Rigdzin Nyima Drakpa

Rigdzin Nyima Drakpa (rig 'dzin nyi ma grags pa) was born in the fire female pig year 1647 in the village of Chakbel (phyag sbal) in the region of Nangchen (nang chen) to a family from the clan of Rakarpo (dbra dkar po) that belonged to the nephew lineage of the siddha Jame Polungpa (byams me 'pho lung pa). His father was known as Jame Onpo Karma Namgyel (byams me dbon po karma rnam rgyal) and his mother, Laza Sonamtso (bla za bsod nams mtsho).

According to legend, a famous tantric practitioner in Nangchen named Trulzhik Chenpo ('khrul zhig chen po), who was a disciple of the Drigung Kagyu master Polungpa Karma Samdrub ('pho lung pa karma bsam grub, 16th century), perceived something special about the infant Nyima Drakpa and asked him point blank: "O dear son who are you? What do you have to say for yourself?" The boy responded: "I am Polungpa Karma Samdrub!", at which point, Trulzhik Chenpo declared the little boy to be his teacher's reincar­nation.

Soon thereafter the young Nyima Drakpa is said to have extracted the treasure Like a Wrathful Stone Dagger (rdo'i khro phur 'dra ba), which he presented to his father.

Nyima Drakpa's father and grandfather were faithful adherents of the Drukpa Kagyu tradition, and his uncle was a monk at a nearby Kagyu monastery. At the proper age Nyima Drakpa was sent to the monastery where he was given the lay ordination name Karma Mipam Trinle Gyatso (karma mi pham 'phrin las rgya mtsho). There he received teachings from one lama Chibukpa Karma Jangchub (spyi bug pa karma byang chub) on the Maṅi Kambum (ma Ni bka' 'bum), the biography of Milarepa (mi la ras pa, 1040-1123), and a reading transmission of a text known in the sources by the abbreviation Domtsunma (sdom btsun ma). His uncle taught him Buton Rinchen Drub's (bu ston rin chen grub, 1290-1364) Religious History and the ritual cycles of the Drukpa Kagyu tradition. He then returned home to his father.

An Interest in Nyingma

Nyima Drakpa had begun to have visions of Padmasambhava and de­veloped an early interest in the Nyingma tradition. While at his uncle's monastery he was dis­heartened to find that the name of this great saint was rarely uttered and that his activities were never discussed. After his return home, Nyima Drakpa complained to his father and pleaded to be allowed to study with a Nyingma teacher. His father and older brother recommended the name of a lama in Nangchen and suggested that he go and visit with him.

This teacher was Dzogchen Pema Rigdzin (rdzogs chen padma rig 'dzin, 1625-1697), a nephew of Kunzang Sherab (kun bzang shes rab, 1636-1698), the founder of Peyul Monastery (dpal yul dgon) in southern Derge. Pema Rigdzin had recently been invited to the area by the king of Nangchen. At that time, the king had also invited Karma Chakme (karma chags med, 1613-1678) one of the greatest living masters uniting Nyingma and Kagyu traditions and the main teacher to Pema Rigdzin. Nyima Drakpa met both lamas and received teachings from them, but it was Pema Rigdzin who really impressed him most.

Not long after, Nyima Drakpa met the treasure revealer Dudul Dorje (bdud 'dul rdo rje, 1615-1672) of Derge when the latter was visiting the hermitage at Sharyi Puk (shar yi phug). Pema Rigdzin asked Dudul Dorje to confirm whether Nyima Drakpa was actually the reincarnation of Polungpa Karma Samdrub. The elder treasure revealer is recorded as doing so without hesitation, and moreover that Nyima Drakpa was the doctrine-master (chos bdag) of his own Vajrakīlaya treasures. He requested that the young boy come visit him again after three or fours years when he had properly matured.

In the company of Dudul Dorje, Nyima Drakpa un­derwent the tonsure ceremony and re­ceived his first Nyingma name, Orgyen Rigdzin Namgyel (o rgyan rig 'dzin nam rgyal). From Pema Rigdzin, he then received layman's vows and a second name, Orgyen Rigdzin Gyatso (o rgyan rig 'dzin rgya mtsho). Then, in 1664, at the age of sixteen, Nyima Drakpa accompanied his teacher to Lhasa. The trip was the first of several key visits to central Tibet.

