rab 'od zer, 12th century), the Jamyang Sharma Ṭīka ('jam dbyangs gsar ma'i TIka). Assisted by Lopewai Lama Namkha Pel (lo dpe ba'i bla ma nam mkha' dpal), he mastered both those commentaries along with the notes of Marnak Sogyel (dmar nag bsod rgyal). In addition, Lobpon Chochokpa (slob dpon chos mchog pa) supported him in acquiring many minor skills such as handwriting and chanting.

Sharchen continued his monastic training under Jonang Chokle Namgyel (jo nang phyogs las rnam rgyal, 1306-1386) at Jonang Monastery (jo nang), to where he had traveled alone and in secret at age nineteen in the fourth month of 1377. From that lama, he received the experiential instruction on the Sixfold Yoga of Kālacakra (dpal ldan dus kyi 'khor lo'i rdzogs rim zab lam rdo rje'i rnal 'byor sbyor ba yan lag drug pa) and by cultivating that practice the samādhi arose in his mind that the emptiness endowed with the supreme of all aspects does not differ from unchanging bliss.

In between, he was assisted for a period of four months by Tokden Yeshe Gyeltsen (rtogs ldan ye shes rgyal mtshan), exercising himself in drawing some Kālacakra related diagrams and studying the pointing-out instructions of its explanatory tantra, the Vimalaprabhā. Sharchen left a lasting impression on his teachers and Jonang's monastic community.

In the eleventh month of that same year, Sharchen departed from Jonang and traveled to U (dbus). However, that move was not by his own choice. His biographer and close disciple, Ngorchen Kunga Zangpo (ngor chen kun dga' bzang po, 1382-1456) relates that Sharchen was left with no other option regarding the common welfare of the Sakya community than to move to U and was offered on the way the service of many religious masters (dge bshes) of local leaders (brgya dpon). Unfortunately, Ngorchen does not clearly spell out the concrete reason that prevented Sharchen from staying at Jonang or returning to Sakya, but we could speculate that it might have been related to some repercussions of the recent accession to power by the Pakmodrupa (phag mo gru pa).

In U, Sharchen traveled to Yarlung Samten Ling (yar lung bsam gtan gling), where he met Lochen Jangchub Tsemo (lo chen byang chub rtse mo, 1303/15-1379/80), also known as Choje Jangtsepa (chos rje byang rtse pa) and Jangtse Lotsāwa (byang rtse lo tsA ba). From that master, he took the vow to generate bodhicitta according to the Madhyamaka tradition, the empowerment of Cakrasaṃvara in the tradition of Ghaṇṭāpāda, and a longevity empowerment.

Afterwards, he proceeded to Gongkar Chode (gong dkar chos sde), where he received from Lobpon Tsultrim Bum (slob dpon tshul khrims 'bum) teachings on the Five Treatises of Maitreya (byams chos lnga), the Abhidharmasamuccaya and Abhidharmakośa, and Vinaya. As Sharchen was learned in the philosophical views of other traditions, he engaged with both Jangchub Tsemo and Tsultrim Bum in numerous debates regarding the inconsistencies of the different tenet systems, and many of their discussions are said to have lasted from dusk till dawn. Through his studies under Tsultrim Bum he developed into an expert of the entire Tibetan Tripiṭaka and, by obtaining many esoteric instructions such as of the Seven Point Mind Training (blo sbyong don bdun ma), he is said to have freed himself from any self-cherishing attitude.

In 1379, when Sharchen reached his twenty-first year, he took full monastic ordination in the middle of an assembly of thirty-two monks at Yarlung Namgyel (yar klungs rnam rgyal). He obtained ordination in the lineage of the Kashmiri scholar Śākyaśrībhadra (1127/40s-1225) as passed down via the abbots of the Tsamik Tsokpa (tsha mig tshogs pa), one of the four monastic communities in Śākyaśrībhadra's Vinaya tradition that were instrumental in transmitting his lineage of monastic ordination. At the time of Sharchen's bhikṣu ordination, the Tsamik Tsokpa was headed by Yardrok Drangdawa Khenchen Tashi Tsultrim (yar 'brog sbrang mda' ba mkhan chen bkra shis tshul khrims), who acted as the presiding abbot. The other persons involved were Zulpu Khenchen Jangchub Pelzangpo (zul phu mkhan chen byang chub dpal bzang po, 1316-1390) as ceremony master, Lobpon Jangtse Khenchen Sherab Gonpo (slob dpon byang rtse mkhan chen shes rab mgon po) as secret revealing preceptor (gsang ste ston pa, raho'nuśāsaka), and Tsokchen Umdze Śākyaśrī (tshogs chen dbu mdzad shAkya shrI) as timekeeper.

