The Treasury of Lives

Kunga Pelden (kun dga' dpal ldan) was born near the Sakya Monastery of Galenteng (dga' len steng) near to Derge's Lhundrubteng Monastery (sde dge lhun grub steng)¹ in the year 1878. He entered into the religious life of a monastic when he was young, but he conducted himself in a rough manner as he would constantly engage in fighting. Even in his monastic community he carried a flail weapon around his waist made of a yak-haired rope with an attached stone covered in animal hide.

It is said that one day, as he was leaving the evening group practice, he saw a mountain surrounded by a grassy meadow with mist rolling in. Atop this mountain sat two small white retreat houses, which was the first known inspiration for him leading a life of retreat.

According to Kunga Pelden's biography, The Wondrous Light of Lunar Nectar (ngo mtshar bdud rtsi'i snang ba), written by his student Dilgo Khyentse Tashi Peljor (dil mgo mkhyen brtse bkra shis dpal 'byor, 1910-1991), when he entered into a retreat with his teacher his behavior apparently did not improve. At first he was not able to complete the necessary recitations for the Element Taming Vajrapāṇi ('byung 'dul) as he was preoccupied with reading the biography of Milarepa (mi la ras pa, 1040-1153). His teacher reprimanded him for such a distraction, but he kept reading biographical texts.

It is unknown if he completed those recitations, but he ultimately managed to do the necessary accumulations for a different practice of the thousand-armed Avalokiteśvara, as stated in the biography.² It was around this time he heard the life story of Dza Patrul Rinpoche (rdza dpal sprul o rgyan 'jigs med chos kyi dbang po, 1808–1887), which motivated him to seek out the great master in Dzachuka.³

Dza Patrul Rinpoche was in the process of teaching on the Bodhicaryāvatāra at Dzogchen Monastery (rdzogs chen dgon) when Kunga Pelden arrived, and he was only able to receive the tenth and last chapter concerning dedication. He later received the entire Bodhicaryāvatāra from Mura Choktrul Pema Dechen Zangpo (mu ra sprul sku 03 pad+ma bde chen bzang po). It was in this period that he met Gemang Wonpo Orgyen Tendzin Norbu (dbon po o rgyan bstan 'dzin nor bu, 1841/1851–1900?) who became his root guru.

Kunga Pelden stayed with Orgyen Tendzin Norbu for a few years in study and practice. He received from him many of the main texts of the Nyingma tradition, including Longchenpa's (klong chen pa, 1308-1364) Trilogy of Natural Ease (ngal gso skor gsum), The Seven Treasuries (mdzod bdun), and The Wish-Fulfilling Jewel of the Guru's Inner Essence (bla ma yang tig yid bzhin nor bu); Ngari Paṇchen's (mnga' ri paN chen, 1487-1542) Ascertaining the Three [Sets of] Vows (sdom gsum rnam nges); Nāgārjuna's A Letter to a Friend and Mūlamadhyamakakārikā; The Five Books of Maitreya; Jigme Lingpa's ('jigs med gling pa, 1730-1798) Heart Essence of the Great Expanse (klong chen snying thig) and Yeshe Lama (ye shes bla ma) treasure cycles; Patrul Rinpoche's The Three Phrases that Hit the Key Points (tshigs gsum gnad du brdeg pa), and many more. Kunga Pelden ultimately became the lineage holder for Orgyen Tendzin Norbu's practice lineage, which he then passed on to a Geluk lama from Kandze named Choktrul Lobzang Tendzin (mchog sprul blo bzang bstan 'dzin, 1866-1928),⁴ who was also known as Trehor Drakkar Tulku (tre hor brag dkar sprul sku), and was one of the main teachers of Apang Terton Pawo Choying Dorje (a pang gter ston dpa' bo chos dbyings rdo rje, 1895-1945).

Orgyen Tendzin Norbu then sent Kunga Pelden with a group of monks to Dzongsar Monastery (rdzong sar) to receive teachings from Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (jam dbyangs mkhen brtse'i dbang po, 1820-1892) on Hevajra and Kecharā. After this, he returned to Dzogchen Monastery and went into retreat for three years near the residence of Khenpo Zhenpen Chokyi Nangwa (gzhan phan chos kyi snang ba, 1871-1927), focusing on the practices of Trilogy of Natural Ease.

Kunga Pelden continued with additional retreats, practicing the guru yogas of various Dzogchen cycles. He supported his practice by performing ritual feast offerings for the public, using donations to sponsor woodblocks for texts such as The Sūtra of the Wise and Foolish—a popular Central Asian text translated into Tibetan in the ninth century—and the Karmaśatakasūtra—a collection stories of the Buddha's deeds—which he had placed in Dzogchen Monastery's printing house. During this time, he also promoted the enforcement of the Tibetan conservation laws of "sealing the mountains and valleys" (ri rgya klung rgya) in order to protect the wildlife.

Kunga Pelden taught numerous students during this period. His teachings included The Guru’s Inner Essence, The Seven Treasuries, and the Heart Essence of the Great Expanse, and he placed his students into retreat in the surrounding areas. It is said that towards the end of his retreat he developed a sickness of the white channels, which he cured via the practice of removing obstacles in the body as found in The Guru’s Inner Essence.