It was fortuitous that Nyima Drakpa met these three important lamas early in life, especially the great treasure revealer Dudul Dorje. This was a lama of impressive stature in eastern Tibet during the sec­ond half of the seventeenth century. He was well-connected to all the major Nyingma monaster­ies in that region and had cultivated close ties with the rulers of Derge and Ling. In Derge his most influential patron was the king, Jampa Puntsok (byams pa phun tshogs, d. 1667). With the support of such high-ranking patrons, Dudul Dorje was able to carry out a number of important projects like the renovation of Katok Monastery (kaH thog) and the construction of his own religious center in Derge. It is significant that Dudul Dorje took such a liking to Nyima Drakpa. The connections they cultivated early on likely opened doors for the young treasure revealer in later years, especially in Ling and Derge where he would come to wield considerable influ­ence at the royal courts and with Jampa Puntsok's principal successors at the family monastery of Lhundrubteng (lhun grub steng), also known as Derge Gonchen (sde dge dgon chen).

Travels in central Tibet and Treasure Revelations

For five years beginning in 1664, Nyima Drakpa traveled throughout much of central Tibet establishing connections with a number of important lamas. At Samye Monastery (bsam yas) in 1665, he met the Third Peling Sungtrul Tsultrim Dorje (pad gling gsung sprul 03 tshul khrims rdo rje, 1598-1669), who had been visiting the area. This Tibetan reincarnation of Pema Lingpa (padma gling pa, 1450-1521) be­stowed upon Nyima Drakpa, among other instructions, the Longevity Practices (tshe sgrub) of Pema Lingpa. The Peling Sungtrul was a lineage holder of Pema Lingpa's cycle of the Self-Liberated Wisdom of the Peaceful and Wrathful Deities (zhi khro dgongs pa rang grol), the Liberation upon Hearing in the Bardo (bar do thos 'grol), a tradition for which Nyima Drakpa would become famous (the Liberation upon Hearing is known in the West as the "Tibetan Book of the Dead"). However, whether or not the Peling Sungtrul at this time gave Nyima Drakpa the transmission is unclear; it is known that Nyima Drakpa later received the transmission from Orgyen Rigdzin Chogyel (o rgyan rig 'dzin chos rgyal), a descendant of Pema Lingpa. It was probably around this time that Nyima Drakpa was given the transmission of Karma Lingpa (karma gling pa, 14th century)'s cycle of the Peaceful and Wrathful Deities.

During these years, Nyima Drakpa studied with the great teachers of central and southern Tibet, including Rigdzin Pema Trinle (rigs 'dzin padma 'phrin las, 1641-1717) of Dorje Drak Monastery (rdo rje brag dgon), from whom he received teachings from the Jangter (byang gter) or Northern Treasures tradition. Nyima Drakpa also visited some of the major religious institutions of that region, such as Mawachok (smra ba cog), Guru Lhakhang (gu ru lha khang), Kharchu Dudjom Ling (mkhar chu bdud 'joms gling), and Chonggye Pelri Tekchen Ling ('phyongs rgyas dpal ri theg chen gling). At these sites, he received the principal teachings of such luminaries as Nyangrel Nyima Ozer (nyang ral nyi ma 'od zer, 1124/1136-1192/1204), Guru Chowang (chos kyi dbang phyug, 1212-1270), Longchen Rabjampa Drime Ozer (klong chen rab 'byams pa dri med 'od zer, 1308-1364), Orgyen Lingpa (o rgyan gling pa, c. 1323-1360), and Sanggye Lingpa (sangs rgyas gling pa, 1340-1396).

In 1668, Nyima Drakpa met up again with his root lama, Dzogchen Pema Rigdzin, and together they traveled to Tsari (rtsa ri) on pilgrimage. Here, in the isolated hidden valley of Zablam Dorje Rawa (zab lam rdo rje ra ba), Pema Rigdzin entered strict retreat for three years. Nyima Drakpa joined him and began his yogic training. Often, he would have to leave Tsari in search of provisions. It was during these times that he first began giving religious instruction in exchange for valuable goods and worldly commodities. From the retreat site, he would travel to Dakpo (dwags po) and Kongpo (kong po) and receive huge and expensive offerings from the pious locals. This is our first indication of Nyima Drakpa's charismatic ability to arouse the faith of the masses and to charm them into heaping lavish gifts upon him and his fol­lowers. It would appear that he often had a diffi­cult time maintaining his humility in the face of such bountiful adulation. Nyima Drakpa's pride would later became a point of conflict between him and his teacher.

