The Treasury of Lives

Namtrul Jigme Puntsok (nam sprul rin po che 'jigs med phun tshogs) was born in wood monkey year of 1944 in the valley of Gakyil (dga' 'khyil) at the base of the sacred mountain, Drongri Mukpo ('brong ri smug po), which serves as the protective deity for Serta. His father, Namlo of Buchung (bu chung gnam lo), descended from the Mukpo Dong (smug po gdung) line, and his mother Drokyi (grogs skyid) came from the Getse (dge tshe) clan.

Namtrul Rinpoche was recognized as the Fourth Namkhai Nyingpo (nam mkha'i snying po) incarnation of Zhuchen Monastery (gzhu chen dgon) in Serta, a branch of Katok (kaH thog), by the famed Jamyang Chokyi Lodro ('jam dbyangs chos kyi blo gros, 1893–1959). Enthroned at the age of eight at Zhuchen Monastery (by Tibetan reckoning, seven years old by the international standard), he studied primarily Khen Rinpoche Jigme Sengge (mkhan rin po che 'jigs med seng ge), who gave him instructions in the preliminary practices from Longsel Nyingpo's (klong gsal snying po, 1625-1692) revelations, and Zhuchen Kunzang Nyima (gzhu chen kun bzang nyi ma), who gave him empowerments and teachings for The Precious Treasury of Dharmadhātu (chos dbyings mdzod), one of the seven treasuries of Longchen Rabjam (klong chen rab 'byams, 1308-1364), as well as the complete teachings of Rigdzin Dudul Dorje (rig 'dzin bdud 'dul rdo rje, 1615-1672) and Rigdzin Longsel Nyingpo, integral to the Katok liturgical system. At the age of thirteen (by Tibetan reckoning), he received monastic ordination from Khenpo Tubten Yarphel (mkhan po thub bstan yar 'phel). He was also a disciple of Zhuchen Pende Chokyi Nyima (gzhu chen phan bde chos kyi nyi ma).

His education was cut short by the socialist transformation of Tibetan areas, starting in the late 1950s when he was still a teenager. Nonetheless, in 1966 he met Lama Rigdzin Nyima (bla ma rig 'dzin nyi ma) who bestowed on him the esoteric instructions for his own profound treasures and appointed him the trustee (chos bdag) for his treasures. At some point, like many others during this period, Namtrul Rinpoche disrobed. He briefly married a woman named Shambo (sham bo) who bore him a son, Laksam Namdak (lhag bsam rnam dag), later recognized as the reincarnation of his own teacher, Zhuchen Kunzang Nyima.

In 1978, he received a letter from Khandro Tāre Lhamo (mkha' 'gro tā re lha mo, 1938-2002), the daughter of Apang Terchen (a phang gter chen, 1895-1945), containing a prophecy about their future revelations of treasures as a couple. The two corresponded for more than a year before she moved to his homeland in Serta where they rebuilt Nyenlung Monastery (snyan lung dgon pa), alongside Rigdzin Nyima who had occupied the site as a retreat hermitage and later moved his hermitage further up the road, remaining close to the couple throughout their lives. Under their stewardship, Nyenlung has grown into a thriving monastery with a two retreat centers and study centers, two large assembly halls, a Gesar (ge sar) temple, a Zangdok Pelri (zangs mdog dpal ri) temple, several stūpas, living quarters for the family, a retreat cabin, a guesthouse for dignitaries, monks quarters, and peacock throne for teaching outdoors.

In 1980, Khenpo Jigme Puntsok (mkhan po 'jigs med phun tshogs, 1933-2004) gave Namtrul Rinpoche and Tāre Lhamo the transmission for Apang Terchen's treasure corpus, which she had received as a child directly from her father, and encouraged them to propagate it widely. Later in 1986, he authorized the couple as tertons and bestowed the transmission for the treasure corpus of Lerab Lingpa (las rab gling pa, 1856-1926), his own previous incarnation. In 1987, Namtrul Rinpoche and Tāre Lhamo joined his entourage of approximately 10,000 on a historic pilgrimage to Wutai Shan (ri bo rtse lnga, 清凉山), the sacred domain of the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī in Shanxi Province, where the couple revealed a Sarasvatī sādhana.

Throughout the 1980s and 90s, Namtrul Rinpoche and Tāre Lhamo revealed treasures together and taught widely throughout the region of Golok and beyond. During their teaching career, they held and transmitted three principle treasure collections: their own treasure corpus in twelve volumes, that of her father Apang Terchen in sixteen volumes, and that of Dudjom Rinpoche Jigdrel Yeshe Dorje (bdud 'joms rin po che 'jigs bral ye shes rdo rje, 1904-1987), whose treasure corpus was transmitted to them in 1990 by Dola Chokyi Nyima (mdo bla chos kyi nyi ma), the son of Dudjom Rinpoche. They held an annual dharma gathering (chos tshogs) at Nyenlung each summer, attracting more than a thousand followers in attendance since the 1990s, and served as stewards for a number of other monasteries in Golok and neighboring areas, helping to fund rebuilding projects, sponsor rituals, and establish liturgical practices, while visiting regularly to give teachings. They also took a strong interest in and promoted the Gesar epic.

There are several aspects of Namtrul Rinpoche's identity, derivative of Tāre Lhamo's own, that were made public late in life. The first is his identification as the action emanation of her father, Apang Terchen. Otherwise, the main incarnations of Apang Terchen are the current Sakya Tridzin, Nawang Kunga Tekchen Pelbar (sa skya khri 'dzin 41 ngag dbang kun dga' theg chen dpal 'bar, b. 1945), throne holder of the Sakya lineage, and Jigme Wangdrak Dorje ('jigs med dbang drag rdo rje), the nephew of Apang Terchen who was enthroned in youth and lives at Abzo Monastery (a bzod dgon pa) in Jigdril. Another derivative identification is as an emanation of Drime Ozer (dri med 'od zer, 1881–1924), the teacher and consort of Sera Khandro (se ra mkha' gro, 1892–1940), one of two local figures for which Tāre Lhamo at an early age was identified as an emanation.

Namtrul Rinpoche outlived Tāre Lhamo by almost a decade, during which time his following of Chinese disciples swelled, and he continued to grow and expand Nyenlung Monastery as well as a number of dharma centers affiliate with Nyenlung throughout China. After prolonged illness and time in the hospital, he passed away on November 7, 2011. Kunzang Dolma (kun bzang sgrol ma), who became his consort following Tāre Lhamo's passing, has maintained his residence at Nyenlung as a shrine.

The dharma lineage of Namtrul Rinpoche and Tāre Lhamo has passed to his son, Tulku Laksam, who is now the head (dgon bdag) of Nyenlung Monastery and the lineage holder (rgyud 'dzin) for their treasure teachings and those of Apang Terchen. In addition to being the reincarnation of Zhuchen Kunzang Nyima, Tulku Laksam is also considered to be the reincarnation of Tāre Lhamo's own son who died in youth, Wangchuk Dorje (dbang phyug rdo rje). Today, the reliquaries (sku gdung) for Namtrul Rinpoche and Tāre Lhamo stand side by side in a shrine room within the family compound at Nyenlung.