The Treasury of Lives

Janchub Tsemo (byang chub rtse mo) was born in Lato in 1315. His father was named Zhonnu Pelzang (zhon nu pal zang) and his mother, Yeshe Menne (ye shes sman ne), was the sister of Pang Lotsāwa Lodro Tenpa (dpang lo tsA ba blo gros brtan pa, 1276-1342).

When he was seven he received the lay, or upāsaka vows from his uncle Pang Lotsāwa, who also began his instruction in Buddhist doctrine and taught him Sanskrit, mostly while they resided at Sakya Monastery (sa skya dgon), and epistemology while at Tsel Gungtang (tshal gung thang).

At the age of sixteen he received novice monastic vows from Khenchen Chokyong Pel (khen chen chos skyong dpal), a nephew of Shong Lotsāwa Dorje Gyeltsen (shong lo tsA ba rdo rje rgyal mtshan). Pang Lotsāwa then sent him to study for four years at Bodong E (bo dong e).

At the age of twenty-two he received full ordination at Sakya Monastery. Jamyang Donyo Gyeltsen ('jam dbyangs don yod rgyal mtshan, 1310-1344), who would later be enthroned as the Thirteenth Sakya Tridzin, served as the abbot for the ceremony. Pang Lotsāwa was the preceptor, Lama Dampa Sonam Gyeltsen (bla ma dam pa bsod nams rgyal mtshan, 1312-1375) served as the secret preceptor, and a lama named Sonam Zangpo (bsod nams bzang po) was the timekeeper. He also spent time studying at Zhalu (zhwa lu), and at age twenty-five he was given the title of Lotsāwa, or "translator."

Other prominent teachers he encountered in his training included many of the luminaries of fourteenth-century Tibet, such as Dolpopa Sherab Gyeltsen (dol po pa shes rab rgyal mtshan, 1292-1361), Gyelse Tokme Zangpo (rgyal sras thogs med bzang po, 1295-1369), Buton Rinchen Drub (bu ston rin chen grub, 1290-1364), Chim Lobzang Drakpa (mchims blo bzang grags pa, 1299-1375), Pangkhangpa Drakpa Gyeltsen (spang khang pa grags pa rgyal mtshan), and Sabzang Mati Paṇchen Lodro Gyeltsen (sa bzang ma ti paN chen blo gros rgyal mtshan, 1294-1376). Tokme Zangpo is said to have remarked that whoever made offerings to Jangchub Tsemo would avoid living during the "Eon of Famine" (mu ge'i bskal pa), one of the three intermediate periods in the current cycle of cosmological eons.

Based on the above painting, recently put on display in Lhasa, Jangchub Tsemo was corpulent and wore a long beard. Note the three sets of prayer beads in his hands.

Over the course of his career Jangchub Tsemo taught many of the era's prominent lamas, and is counted in the transmission line of the Abhidharmakośakārikā, which he received from his uncle. Among his students were Taklung Lotsāwa Namkha Zangpo (stag lung lo tsā ba nam mkha'a grags po), to whom he taught both Kālacakra and grammar; Chennga Drakpa Jangchub (spyan snga grags pa byang chub), his nephew and biographer Lotsāwa Drakpa Gyeltsen (lo tsA ba grags pa rgyal mtshan, 1352-1405), and Tsongkhapa Lobzang Drakpa (tsong kha pa blo bzang grags pa, 1357-1419). He gave the Kālacakra empowerment and instructions in communities across central Tibet.

His main seat was Chumik Monastery (chu mig) near Shigatse. In his old age he stayed at Densatil (gdan sa mthil) and Tsel Gungtang for three years teaching Kālacakra.

According to the Buddhist Canons Research Database (BCRD), Jangchub Tsemo worked on nine translations of Sanskrit works preserved in the Tengyur. These include five treatises on grammar: Rudrabhūti's *Śiṣyahitākalāpasūtravṛtti, Kālidāsa's Meghadūta-nāma [translated in collaboration with the Kashmiri Paṇḍita Sumanśrī (kha che'i paN+Di ta su man shrI)], Ratnākaraśānti's Candoratnākara [on which he collaborated with Yarlung Lotsāwa Drakpa Gyeltsen (yar lung lo tsA ba grags pa rgyal mtshan, 1242-1346)], the Kalāpadhātusūtra, and the Dhātusūtra by *Pūrṇacandrapāda.

He translated three Tantric commentaries: Śākyarakṣita's commentary on the Hevajra Tantra, Jagadānandajīvabhadra's Śrīvajracatuḥpīṭhasādhana-nāma, and Jagaddarpaṇa's Vajrācārya-kriyāsamuccaya. BCRD also notes that he composed a table of contents for the Shol edition of the Kangyur and a Jātāka collection by Kṣemendra and Somendra called the Bodhisattvāvadānakalpalatā.

The Buddhist Digital Resource Center (BDRC) also credits him with assisting in several compositions and translations. He worked with Lotsāwa Jamyang Reldri (lo tsA ba 'jam dbyangs ral gri) on his translation of the Kalāpadhatusūtra. BDRC credits him as a coauthor of the commentary on Āsaṅga's Abhidharmasamuccaya written by his disciple Rendawa Zhonnu Lodro (red mda' ba gzhon nu blo gros, 1349-1412).

According to BDRC he composed a biography of his contemporary and teacher Lama Dampa Sonam Gyeltsen.

Legend has it that he displayed several miracles such as walking on water and shrinking himself to pass through a small hole. He was also said to be able to fit large audiences into small buildings and had the ability to predict the future.

His niece Jangchub Dron (byang chub sgron) was the mother of Bodong Paṇchen Chokle Namgyel (bo dong paN chen phyogs las rnam rgyal, 1376-1451).

Jangchub Tsemo passed away at the age of seventy-eight, in 1379/1380.