In 1669, Nyima Drakpa is said to have had a second vision of Padmasambhava and to have received a treasure prophecy from him. While circumambulating the Lake of Purple Blood (dmar nag rakta) in Zhingkyong Ghayadara (zhing skyong gha ya rda ra), he saw smoke rising from a boulder on the shore of the lake. He approached the smol­dering rock and pushed a staff through it -- an act that in Tibet is associated with the subjugation of demons. From the stone he extracted his first certificate of prophecy (kha byang), containing a list of hiding places, and three yellow manuscript scrolls (gser shog dril). His excite­ment was apparently such that Pema Rigdzin was forced to reprimand him. Over the next sev­eral years, Nyima Drakpa had many more experiences of this extraordinary sort. His special status as a treasure revealer and fighter of demons was now quite apparent.

From approximately 1671 to 1674, Nyima Drakpa remained in retreat at Pelgyi Khamshak Dorje Nying Dzong (dpal gyi kham shag rdo rje snying rdzong), one of the three fortresses of Sinmo Dzong (srin mo rdzong). There he is said to have had a third vision of Padmasambhava and to have en­countered a host of dangerous non-human spirits, which he was able to subdue through his yogic powers. These demons became his slaves, subservient to his every wish. Soon thereafter he received word from Pema Rigdzin requesting that he come to Tsang.

On his journey west, Nyima Drakpa stopped again at Samye. The monastery had recently been severely damaged by fire and a restoration project had been launched. To help fund the effort, Nyima Drakpa offered all of his wealth of materials that he had gathered from devotees along the way. Then, in Lhasa he made offerings to the Fifth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobzang Gyatso (ta la'i bla ma 05 ngag dbang blo bzang rgya mtsho, 1617-1682). We must assume that this was the beginning of Nyima Drakpa's favor and support among some of the preeminent leaders of Lhasa. He would eventually meet the young Sixth Dalai Lama, Tsangnyon Gyatso (ta la'i bla ma 06 tshangs dbyangs rgya mtsho, 1683-1706) and develop a sort of patron-priest (mchod yon) relationship, albeit somewhat strained, with the acting regent Desi Sanggye Gyatso (sde srid sangs rgyas rgya mtsho, 1653-1705).

Nyima Drakpa arrived in Tsang by way of Namtso (gnam mtsho), a popular pilgrimage site (favored especially by Bon and Nyingma) north of the Nyenchen Tanglha (gnyen chen thang lha) mountain range. He reunited with Pema Rigdzin at the monastery of Dregon Sar (bres dgon gsar) in Dreyul ('bras yul). There, from Drepa Jamyang Chogyel Dorje (bres pa 'jam dbyangs chos rgyal rdo rje, 1602-1677) of Sikkim and his son Nyida Longsel (nyi zla klong gsal, b.17th century), he received Dzogchen instruction and the treasures of Tennyi Lingpa (bstan gnyis gling pa, 1480-1535). Later, during Nyima Drakpa's second visit to Dreyul, Jamyang Chogyel Dorje offered him the monastery of Dregon Sar as dedication for his in­troducing them to the treasure doctrines of Garwang Dorje (gar dbang rdo rje, 1640 - d.1685), with whom Nyima Drakpa would share a close personal connection.

In 1675, Nyima Drakpa and Pema Rigdzin went on pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and further west to Ngari. It was here that Nyima Drakpa first met treasure revealer Garwang Dorje. The latter presented his own treasure texts to Nyima Drakpa and admonished that he wait one year before opening their seal. In the meantime, Nyima Drakpa traveled on pilgrimage to Nepal and visited the sacred places at Swayambunath and the Kathmandu Valley.

Upon his return to Ngari, he exchanged teachings with Guru Śākya Dudul (guru ShAkya bdud 'dul, d.u.), Gyel Tangpa Ngawang Zilnon Dorje (rgyal thang pa ngag dbang zil gnon rdo rje, b.17th century), and Garwang Dorje. Garwang Dorje granted Nyima Drakpa the detailed initiations, readings, and sādhanas of three of his own treasure cycles, the Mirror of the Enlightened Mind of Vajrasattva (rdor sems thugs kyi me long), the Unsurpassable Innermost Oral Lineage of Padmasambhava (padma'i snyan brgyud yang gsang bla med), and the Great Compassionate One, the Heart-essence of the Three Roots (thugs rje chen po rtsa gsum snying thig).

