The Treasury of Lives

Yangchan Lhamo (dbyangs can lha mo) was born on February 13, 1907, the first day of the first month of the fire-sheep year of fifteenth sexagenarian cycle, in Pemako. Her father was Jampa Jungne, the Seventh Riwoche Jedrung, Jampa Jungne (ri bo che rje drung 07 byams pa 'byung gnas), and her mother was named Bumo Tsultrim (bu mo tshul khrims). Her father, based at Riwoche Monastery (ri bo che dgon) had gone to Pemako to reveal treasure.

She learned to read and write from her father, and took an interest in reading medical texts.

When she was eleven her father was banished from the Chamdo region on suspicion of collusion with Chinese enemy agents, and was invited to Taklung Monastery (stag lung) in Tibet. There two doctors from the government medical college in Lhasa, Mentsikhang (sman rtsis khang) came to receive teachings in traditional medicine from her father, a famous doctor. He requested in return that they train his daughter in the treatment of cataracts. By the age of thirteen she had mastered urine analysis and pulse examination.

Under the supervision of Khyenrab Norbu (mkhyen rab nor bu, 1883-1962), the personal physician of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Tubten Gyatso (ta la'i bla ma 13 thub bstan rgya mtsho, 1876-1933), she continued her training at the Mentsikhang.

On completing her training, she treated many poor people in Lhasa and Chamdo, helping those who came from afar to find food and lodging.

Yangchen Lhamo married the Seventh Karma Chakme, Tsultrim Namgyel (karma chags med 07 tshul khrims rnam rgyal, 1926-2013) with whom she had two daughters, Yeshe Wangmo (ye shes dbang mo) and Ngawang Peltso (ngag dbang dpal mtsho). She also raised a son, Jampel Kunkhyab ('jam dpal kun khyab), who is currently working as a doctor in Lhasa.

In 1948 she was invited to Bhutan to treat Jigme Wangchuk, the second king of Bhutan ('brug rgyal 02 'jigs med dbang phyug, 1905-1952). She removed cataracts from many other people in Bhutan and became well known in the country. She appears to have performed cataract surgery in Sikkim as well.

She received a certificate from Khyenrab Norbu in 1951 for her service. For the next three years, with Doctor Ngawang Puntsok (ngag dbang phun tshogs) she restored sight to more than three hundred people across Tibet, charging nothing for her service.

In 1958 she took a permanent position at the Mentsikhang to develop the traditional Tibetan medical treatment of gynecological and pediatric conditions. This was a field that had fallen into neglect due to the dominance of monastics in medical practice, who refused to treat gynecological conditions.

She continued to work as a doctor after the Communist takeover of Tibet in 1959, and in 1962 Khyenrab Norbu appointed her the first Director of the Department of Gynecology and Pediatrics. Part of her responsibilities was to train additional female doctors.

In 1964 she presented a paper on the medical treatment of women at a conference in Lhasa, and wrote a gynecology textbook.

During the Cultural Revolution she was charged twice with subversion, first in 1966 and again in 1968 when she treated victims of a violent revolt in Lhasa. She died around 1973.

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Publication of this biography was made possible through support of Khyentse Foundation.

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