The Treasury of Lives

Damcho Lingpa (dam chos gling pa), also known as Chennga Gampopa (spyan snga sgam po), was born sometime in the late twelfth century into the Kyura (skyu ra) clan. His father, Sanggye Pel (sangs rgyas dpal), was said to be an incarnation of Marpa Chokyi Lodro (mar pa chos kyi blo gros, 1012?-1097). His mother's name was Choden (chos ldan). He had one sister and five brothers, including his eldest brother Won Sherab Jungne (dbon shes rab 'byung gnas, 1187-1241), who would become a close disciple of Jikten Gonpo Rinchen Pel (jig rten mgon po rin chen dpal, 1143-1217), the founder of the Drigung Til Monastery ('bri gung mthil). Another brother was named Sonyom Lingpa (bsod snyoms gling pa). The names of his other siblings are not known.

Chennga Gampopa traveled to Drigung with his brothers and received teachings from Jikten Gonpo. He later went to Daklha Gampo (dwags lha sgam po), where his brother Sherab Jungne was abbot, and taught there. In particular, he focused his teachings on The Single Intention (dgongs gcig), the compilation of Jikten Gonpo's teachings by Sherab Jungne that became one of the core texts of the Drigung tradition.

He later took over the abbacy of Daklha Gampo from Sherab Jungne, although the year is not known. For this reason he was also known as Dakpopa (dwags po pa).

It is said that the dharma protector Namse Dungmarchen (rnam sras mdung dmar can) offered him a treasury of gold that he took out of a flat white boulder, a story of treasure extraction that possibly explains his title Damcho Lingpa (dam chos gling pa). Daklha Gampo histories have it that he distributed the gold all around Dakpo and thereby began the tradition of offering alms in the region. But the Drigung Annals state that it was his brother Sonyom Lingpa who did this.

Among his disciples were Lama Chokyi Tsultrim (bla ma chos kyi tshul khrims). Following his death his relics were placed in a golden reliquary in Daklha Gampo. He was succeeded as abbot by Chennga Chotsulpa (spyan snga chos tshul pa).