During this transmission, Garwang Dorje recounted a recent dream about Nyima Drakpa, in which he saw Nyima Drakpa as holding a specialized transmission of the Karling (kar gling) system of the Self-Liberated Wisdom of the Peaceful and Wrathful Deities. Garwang Dorje then enthroned him as a "vajra king" (rdo rje gyal po), a tantric master, and granted him many offerings. In the years leading up to this meeting, Nyima Drakpa must have bestowed the Karling initiations and instructions upon many of the lamas he encountered during his extensive travels throughout central Tibet. It seems that by the time he met again with Garwang Dorje, Nyima Drakpa had established himself as a principal holder of the Karling transmission.

Nyima Drakpa remained quite active in Tsang and Ngari for several years. In 1676, he traveled to the region of Mangyul north of Mustang. From a temple called Jamdrin (byams sprin) he dis­covered the Great Compassionate One, Dispelling the Darkness of Ignorance (thugs rje chen po ma rig mun sel). This treasure contained an extremely short piece entitled Liberation upon Hearing, the Self-Liberation of Feeling (thos grol tshor ba rang grol), which became part of the standard prayers of the Liberation upon Hearing. He entered a three year retreat at the Black Cave at Sinmo Dzong (srin mo dzong) in Chakru (chags ru), where in 1680 he transcribed the scrolls for the treasure. At the end of the retreat he is said to have excavated three additional cycles of treasure and several "multiplying buddha relics" (sangs rgyas 'phel gdung).

In later years he initiated the practice of these cycles at his monasteries in Kham -- At Rikhu Monastery (ri khud dgon) in Minyak (mi nyag) he initiated the prac­tice of the Great Compassionate One, Dispelling the Darkness of Ignorance and personally taught the monks how to perform the proper dances, chants, and ritual procedures. In Derge, he and king Tenpa Tsering (bstan pa tshe ring, 1678-1738) insti­tuted the liturgy of another, the Profound Instructions on Wrathful Vajravārahī (zab khrid phag mo khros ma), at Nyima Drakpa's main monastery of Takmogang (stag mo sgang bskal bzang phun tshogs gling). It is worth mentioning, however, that after Nyima Drakpa's death the practice of the Vajravārahī cycle was discontinued because the succeeding abbots were supposedly confused about how to perform it properly.

It is likely that during this period he began collating the texts of the Liberation upon Hearing, a project that was not completed until shortly before his death.

Sometime after 1682, Nyima Drakpa traveled south toward India. At the time there was trouble in the region of Mon, on the border of Bhutan, between followers of the Geluk in Lhasa and the Drukpa Kagyu in Bhutan, although Bhutan and Tibet were technically at peace following a treaty signed in 1679. Consequently, Nyima Drakpa encountered some difficulty crossing through that area, but apparently through charm and graciousness he was able to finagle his way into India. There he was able to extract various treasures. It is not clear how long he remained in India, but it is possible that around that time he also went to Bhutan before traveling again through Mon. During his sojourns there, Nyima Drakpa appears to have exerted some influence in both the eastern districts of Bhutan and in the Tawang (rta dbang) region of Mon, and it seems that he earned the respect of several prominent Bhutanese lamas.

It would seem that during this period he made several attempts to forge a relationship with the Fifth Dalai Lama, to whom he had earlier made offerings, but whom he had never met. Believing, as all Tibetans at the time did, that the Fifth Dalai Lama was still alive (Desi Sanggye Gyatso concealed the fact for fifteen years), Nyima Drakpa sent envoys and offerings, but was turned away each time, leading him to believe that supernatural obstacles lay between him and the Great Fifth.

During the third month of 1684, Nyima Drakpa traveled back up through southern Tibet and headed straight for the upper Drabchi valley (grwa phyi). Responding to a vision he had experienced while in Nepal, Nyima Drakpa was intent on meeting with the illustrious treasure revealer Terdak Lingpa (gter bdag gling pa, 1646-1714). When he arrived at the monastery of Mindroling (smin grol gling), consecrated only about a decade before in 1676, he found that the monks were building the foundations for the lama’s household. Terdak Lingpa is said to have been quite de­lighted to see Nyima Drakpa, perhaps because he had brought with him various pieces of wood and stone from holy places in India, including a branch of the Bodhi Tree with leaves still attached. All of this Nyima Drakpa offered to Terdak Lingpa, who then recognized him as the secret doctrine-master of his own treasure cycle Lord of the Dead, Destroyer of Vicious Demons (gshin rje dregs pa 'joms byed). Nyima Drakpa apparently accomplished its practices perfectly in secret. Later he is said to have performed its rituals as "last rites" when he was near death, and only then did he announce publicly that he was practicing Terdak Lingpa’s Lord of the Dead teaching.