Kunga Pelden next entered into a hundred-day dark retreat in a storehouse room in an empty fortress (rdzong) near Derge. He later shared his intense visions with his student, Dilgo Khyentse Tashi Peljor, who recorded them in the biography. Dzogchen Khenpo Lhagyel Pema Tekchok Loden (rdzogs chen mkhan po lha rgyal pad+ma theg mchog blo ldan, 1879-1955) also practiced dark retreat in that room; however, he did not have similar intense visions, which Kunga Pelden explained was due to the differences in their channels, vital energies, and vital essences (rtsa rlung thig le).

In the later years of his life, Kunga Pelden made his main residence a place called Nepu (gnas phu) in the front of the Ziltrom (zil khrom) glacier above Dzogchen Monastery. He also resided at the nearby meditation cave of Tsering Jong (tshe ring ljongs) under the care of the Fifth Dzogchen Drubwang, Tubten Chokyi Dorje (dzogs chen grub dbang 05 thub bstan chos kyi rdo rje, 1872–1935). Here he taught The Wish-Fulfilling Jewel of the Guru’s Inner Essence to the majority of khenpos and tulkus from Dzogchen Monastery. According to Namkhai Norbu, he additionally spent time at Galengteng Monastery during the last years of his life.

Dilgo Khyentse included a couple testimonials from Kunga Pelden's teachers and students in The Wondrous Light of Lunar Nectar:

I spent my entire life teaching the sutras and tantras, but whenever Kunga Pelden asked questions concerning the profound points of view and meditation I could not answer immediately. I had to think about it carefully. I suppose the wisdom from his meditation had unfolded. —Zhenpen Chokyi Wangpo

I received both the instructions and transmission for The Guru’s Inner Essence from Guru Kunga Pelden, and he also explained many excellent profound points on practice. —Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro ('jam dbyangs mkhyen brtse chos kyi blo gros, 1893-1959)

In addition to those mentioned above, Kunga Pelden's students included the Eleventh Pelpung Situ, Pema Wangchok (ta'i sit u 11 pad+ma dbang mchog rgyal po, 1886–1952); Khenchen Tsewang Rigdzin (mkhan chen tshe dbang rig 'dzin, 1883-1958); Sonam Gonpo (bsod nams mgon po), Jigme Lodro ('jigs med blo gros, 1879-1955); Norbu Tendzin (nor bub stan 'dzin, 1898-1950); Konchok Zangpo (dkon mchog bzang po, b. 1862); Chime Yeshe ('chi med ye shes); Khenpo Pema Chopel (mkhen po pad+ma chos dpal, b. 1933); Khunu Lama Tendzin Gyeltsen (khu nu bla ma bstan 'dzin rgyal mtshan, 1894-1977); and Rigdzin Wanggyel (rig 'dzin dbang rgyal, 1924-1997?). According to Namkhai Norbu, Khyentse Chokyi Wangchuk (mkhyen brtse chos kyi dbang phyug, 1909-1960) and Tokden Jamten (rtog bstan byams bstan, d. 1954) were also students. Many other students were also shared with Khenpo Zhenpen Chokyi Nangwa.

Kunga Pelden was a major proponent of The Wish-Fulfilling Jewel of the Guru’s Inner Essence, or Lama Yangtik, The Seven Treasuries of Longchenpa, and the channels, vital energy, and the physical yogas of The Heart Essence of the Great Expanse, or Longchen Nyingtik. Kunga Pelden received Lama Yangtik, Longchen Nyingtik, and the physical yogas from Orgyen Tendzin Norbu and the practice of the channels, vital energies, and vital essences from Pema Tekchok Loden. He later passed these lineages to Dilgo Khyentse Tashi Peljor.⁵

He passed away in either 1944 or 1950/51.⁶

¹ 'Jigs med bsam grub.

² Bkra shis dpal 'byor, 624.

³ Both works of Dilgo Khyentse Tashi Peljor and Nyoshul Khenpo mention that Kunga Pelden met Dza Patrul Rinpoche, but we need to take Kunga Pelden's age into consideration as he would be at maximum nine years old when Dza Patrul died in 1887. Tashi Peljor's work does not mention that he went with a group when he was traveling to meet Dza Patrul Rinpoche, and we have to consider whether it would have been possible for a child to . to make a solo trip from approximately Derge Gongchen to Dza Patrul's Maṇi wall, Dobum Chenmo (rdo 'bum chen mo). His later journey to meet Jamyang Khentse Wangpo has more historical validity as he travelled with a group to meet that lama after spending a few years studying with Orgyen Tendzin Norbu. Additionally, Khyentse Wangpo has a significant role in Kunga Pelden's biography.

⁴ Nyoshul Khenpo, 612.

⁵ Dilgo Khyentse, 87.

⁶ Kunga Pelden's date of death is taken from the Collected Writings of Dzogchen Khenpo Zhenga of Gzhan phan 2006: 47. Namkhai Norbu gives the alternate dates of 1950 or 1951.