The Treasury of Lives

Khyenrab Chokyi Wozer was born in the Wonto (dbon stod) region of Derge in the earth-ox year, 1889. His father, whose name was Tsering Peljor (tshe ring dpal 'byor), came from a devout family of high status. His mother was named Dolma Lhamo (sgrol ma lha mo).[1] He was one of eight children, with five brothers and two sisters. Two younger brothers, Kelden Rinchen (skal ldan rin chen) and Rinchen Losel (rin chen blo gsal), were both monks at Wonto Monastery (dbon stod dgon). The fourth brother was a householder, while the fifth, Lama Nyendrak (bla ma snyan grags) served as an abbot and teacher at Wonto for many years, after which he remained in retreat at Ramshe Hermitage (ram bye ri khro). He passed away in 1958.^[2]

 According to his hagiography, when he was an infant his body gave off a radiant glow, and people of the surrounding region all came to see him. His mother nicknamed him Wozer Karril ('od zer dkar ril), or "Little Ball of Light."^[3] Namkhai Norbu (nam mkha'i nor bu, 1938–2018)says that Chokyi Wozer's childhood name, which he received from his paternal uncle, was Rinchen Dorje.[4]

His parents brought him to Ju Mipam Gyatso ('ju mi pham rgya mtsho, 1846–1912) who asked the child’s name. The parents told Mipam that it was Khyenrab Wozer (mkhyen rab 'od zer), meaning "Light Rays of Perfect Knowledge." "In that case," the master said, "May he become Light Rays of Perfect Knowledge of the Dharma!" (Khyenrab Chokyi Wozer), and he placed his right hand on the boy’s head.^[5]

A doctor named Yalha Urgyen (ya lha u rgyan) taught him to read. Around 1895, when he was seven, his family lost everything in a fire, and as a result he was sent to Wonto Monastery. On one occasion, he came across some loose pages from Sakya Paṇḍita's (sa skya paN Di ta kun dga’ rgyal mtshan, 1182–1251) Differentiation of the Three Sets of Vows (sdom gsum rab dbye) in a room that stored tsa-tsas. He read the pages in amazement and pledged to do whatever he could to understand them fully. 

As he wished to do more than simply memorize liturgical texts, he was inspired to seek teachings from the famous Sakya master Gaton Ngawang Lekpa (sga ston ngag dbang legs pa, 1867–1941). After gathering provisions, he set off for the Gato region.^[6]

Gaton took to the young man and gave him transmissions, including Hevajra empowerments, teachings on Nāgārjuna's Letter to a Friend (Suhṛllekha, bshes springs), the Bodhicaryāvatāra, the Vinaya, and other scriptural topics. Gaton Lekpa advised Chokyi Wozer to go to Jamyang Loter Wangpo ('jam dbyangs blo gter dbang po, 1847–1914) for further teachings. So, at the age of sixteen, he left for Derge. On meeting Loter Wangpo at Lhundrubteng (lhun 'grub steng), the elderly master was delighted to receive him, stating that he had dreamed the night before of encountering a young traveler bearing Mañjuśrī's insignia. Later, that afternoon, Khyenrab Chokyi Wozer returned carrying a small bag of provisions. While Loter Wangpo was conversing with his young visitor, Loter Wangpo's attendants curiously rummaged through the bag in search of something resembling Mañjuśrī's hand implements. When all they found was buckwheat, they took this to mean that the grains themselves must resemble the tip of Mañjuśrī's sword.^[7]

Loter Wangpo gave the young Chokyi Wozer his ordination vows, with the name Jamyang Tubten Gelek ('jam dbyangs thub bstan dge legs), and he put the young man in his own residence, teaching him grammar and medicine and other initial subjects of a monastic education. They moved on to the philosophical treatises of Candrakīrti's Madhyamakāvatāra, Prajñāpāramitā, Vasubandhu's Abhidharmakośa, Sakya Pandita's Treasury of Reasoning (rigs gter), and tantras such as the Hevajra. He also gave him the transmission of his Compendium of Sādhana (sgrub thabs kun btus). It is possible that he did some administrative or scribal work for Loter Wangpo at this time, because Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (dil mgo khyen brtse rin po che, 1910–1901) refers to him in his autobiography as the master’s secretary.[8] Loter Wangpo also warned Chokyi Wozer that his thirty-seventh year would be an obstacle year, but predicted that he would live to more than seventy.^[9]

