The Treasury of Lives

Kunga Pelzang (kun dga' dpal bzang) was born in Lo Montang (glo smon thang), the capital of the Mustang (glo) region of present-day Nepal. As a boy he received novice ordination and many initiations and teachings from his great-uncle, the Sakya master Drungpa Choje Kunga Chokdrub (drung pa chos rje kun dga' mchog grub, d.u.).

In 1531, when Kunga Pelzang was nineteen years old, he traveled northeast into Tibet for studies, arriving first at the Sakya monastery of Serdokchen (gser mdog can), the monastic seat of the great Paṇchen Shākya Chokden (paN chen shAkya mchog ldan, 1428-1507).

A smallpox epidemic was raging in Tsang, so Kunga Pelzang soon continued into U on pilgrimage and to receive teachings from various masters. In particular, at Changlung Choding (lcang lung chos sdings) he met the master Zhonnu Chodrub (gzhon nu chos grub, d.u.) and received many transmissions, especially the complete teachings of Lamdre passed down from Shākya Chokden.

At Chokhor Tse (chos 'khor rtse) he also received the complete Lamdre from Panchen Dorje Gyeltsen (paN chen rdo rje rgyal mtshan, d.u.). From this teacher he then obtained the guiding instructions of the six-branch yoga of Kālacakra, chiefly of the Jonang tradition, but also of other traditions such as those of Buton Rinchen Drub (bu ston rin chen grub, 1290-1364), Lama Dampa Sonam Gyeltsen (bla ma dam pa bsod nams rgyal mtshan, 1312-1375), and the Indian paṇḍita Vanaratna (paN chen nags kyi rin chen, d.u.). He then spent time practicing the six-branch yoga, both in dark retreat and in daytime, and a vast array of signs clearly manifested. As a result, his teacher prophecied that he would benefit many people by means of these teachings.

Kunga Pelzang then returned to Serdokchen monastery, where he studied various subjects such as the perfection of wisdom literature, the monastic code, abhidharma, and Sakya Paṇḍita Kunga Gyeltsen (sa skya paN+Di ta kun dga' rgyal mtshan, 1182-1251) Distinguishing the Three Vows (sdom gsum rab dbye). Once again he traveled to U, receiving further teachings and full ordination, and then returned to Serdokchen.

In 1538 Kunga Pelzang traveled home to Mustang, where he soon received many teachings such as the complete Lamdre, the Hevajra Tantra, and all the transmissions of the Shangpa Kagyu tradition from his uncle, Kunga Drolchok (kun dga' grol mchog, 1507-1566). In 1541 Kunga Pelzang was installed on the monastic seat of Puntsok Samten Ling (phun tshogs bsam gtan gling) Monastery, where he remained for some time. Then he again went to Tibet and accompanied Kunga Drolchok for several years during his wide travels, receiving a vast number of teachings from him.

Kunga Pelzang then returned to his homeland of Mustang, where he ascended to the monastic seat of the great monastery of Tubten Dargye Ling (thub bstan dar rgyas gling) in 1547, when he was thirty-five years old. For about the next ten years he taught practiced meditation at different places in Mustang and nearby regions. At some point after that, serious political and social upheaval occurred in Mustang, and the ruler decided that Kunga Pelzang should travel to Tibet and invite Kunga Drolchok and the abbot of Ngor Monastery to come to Mustang and attempt to arrange a peaceful settlement.

Kunga Pelzang arrived at Jonang Monastery in 1561, just as Kunga Drolchok was beginning the winter session of teachings. He delivered the request and offerings of the Mustang ruler and then went to Ngor Monastery, where he met the eleventh Ngor abbot, Sanggye Sengge (sangs rgyas seng ge, 1504-1569), who agreed to go to Mustang if Kunga Drolchok went. However, Kunga Drolchok eventually decided not to travel to Mustang, and Kunga Pelzang was forced to return home alone.

After Kunga Drolchok passed away in 1566, Kunga Pelzang was invited to succeed his uncle as the twenty-fifth holder of the monastic seat of Jonang Monastery. He ascended the throne in 1567 and gave the Kālacakra initiation and the teachings of the six-branch yoga to seven hundred people. After teaching the first two of the six branches, he went into a two-month retreat, during which he had a wonderful dream of Kunga Drolchok, who smiled at him and with both hands passed to him a golden cakra, saying he should establish many living beings on the path to liberation.

In 1570 Kunga Pelzang carried out extensive renovations and new work on the main temple (gtsug lag khang) and assembly hall ('du khang) of Jonang monastery. The paintings were executed by a group of artists led by the masters Tulku Mentangpa Kundun Lobzangpa (sprul sku sman thang pa sku mdun blo bzang pa, d.u.) and Lhundrubpa (lhun grub pa, d.u.) and their two assistants Gokhung Sopelwa (rgod khungs bsod dpal ba, d.u.) and Nartangpa Tsering Pel (snar thang pa tshe ring 'phel, d.u.).

In the following years Kunga Pelzang traveled and taught extensively, especially the Jonang tradition of the Kālacakra and the Shangpa teachings, as well as taking time for various meditation retreats. In about 1588 he invited the young Tāranātha (rje btsun tA ra nA tha, 1575-1634), who had been recognized as the reincarnation of Kunga Drolchok, to Jonang. There he passed the monastic seat of Jonang to Tāranātha and gave him many teachings, such as the six-branch yoga of Kālacakra, the great Vimalaprabhā commentary on the Kālacakra Tantra, and the Shangpa teachings of the Six Dharmas of Niguma (ni gu chos drug).

One morning in 1595, when he was eighty-three years old, Kunga Pelzang commented that a vision of Kunga Drolchok had appeared to him at dawn. Then he completed all his meditation practices, performed the transference of consciousness according to the teachings of Niguma, and passed away into the paradise of Khecara (mkha' spyod).