The Treasury of Lives

Born to the Dre ('bre) clan, Gyelwai Lodro (rgyal ba'i blo gros) was an administrator in the government of King Tri Songdetsen (khri srong lde'u btsan) before taking ordination in India. His name prior to ordination was Gonpo (mgon po). In India he received the teaching of Yangdak Heruka from Hūṃkāra, an Indian Mahāsiddha. He was said to be able to rescue the dead from the realm of the Yāmarāja, the lord of death.

Back in Tibet Gyelwai Lodro served as a translator and is counted among Padmasambhava’s twenty-five disciples. Mastering the teachings Padmasambhava gave him, he was reputed to have had the unusual ability to transform zombies into gold, which he then stored in caves and statues for later discovery.

Gyelwai Lodro was said to have achieved longevity through his practice of Yangdak Heruka and to have lived for more than three hundred years, practicing and transmitting the teachings.