The Treasury of Lives

Khenchen Tubten Nyendrak (mkhan chen thub bstan snyan grags) was born in Bakok (ba khog), an area in the Rudam (ru dam) valley in Kham in 1883, the water-sheep year of the fifteenth sexagenary cycle. He belonged to the Yaktsa (g.yag tsha) family, who were descendants of the Mukpo clan (smug po gdong). His father was named Bakok Lhakho (ba khog lha kho) and his mother was named Yakza Baja (g.yag bza' ba ja).

It is said that as a young child he taught himself to read and write while working as a cowherd for his family. He eventually enrolled in Dzogchen Monastery, Rudam Orgyen Samten Choling (rdzogs chen ru dam o rgyan bsam gtan chos gling). There, the seventh abbot of Śrī Siṃha College (shrI sing+ha bshad drwa), Lingtrul Tubten Nyinje Gyeltsen (gling sprul thub bstan nyin byed rgyal mtshan, d.u.) performed his hair cutting ceremony, gave him his novice monastic vows, and named him Tubten Nyendrak. He commenced his studies in the general subjects of Sanskrit phonology, poetry, astrology, and calligraphy. Afterwards, he served as the private secretary to the Fifth Dzogchen Drubwang, Tubten Chokyi Dorje (rdzogs chen 05 thub bstan chos kyi rdo rje, 1872-1935), from whom he received many commentarial teachings, empowerments, and oral instructions on Tantra. The Fifth Dzogchen gave him his vows of full ordination (bhikṣu) and named him Tubten Shedrub Dargye (thub bstan bshad sgrub dar rgyas).

He enrolled in Śrī Siṃha College where he studied Mādhyamaka, Prajñāpāramitā, Abhidharmakośa, Vinaya, Pramāṇa, the thirteen traditional Indian classical texts of the Śrī Siṃha curriculum, and received comprehensive commentary on the Guhyagarbha Tantra. Some of his teachers including the nineteenth abbot of Śrī Siṃha, Zhenpen Chokyi Nangwa (gzhan phan chos kyi snang ba, 1871-1927); Khenchen Ratnakīrti (mkhan chen rat+na kIrti, d.u.); and the sixteenth abbot of Śrī Siṃha, Adro'i Khenchen Sonam Chopel (a 'gro'i mkhan chen bsod nams chos phel, d.u.).

Tubten Nyendrak also received teachings from many of the great masters of his day, including Ju Mipam Gyatso ('ju mi pham rgya mtsho, 1846-1912); Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye ('jam mgon kong sprul blo gros mtha' yas, 1813-1899/90); and Khenpo Kunzang Pelden (mkhan po kun bzang dpal ldan, 1862-1943). He eventually studied the great Longchen Rabjampa's (klong chen rab 'byams pa, 1308-1364) texts on Dzogchen, receiving the necessary empowerments, transmissions, and instructions from the Fifth Dzogchen Drubwang, Zhenpen Chokyi Nangwa, Adzom Drukpa Drodul Pawo Dorje (a 'dzom 'brug pa 'gro 'dul dpa' bo rdo rje, 1842-1924), and the Third Mura, Pema Dechen Zangpo (mu ra sku phreng 03 pad+ma bde chen bzang po, d.u.).

In 1912, the Fifth Dzogchen Drubwang enthroned Tubten Nyendrak as the abbot at Dzogchen Monastery. He was thirty years old. He administered the summer retreat program, led the senior students' studies, and acted as the vajra-master (rdo rje slob dpon) for the monastery's extended yearly rituals. After serving at Dzogchen Monastery for four years, he was appointed as the twenty-third abbot of Śrī Siṃha College. He served in this position for an additional four years, teaching extensively across a wide range of topics and upholding the tradition of his predecessors.

After completing his tenure at the two monasteries, he traveled to a secluded hermitage in Rudam valley to engaged in the advanced Dzogchen practices of trekcho (khregs chod) and togel (thod rgal) in a solitary retreat.

Fifth Dzogchen Drubwang, in response to a request from the first King of Bhutan, Orgyen Wangchuk ('brug rgyal 01 o rgyan dbang phyug, 1862–1926) for an instructor who could teach him Dzogchen, he appointed Tubten Nyendrak to the task. On his way to Bhutan he visited the major monasteries in U, including the three principle Geluk monasteries located around Lhasa: Sera, Drepung, and Ganden.  While there he successfully debated with a number of outstanding scholars, who were said to have been impressed by his scholarship and knowledge of the Geluk tradition.

