The Treasury of Lives

Jigme Lodro ('jigs med blo gros) was born in 1879 to the Awo (a bo) family in Rudam Lhalung Yarpu (ru dam lha lung yar phu) in Kham to a father named Sonam (bsod nams) and mother named Zangmo (bzang mo). According to his hagiography he was considered an emanation of the great eighth-century Indian Buddhist master Śāntideva.

At Dzogchen Monastery, Rudam Orgyen Samten Choling (rdzogs chen ru dam o rgyan bsam gtan chos gling), and Śrī Siṃha College (shrI sing+ha bshad drwa) he studied general subjects, commentaries on the sutras and tantras, and received oral instructions from a number of distinguished teachers including the Fifth Dzogchen Drubwang, Tubten Chokyi Dorje (rdzogs chen 05 thub bstan chos kyi rdo rje, 1872-1935); the eighth abbot of Śrī Siṃha, Pema Vajra (pad+ma badz+ra, c.1807-1884); Ju Mipam Gyatso ('ju mi pham rgya mtsho, 1846-1912); the fifteenth abbot of Śrī Siṃha, Domtson Konchok Drakpa (sdom brtson kon mchog grags pa, c.1830); and the Second Gemang, Tenpei Nyima (dge mang 02 bstan pa'i nyi ma, 1857-1925/29). He received a Vajrakīla (rdo rje phur ba) empowerment from the Fifth Dzogchen Drubwang and was said to have had a vision of the deity four times. He would later become known as powerful yogi and authoritative master of the Vajrakīla cycle, which emphasizes the removal of obstacles to dharma practice.

Two examples from his hagiography illustrate the high status he attained as a Vajrakīla master. Tradition relates that at one point numerous obstacles were befalling some of the Dzogchen lamas due to black magic (mthu gtad). Knowing Jigme Lodro was an accomplished Vajrakīla practitioner, the Fifth Dzogchen Drubwang appointed him as a khenpo (mkhan po), which in this context refers to "professor" rather than "abbot", and requested him to use his powers to dispel the obstacles. During Jigme Lodro's rituals, copper dust fell from the roof of the Fifth Dzogchen's bedroom on to his lap. It caused no harm, and the obstacles were presumably pacified. It is also said that during a later ritual Jigme Lodro's ritual objects emited sparks of fire and a loud cracking sound was heard.

Tradition relates that numerous prideful scholars came to challenge Jigme Lodro in debate while he acted as the abbot of Śrī Siṃha. Jigme Lodro emerged victorious, and many of those who came to defeat him became his students.

Following the tradition of those who had served before him, Jigme Lodro settled at a secluded hermitage in the Rudam valley after his retirement from the abbacy. He remained in retreat for the rest of his life, practicing the generation and completion stages of the Dzogchen tradition. He continued to give oral instructions to the students who gathered to hear him teach during breaks between his meditation sessions.  

According to tradition, when the Sixth Dzogchen Drubwang, Jikdrel Jangchub Dorje (rdzogs chen 06 'jigs bral byang chub rdo rje, 1935-1959) had a premonition that Jigme Lodro was close to death, and he immediately rushed to the hermitage where he was staying. But before he could reach him, Jigme Lodro had cleaned his body, sat upright, stared into the sky and passed away by transferring his consciousness, the practice of powa ('pho ba).

Jigme Lodro's funeral rites, led by the Sixth Dzogchen Drubwang and Bopa Tulku Dongak Tenpai Nyima (bod pa sprul sku mdo sngags bstan pa'i nyi ma, 1895/1900-1959), were attended by hundreds of disciples.  After his cremation, many relics were said to have been found amongst his ashes and were preserved as objects of faith.

Some of his prominent disciples included the Sixth Dzogchen Drubwang; Bopa Tulku; Konchok Rinchen (dkon mchog rin chen, b. 1922); Jamyang Sherab Gyeltsen ('jam dbyangs shes rab rgyal mtshan, b. 1930); Tsewang Rigdzin (tshe dbang rig 'dzin, 1883-1958); and Akyong Khenchen Tsondru (a skyong mkhan chen brtson 'grus, d.u.).

Adro'i Khenpo Yeshe Gyatso (a gro'i mkhan po ye shes rgya mtsho, 1888-1911) succeeded him as the twenty-second abbot of Śrī Siṃha College.