The Treasury of Lives

Ga Lotsāwa Zhonnu Pel (rgwa lo tsA ba gzhon nu dpal) was born in Yarmotang (g.yar mo thang), Amdo, some time in the eleventh century. His year of birth was likely before 1105, although scholars have also proposed the years 1110 and 1114. His family belonged to the Ga (rgwa) clan.

He received novice vows and full ordination in Amdo. As a young man he went to U-Tsang and studied Sanskrit at Samye Chimpu (bsam yas 'chims phu), Podrang Neudong (pho brang sne'u gdong), Nartang (snar thang), Tsetang (rtses thang) and other monasteries.

At some point Zhonnu Pel went to India, where he became a student of both Tsami Lotsāwa Sanggye Drak (tsa mi lo tsA ba sangs rgyas grags, d.u.), a Tangut lama who held the abbacy of Vajrāsana and Nālandā, and also with Abhayākara (c.1104-c.1125). (Tsami Lotsāwa is mistakenly remembered in many Tibetan histories as having been a Tibetan.) Zhonnu Pel is said to have initially refused to study with Tsami Lotsāwa, reasoning that as he had come all the way to India he ought to study with an Indian.

He is credited with practicing in the famous Cool Grove cemetery outside of Bodhgaya. There he is said to have subjugated a form of Mahākāla named the "Raven-faced Dharma Protector" (chos skyong bya rog can). Back in Tibet he became famous for propagating this deity, and became known by the title Ga Lotsāwa, Translator of Ga.

He is also said to have practiced for six years at Namtso (gnam mtsho), a lake to the north of Lhasa that has long been popular with yogic practitioners. There he was in the company, at least for some time, of Wolkawa Choyung ('ol kha ba chos g.yung, 1103-1199), and early Kagyu practitioner.

In the late 1140s Ga Lotsāwa was staying at Naksho (nags shod), where, in 1149 a young Zhang Yudrakpa Tsondru Drakpa (zhang g.yu brag pa brtson 'grus grags pa, 1123-1193) encountered him. Zhang quickly developed considerable faith in him, and requested teachings.

Ga Lotsāwa replied with the following statements and actions. He said "If you become my follower, you will starve to death. Meditate on the union of emptiness and compassion." He then gave Lama Zhang some soup to drink that contained cumin and brown sugar, and continued to say, "My instructions have no mouth, eyes, or ears. There is no harm now."

Lama Zhang interpreted the soup ingredients and the cryptic words to mean 1) he must be willing to die for the dharma; 2) Ga Lotsāwa was giving him the core of his teachings; 3) Ga Lotsāwa was transmitting to him his experiences; 4) it is not appropriate to teach others if one is not liberated; and 5) if one is realized, there is no harm in teaching others.

Ga Lotsāwa gave Lama Zhang many instructions and initiations, including the Six Yogas of Nāropa, Cakrasaṃvara, Kālacakra, and the Mahākāla rituals. He also told Zhang to stop being a vegetarian and to eat bones and meat in order to cure his headaches, at least until his headaches went away.

Lama Zhang accompanied Ga Lotsāwa back to U, where Ga Lotsāwa then went into a three-year retreat, most likely in the early or mid 1150s.

In addition to teaching Lama Zhang, Ga Lotsāwa also taught the Six Yogas of Nāropa to Pakmodrupa Dorje Gyelpo (phag mo gru pa rdo rje rgyal po, 1110-1170) and the First Karmapa, Dusum Khyenpa (karma pa 01 dus gsum mkhyen pa, 1110-1193).

Ga Lotsāwa is credited with translating eight works in the Tengyur.

The year of Ga Lotsāwa's death is not certain, but is likely to have been before 1193, although scholars have also posited 1198 or 1202.