Establishment of Dzogchen Monastery

In 1687, back in Kham, Nyima Drakpa met with Pema Rigdzin at Rudam Kyitram ([[ru dam skyid khram) near Derge. Acknowledging his disciple's talent for discovering concealed treasures through visionary means, Pema Rigdzin asked his student to survey the area for any hidden objects. Nyima Drakpa remarked that the site was formerly a Bon holy place, but a Buddhist site was located just south of there. At that instant, he had a vision of Padmasambhava and of some Bon Vidyādharas, and then a Bon treasure appeared magically in his hand. Pema Rigdzin was not pleased. He or­dered Nyima Drakpa to put back the Bon text and reconceal it as a "double treasure" (ldab gter), admonishing him not to pick and choose between Buddhist and Bon doctrines.

It was during this time, with the Derge king Sanggye Tenpa (sangs rgyas bstan pa) acting as patron, that Pema Rigdzin established the retreat center of Samten Choling (bsam gtan chos gling), which became more widely known as Dzogchen Monastery. Afterward, Pema Rigdzin requested that Nyima Drakpa occupy the abbatial seat of this newly consecrated institution, but Nyima Drakpa graciously declined, citing passages from his own treasure prophecies that required that he travel constantly. Pema Rigdzin gave him his blessing and advised him to obey the commandments of the treasure. It then appears Nyima Drakpa left his teacher and trav­eled north to the region of Ling (gling).

Sometime around 1690, Nyima Drakpa went to Langtang (glang thang) in Ling and stayed for awhile at a mountain hermitage. The leaders of that area had apparently developed great faith in him, for we are told that the chieftain of Ling, Dorje Gonpo (rdo rje mgon po), of­fered him the old monastery of Rigul (ri 'gul dgon) and requested that he also consecrate a new religious center. Nyima Drakpa then built the mountain hermitage of Rezhek Shechen (re zheg zhe chen). It is not clear whether this was the original site of what would become Shechen Monastery (zhe chen dgon), which was formally established in 1735 by Gyurme Kunzang Namgyel ('gyur med kun bzang rnam rgyal, 1713-1769).

In 1693, Sanggye Tenpa invited Nyima Drakpa back to Derge, where he conse­crated the religious center of Takmogang Kelzang Puntsok Ling (stag mo sgang bskal bzang phun tshogs gling), which became his main seat. Nyima Drakpa offered Sanggye Tenpa many gifts, including various treasure objects, yellow scrolls, an image of Vimalamitra, the Great Hūṃ-Dagger (phur pa hUM chen), the Medicine Sūtra (sman mdo), and an original manuscript and ink-pen (phyag smyug) once owned by the eighth-century translator Khon Lu'i Wangpo ('khon klu'i dbang po) which Nyima Drakpa had discovered as treasure.

Dealing with Demons

Sanggye Tenpa apparently relied on Nyima Drakpa to exorcize demons, and apparently to maintain ecclesiastical order. There is one episode, for example, in which he destroyed a local woman who was claiming to embody Padmasambhava and Gesar of Ling, and who was building a following in the kingdom. Following the rites of exorcism the king, nervous that perhaps he had gone too far, asked Dudul Dorje for his thoughts. The elderly treasure revealer told him that while the woman may have appeared harmless, the spirits who spoke through her were intent on destroying the religious and secular rule of the Derge kings.

In 1697 Pema Rigdzin died. Nyima Drakpa made all the necessary arrange­ments for the funeral services, made offerings to his teacher's corpse, and performed daily prostra­tions until his forehead began to bleed. At the time, Pema Rigdzin's close disciple, Tenpai Gyeltsen (bstan pa'i rgyal mtshan, 1650-1704), was traveling to Lhokhok (lho khog) in the Khardo valley (mkhar mdo) near Riwoche (ri bo che), so Nyima Drakpa was given the responsibility of taking care of his teacher's af­fairs. The headmaster (dpon slob) of Dzogchen Monastery, Namkha Osel (nam mkha' 'od gsal, d.1726), posthumously known as the First Dzogchen Ponlob (dzogs chen dpon slob) asked Nyima Drakpa re­peatedly to take over Pema Rigdzin's seat, but the treasure revealer responded that he had already de­clined the invitation before when his teacher had earlier made the same request. Sometime later he went back to Takmogang and built a thirty-three storied reliquary stūpa in honor of his teacher.

