The Treasury of Lives

Sengdruk Pema Tashi (seng phrug pad+ma bkra shis) was born in a family called Tsongpon (tshong dpon) in the Rudam Kyitram (ru dam skyid khram) valley in Kham some time in the late eighteenth century. No details of his childhood and parents are available.

At a young age he enrolled in Dzogchen Monastery, Rudam Orgyen Samten Choling (ru dam o rgyan bsam gtan chos gling). At the monastery he received a basic education in reading, writing, grammar, poetry, and advanced religious topics in sutra and tantra in the Nyingma tradition of the monastery. He received transmission, empowerments, and instructions from a number of prominent teachers including the Third Dzogchen Drubwang, Ngedon Tendzin Zangpo (rdzogs chen grub dbang 03 nges don bstan 'dzin bzang po, 1759-1792); the Second Dzogchen Ponlob, Pema Sangngak Tendzin (rdzogs chen dpon slob 02 pad+ma gsang sngags bstan 'dzin, 1731-1805); the First Dodrubchen, Jigme Trinle Ozer (rdo grub chen 01 'jigs med 'phrin las 'od zer, 1745-1821); Jigme Gyelwai Nyugu ('jigs med rgyal ba'i myu gu, 1765-1842), and Barla Tashi Gyatso ('bar bla bkra shis rgya mtsho,  b. 1714). He received additional teachings from the Fourth Dzogchen Drubwang, Mingyur Namkhai Dorje (rdzogs chen grub dbang mi 'gyur nam mkha'i rdo rje, 1793-1870), and Guru Tashi (gu ru bkra shis, 18th century), the author of the famous religions history completed in the second decade of the nineteenth century.

Having attained a high level of scholarship he earned the epithets "Khepai Wangchuk" (mkhas pa'i dbang phyug), meaning "Authoritative Scholar" and "Sengdruk" (seng phrug), meaning "Lion’s Cub" in reference to his fearlessness in scholarly activities.

Pema Tashi went on pilgrimage to U-Tsang, during which he visited Orgyen Mindroling Monastery (o rgyen smin grol gling) where he received his full ordination (bhikṣu) from Minling Gyelse Rigdzin Zangpo (smin gling rgyal sras rig 'dzin bzang po, d.u.) who was then the abbot of the monastery.

In 1848 Gyelse Zhenpen Taye (rgyal sras gzhan phan mtha' yas, 1800-1855) established the Śrī Siṃha College (shrI sing+ha chos sde), widely known as Shri Seng College (shrI seng chos grwa) under the patronage of the Fourth Dzogchen Drubwang Mingyur Dorje. Sengdruk Pema Tashi was enlisted to serve as its first abbot by its founders, who announced: "Appointing the great scholar, Sengdruk Pema Tashi as the first abbot creates the aspiration that all successive abbots of this monastery will likewise be fearless scholars".

Sengdruk Pema Tashi gave the vinaya vows to the new college's monks and taught a variety of topics in both sutra and tantra as well as non-religious subjects. Among his students were several future abbots of the Monastery and College, including the third abbot, Rigdzin Zangpo (rdzogs chen mkhan rabs 03 rig 'dzin bzang po, d.u.); the fourth abbot, Pema Sheja (rdzogs chen mkhan rabs 04 pad+ma shes bya, d.u.); and the eighth abbot, Pema Vajra (pad+ma ba+dz+ra, c.1807-1884). Other prominent disciples included Dza Patrul Orgyen Jigme Chokyi Wangpo ('dza dpal sprul o rgyan 'jigs med chos kyi dbang po, 1808-1887), Shechen Paṇchen Gyurme Tutob Namgyel (zhe chen paN chen 'gyur med mthu stobs rnam rgyal, b. 1787), Jigme Ngotsar Getse lama Sonam Tendzin ('jigs med ngo mtshar dge rtse'i bla ma bsod nams bstan 'dzin, b. 1730), and Khyunglung Repa Damtsik Dorje (khyung lung ras pa dam tshig rdo rje, d.u.).

Following an unknown number of years of service at the College, Sengdruk Pema Tashi entered a retreat in a cave hermitage above the monastery called Rudam Yangwen Sengdruk Puk (ru dam yang dben seng phrug phug).

He was succeeded at the College by Gyelse Zhenpen Taye.