Loter Wangpo then told Chokyi Wozer to study with Khenpo Zhenga (mkhan po gzhan dga', 1971–1927) at Dzogchen Monastery (rdzogs chen dgon). Khenpo Zhenga taught him his famous curriculum of thirteen classical Indian Buddhist scriptures, along with Tibetan commentaries and treatises such as Sakya Paṇḍita's Differentiating the Three Vows (sdom gsum rab dbye); Ngari Paṇchen Pema Wanggyel's (mnga' ris paN chen padma dbang rgyal, 1487–1542) Determining the Three Vows (sdom gsum rnam nges); Longchenpa's (klong chen pa, 1308–1364) Seven Treasuries (mdzod bdun), Fourfold Heart Essences (snying thig ya bzhi), and Trilogy of Ease (ngal gso skor gsum); and Jigme Lingpa's ('jigs med gling pa, 1730–1798) Treasury of Qualities (yon tan mdzod).^[10]

It was difficult for Chokyi Wozer to obtain basic supplies at Dzogchen. He had to make do with some old straw filled with horse dung and sheep droppings as a bed, and he lacked proper shoes, so that his feet would crack and bleed in winter. For food he had only soup and tsampa. Although he received butter as payment for the review classes that he provided, he used it to make lamps and never ate any. When there was not enough butter to light a lamp, he had to read by moonlight; when there was no moon he would read by the light of the fire.^[11]

In 1909 Chokyi Wozer accompanied Khenpo Zhenga to a hermitage called Wenne Lhundrub Yangtse (dben gnas lhun 'grub yang rtse) where he received the transmission for the Lamdre and the Compendium of Sakya Tantra (rgyud sde kun btus) given by Loter Wangpo. Chokyi Wozer remained with Khenpo Zhenga for roughly thirteen years, serving as a teaching assistant as he toured Kham teaching at multiple monasteries. He received from him further teachings on Buddhist doctrine as well as the medical tantras, grammar, and astrology.^[12]

In 1910, when Chokyi Wozer was twenty-two, the Eleventh Tai Situ Pema Wangchok Gyelpo (ta'i si tu 11 padma dbang mchog rgyal po, 1886–1952) and Khenchen Tashi Wozer (mkhan chen bkra shis 'od zer, 1836–191) of Pelpung Monastery (dpal spungs dgon), a close disciple of Jamgon Kongtrul ('jam mgon kong sprul, 1813–1899), invited Khenpo Zhenga to teach at Pelpung. Chokyi Wozer and other disciples accompanied him. They initiated a monastic college there, teaching the thirteen Indian classics as well as Tibetan treatises.

In 1918 Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro ('jam dbyangs mkhyen brtse chos kyi blo gros, 1893–1959) invited them to Dzongsar Monastery (rdzong sar dgon) to establish a college there. Khenpo Zhenga began by teaching at Dzongsar's Tashi Lhatse temple (bkra shis lha rtse lha khang) for close to a year, beginning with the Bodhicaryāvatāra.^[13] This grew into Khamshe College, Shedrub Dargye Ling (khams bye bshad grwa bshad sgrub dar rgyas gling). Khenpo Zhenga is counted as the first abbot. At Dzongsar Chokyi Wozer received full monastic ordination in the presence of Khyentse Chokyi Lodro, Khangsar Ngawang Lodro Zhenpen Nyingpo (khang sar ngag dbang blo gros gzhan phan snying po, 1876–1952), Jamyang Chokyi Gyeltsen ('jam dbyangs chos kyi rgyal mtshan, 1870–1940) and others.^[14] During the ceremony he received the name Lodro Lekshe Gyatso (blo gros legs bshad rgya mtsho). This may have been the first time gelong (dge slong) ordination vows were given at Dzongsar, as monks there traditionally had gone to Ngor Monastery (ngor) in central Tibet for their ordination ceremonies. 