Around this time he visited Litang, where he had been requested to exorcise a demon responsible for the causing an epidemic. His success resulted in his receiving special favor among the leading lamas of that institution. Housed at the monastery were woodblocks of the complete Kangyur, the famous Jang Satam ('jang sa tham) redaction believed to have been produced in the years 1609-1614 in one hundred and ten volumes and to have served as the basis for the Chone (co ne) edition of 1721-1731. Nyima Drakpa of­fered everything he owned in order to have three copies prepared from these blocks, which he then brought back with him to the temple at Takmogang.

At some point during his travels through Minyak and Litang, Nyima Drakpa ended up in Sok Zamkhar (sok zam khar), where he met two emissaries of the Lhasa government named Kachu Ngawang Pelgon (ngag dbang dpal mgon) and Zhonnu Lodro (gzhon nu blo gros).

Apparently they had already been informed about Nyima Drakpa, perhaps with regard to his earlier efforts to assist in the renovation of Samye. At Sok Zamkhar, Nyima Drakpa was venerated by the two government representatives, with whom he discussed his previous attempts to make contact with the Fifth Dalai Lama. In particu­lar, he explained to them that prophecy had indicated that an auspicious patron-priest relation was to prevail between himself and Tibet's leader, but because the latter was such a high-ranking official both were unable to fulfill the promise. The Lhasa emissaries agreed to pursue the matter with the proper authorities. They seem to have been successful, for shortly thereafter Desi Sanggye Gyatso sent an order to Nyima Drakpa that he should come quickly to Lhasa.

In Lhasa, Nyima Drakpa made prostrations and offerings to Sanggye Gyatso and to the young Sixth Dalai Lama Tsangyang Gyatso, who had only recently been enthroned in 1697. In accord with Desi Sanggye Gyatso's wishes and despite earlier frustrations over not being given access to the highest court, Nyima Drakpa accepted the child as his student and bestowed his teachings upon him. Sanggye Gyatso later offered him several monasteries, of which he was able to accept only Tana (rta rna dgon) in Nangchen.

It seems there was some uneasy tension between this patron and priest, and Sanggye Gyatso appears to have scolded Nyima Drakpa for not making contact earlier. Either he was unaware that Nyima Drakpa had attempted to do just that, or perhaps Nyima Drakpa later exaggerated the efforts he had made to reach the center of power.

In any case, his time in Lhasa was cut short by the Mongolian warlord Lhazang Khan's conquest of Lhasa and his persecution and murder of Sanggye Gyatso and his allies. Nyima Drakpa fled to the southern regions and the ties he briefly enjoyed with the Lhasa aristocracy went cold. He somewhat naively attempted to cultivate a relationship with Lhazang, but he soon abandoned that effort and instead developed a base of operation in the south, refurbishing sacred sites and even gaining some support from Lhasa doing so. He is said to have renovated and constructed more than fifty stūpas. In 1703 he estab­lished the retreat center of Chakru Osel (chags ru 'od gsal) -- abbreviated as Char -- at Sin Dzong which earned him the moniker Char Nyima Drakpa. At the behest of one Gyaton Lobzang Lekpa (rgya ston blo bzang legs pa), he also founded the monastery of Dekyi Ling (sde skyid gling). The next year he opened the pil­grimage path at Sin Dzong Ne (srin 'dzong gnas), which is said to have been as distinctive as that of the Rongkor (rong skor) at Tsari (rtsa ri).

Damage to Nyima Drakpa's Reputation

During this period, Nyima Drakpa's reputation seems to have taken a turn for the worse, partly due to a disastrous run in with the young treasure revealer Yongge Mingyur Dorje (yongs dge mi 'gyur rdo rje, b. 1628/1641-1708). The Karma Kagyu-affiliated treasure revealer and some government officials were staying near where Nyima Drakpa was repairing a stūpa in Kham. According to the account, Yongge Mingyur Dorje had wanted to meet Nyima Drakpa, but was stopped short by the offi­cials. These men began hassling Yongge Mingyur Dorje and eventually attacked him physically. For rea­sons not made clear, Yongge Mingyur Dorje blamed Nyima Drakpa for the irreverent and violent treat­ment he had suffered at the hands of the government officials. Enraged he shouted, "Nyima Drakpa is a demon!" and set out to ruin the treasure revealer’s reputation. Apparently Yongge Mingyur Dorje was successful, and others with sectarian bias started repeating defaming rumors about him.

