The Treasury of Lives

Zhiwa Zangpo (zhi ba lha 03 zhi ba bzang po, 1625-1717) the Third Zhiwa Lha incarnation, was born in Kongpo Gonpuk (kong po dgon phug) in 1625, on the fifteenth day of the ninth month of the wood-ox year of the tenth sexagenary cycle. Lama Namkha Tashi (bla ma nam mkha' bkra shis) was his father and Tsomo (mtsho mo) was his mother. His younger brother and a cousin were both incarnated lamas, and his parents related several auspicious omens at the time of his conception and birth. He as recognized as the incarnation of the Second Zhiwa Lha, Sanggye Jungne (zhi ba lha 02, sangs rgyas 'byung gnas, 1543-1620). (It is said that Sanggye Jungne's initial reincarnation had been born into the family of a nobleman in Jang but that that the child died at the age of three and is not counted in the Zhiwa Lha incarnation line.)

At about the age of three to thirteen Zhiwa Zangpo was under the care of his relative Choje Shakya Lhawang (phan bde chos rje shA kya lha dbang), also known as the First Kondor Tulku Khedrub Shakya Lhawang (dkon rdor sprul sku 01 mkhas grub shAkya lha dbang), the abbot of Tashi Pende (bkra shis phan bde) monastery in Kongpo, where his previous incarnation had briefly served as abbot. Shakya Lhawang gave him the vows of a novice monk at the age of thirteen, assisted by Lobpon Pakpa Dargye (slob dpon 'phags pa dar rgyas). His name Zhiwa Zangpo remained unchanged.

Zhiwa Zangpo received a complete series of teachings, transmissions, instructions, initiations, and empowerments on the Oral Transmission of Heruka, Yamāntaka, Chod, and a great deal of other tantric subject from Shakya Lhawang. He also received many teachings from the Fourth Chakra Ngawang Trinle Zangpo (lcags ra sprul sku 04 ngag dbang 'phrin las bzang po, 1603-1667), and transmission and empowerment on Guhyasamāja from  the Fifth Tatsak, Jedrung Ngawang Chokyi Wangchuk (rta tshag 05 ngag dbang chos kyi dbang phyug, 1606-1652), the abbot of Tatsak monastery in southern Kham.

At the age of seventeen, Zhiwa Zangpo visited Chamdo Jampa Ling Monastery where he received teachings from the Fourth Pakpa Lha, Chokyi Gyelpo ('phags pa lha 04 'phags pa chos kyi rgyal po 1605-1643), the sixteenth abbot of the monastery. The following year, after the death of the Fourth Pakpa Lha, Zhiwa Zangpo was enthroned to the seat of Chamdo Jampa Ling as the eighteenth abbot. (The seventeenth abbot, his teacher Ngawang Trinle Zangpo, had served for two years, 1625-1626, during the tenure of the sixteenth abbot.) Zhiwa Zangpo arranged for the funeral ceremonies at Chamdo, and then travelled to U-Tsang to sponsor prayer ceremonies there on behalf of Chokyi Gyelpo.

While in U-Tsang Zhiwa Zangpo had audiences with a number of high lamas including the Fifth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobzang Gyatso (ta la'i bla ma 05 ngag dbang blo bzang rgya mtsho, 1617-1682), and the Fourth Paṇchen Lama, Lobzang Chokyi Gyeltsen (PaN chen 04 blo bzang chos kyi rgyal mtshan, 1570-1662) to whom he made abundant offerings. He also made offerings at various temples and monasteries including the Three Great Seats (Sera, Ganden, and Drepung) and Tashilhunpo. He received full monastic ordination from the Paṇchen Lama at Tashilhunpo, and was given the name Pakpa Chokyi Gyeltsen ('phags pa chos kyi rgyal mtshan). He also received from the Paṇchen Lama teachings and empowerment of Vajramala and other tantras.

