The Treasury of Lives

Yeshe Zhonnu (yes shes gzhon nu), also known by the Sanskrit version of his name, Jñānakumara, was born into the Nyak (gnyags) clan in Po ('phos), in Yarlung (yar lung) in the mid eighth century. His father was Takra Lhanang (stag sgra lha snang) and his mother was named Suza Gonkyi (sru bza' mgon skyid). Because of an unusual mole on his neck that resembled a crossed vajra, he was given the name Gyelwe Lodro (rgyal ba'i blo gros).

He received his ordination from Śāntarakṣita, and was initiated by Padmasambhava into the Vajrāmṛṭa (rdo rje bdud rtsi) maṇḍala, one of the eight Heruka, after which he practiced at Yarlung Sheldrak (yar lung shel brag), obtaining the ability to bring forth water from the earth. Padmasambhava also initiated him into the Kabgye (bka' brgyad), and his flower fell on the on the central deity of the maṇḍala, Chemchok Heruka (che mchog he ru ka). However Jñānakumara is primarily known for his Vajrakīla practice and transmission, which he received from Vimalamitra. His transmission lineage is known as the Nyak Luks Purba (gnyags lugs phur ba).

Nyak Jñānakumara seems to initially have had a difficult time finding sufficient support for his activities. Following the death of King Tri Songdetsen (khri srong lde'u btsan) he was, along with most translators, driven from the court by a hostile queen, Tsepongza (tshe spong bza') and slandered by his brother, Nyak Geton (gnyags dge ston), who claimed that Jñānakumara was a practitioner of black magic. He was driven out of Chim (mchims) by an angry shepherd whose flock Nyak had scattered, and he was pursued by a hunter in U after he inadvertently startled his prey. It was at the end of these ordeals that Vimalamitra transmitted the Vajrakīla teachings to him, giving him the power to resist such obstacles and put and end to his tendency to flee danger. He used his new strength to obliterate the family of the shepherd and murder his brother. Jñānakumara's disciple Sokpo Pelgyi Yeshe (sog po dpal gyi ye shes, d.u.) is said to have torn out Geton's heart himself.

Nyak assisted Vimalamitra in the translation of the Guhyagarbha Tantra (gsang ba'i snying po), the root text of the Mahāyoga, and he was central in the transmission of Padmasambhava's commentary on it, the Man-ngak Tawai Trengwa (man ngag lta ba'i phreng pa). He is considered an early master of the three Mahāyoga scriptures, the Gonpa Dupai Do (dgongs pa l'dus pa mdo), the Māyājāla (rgyud sgyu l'phrul drva ba) and the Guhyagharba. Nyak also transmitted the Semde (sems sde) and Longde (klong sde) Dzogchen teachings to Sokpo Pelgyi Yeshe and Wodren Pelgyi Zhonnu ('o bran dpal gyi gzhon nu), both of whom taught Nubchen Sanggye Yeshe (gnubs chen sangs rgyas ye shes, c.832-c.962).

Nyak is known to have combined in one person the “four great rivers of transmitted precepts” (bka'i chu babs chen po bzhi) derived from the great masters Padmasambhava, Vimalamitra, Vairocana, and Yudra Nyingpo (g.yu sgra snying po). These were, respectively: textual exegesis; the hearing lineage; the blessing and empowerments; and the practical techniques. He is considered the first of the three originators of the three lineages of the Kama, (bka' ma), or spoken transmission of the Nyingma tradition, the other two being Nubchen Sanggye Yeshe and Zurchen Śākya Jungne (zur chen shAkya 'byung gnas, 1002-1062).

Nyak's most accomplished students were known as the “eight glorious adepts of Vajrakīlaya:” Pelgyi Yeshe, Wodren Pelgyi Zhonnu, Nyenchen Pelyang (gnyan chen dpal dbyangs), Taksang Pelgyi Dorje (thags bzang dpal gyi rdo rje), Lamchok Pelgyi Dorje (lam mchog dpal gyi rdo rje), Tarje Pelgyi Trakpa (dar rje dpal gyi grags pa), Tra Pelgyi Nyingpo (dra dpal gyi snying po), and Lhalung Pelgyi Dorje (lhalung dpal gyi rdo rje).

His reincarnations included Charrong Eyi Menpa (byar rong e yi sman pa) in the twelfth century and Ramo Shelman (ra mo shel sman) in the thirteenth century.