Sharchen also received various teachings from these masters. From Tashi Tsultrim he received the exposition of the Vinayamūlasūtra along with its commentary. From Jangchub Pelzangpo he received the empowerment of Dorje Jikje Rolang Gyekor (rdo rje 'jigs byed ro langs brgyad skor) according to the Ra tradition (rwa lugs). From Sherab Gonpo he received the Abhidharmakośabhāṣya based on the commentary by Chim Jampaiyang (mchims 'jam pa'i dbyangs) along with its pointing-out instructions. With the assistance of Dukhorwa Rinchen Zangpo (dus 'khor ba rin chen bzang po), he brought to conclusion his studies of the pointing-out instructions, diagrams, and ritual application of the Vimalaprabhā according to the Zhalu system (zha lu pa'i lugs).

At age twenty-five, in the ninth month of 1382, Sharchen returned to Sakya, where he stayed for the next few months. In the third month of 1383, he once again went to study under Dechen Choje Chokle Namgyel. This time, he received an explanation of the Vimalaprabhā, the chief commentary on the Kālacakratantra. He is said to have been the most eloquent expounder among the around eighty learned students attending that teaching. Chokle Namgyel was again very pleased with Sharchen's progress and by presenting him with a manuscript known as Gyudrel Druchechung (rgyud 'grel 'bru che chung), which he himself had prepared, he entrusted to Sharchen the teachings of Kālacakra. During his two periods of study, Sharchen is said to have received teachings from Chokle Namgyel at Jonang, Dechen (bde chen), and the hermitage of Sekharchung (se mkhar chung).

At age twenty-six, in the eleventh month of 1383, Sharchen succeeded his father as the new head of the Labrang Shar and his enthronement ceremony along with celebrations were held in the Sakya Tsokpo (sa skya'i tshogs po), probably a reference to the courtyard just south of the Zhitok Podrang (gzhi thog pho brang), which was used for Buddhist teachings and installation ceremonies and otherwise known as Sakya Tsok (sa skya tshogs) or Tsok Chenmo (tshogs chen mo).

Subsequently, he taught during the monastic winter term from on top of the throne of the previous Sharpa masters to an assembly of hundreds of learned students. As morning teaching he gave explanations on the Abhisamayālaṃkāra and on the Hevajratantra and as afternoon teaching explanations on the Abhidharmasamuccaya.

From that time on, Sharchen continued to receive teachings from his father as well as from Khyungpo Lhepa Zhonnu Sonam (khyung po lhas pa gzhon nu bsod nams, 14th century), a chief disciple of both Kunkhyen Pakpa O (kun mkhyen 'phags pa 'od, 13th century) and Buton Rinchen Drub (bu ston rin chen grub, 1290-1364). When Sharchen approached Khyungpo Lhepa at the latter's seat at Zhalu Chopuk (zha lu chos phug), that lama was already eighty-five years old. From him, he received teachings on Guhyasamāja and explanations, pertinent quotations, and pointing-out instructions for tantric commentaries, sādhana and maṇḍala rituals, homa rites, and consecrations. He also succeeded in determining the details of minor ritual procedures.

At different times, Sharchen also studied under Jonang Khenchen Jangchub Sengge (jo nang mkhan chen byang chub seng ge), obtaining the reading transmissions for the collected works of the Sakya patriarchs Sachen Kunga Nyingpo, Lobpon Sonam Tsemo (slob dpon bsod nams rtse mo, 1142-1182), Jetsun Drakpa Gyeltsen, Sakya Paṇḍita Kunga Gyeltsen, and Pakpa Lodro Gyeltsen ('phags pa blo gros rgyal mtshan, 1235-1280) as well as the initiation into the maṇḍalas of the Vajrāvalī cycle along with the reading transmission for the Garland Trilogy (phreng ba skor gsum).

