The Treasury of Lives

Konchok Pendar (dkon mchog phan dar) was born in 1511, the iron-sheep year of ninth sexagenary cycle, in Churuk Mangkhyung (chu rug mang khyung), in the Lato (la stod) region of central Tibet. His father was named Chokyi Gyeltsen (chos kyi rgyal mtshan, b. 15th century) and his mother was named Chokyong Zangmo (chos skyong bzang mo, b. 15th century). The medical master Gongmen Konchok Delek (gong sman dkon mchog bde legs, 1447-1506) was his maternal uncle.

At the age of ten he began his basic education in reading and writing. The death of his father left the family strained financially and thus his mother encouraged study medicine under his her brother, Konchok Delek, part of a monastic training program that would enable him to earn an income.

In addition to receiving oral transmissions of medical teachings, Konchok Pendar was also devoted to meditative practices and would go on retreats, apparently achieving a high level of accomplishment. As he turned twenty-five, his mother passed away. The family's wealth then passed to him, and it is said that a relative attempted to murder him, via poison, in order to gain his inheritance. His uncle treated him and he recovered.

Konchok Pendar served as the personal physician for the regent of Senggetse (seng+ge rtse), a town in the Sakya (sa skya) region. He also received a number of medical teachings from Drangti Chogyel Tashi (brang ti chos rgyal bkra shis, b. 15th century) at Sakya Mendrong (sa skya sman grong). The oral transmissions he received included the Four Treatises (rgyud bzhi), Astangahrdayasamhita, The Measure of Gold and The Measure of Silver (gser bre and dngul bre), and The Great Vase of Ambrosia (bdud rtsi bum chen). His extensive writings are summarized in Desi Sanggye Gyatso's (sde sri sangs rgyas rgya mtsho, 1653-1705) history of Tibetan medicine The Mirror of Beryl. These teachings and those of his uncle Konchok Delek, along with those of several of their students, constitute the Gongmen medical tradition.

Konchok Pendar trained a great number of disciples, chief among them a group collectively known as the four pillars and eight beams. These included Burtso Yonten Gyatso (sbur tsho yon tan rgya mtsho, 1516-1551), who would become an important medical scholar. It is said that he trained four hundred and thirty disciples in total.

In 1577, the fire-mouse year of tenth sexagenary cycle, at the age of sixty-six, Konchok Pendar was murdered by Yoldongpa  (yol 'dong pa, circa 16th century), a local doctor who apparently acted out of jealousy.