The Treasury of Lives

Pema Rangdol (pad ma rang grol) was born in Sabzang (sa bzang) in the Mongolian enclave of Sokpo (sog po), Amdo, in 1786.

At the age of seventeen, he left his home and went to practice the dharma in Tayanchi (tha yan chi), a mountain retreat near Chubzang Monastery (chu bzang dgon). It is said that ḍākinī appeared in his visions and told him to visit other holy places in order to increase his awareness. Following this revelation, he travelled through nomad regions until he reached the holy site of Tonochi (tho no ci) near Mangra (mang ra), Amdo. There, he stayed for many years in retreat. Over the years, this place became his encampment.

At some point Pema Rangdol travelled to U-Tsang with some of his religious companions. After receiving an audience with the Dalai Lama he continued his pilgrimage and went to Samye (bsam yas), Yarlung Sheldrak (yar lung shel brag), Mindroling (smin grol gling), Dorje Drak (rdo rje brag) and Tashilhunpo (bkra shis lhun po), where he met the Paṇchen Lama. (It is unclear which Dalai Lama and Paṇchen Lama he met.) After returning to Mangra, he invited the great Geluk master Serkhang Dorje Chang (gser khang rdo rje 'chang, 1770-ca. 1848) to his mountain retreat and from him he received many blessings and transmissions.

Pema Rangdol was a close disciple of Chingwang Ngawang Dargye (ching dbang ngag dbang dar rgyas, 1740-1807), the Mongolian prince of Sokpo who became the root teacher of Zhabkar Tsokdru Rangdol (zhabs dkar tshogs drug rang grol, 1781-1850). In Tayanchi, Pema Rangdol received from Ngawang Dargye, among others, teachings on the Four Medical Tantra (sman gyi rgyud bzhi). Zhabkar also mentions this incident in his autobiography.

He and other disciples then visited Zhabkar in Tsonying (mtsho snying), in the middle of Lake Kokonor, and stayed with him for one year. During this time, they requested Zhabkar to write down his life story.

Pema Rangdol went to Rebkong and gave to Changlung Tulku (spyang lung sprul sku, 1822-1858) and to the monks and tantric practitioners from Zho'ong (zho 'ong) the empowerment and transmissions of the seven hundred twenty-five deities of the Eight Sadhana Teachings (bka' brgyad lha tshogs bdun brgya nyer lnga), the Hundred Supreme Deities (zhi khro dam pa rigs brgya), the Eighty siddhas (grub thob brgyad bcu), the Sadhana of the Lineage of Awareness-Holders (rig 'dzin gdung sgrub), and so forth.

When Zhabkar was travelling through the nomad places, he paid a visit to Pema Rangdol and stayed with him for a month, during which time Pema Rangdol received many teachings from him. Pema Rangdol also stayed for a long period at Yama Tashikhyil (g.ya ma bkra shis 'khyil), the monastic seat of Zhabkar.

Each year, Pema Rangdol travelled to the places of Machu (rma chu), lower Rebkong (reb kong mar nang), Trika (khri ka) and Achung Namdzong (a chung gnam rdzong) to give teachings to his disciples. Even though his health was deteriorating, he travelled to Khamra (khams ra) and other places to give transmissions on the Wishing Vase ('dod 'jo'i bum bzang). On his return, he stayed in retreat for a month. It is said that while in retreat, his body began to shrink even though there were no obvious signs of him being seriously ill. When his disciples wanted to perform a healing ritual, Pema Rangdol declined and told them that he was soon to die. He then said to his disciples that his teachings and his religious songs would be his testament.

At the age of fifty-three, one the sixteenth day of the twelfth month of the earth dog year, 1838, Pema Rangdol passed away with an erect body posture and his eyes towards the sky. At that time, Zhabkar was meditating in a cave near Chubzang Monastery. He immediately left for Tonochi and performed the necessary funeral ceremonies. The great siddha Ju Chewa Tsang ('ju che ba tshang) performed the necessary rites and a funerary stūpa was constructed.

Among Pema Rangdol's students were Choying Tobden Dorje (chos dbyings stobs ldan rdo rje, 1785-1848), Maksar Kunzang Tobden Wangpo (mag gsar kun bzang stobs ldan dbang po, 1781-1832), Changlung Tulku (spyang lung sprul sku, 1822-1858), Gurung Tulku Natsok Rangdol (dgu rong sprul sku sna tshogs rang grol, 1822-1874) and Nyang Nangse Dorje (nyang snang mdzad rdo rje, 1798-1874).