Afterwards, Sharchen sought a qualified teacher for studying the Lamdre (lam 'bras) and approached many experienced lamas inquiring about who would be the most renowned master. The many answers he received stated that by this time only Pelden Tsultrim (dpal ldan tshul khrims, 1333-1399) would be the most qualified master. He thus brought forward his request of studying the Lamdre under that lama through Geshe Kunga Dawa (dge bshes kun dga' zla ba). In line with an auspicious dream he experienced in that night – he dreamed that Pelden Tsultrim gave him a blue volume said to be a section of the Śatasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra and a leather bowl of exquisitely delicious cooked rice soup – his request was granted and subsequently he obtained the entire Lamdre from Pelden Tsultrim.

Sharchen was one of only three students that had received that important cycle in its entirety from Pelden Tsultrim; the other two being Drubchen Buddhaśrī (grub chen buddhaShrI, 1339-1420) and Minyak Rinchen Dorje (mi nyag rin chen rdo rje). However, as Pelden Tsultrim restricted Sharchen's teaching of the Lamdre for a period of eighteen years, Sharchen did not get the chance to bestow that teaching in its entireness, passing away before that eighteen-year period had expired.

According to Sharchen, Pelden Tsultrim was highly learned and accomplished in the esoteric instructions of the Sakya masters, he kept his tantric commitments pure, possessed a pure cast of mind, and his blessings were more effective than the ones of other lamas. Owing to these qualities, he requested from him once again those Sakya teachings that he had already studied under other masters, and considering the most subtle points of both ritual practice and esoteric instructions, he also relied on him in fixing their pointing-out instructions into concrete practical procedures. Along with the Lamdre, his biographical sketches specify that Sharchen also received the remaining Eight Cycles of the Path (lam skor brgyad) and its ancillary teachings, the Tantra Trilogy of Hevajra (kye rdor rgyud gsum) along with its branches, and teachings on Cakrasaṃvara. Sharchen expressed that he was very grateful towards Pelden Tsultrim, and Ngorchen mentions that Sharchen considered him the most supreme among all of his teachers.

Apart from those aforementioned masters, Sharchen also received many teachings from Lama Zhitokpa Kunga Rinchen (bla ma gzhi thog pa kun dga' rin chen,1339-1399), the Sixteenth Sakya Tridzin (and Ngorchen's secret father), and from Lama Chenpo Kunga Gyeltsen Pelzangpo (bla ma chen po kun dga' rgyal mtshan dpal bzang po, 1344-1418).

Sharchen was involved in the controversy on the authenticity of the Kālacakratantra and its commentary, the Vimalaprabhā, that emerged between the Jonang and Sakya traditions. He is portrayed as the most outstanding scholar with regard to the position of Rendawa Zhonnu Lodro (red mda' ba gzhon nu blo gros, 1349-1412) against the Kālacakratantra. Moreover, he became also known as the foremost debater regarding the philosophical key issues of rang stong and gzhan stong and wrote numerous polemical works.                                                                               

In 1405, at age forty-seven, Sharchen remarked to his disciple Ngorchen:

Now, I have become old. The hair on [my] head has become white and [I] have got wrinkles. [I] have lost my teeth. [I] am struck by many such signs of [my] immediate death.

To prepare himself for the moment of his death, Sharchen decided to spend about three years in retreat at the remote site of Bardrok (bar 'brog), south of Sakya in the region of Tingkye (gting skyes). He briefed Lobpon Duwen Shāpa (slob dpon du dben shA pa) and Lobpon Chochokpa (slob dpon chos mchog pa) in the administrative affairs of the Labrang Shar and handed it over into their responsibility.

