The Treasury of Lives

Namdrol Zangpo (rnam grol bzang po) was born in 1504, the wood-mouse year of the eighth sexagenary cycle at Nelung (ne lung), a place located in the middle of a sacred place called Bentsang (ban tshang), an estate of Dralung Monastery (gra lung dgon pa) situated to the south-east of Lake Manasarovar and Mount Kailash. Alternate sources for his life put his date of birth at 1444. Although the identification of this place is not clear, it is likely that it was in or near Dolpo, given that he was known as Dolpo Namdrol Zangpo. His father, Purbu Tashi (phur bu bkra shis, d.u.), was a powerful tantrika and his mother was named Pelden Zangmo (dpal ldan bzang mo, d.u.). The third of five sons, his older brothers were named Gyeltsen (rgyal mtshan, d.u.) and Tsenchuk (mtshan phyug, d.u). According to the legend, his mother had frequent dreams before his birth, in which many well-dressed and heavily ornamented beautiful women came to her and offered pure white clothes. The women, said to be ḍākinīs predicted the unborn child was a reincarnated lama.

At a young age he was given vows of upāsaka by Pelden Zangpo (mkhas pa dpal ldan bzang po d.u.). Subsequently he was taught reading and writing, and memorization of prayer-texts which he is said to have learnt amazingly fast; he also showed strong interest in dharma and renunciation to the mundane life.

He began his religious education at Samdrubling Monastery (bsam grub gling). When he was nineteen, his elder brother passed away and his mother requested that he marry in order to lead the family; all other brothers were too weak to run the family. He refused the proposal, and instead sought out Lodro Zangpo (blo gros bzang po, d.u.) who was residing at Tubten Serdokchen (thub bstan gser mdog can) and engaged in serous studies under the lama. Subsequently, he received the vows of bhikṣu from abbot Sonam Gyeltsen (bsod nams rgyal mtshan, d.u), Ācārya Shakya Gyeltsen (shA kyA rgyal mtshan, d.u.), Lodro Zangpo, and Serdok Paṇchen Donyo Drubpa (gser mdog paN chen don yod grub pa, d.u.) with forty other monks having presumably received vows of novice monk at Samdrubling. Later he also received bodhisattva and tantric vows.

He studied the classical texts of Prajñāpāramitā, Pramāṇavārttika and Seven Treatises on Pramāṇa, Abhidharmakośa, Vinaya, and Madhyamaka. He visited Sakya Monastery and Pelkhor Dechenling (dpal 'khor bde chen gling) for debate practice, and received high praise from the abbots and scholars there. He then continued on to study tantra, particularly Guhyasamāja. To further his knowledge in tantra he approached Unyon Heruka Kunga Zangpo (dbus smyon he ru ka kun dga' bzang po, 1458-1532) who was then compared to the Indian mahāsiddha Saraha for his realization, and Tilopa for his miraculous powers. Unyon Heruka treated him as his spiritual-son, and taught and guided him closely in his practices in tantra. From him Namdrol Zangpo received teachings and practice guidelines on various systems of tantra including Mahāmudrā, Six Yogas of Bara ('ba' ra chos drug), Rechung Nyengyu (ras chung snyan brgyud), and especially tummo (gtum mo), the “inner heat" produced through meditation in which he became specialized.

Unyon Heruka predicted that Namdrol Zangpo would contribute greatly to the dharma, in particular to the Kagyu tradition, and that he would have a long life and considerable fame. He then recommended that he go to Ngari (mnga' ris) to pursue his work.

He travelled to Tsang and visited Serdokchen, where he received detail teachings and esoteric instructions on many topics including Drubtab Gyatsa (grub thabs rgya rtsa), the hundred means of attainment, from the Sempachenpo (sems dpa' chen po, d.u.) (Donyo Drubpa?), the most distinguished teacher at the monastery. At the monastery he practiced meditation, and is said to have had visions of the mahāsiddha Virūpa. He further studied numerous texts including instructions on Lamdre by Virūpa, and texts on generation and completion stage practices (bskyed rdzogs) by Padmasambhava.

He then returned to his hometown where he performed rituals and prayers according to Rechungpa’s tradition for a long life. Following that he encountered Kunga Drolchok (kun dga' grol mchog, 1507-1566) from whom he received teachings and instructions relating to practices on energy-channels, energy-winds, and energy-drops, and composition and rituals for making meditation-pills, and so forth. He also received a numerous teachings and instructions on many other practical texts such as the Six Yogas of Negu (ne gu chos drug), Mahāmudrā, Orgyen Nyendrub (o rgyan snyen sgrub), Rechung Nyengyu, and so forth. Namdrol Zangpo eventually gave extensive teachings at Barbong (bar bong) and gave empowerments with detail commentary.

Namdrol Zangpo is said to have received teachings from a Sakya teacher named Bara Gyeltsen Pelzangpo ('ba' ra ba rgyal mtshan dpal bzang po, 1310 -1391) -- certainly his reincarnation by the same name, if indeed this occurred -- such as commentaries on the complete teachings of Gyelwa Yangkonpa (rgyal ba yang dkon pa, d.u.), Mahāmudrā, Six Yogas of Bara, and teachings of Lama Shangpa (bla ma shangs pa, 978/990-1127) and so forth.

Later he regularly practiced Mahāmudrā, gaining realizations and experiencing visions, enhancing his practice and understanding by receiving a commentary on the Six Yogas of Naropa. It was said that while he engaged in practice he heard a voice that said, “Do not stay here. The place for your meditation is elsewhere.” Accordingly he travelled in search and found a place called “Sumdun” (sum 'dun) where he meditated for few a years on practices such as tummo. He composed a few verses of praise to the place and moved on only after his presence came to be known by the local people and his solitude was lost.

According to his biography, after leaving Sumdun he was riding a horse to travel Pangrotak (spang ro'i ltag) when three bandits chased him. He stopped and sat in mahāmudrā meditation by his horse, and was rendered invisible to the robbers; they took his horse but left him in peace. Later a monk told him that he saw a rainbow-light surrounding the lama.

In his later life Namdrol Zangpo engaged intensely in esoteric meditation utilizing subtle energy channels, winds, and drops associated with the clear-light, the primordial nature of mind, and accomplished a high state of realization. His devotees believed that he attained the nature of Dharmakāya that embodies the very principle of enlightenment.

As is told in his biography, one night in Mukum (mu rgum), a place now in Nepal, Namdrol Zangpo had a dream in which he saw his teacher, most likely Unyon Heruka, riding a horse led by four women. He stood up suddenly and paid respect, and the lama then recited a few verses indicating that the time of his death was close at hand, including the following:

Everything is impermanent and subject to death;
You're still living -- are you crazy?!
I myself am going to the presence of Padmasambhava,
At the holy palace of Zangtokpelri, the Copper-Colored Mountain.

U-nyon then disappeared into rainbow light.

Soon thereafter, despite of requests by his devotees to continue to live, Namdrol Zangpo determined to seek nirvana and decided that the dawn of the twenty-fifth day of the current month was the best time.

The details including the year of his nirvana are not known but assuming that he lived to about the age of seventy, he likely passed away in or before 1573, the year in which his biography was completed. He was said to have sat in tukdam (thugs dam) unusually long time of forty-nine weeks. Relics such as his heart, tongue, eyeballs and images and others were found in the ashes of his cremation.

The only disciple who is known is Ngorpa Tendzin Sonam Lodro (ngor pa bstan 'dzin bsod nams blo gros, 1516-1581) who wrote his biography.