His other teachers, to name just a few, included Mipam Jampel Gyepai Dorje (mi pham 'jam dpal dgyes pa'i rdo rje), who taught him the Kālacakra astrological system, the four medical tantras, and Tibetan and Indian geomancy. Dru Jamyang Drakpa ('bru 'jam dbyangs grags pa) taught him Mipam Gyatso's commentary on the Kālacakra Tantra, Śāntarakṣita's Madhyamakālaṃkāra and other Buddhist classics. Drakra Jamyang Chokyi Nyima (brag ra 'jam dbyangs chos kyi nyi ma, d. 1936) gave him numerous tantric empowerments, instructions on the Vajrayogīnī of Nāropa and on multiple mind training (blo sbyong) traditions.

Chokyi Lodro appointed Chokyi Wozer abbot of Khamshe in 1920.[15] During his tenure the college supported roughly fifty monks who were required to spend several months performing religious ceremonies and raise money for the college. Additional students who brought their own support, such as the Third Dezhung Rinpoche (sde gzhung sprul sku 03, 1906–1987) also were present.^[16] Chokyi Wozer's particular expertise was the Vinaya, and he wrote a new monastic codebook (bca' yig), titled Precious Light (rin chen sgron me) using Chokyi Lodro's own as a basis.^[17] Throughout the decade that he taught at Dzongsar the college produced so many learned scholars who went on to teach elsewhere that there arose a saying in the Mesho valley where Dzongsar is located that the annual harvest of khenpos exceeded that of grain.

In 1926 he participated in the reconsecration of the Dramagang retreat center (drwa ma sgang) in Derge, which dated back to the mid-nineteenth century and had fallen into disrepair. Other lamas present included Chokyi Lodro and the Gonchen summer retreat abbot Samten Lodro (bsam gtan blo gros, 1868-1931).^[18]

While serving as abbot he received several transmissions from Gaton Ngawang Lekpa: the Vajrabhairava transmission in 1925, the Lamdre in 1928, and the Vajravālī also in 1928.^[19] During the course of the Vajravālī initiation, which took place each day at noon, Gaton Lekpa asked him to give Abhisamyālaṃkāra teachings in the mornings to Dezhung Rinpoche, Litang Kyashul Tulku Kunzang Chokyi Nyima (li thang skya shul sprul sku kun bzang chos kyi nyi ma), and three other monks.

According to Jackson, Chokyi Wozer wrote a long gloss of Dignāga's Pramāṇasamuccaya that was printed at Dzongsar. He composed a commentary on Dharmakīrti's Pramāṇavartikka, which was published along with several other minor writings in 2015. He also reportedly composed a biography of Khenpo Zhenga, which is one of the most sought-after texts of recent Tibetan history but appears to be irrecoverably lost.^[20]

Chokyi Wozer stepped down as abbot of Khamshe in 1920. The following year, at the request of Situ Pema Wangchok he began a seven-year tenure at the monastic college at Pelpung Monastery, where he had around fifty students.^[21]

Around 1928 he established a new monastic college at Wonto Monastery, first gaining permission to leave Pelpung from the Eleventh Situ, and the approval and support of the Tibetan governor of Derge (sde dge spyi khyab), Dapon Tethong Gyurme Gyatso (mda' dpon bkras mthong 'gyur med rgya mtsho).^[22]

The king of Derge, Jigme Tsewang Dudul ('jigs med tshe dbang bdud 'dul, 1916–1942), the chief steward (gnyer chen) Derge, Jago Tobden (bya rgod stobs ldan, 1898–1960), and the two chieftains of Khardo (mkhar mdo) and other localities all contributed materials for the new college. Chokyi Wozer supervised closely the construction of a twelve-pillared Tārā temple with murals on the walls, a debating courtyard, a residence for abbots, dormitories for seventy monks, two kitchens, and a park. A thirteen-cubit-high gilt-copper statue of Maitreya and a five-cubit statue of Sakya Paṇḍita alongside other Sakya patriarchs were installed, as well as golden images of the twenty-one Tārās. The college included a library with over one thousand volumes, including the Kangyur and Tengyur, and the collected works of the Sakya patriarchs and other major scriptural collections of Sakya, Kagyu, and Nyingma literature, and was set up for the carving of new printing blocks. The new college was named Shedrub Pelbar Ling (bshed sgrub dpal 'bar gling).^[23]

