The Treasury of Lives

Dorje Rinchen was born in town of Upper Dan ('dan stod) into the Kyura (skyu ra) clan that had controlled Drigung since its founding by Jikten Gonpo Rinchen Pel ('jig rten mgon po rin chen dpal, 1143-1217) in 1179. His great-grandfather, Dorje Sengge (sgom pa rdo rje seng ge, 12th-13th century), was the first secular leader or gompa (sgom pa) of the Drigung and the brother of two early abbots: Won Sonam Drakpa (dbon bsod nams grags pa, 1187-1234), the third Drigung abbot, and Chung Dorje Drakpa (bcung rdo rje grags pa, 1210-1278), the fifth abbot. Dorje Sengge's son, Anu Gyel (a nu rgyal), was the elder brother of two abbots: Tokkhawa Rinchen Sengge (thog kha ba rin chen seng ge, 1226-1284), the sixth abbot, and Tsamchepa Drakpa Sonam (mtshams bcad pa grags pa bsod nams, 1238-1286), the seventh.

Anu Gyel's family lived in area of Drigung called Lower Zhu (gzhu smad) in the village of Jonma ('jon ma). His wife bore two sons. The older one was named Sonam Dorje (bsod nams rdo rje) and the younger one was Dorje Gyeltsen (rdo rje rgyal mtshan). Dorje Gyeltsen's wife bore four sons, of whom the eldest was Dorje Rinchen. Next eldest was Nyergyepa Dorje Gyelpo (nyer brgyad pa rdo rje rgyal po, 1284-1350), who served as the tenth abbot of Drigung, followed by Dorje Pel (rdo rje dpal), and finally Kunga Gyeltsen (kun dga rgyal mtshan), who was the father of Chokyi Gyelpo (chos kyi rgyal po, 1335-1407), who would serve as Drigung's eleventh abbot.

Dorje Rinchen was born on the fourteenth day of the third lunar month of the male earth horse year, 1278. Immediately upon birth he was said to have uttered the thirty consonants and four vowels of the Tibetan alphabet in order without mixing them up. After this, he was said to have enquired about his mother’s health and asked her if she was tired from having given birth.

His parents presented him to his great uncle, Tsamchepa Drakpa Sonam, who is said to have told them, “The Indian Brahmin Saraha has purposefully returned to this world for the sake of all sentient beings. Have no doubt about this.” Sonam Drakpa, who was then serving as abbot, gave the boy lay vows at the age of six, and taught him until his death in 1286. Dorje Rinchen was in line to assume the abbacy -- presumably Anu Gyel's other sons either died young or did not ordain -- but his youth required that another man take the office until he reached adulthood. Thus Jonub Dorje Yeshe (jo snubs rdo rje ye shes, 1223-1293), a man from outside of the Kyura clan, was chosen as interim abbot. Some historical works name him as "regent" rather than abbot.

During the war between Drigung and Sakya, known as the Linglok (gling log), or "rebellion," when the Drigung forces were crushed and the monastery was destroyed, the family brought the eleven year old Dorje Rinchen to Kongpo (kong po) to live in exile for a period of three years.

Later, after an agreement was worked out with the Mongols and the Sakyas, the Drigung were allowed to return to their territory. Drigung remained under the authority of the Mongols, organized as a locally administered myriarchy in a system of thirteen divisions of the Tibetan territory officially controlled by the Yuan Dynasty. The Drigung community was able to petition Khubilai Khan to permit the restoration of Drigung Til Monastery. Lobpon Yeshe Pel (slob dpon ye shes dpal, 13th-14th century), the Drigung Gompa who succeeded Gompa Wonpo (sgom pa dbon po), appears to have been the agent of Drigung's revival; he was granted a seal and an edict of appointment by the Yuan Emperor Khubilai Khan.

Thus at the age of thirteen, Dorje Rinchen was summoned back from Kongpo. He initially stayed at a palace near Drigung in a place called Tseu Khatang (mtshe'u kha thang), meaning "Field at the Mouth of a Pond." He spent the next years studying and practicing religion and was said to have become accomplished during this time.

At the age of nineteen in 1287, the fire snake year, he was enthroned as the ninth abbot of Drigung. During the same year the repairs at Drigung Til Monastery began. The restoration process took seven years. Repairs included the residence of Tokkhawa Rinchen Sengge, known as the Golden Temple (gser khang); the Layel Chenmo Gomang Temple (bla gyel chen mo sgo mang lha khang); and the monks' quarters. The monastery’s countless sacred images were also restored. Dorje Rinchen himself supervised the construction of a silver statue of the Buddha called Tashi Obar (bkra shis 'od 'bar), "Radiant and Auspicious."

Although some of the monastery's stūpa and statues survived the war, they were heavily damaged, such as one of the Drigung protector Achi Chokyi Drolma (a phyi chos kyi sgrol ma). These were coated with gold. Other monastery treasures, such as the famous statue of Jikten Gonpo known as The Lord of Dharma (chos rje) that was installed in the Golden Temple, were hidden underground during the war, and Dorje Rinchen returned and reconsecrated them.

When Dorje Rinchen was twenty, he gave extensive teachings to the monastic community. These summer and winter dharma teachings quickly became renowned. During the summer sessions, in the fields in front of the monastery and all around, he established a tent encampment (sgar) and gave explanations of the Five-fold Path of Mahāmudrā (phyag rgya chen po lnga). During the winter dharma sessions he gave explanations of the Six Yogas of Nāropa (nAro chos drug) in the Layel Chenmo Temple. It is said that monks wore thin cotton robes as a sign of successful practice in tummo (gtum mo), or inner heat yoga. Before and after his summer and winter teachings, he gave other important Drigung teachings, such as The Essence of Mahāyāna (theg chen bstan pa'i snying po), The Single Intent (chos dgongs pa gcig pa), and commentaries on the collective works of Jikten Gonpo and all of the other Drigung abbots, and empowerments such as Vajrayoginī.

Drigung tradition holds that during this same year Dorje Rinchen was visited by the Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje (karma pa 03 rang byung rdo rje, 1284-1339), who affirmed Tsamchedpa Drakpa Sonam's identification of Dorje Rinchen as Saraha. However, given the dates of the Third Karmapa's life, this meeting, if it did in fact occur, would have happened much later.

At the age of twenty-one Rinchen Dorje he entered a seven-year sealed retreat at the Golden Temple. Coming out at the age of twenty-eight, he resumed his seasonal instruction schedule. He sent more than a thousand disciples to practice at Mt. Kailash, Lapchi, and Tsari, the three main sacred mountains of the Kagyu tradition. Monks at the monastery are said to have been especially diligent in their practice.

Dorje Rinchen continued his tenure as abbot until he passed away at the age of thirty-seven, on the twelfth day of the third lunar month in the wood horse year, 1314. It was because he passed away on the twelfth day of the month that he is known for the epithet of "Chunyipa", "Chunyi" (bcu gnyis) meaning twelve, and "pa" (pa) being a nominal marker.

He was succeeded as abbot by his brother Nyergyepa Dorje Gyelpo.