The Treasury of Lives

Sanggye Gompa Sengge (sangs rgyas sgom pa seng ge), also popularly known as Sanggye Kyab (sangs rgyas skyab) was born in Kyolung Dropuka (skyo lung dro'i phu kha'u, in Tsang, in 1179, the earth-female pig year of the thirteenth sexagenary cycle. His father was a Nyingma tantric master.

He studied the texts of the Kadam tradition from the fourth abbot of Nartang Monastery (snar thang dgon), Droton Dutsi Drakpa (gro ston bdud rtsi grags pa, 1153-1232) and the fifth abbot, Chokyi Lama (chos kyi bla ma, 1184-1241). He received full ordination from a lama whose name is recorded as Pelden Dromoche (dpal ldan gro mo che), who is possibly identical to Droton Dutsi Drakpa.

In 1241, at the age of sixty three, he was enthroned to the abbatial throne of Nartang and served for about eight years. During his tenure he taught Chomden Rigpai Reldri (bcom ldan rig pa'i ral gri, 1227-1305). He composed a text on Lojong (blo sbyong) titled Public Explication of Mind Training (tshogs bshad chen mo).

In 1248 or 1249 he passed the abbacy to his disciple Chim Namkha Drak (mchims nam mkha' grags, 1210-1285). He then went into retreat at a hermitage place named Tashilung (bkra shis lung) until he passed away in 1250 at the age of seventy-two. Two reliquaries were made and installed at Tashilung and at the Ganden Dechen Tarpa Ling (dga' ldan bde chen thar pa gling) Temple at Nartang.