Upon his return to Chamdo, Zhiwa Zangpo arranged an exhibition of the Fourth Pakpa Lha's relics from his cremation, including his head, heart, and tongue, and he sponsored the creation of a seven-storey high painting of Maitreya that was displayed at the concluding part of the prayers. In accordance with the recommendation of the Paṇchen Lama, he had a single storey-high golden statue of Buddha Amitabha built to contain the relics.

Zhiwa Zangpo rennovated several monastic buildings at Chamdo Jampa Ling; he built a golden roof for the Mahākāla Temple, renovated the main temple by replacing with wooden floor; repaired the silver reliquary of Jangsem Sherab Zangpo (byangs sems shes rab bzang po, 1395-1457), the founder of the monastery; manufactured several large thankas; and commissioned large cooking vessels for prayer festivals.

Zhiwa Zangpo led the search for the Fourth Pakpa Lha's reincarnation finding him in a boy born in Dou (sdu) in Chamdo, and, following the confirmation from the Paṇchen Lama, brought the Fifth Pakpa Lha, Gyelwa Gyatso ('phags pa lha 05 'phags pa rgyal ba rgya mtsho 1644-1713), to Chamdo where he trained him and, ultimately, enthroned him on the seat of Chamdo Jampa Ling.

Zhiwa Zangpo arranged a trip for the young Fifth Pakpa Lha to U-Tsang for pilgrimage and ordination when the boy was about eight years old. In 1652, when he returned, the boy was formally enthroned as abbot of Chamdo Jampa Ling, and Zhiwa Zangpo's tenure as the fifteenth abbot came to an end after nine years. He gave the complete transmission of initiations, empowerments, and teachings to the new abbot, and he continued for some years to advise the new abbot.

In 1659, at the age of thirty-five, Zhiwa Zangpo returned to U-Tsang and had audiences with the Fifth Dalai Lama, the Fourth Paṇchen Lama, and Konchok Chozang, the Thirty-ninth Ganden Tripa, Konchok Chozang (dga' ldan khri pa 39 dkon mchog chos bzang, d. 1672/1673), to whom he made offerings. He also made offerings to the monasteries for the Lhasa Monlam, the annual prayer festival. He received teachings on Lamrim and other topics from Konchok Chozang, and the four sets of empowerment on Yamāntaka, and teachings on Lamrim and Lojong from the Fifth Dalai Lama. Zhiwa Zangpo returned to Chamdo, and here the biographies of Zhiwa Zangpo make reference to his being involved in political crises at this point, during which he was unsuccessful in mediating disputes and forcing him to return to Lhasa. The details of these events remain to be filled in.

Zhiwa Zangpo spent the major part of the remaining years of his life in retreat. He sat for twelve years in Ganden, and, in 1691, he returned to Kham to reside at some of the monasteries in the south. Returning to Chamdo he entered retreat at Lhuntse (lhun rtse), a remote hermitage there, remaining for many years. During this time he gave teachings, transmissions, and empowerments to his disciples, including the Fourth Gyara Tulku, Lobzang Tendzin Trinle (rgya ra sprul sku 04 blo bzang bstan 'dzin 'phrin las, 1681-1731). He returned to Chamdo in 1701 and distributed a great deal of his personal property among the monks, sponsored teachings, and organized an annual long-life prayer for the young Fifth Pakpa Lha.

Then in his nineties, Zhiwa Zangpo practised Cakrasaṃvara and strictly observed his vows including not eating afternoon and not using leather products. At the age of ninety-three, in 1717, on the sixteenth day of the first month of the fire-bird year of the twelfth sexagenary cycle, he passed away after feeling ill since the beginning of the month. He sat on tugdam for three days, his body remaining in meditative pose. His disciples, including the Fifth Chaktrul, Ngawang Tendzin Lhundrub (lcags sprul 05 ngag dbang bstan 'dzin lhun grub, 1671-1727), organized extensive funerary prayers throughout the region. A silver enlightenment stupa was built as reliquary and placed in the temple of golden reliquary of the Fifth Pakpa Lha.