Leaving Sakya for Bardrok, Sharchen was approached on his way by a certain Lama Drakpa Rinchen (bla ma grags pa rin chen), who asked for instructions and requested to be accepted as his student. Initially, Sharchen rejected this request by referring to his own plan to engage himself in practice, but owing to the repeated and urgent requests, he finally accepted and fulfilled his new student's wish by bestowing on him several instructions, such as on the Five Stages of Guhyasamāja (gsang 'dus rim lnga), and numerous reading transmissions.

Following the request by Jangpukpa Kunga Lekpa (byang phug pa kun dga' legs pa), they also made a stopover at Jangpuk (byang phug) to pay their respects to the local Jowo statue, which was one of three effigies of the Pakpawati Zangpo ('phags pa wa ti bzang po) of Kyirong (skyid grong), and Sharchen also bestowed teachings according to the wishes of the local monastic community. Sharchen expressed that he had conceived the desire to pay his respects to the Pakpawati of Kyirong, but realized that he would not be able to do so. As a substitute for that, he made many offerings to the Jangpuk Jowo, performed a large amount of prostrations and circumambulations, and offered uncountable aspirational prayers. Afterwards, he proceeded on his journey to Bardrok, where he remained in a strict retreat, sharing with Ngorchen his experiences from practice, dreams, and visions.

At age forty-eight, in the first month of 1406, Sharchen performed an intensive practice of the “profound path” (zab mo'i lam), and as a result, the energy of his “vital wind of fire” (me rlung) increased and he fell sick for three full days. Ignoring his physical pain, he continued his practices, doing the visualization of taking on himself the suffering of all sentient beings.

Sharchen expressed that he would probably pass away during that year and in that case, it would be better if he died at Sakya. Ngorchen thus made his way back to Sakya to report on Sharchen's condition to those two lamas his master had previously installed as representatives of the Labrang Shar. They provided Ngorchen with a letter urging Sharchen to come back to Sakya. After Sharchen had made an extensive offering to the Three Jewels and to the dharmapālas, they embarked on their return journey. On the way, they stopped at the two kumbum (sku 'bum) of Bardrok, where Sharchen performed prostrations and circumambulations.

Immediately after having reached Sakya, he secluded himself in a retreat during which he seemed to have regained some physical strength. However, when Ngorchen asked about his observation, Sharchen replied that his condition resembled that of a butter lamp whose flame lightens up the moment before it finally extinguishes. Over the following days, Sharchen stayed in meditation, interrupting his practice only for drafting his last will on the third day of the fourth month of 1406. After his physical condition had slightly weakened on the evening of the seventh day, Sharchen stayed continuously in meditation until the ninth and eventually passed away on the tenth day in the Gura Labrang (gu ra bla brang).

During all that time, Ngorchen attended on his master and provides us with a detailed description of Sharchen's last days. Ngorchen reports that for eleven days after his death, the complexion of Sharchen's face and eyes was more glowing than before so that he appeared to be still alive. Ngorchen's own biographies relate that Ngorchen himself prepared the funeral service and the performance of various meritorious actions on behalf of his late master. Later on, after the foundation of Ngor monastery in 1429, in fulfilling Sharchen's wishes, Ngorchen also commissioned in the lower shrine room of the assembly hall – that is, the Wangkhang Chenmo (dbang khang chen mo) – a large statue of Buddha Śākyamuni made out of gold together with a gandhola.

As the most eminent among his numerous disciples, Sharchen's biographical sketch enumerates Ngorchen, Dzongchunpa Kunga Gyeltsen (rdzong chung pa kun dga' rgyal mtshan, 1382-1446), Gushrī Namkha Zangpo (gu shrI nam mkha' bzang po, 14th-15th centuries), and Changlung Chodingpa Zhonnu Lodro (spyang lung chos sding pa gzhon nu blo gros, 1372-1475).

In memory of his teachers, Sharchen commissioned a sizeable amount of sacred images, including statues of the Buddha and of his teachers, a Stūpa of Great Awakening, and paintings of Sachen Kunga Nyingpo, his ordination abbot Tashi Tsultrim, Cakrasaṃvara, and Red Yamāntaka as well as maṇḍalas of the condensed family of Vajrapañjara, Guhyasamāja, and Vajradhātu.