The Sixteenth Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpai Dorje (karma pa 16 rang byung rig pa'i rdo rje, 1924–1981) visited the college and performed the black hat ceremony, probably in the late 1930s when he was studying at Pelpung. Khyentse Chokyi Lodro, the Eleventh Situ, and the Second Kongtrul, Pelden Khyentse Wozer (kong sprul 02 dpal ldan mkhyen brtse'i 'od zer, 1904–1954) and other illustrious lamas showed their support for Chokyi Wozer by visiting the college multiple times. Dilgo Khyentse, Khangsar Khenchen Ngawang Lodro Zhenpen Nyingpo, and Drayab Lodro Gyeltsen (brag yab blo gros rgyal mtshan) all taught there as well. Among his students at the new college was Namkhai Norbu.^[24]

In 1954 the queen of Derge, Jamyang Pelmo ('jam dbyangs dpal mo, 1913–1988) sponsored the construction of close to seventy new monk quarters at Lhundrubteng, and the following year she invited Chokyi Wozer to the monastery to teach. He left his student Losel Tenzin (blo gsal bstan 'dzin) in charge of Wonto while he was gone. At Gonchen two monks of the monastery, Tashi Gyeltsen (bkra shis rgyal mtshan) and Gyeltsen Lama Chodrak Gyatso (rgyal mtshan bla ma chos grags rgya mtsho) served as his teaching assistants. He was there when the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (ta la'i bla ma 14 bstan 'dzin rgya mtsho, b. 1935) stopped in Derge on his return from China to meet with the new Communist leaders of the country, and he participated in the grand welcoming ceremonies that included teachings and empowerments.^[25]

Among his many students not yet mentioned were Dagchen Rinpoche Ngawang Kunga Sonam (bdag chen rin po che ngag dbang kun dga' bsod nams, 1929–2016) of Sakya Puntsok Podrang; Dosib Tubten (mdo srib thub bstan); Dezhung Anjam Rinpoche (sde gzhung a 'jam rin po che, 1885-1952); Dezhung Chopel Jamyang Kunga Namgyel (sde gzhung chos 'phel 'jam dbyangs kun dga' rnam rgyal); and Khangmar Rinchen Dorje (khang dmar rin chen rdo rje).

In 1959, the earth-pig year, after several periods of illness, Chokyi Wozer began giving final advice and instructions. To Nyurwa Tashi Samdrub (myur ba bkra shis bsam 'grub), who had served him for fourteen years, he gave a bronze statue of Tārā. To Lodro Dawa (blo gros zla ba), who had served him for seven years, he gave a statue of Tārā that was known to speak, said to have been made by Atiśa's own hands.^[26]

On November, 20, 1958, the tenth day of the tenth month of the earth-dog year, he was arrested by the Red Army and brought to Derge, where he fell ill due to the terrible conditions in which he was held. A few of the Chinese guards would whisper "Amitofo" (Amitābha Buddha), which offered him some comfort, and whenever he could he offered his fellow prisoners encouragement. On March 17, 1959, the eighth day of the second month of the earth-pig year, he told his fellow prisoner, Drayab Pema (brag g.yab padma) that he would pass away that day. Drayab Pema asked a guard for permission to bring Chokyi Wozer to an infirmary, and so five Chinese and Tibetans helped him, but as they made their way through the door of the granary on which they were held, Khenpo Chokyi Wozer sat to rest on the stone steps, sitting in the posture of Maitreya, he stated, "Today the sun is warm, and there are many rainbow clouds and nice fragrances." He straightened his back, placed his hands in meditation posture, uttered the syllable phat and passed away.^[27]

The Chinese guards who were present were impressed and allowed his body, still in the meditation posture, to be wrapped in his monks robes, and brought to Chunagma (chu nag ma), a charnel ground outside of Derge, placed facing the direction of Wonto.^[28]

 

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