The Treasury of Lives

The Ninth Dorje Drak Rigdzin, Tubten Chowang Nyamnyi Dorje (rdo rje brag rig 'dzin 09 thub bstan chos dbang mnyam nyid rdo rje) was born to a family of tantric practitioners near Ramoche temple in Lhasa (lha sa ra mo che) in 1886, the fire-dog year of the fifteenth sexagenary cycle. His father was named Sonam Tobgyel (bsod nams stobs rgyal, d.u.) and his mother was named Tsechik Drolma (tshe gcig sgrol ma, d.u.). He received his first vows at the age of two from the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Tubten Gyatso (tA la'i bla ma 13 thub bstan rgya mtsho, 1876-1933). The following year, Lharik Pema Vajra (lha rigs pad+ma badz+ra, d.u.) identified him as the reincarnation of the Eighth Dorje Drak Rigdzin, Kelzang Pema Wangyel (rdo rje brag rig 'dzin 08 skal bzang pad+ma dbang rgyal, 1848-1880). The boy was brought to Tubten Dorje Drak Evaṁ Chokgar (thub bstan rdo rje brag e waM chog sgar) where he was enthroned as the seventh throne holder of the monastery.

He studied sutra, tantra, logic, and epistemology under many outstanding teachers from both within and without the Nyingma tradition. In addition to his textual education, he studied the monastic arts of maṇḍala drawing, religious dance, liturgical music, painting, and statue making.

He began to study the rituals and texts of the Jangter tradition when he was around ten years old, primarily under a former abbot of Dorje Drak named Jigme Gyelwai Nyugu ('jigs med rgyal ba'i myu gu, d.u.) and Yongdzin Kelzang Tsultrim (yongs 'dzin skal bzang tshul khrims, d.u.).  His other important teachers included Chimbu Zungtrul ('mchims phu zung sprul, d.u.), Tubten Rinpoche (thub bstan rin po che, d.u.), Gyelrong Tendzin Drakpa (rgyal rong bstan 'dzin grags pa, d.u.), Minling Orgyen Namdrol Gyatso (smin gling o rgyan rnam grol rgya mtsho, d.u.), Chuzang Pema Ngedon (chu bzang pad+ma nges don, d.u.), Jigme Pelgyi Sengge ('jigs med dpal gyi seng+ge, d.u.), and Tekchok Tendzin (theg mchog bstan 'dzin, d.u.).

The Thirteenth Dalai Lama visited Dorje Drak in 1900, presumably to check in on his young disciple's progress.

He received his full ordination from Kunzang Pema Drodul Dorje (kun bzang pad+ma 'gro 'dul rdo rje, d.u.) at Yadrok Drakra (yar 'brog brag ra) at the age of twenty. Afterwards, he was instrumental in renovating his monastery in 1911 and built a new retreat center in 1916.

Tubten Chowang Nyamnyi Dorje undertook many meditation retreats, including a three-year retreat at Drak Yangdzong (sbrags yang rdzong), a cave complex near his monastery, where he practiced deity yoga from both the old and new translations. According to traditional accounts he achieved miraculous powers through his practice, and was able to perform acts such as engraving mantras on stone with his finger; it is said that one of these miraculously carved stones can still be seen behind Dorje Drak monastery.  He is also said to have suspended a ritual vase in the air during an empowerment and made the water within inexhaustible. According to legend, on one occasion while he and his party were traveling to Derge (sde dge), he stopped a huge rock from tumbling down onto his party by merely pointing his finger.

In 1921, he visited Dartsedo (dar rtse mdo) in Kham on the invitation of the Chakla Prince (lcags la rgyal sras), where he gave a reading-transmission of the entire Kangyur as requested of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama. He made a tour of a number of Jangter monasteries including Ba Ne Monastery (bA gnas dgon) and Gotsa Monastery (mgo tsha dgon), giving many teachings and empowerments to the numerous faithful disciples of the Jangter tradition, and supported the building of a magnificent stupa.

Rigdzin Nyamnyi Dorje is also known for composing a commentary on Śāntideva's Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra. Some of his prominent disciples include the Fortieth Sakya Trichen, Drakshul Trinle Rinchen (sa skya khri chen 40 drag shul 'phrin las rin chen, 1871-1935); Jampa Tenpai Gyeltsen (byams pa bstan pa'i rgyal mtshan, d.u.); and the Sixth Shechen Rabjam, Nangdze Drubpai Dorje (zhe chen rab 'byams 06 snang mdzad grub pa'i rdo rje, 1911-1959). His student Gotsa Khenchen Tekchok Tendzin (mgo tsha mkhan chen theg mchog bstan 'dzin, d.u.) served as the teacher to his subsequent incarnation.

Nyamnyi Dorje passed away in 1933 at the age of forty-seven. Other sources list his death in 1932 and 1935.

His next incarnation, Tubten Jigme Namdrol Gyatso (thub bstan 'jigs med rnam grol rgya mtsho), was born in Lhasa in 1936.