The Pawo incarnation line began with the fifteenth century Chowang Lhundrub, posthumously identified as the First Pawo. The Second Pawo, Tsuklak Trengwa, was a prominent sixteenth-century Kagyu scholar whose history of the Karma Kagyu tradition, the Chojung Khepai Gaton, or Scholar's Feast, is still read today. He was based at Sekhar Gutok monastery, at the time a Kagyu monastery, which became one of the seats of the line, together with Lhalung Monastery. After Sekhar Gutok was converted to the Geluk tradition in the seventeenth century, the Fifth Dalai Lama gave the Fifth Pawo, Tsuklak Trinle Gyatso Nenang Monastery, which he had confiscated from the Seventh Zhamar. Since that time the incarnation line has also been known as the Nenang Pawo.
Biographies
Meban Rinchen Lingpa
b.1289 - d.1368
Meben Rinchen Lingpa was an important terton in his time, mostly known through his close interactions with Pema Ledreltsel and the third Karmapa Rangjung Dorje in the context of the former's revelation of the Heart-Essence of the Dākinī. There exists a manuscript version of this corpus that includes some complements revealed by Rinchen Lingpa, not included in the mainstream version from Longchenpa 's tradition. Rinchen Lingpa, incidentally, is also known because of derogatory mentions of him in some biographies of Longchenpa. Of his abundant termas, two are preserved in the Treasury of Revelations: a remarkable Dzogchen cycle called Ati, The Self-Sufficient Perfect [Principle] and a cycle focused on the deity Nāgarakṣa (a form of Yamāntaka). He may have been Rigdzin Godemchen's Dzogchen teacher.
The First Pawo, Chowang Lhundrub
b.1440/1455 - d.1503
Chowang Lhundrub, posthumously identified as the First Pawo, was a disciple of the Seventh Karmapa, Chodrak Gyatso. He restored the temple at Sekhar Gutok, the site of Milarepa's tower, and made it the base for his religious activities.
The Second Pawo, Tsuklak Trengwa
b.1504 - d.1566
The Second Pawo Tsuklak Trengwa was a prominent sixteenth-century Kagyu scholar whose best known composition was the Chojung Khepai Gaton, or Scholars Feast, a history of the Karma Kagyu tradition. He was a disciple of the Eighth Karmapa, the Fourth Zhamar, Dakpo Chokle Namgyel and other Kagyu lamas. He supervised the cremation the Eighth Karmapa, enthroned the Fifth Zhamar and also later organized the enthronement of the Ninth Karmapa.
The Third Pawo, Tsuklak Gyatso
b.1567 - d.1630/1633
The Third Pawo, Tsuklak Gyatso, was a disciple of the Ninth Karmapa, Wangchuk Dorje.
The Fourth Pawo, Tsuklak Kuntu Zangpo
b.1633 - d.1649
The Sixth Pawo, Tsuklak Dondrub
b.1701 - d.1718
The Tenth Pawo, Tsuklak Nangwa Wangchuk
b.1912 - d.1991