Jampa Bum
The third abbot of Katok, Jampa Bum (kaH thog khri rabs 03 byams pa 'bum) was born in the Drida Zalmogang region ('bri zla zal mo sgang) in 1179, the earth-pig year of the third sexagenary cycle.
Details of his parents and childhood are not known but his father belonged to the clan of Ngupa (rngu pa). He was said to have a kind and compassionate nature, a sharp intellect for fast learning, and a strong interest in the dharma. Later in life he was said to be an emanation of the Mahāsiddha Kṛṣṇācārin.
In his youth Jampa Bum learned reading, writing, memorization of prayer and other related texts and gradually studied dharma subjects. He received monastic vows from Katok Choje Dorje Gyeltsen (kaH thog chos rje rdo rje rgyal mtshan 1137-1227), and teachings from him and Dampa Deshek Sherab Sengge (dam pa bde gshegs shes rab seng+ge, 1122-1192), the founder of Katok Monastery. He eventually became Dorje Gyeltsen's main disciple.
At the age of about forty-eight, presumably in the late 1226 or early 1227 short before the nirvana of Choje Dorje Gyeltsen, Jampa Bum was enthroned as the (third abbot of Katok.
He served the abbacy of the monastery for about twenty-six years, until 1252, during which he is said to have ordained thousands of monks from across Tibet and especially from Kham region of Minyak (mi nyag), Jang ('byang), and Gyarong (rgyal mo rong). He taught Abhisamayālaṅkāra, Madhyamaka, Abhidharmakośa, Pramāṇavārtika and other important subjects drawn from Sūtra teachings.
Jampa Bum also gave extensive and comprehensive teachings on Tantra focusing on the practical topics according to their tradition especially the Guhyagarbha Tantra, the main tantra of the Mahāyoga class of Nyingma Tantra.
He also taught Anuyoga and Dzogchen, the Atiyoga with its three essential divisions:
Later in life Jampa Bum was called Sangdak Chenpo (gsang bdag chen po), or Great Authority of the Secret Tantra, due to his fame in the scholarship and practice of Tantra.
According to the hagiography of the Second Karmapa, Karma Pakshi (karma pa 02 pak+Shi 1203-1283), the Karmapa who visited Katok Monastery following the recommendation of Pomdrakpa Sonam Dorje (spom brag pa bsod nams rdo rje, 1170-1249), an influential Karma Kagyu master.
The importance of the visit to the history of the monastery is evident by the number of miracles the Karmapa is said to have performed: at his arrival in Katok, he is said to have seen only images of Vajrasattva, and his horse prostrated in homage; later there formed an image of the horse on a rock and the place came to be known as “Horse-Prostration Spot”.
The Karmapa is also said to have flown in the sky over the forest on the other side of the monastery and to have left his full image on the rock.
The Karmapa was granted the vows of full ordination (bhikṣu) by Jampa Bum assisted by his nephew Chenngawa Chenpo Sonam Bum (spyan snga ba chen po bsod nams 'bum, 1223-1283), who would later become his successor, with the ordination name of Chokyi Lama (chos kyi bla ma). He also received a great deal of teachings, empowerments, and esoteric instructions on Dzogchen and other topics from the Nyingma lamas of Katok.
In 1252, water-mouse year, Jampa Bum stepped down from the abbacy and appointed his nephew Sonam Bum to the post. On the fourteenth day of the tenth month of that year he passed into nirvana at the age of seventy-four.
Katok Getse Paṇḍita Gyurme Tsewang Chokdrub (KaH thog dge-rtse paNDi ta 'gyur med tshe dbang mchog grub, 1761-1829) was said to be his reincarnation.
Sources
Dge slong lding po. N.d. Shar kaH thog pa dam pa bde bar gshegs pa’i rnam thar bsdus pa grub mchog rjes dran, pp. 1a to 30b.
Dudjom Rinpoche. 2002. The Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism. Gyurme Dorje and Matthew Kapstein, trans. Boston: Wisdom, pp. 693-694.
Dung dkar blo bzang 'phrin las. 2002. Dung dkar tshig mdzod chen mo. Beijing: Krung go'i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang. Vol. 2, p. 4.
’Jam dbyangs rgyal mtshan. 1996. Rgyal ba kaH thog pa’i lo rgyus mdor bsdus. Chendu: Si khron mi rigs dpe skrun khang, pp. 36-39.
Samten Chhosphel March 2011