Most damning among these rumors is that Nyima Drakpa is alleged to have utilized his extraordinary powers of black magic (mngon-spyod) to provoke the untimely death of the Tenth Karmapa, Choying Dorje (karma pa 10 chos dbyings rdo rje, 1605-1674). Religious mania and vengeful arrogance are offered as possible reasons behind this ruthless act of murder. But why exactly Nyima Drakpa was blamed for the crime remains unclear. His fame as a sorcerer and exorcist seems to have gone sour, to the degree that people who had previously benefited from his good works turned against him. In the Tamda valley in Kham villagers razed a temple he had recently constructed. In the rubble they claimed to have found a liṅga such as is used for black magic. However, the king of the Tamda valley re­gion championed the treasure revealer even against apparent mass condemnation -- reason, perhaps, for why rival charismatics were defaming him.

Relying more and more on royal patronage, Nyima Drakpa went back to Derge and renewed his connections with the ruling family. By this point, Derge was in the hands of the king Tenpa Tsering (bstan pa tshe ring, 1678-1738), the fortieth king of Derge and concurrently the fifth abbot of Lhundrubteng. The king made offerings to the treasure revealer and, in return, Nyima Drakpa bestowed his own teachings upon him. A story is told that at that time there was a war between a certain Sokpo Gomang Choje ([[sog po sgo mang chos rje) of Litang and Derge. Nyima Drakpa invoked a great wrathful deity with a fearsome retinue and commanded that they attack the enemy forces. Shortly thereafter Derge emerged victorious. The people claimed that the battle was won through the combined powers of Nyima Drakpa's magic and his divine loyal protectors. Consequently, the treasure revealer was touted a reli­gious hero and everyone developed great faith in his abilities. Tenpa Tsering was still a bit skeptical, and asked Nyima Drakpa to prove to him that his powers were genuine. The treasure revealer then proceeded to recount his many war stories celebrating his success in subjugating innumerable demons over the years. Tenpa Tsering is said to have been promptly convinced of the treasure revealer’s prowess. Then Nyima Drakpa per­formed a ceremony for the king and granted a prophecy that he would remain a prosperous and successful ruler throughout his life. Afterward, he returned to his former seat at Takmogang.

From 1706 until his death in 1710, Nyima Drakpa remained at his monastery where he concentrated on teaching and granting initiations to his students. There, he gave transmissions of his own treasure teachings freely to disciples and composed manuals on the genera­tion and completion stages of tantric meditation. In addition, he wrote down a variety of liturgical in­structions on how to accomplish initiations, visualize mandalas, construct rituals, and so forth.

Just before Nyima Drakpa died he made several requests for his funeral and left instructions on how to handle the affairs of his surviving son. First, he asked that his corpse be preserved in tact and that a golden mausoleum be constructed to house his remains. Second, in his final testament he requested that the famed leader of Mindroling, Terdak Lingpa, be invited to assist in the preparation and performance of the funeral services, and most importantly, to help raise his son, Orgyen Tenzin Drakpa (o rgyan bstan 'dzin grags pa, 1701-1727), also known as Guru Sonam Tendzin (gu ru bsod nam bstan 'dzin).

Following his death several of his students traveled promptly to the monastery of Mindroling and made offer­ings of dedication to Terdak Lingpa. They told him what Nyima Drakpa had requested in his final statements, and the lama replied that although he and Nyima Drakpa were not known to be close, they in fact had invested each other with their revelations and had each mastered the other's teachings. He announced that the two streams of Nyima Drakpa's Peaceful and Wrathful teachings, the Char Nyidrak and the Mindroling, would henceforth be united. He then expressed the intention of raising Nyima Drakpa's son, and made arrangements for him to be sent to Mindroling.

Nyima Drakpa's reputation remained mixed in later generations. Jamgon Kongtrul ('jam mgon kong sprul, 1813-1899) famously excluded Nyima Drakpa's revelations from his compilation of treasures, the Rinchen Terdzod (rin chen gter mdzod), most likely out of deference to the Karmapa.

