The Treasury of Lives

Tutob Yonten Yeshe (mthu stobs yon tan ye shes, d.u.) was born in a town called Ramjenyi (ram bye snyi) in the eastern Dakpo (shar dwags po) region. He ordained with Yeshe Wangchuk (ye shes dbang phyug, d.u.), an abbot of the "Lower Druk" tradition (smad 'brug) monastery of Bamo Choding (sba mo chos sding), who gave him his name.

Yonten Yeshe studied Yangdak (yang dag) with Yeshe Wangchuk and with Jetsun Wangchuk Gyeltsen (dbang phyug rgyal mtshan, d.u.). He studied Prajñāpāramitā with Chenpo Tsenakpa (chen po rtse nyag pa. d.u.) and Ngok maṇḍalas with Ngok Jangchub Peldrub (rngog byang chub dpal grub, d.u.) at Zhung Treuzhing (gzhung spre'u zhing). Nyemo Dushab Shākya Wangchuk (snye mo dus zhabs pa shAkya dbang phyug), of Neymo Mongrub Choding (snye mo smon drub chos sdings) gave him instructions and empowerments in the Kālacakra.

He received transmissions and empowerments in the Maitri lineage of the Cakrasaṃvara from Drukchen Kusungwa Ngawang Chogyel ('brug chen sku srung ba rgyal mtshan lhun grub, d.u.), Jamying Chodrak ('jam dbyings chos grags, d.u.), and Tuchen Gyeltsen Lhundrub (mthu chen rgyal mtshan lhun grub, d.u.). They also transmitted to him the Ngok tradition of Hevajra and the entire instructions of the Druk tradition as well as other Sarma and Nyingma teachings such as the Māyājāla and the Kabgye (bka' brgyad). He was also a disciple of the Third Drukchen, Jamyang Chodrak ('brug chen 03 'jam dbyangs chos grags, 1478-1523)

For over forty years Yonten Yeshe stayed at a hermitage called Bardrok Dorje Ling (bar 'brog rdo rje gling), another called Mokpa Lhatse (mog pa lha rtse), and several others, where he practiced Kālacakra, Cakrasaṃvara, Peaceful and Wrathful Guru (gu ru zhi drag), and other tantric cycles, and experienced numerous visions of deities. It is said that while in retreat his white head and facial hair all turned black, new teeth where they had fallen out, and when he defecated his stools, the color of saffron, were small as a bee's stinger.

Yonten Yeshe's chief disciple was the Fourth Drukchen, Pema Karpo ('brug chen 04 padma dkar po, 1527-1592), to whom he taught Kālacakra and he gave many Sarma and Nyingma empowerments and transmissions.

Yonten Yeshe passed away at Dorje Ling, where his relics were preserved.