The Treasury of Lives

Orgyen Lingpa (o rgyan gling pa) was born either in Chumopak (chu mo phag), in the Tamshul (gtam shol) region of Lodrak (lho brag), or Yarje (yar rje) in the Tranang (gra nang) region of Lhokha (lho kha). Because of his association with the later location, he is occasionally referred to as Yarje Orgyen Lingpa. He is said to have been the seventh incarnation of a Lhase Muruk Tsenpo (lha sras mu rug btsan po), a son of King Tri Songdetsen (khri srong lde'u btsan).

At the age of twenty-three he is said to have discovered an extensive treasure inventory (gter ma kha byang) at Samye Monastery in the Red Stupa. It is said that he revealed twenty-eight different treasure troves, amounting to over one hundred volumes, few of which are extant. His best known works are the Katang De Nga (bka thang sde lnga), which recount the ancient history of Tibetan gods and demons, kings, queens, scholars, saints, and ministers. Of equal importance is the Pema Katang (padma bka' thang), which tells the life of Padmasambhava. It was among the early biographies of Padmasambhava, contributing significantly to the development of the legend.

The sites of his treasure extraction include: Yarlung Sheldrak (yar lung shel brag), where he revealed the Pema Katang and a cycle of guru sadhana, Dzogchen, and Avalokiteśvara practices; the Padmasambhava cave behind the Drukpa Kagyu monastery of Dingpoche (sdings po che) at Yugongdrak (gyu gong brag) in Dra (grwa); the Red Stupa at Samye, where he revealed the Katang De Nga; the stupas commemorating the meeting of Tri Songdetsen and Padmasambhava at Zurkardo (zur mkhar mdo), where he revealed Avalokiteśvara treasures; Drakpoche (brag po che) in Grachi (grwa phyi); and Onpu Taktsang ('on phu stag tshang).

There is evidence to suggest that fell afoul with Tai Situ Janchub Gyeltsen (ta'i si tu byang chub rgyal mtshan, 1302-1364) of the Pakmodru (phag mo gru) dynasty that supplanted the Sakya government of Tibet, and he went into exile in Eyul (e'i yul), in Dakpo (dwags po) where he passed away.