His reincarnations, based at Takmogang, were identified. The current Nyidrak incarnation, seventh in the line, is Kunzang Yonten Zangpo (kun bzang yon tan bzang po), who enjoys a broad international following. He has also recently published a short history of Takmogang and the Nyidrak incarnation lineage (gter chen nyi ma grags pa’i sku phreng rim byon dang stag mo dgon gyi lo rgyus mdor bsdus, Chengdu, 2007. TBRC W00KG09970)

This article was adapted from The Hidden History of the Tibetan Book of the Dead, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003, pp. 179-204.

Bryan Cuevas is the John F. Priest Professor of Religion at Florida State University.

Published March 2014

ཉི་མ་གྲགས་པ། Nyima Drakpa

b.1647 - d.1710 BDRC P425

AUTHOR

Bryan Cuevas

TRADITION

Drukpa Kagyu Nyingma

INCARNATION LINE

Chakri Nyidrak

SUBSEQUENT INCARNATIONS

The Second Chakri Nyidrak, Pema Tekchok Tenpai Gyeltsen The Third Chakri Nyidrak, Mingyur Pende Gyatso The Fourth Chakri Nyidrak, Jigme Choying Dorje The Fifth Chakri Nyidrak, Tendzin Trinle Wangchuk The Sixth Chakri Nyidrak, [[Tubten Wosel[Tenpai Nyima]]

TEACHERS

bdud 'dul rdo rje The First Dzogchen Drubwang, Pema Rigdzin The Fourth Dorje Drak Rigdzin, Pema Trinle karma byang chub chos kyi dbang po karma chags med

STUDENTS

'jam dbyangs hor gyi lo chen sangs rgyas rgya mtsho ka dag mthong grol The Second Dzogchen Drubwang, Gyurme Tekchok Tendzin Sanggye Tenpa Garwang Dorje zil gnon rdo rje The First Dzogchen Ponlob, Namkha Wosel skal bzang dbang ldan

HISTORICAL PERIOD

17th Century 18th Century

INSTITUTION

Mindroling Dzogchen Monastery Shechen Samye Lhundrubteng Pelri Tekchen Ling Chakri Nyidrak Monastery Takmogang Kelzang Puntsok Ling Rikhud Monastery Namtso Nyenchen Tanglha

CLAN

Ra

Name variants: First Chakri, Rigdzin Nyima Drakpa; Garwang Drodul Lingpa; Nyima Drakpa Tsel; Orgyen Rigdzin Gyatso

Wylie: nyi ma grags pa

Bibliography

Blondeau, Anne-Marie. 1988. "La controverse soulevée par l'inclusion de rituels bon po dans le Rin-chen gter-mdzod. Note préliminaire." In H.Uebach et J.L.Panglung, ed., Tibetan Studies. Proceedings of the 4th Seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies, pp.59-76. München, Kommission für Zentralasiatische Studien, Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften, p. 60 n. 24.

Bstan 'dzin kun bzang lung rtogs bstan pa'i nyi ma. 2004. Snga 'gyur rdzogs chen chos 'byung chen mo. Beijing: Krung go'i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang, pp. 480-486. TBRC W27401.

Cuevas, Bryan. 2003. The Hidden History of the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 179-204.

Gu ru bkra shis ngag dbang blo gros. 1990. Gu bkra'i chos 'byung. Beijing: Krung go'i bod kyi shes rig dpe skrun khang, 1990, pp. 820-860. TBRC W20916

Kun bzang bstan 'dzin. 2000. Chags ri nyi ma grags pa sku phreng drug pa'i yang srid 'khrul bral ngos 'dzin byas tshul lo rgyus rags bsdus utpa la'i phreng ba. In Bod ljongs nang bstan, vol. 2, no. 28, pp. 20-26. TBRC W23686.

Kun bzang yon tan bzang po. 2007. Gter chen nyi grags stag mo dgon gyi lo rgyus mdor bsdus. Chengdu: Bod brgyud nang bstan rig gnas zhabs 'debs. TBRC W00KG09970.

"Martin, Dan. 2001. Unearthing Bon Treasures: Life and Contested Legacy of a Tibetan Scripture Revealer, with a General Bibliography of Bon, pp. 137-140. Leiden: Brill.

Prats, Ramon. 1982. Contributo allo studio biografico dei primi gter-ston. Naples: Istituto universitario orientale, p. 73 n.14;

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