Yeshe De (ye shes sde) was born into the Nanam clan (sna nam) and became one of the three foremost translators of the imperial era. He is counted among the twenty-five disciples of Padmasambhava.
As a young monk his scholarship earned him the title of 'bande' (teacher). He was perhaps the most prolific Tibetan translator in history, with hundreds of translations. Scholar Sherab Rhaldi lists 347 translations in collaboration with fifteen Indian panditas. He is also credited with translating the Nyingma tantras.
He is said to have taught the Abhidharma to Lhalung Pelgyi Dorje (lha lung dal gyi rdo rje).
According to Nyingma legend, he was a master of the Vajrakīlaya tantra, and is said to have realized the illusory nature of phenomena and cut the cord of mind-made karmic conditioning, which left him free to soar in the sky like a bird.
Images
Padmasambhava with Jigme Lingpa and Disciples
This 18th century painting depicts Padmasambhava as a monk surrounded by several disciples and Jigme Lingpa above his head.
དཔྱད་གཞིའི་ཡིག་ཆ་ཁག།
Gu ru bkra shis. 1990.Gu bkra'i chos 'byung. Beijing: Krung go'i bod kyi shes rig dpe skrun khang, p. 172.
Sherab Rhaldi. 2002. "Ye-Shes sDe: Tibetan Scholar and Saint."Bulletin of Tibetology,vol 38, 2002.
Roerich, George, trans. 1996.The Blue Annals. 2nd ed. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidas, p. 345.
Smith, Gene. 2006. “Siddha Groups and the Mahasiddhas in the Art and Literature of Tibet”. InHoly Madness: Portraits of Tantric Siddhas. New York: Rubin Museum of Art, p. 72.
Tarthang Tulku. 1975.Bringing the Teachings Alive. Cazadero, CA: Dharma Publishing.