The Treasury of Lives

Donggom Zhikpo (ldong sgom zhig po) was born in a place called Chukyur Long (chu skyur klong) in the eastern part of Dome (mdo smad). He belonged to the Dong (ldong) clan and more precisely to its sub-family named Wang-yak (dbang yag). His father was called Lubu Toryak (klu bu stor yag) and his mother, Khoza Achun (kho za a bcun). He was the elder of two brothers and his first name was actually Monpa Gyel (smon pa rgyal). He studied the art of reading and writing at the age of eight.

When he reached the age of fourteen, Donggom Zhikpo's paternal uncle, a geshe (dge shes) had him sent to the monastery of Khyungpak Tsang (khyung 'phags tshangs). This would have apparently oc­curred after the birth of his younger brother. At the monastery, Donggom received ordi­nation from Khyungpak Gyelbu Lama (khyung 'phags rgyal bu bla ma) and the abbot Zhonnu Metok (gzhon nu me tog) who gave him the name Namkha Gyeltsen (nam mkha' rgyal mtshan). For four years, he did meticulous studies there, and, when he reached the age of eighteen, he started to study Sakya teachings before going back to his Bonpo master.

When Donggom was twenty-one, his guru, Lama Khyungpak (bla ma Khyung 'phags) died. Distraught, Donggom decided to return home. As he was proceeding to­wards upper Kham (mdo stod), however, he encountered Drogon Zhikpo Kunga ('gro mgon zhig po kun dga') and remained with him for several months. Zhikpo Kunga bestowed on him all the instruc­tions of the Oral Transmission (snyan brgyud) together with ancillary precepts. The­reafter, Donggom is said to have practiced extensively and to have realized the nature of his own aware­ness.

Donggom made many travels and pilgrimages in U, Tsang, and Ngari, as well as in Kham and Amdo. Among some of the most important were: the temple of Lhodrak Kharchu (lho brag mkhar chu); the treasure site of Paro Taktsang (spa ro stag tshang) in Bhu­tan, which is associated with several Bon and Nyingma treasure revealers; the mountains of Kailash (gang dkar ti se), Dakpa Shelri (dag pa shel ri) in Tsari (tsa ri), Tsagong (tsa gong), Yarlha Shampo (yar lha sham po), Nyenchen Tanglha (gnyan chen thang lha), Machen Pomra (rma chen spom ra) and others. In all these places, he remained in solitary hermi­tages and during his travels he took the opportunity to lis­ten to many masters from whom he received numerous kinds of instructions.

Towards the end of his life, Donggom attracted many disciples. The tradition has it that upon reaching the age of eighty-three, a strange phenomenon occurred: his body rejuvenated as if he was more or less twenty years old. This enabled him to reach the age of one hundred nineteen, at which time he passed into nirvana.