Tubten Nyendrak maintained a close connection to the Geluk tradition, exchanging knowledge with many scholars in the tradition. He is said to have kept a collection of Tsongkhapa Lobzang Drakpa's (rje tsong kha pa blo bzang grags pa, 1357–1419) writings next to Longchenpa's texts, which was unusual for a Nyingma lama. He is even said to have received a vision of Je Tsongkhapa, and often wore a yellow hat in the manner of the Geluk. He later was said to be an incarnation of both the eighth-century Indian translator Śāntarakṣita and Khedrubje Gelek Pelzang (mkhas grub rje dge legs dpal bzang, 1385-1438), one of Tsongkhapa's closest disciples.

Tubten Nyendrak was welcomed with great ceremony when he crossed the border into Bhutan, and was similarly honored when he arrived at the palace. The royal family paid respects to him and accepted him as their teacher. He initially taught the Guhyagarbha tantra to a small number of disciples, the king amongst them; he later followed this with advanced teachings from the Nyingma tradition mainly based on Longchenpa's writings. While in Bhutan, he toured several monasteries, including Tarpaling (thar pa gling) in Bumtang (bum thang) where he also taught and give transmissions.

Tubten Nyendrak returned to the Rudam Valley, where he served as the personal tutor to Bopa Tulku Dongak Tenpai Nyima (bod pa sprul sku mdo sngags bstan pa'i nyi ma, c.1900-1959) at Nakchung Hermitage (nags chung dben khrod) for several years. Afterwards, he returned to Bhutan once again to give the king additional practice instructions to the king.  

After returning to Tibet, he settled at Drakkar (brag dkar) Monastery in Rudam where he began to teach regularly, often for three to four sessions daily. Hundreds of followers began to gather around him, and gradually the monastery grew to become a new center for both the study and practice of Tubten Nyendrak's teachings. He introduced and promoted Śrī Siṃha's curriculum of studying the thirteen great Indian classical texts according the tradition of the nineteenth abbot of Śrī Siṃha College, Zhenpen Chokyi Nangwa (gzhan phan chos kyi snang ba, 1871-1927). He also gave teachings on the Lama Yangtik (bla ma yang tig) to seven disciples.

His students invited him to a number of places in the surrounding area, including Minyak, where he established dharma centers gave religious instruction, and gave moral advice to the local people. One story relates how he discouraged the thieves and outlaws in one region from celebrating feasts in which they consumed large amounts of meat. He was said to have been an extremely dedicated meditator, so much so that he would not lay down for sleep; instead, he would only rest for a short period at the break of dawn by covering his head with his robe. According to his hagiography he did not show signs of aging or physical weakness even at the age of seventy due to his mastery over advanced yogic practices.

Some titles of Tubten Nyendrak's extant compositions include a Referential Commentary on the Bodhicaryāvatāra (spyod 'jug mtshan don gyi 'grel pa); A Compendium of Chod Practice (gcod kyi bsdus don chos brgyad 'khrul ba'i sbub bshig bse ru lta bu'i spyod pa); Rosary of White Lotus: A Compendium of the Wisdom of Perfection (sher phyin bsdus don pad+ma dkar po'i phreng ba); Rosary of Young Utpala: A Commentary to the Verse Orthographical Dictionary by Pelkhang Lotsawa (dag yig ngag sgron gyi 'grel pa ut+pala gzhon nu'i phreng ba); an Index of the Seven Treasures which was published at Śrī Siṃha (mdzod bdun par bskrun byas pa'i dkar chag); A Comprehensive Commentary on Sanskrit Phonology (sgra TIka chen mo); and Notes on the Generation and Completion Stages (bskyed rdzogs zin bris). He composed various other smaller texts, but many of these were lost with the destruction of Dzogchen Monastery in the early 1960s.

In 1955, at the age of about seventy-three, Tubten Nyendrak donated all of his belongings to Śrī Siṃha, keeping only a small amount of items necessary for his survival. He later donated all of his religious articles and books for use by future abbots. He passed away in 1959, at the age of seventy-seven.

Some prominent names among his large number of disciples include the Sixth Dzogchen Drubwang, Jikdrel Jangchub Dorje (rdzogs chen 06 'jigs bral byang chub rdo rje, 1935-1959); the Sixth Dzogchen Ponlob, Jikdrel Tsewang Dorje (dpon slob 06 'jigs bral tshe dbang rdo rje, 1925-1962); Tubten Lungtok Tenpai Gyeltsen (thub bstan lung rtogs bstan pa'i rgyal mtshan, d.u.); Bopa Tulku Dongak Tenpai Nyima; Khamsum Zilngon Gyepa Dorje (khams gsum zil gnon dgyes pa rdo rje, 1890-1939); Adzom Gyelse Gyurme Dorje (a 'dzom rgyal sras 'gyur med rdo rje, b.1895); Dzogchen Khenpo Pema Tsewang (rdzogs chen mkhan po pad+ma tshe dbang, d.u.); Jetsunma Dasel Wangmo (rje btsun ma zla gsal dbang mo, c.1928); and the thirty-first abbot of Śrī Siṃha, Chonam (chos rnam, d.u.).