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  • INTRODUCTION
    A short introduction to the Mindrolling family.
  • PART I
    Origins of the Mindrolling Lineage, Nyö Jachung Karpo, The Nyö Lineage, The Mindrolling Lineage
  • PART II
    Biographical accounts of Sangdag Thrinley Lhundrub, Yum Lhadzin Yanghcen Dolma, Chögyal Terdag Lingpa
  • PART III
    Biographical accounts of Gyalse Tenpa'i Nyima and Lochen Dharmashri
  • PART IV
    The Dzungar Mongol Invasion, Biographical account of Pema Gyurme Gyatso

The History of Mindrolling: Part II

While referred to as descendents of the Palden Nyö Rig (Noble Nyö Lineage), the history of Mindrolling itself begins with the biographical accounts of Sangdag Thrinley Lhundrub, the father of Chögyal Terdag Lingpa.

Sangdag Thrinley Lhundrub

The father of Chögyal Terdag Lingpa, Sangdag Thrinley Lhundrub was a direct descendant of the Glorious Nyö lineage. He was born as the son of Vidyadhara Khedrub Dongag Tenzin (mkhas grub mdo sngags bstan 'dzin), and Yum Je Rig Gödzom (rje rigs dgos 'dzom ) at Chak Jangchub Ling in 1611, on the 26th day of the auspicious fourth month of the Iron Female Pig Year. Sangdag Thrinley Lhundrub was the incarnation of the great master Nubchen Sangay Yeshe, one of the 25 disciples of Guru Padmasambhava.

Nubchen SangyeYeshe, of the clan of Nub, received many transmissions from Guru Rinpoche as well as from 30 thirty other accomplished teachers of the time and he became a renowned master of the tantras. He was one of the three greatest receivers (babs sa) of tantra, who transmitted and spread the teachings of Mahayoga, Anuyoga and Semde of Atiyoga in Tibet. It is said that when king Lang Darma began to destroy the Dharma in Tibet, he summoned Nubchen Sangye Yeshe and his disciples and seeing the power of Nubchen's realization, he decided to spare the tantrikas and the tantric teachings.

Sangdag Thrinley Lhudrub's own contribution, unfortunately, is often not mentioned enough, due to the great focus on the remarkable life and peerless activity of his eldest son Chögyal Rigzin Terdag Lingpa. However, Sangdag Thrinley Lhundrub's contribution is, in its own right, extraordinary. He was a visionary who was exceptionally learned in all aspects of Dharma and supremely accomplished in mantrayana. He was renowned for his courage and deep insight into the needs of the future, which inspired him to break ground for creating a new environment for research, study and practice of the dharma. He was credited with bringing a change in the approach of learning and studying the dharma and in encouraging the equality of class, gender and different lineages. He paved the way for revival of research and studies in the most authentic way and firmly believed that education was the best method of bringing progressive changes while retaining the purity of traditions.

From a very young age, Sangdag Thrinley Lhundrub showed signs of great accomplishment. He received many teachings and instructions and completed retreats under the guidance of his father, the great master Khedrub Dongag Tenzin. He later took ordination from Tsuglag Gyatso and received the name Thrinley Lhundrub. At a remarkably young age, Sangdag Thrinley Lhundrub mastered the teachings of both the Kama and Terma lineages. He studied under his father and countless other great masters and teachers and became one of the most learned masters of the time.

He received the Nyingma (old translations school) teachings from the great masters Sungtul Tsultrim Dorje, Lochen Shenphen Dorje, Lhatsün Kunzang Namgyal, Dzogchenpa Drugdrag Zangpo, Bönlungpa Tsultrim Gyaltsen, Zur Chöying Rangdrol and Trulzhig Norbu Chöten. He studied the Sarma (new translation) teachings from many great masters of the new translations such as Gyaltsab Dragpa Chöyang and Gönpo Sönam Chogden. In all he studied under some thirty masters of the old and new schools. Sangdag Thrinley Lhundrub spent many years in solitary retreat and accomplished all the levels of the doctrine.

Many of the masters of his time regarded Sangdag Thrinley Lhundrub to be unequalled in the depth of his learning and understanding of the Dharma, and particularly in his knowledge of the vast body of the secret Vajrayana teachings, meditation and rituals. Sangdag Thrinley Lhundrub married Yum Lhadzin Yangcen Dolma. He passed away at the age of 52.

Sangdag Thrinley Lhundrub's contribution to the preservation of Buddhist teachings in Tibet and the legacy he passed on to his sons is extraordinary. During one of his retreats, it is said that Padmasambhava appeared in a vision to Sangdag Thrinley Lhundrub and prophesized, "You shall have four sons. Three equal to you and one greater than you."

Yum Lhadzin Yangcen Dolma

Padmasambhava prophesized to Sangdag Thrinley Lhundrub that an emanation of Shelkar Tsho, born in the year of the Rat and by the name of Yangcen, found near his own province of Dranang, would be his consort.

And so it was that in accordance with this prophecy that Yum Lhadzin Yangcen Dolma, the mother of Rigzin Terdag Lingpa, was born in the year 1624 in the wood male rat year in Dranang. Yum Lhadzin Yancen Dolma was the emanation of Shelkar Tsho who was one of the consorts of Padmasambhava.

Lhadzin Yangcen Dolma was respected and renowned as a direct descendent of the Chögyal Dynasty of great Kings, Songtsen Gampo and Trisong Detsen. The Chögyal dynasty itself was considered to be a branch of the Shakya Licchavi clan of India.

The Shakya Licchavi Clan existed in the northern region of Lumbini- foothills of the Himalayas in ancient India. It was a tribal kingdom that existed prior to the birth of Shakya Thub pa or Shakya muni Buddha. Buddha as Siddhartha was born into this clan. Shakya - the word itself means "Sugar Caners". There were the small kingdoms of Shakya Licchavi and Shakya Vaishali and both were overrun by war and rivalry. Shortly, after the parinirvana of the Buddha, the Shakya Licchavi kingdom ceased to exist and its survivors scattered into the neighboring countries such as Nepal.

Songtsen Gampo (604 - 650) was a great emperor who contributed to the introduction and growth of Buddhism in Tibet. Under his reign the Buddhist Sutrayana teachings started to take root in Tibet. He was also responsible for sending the great scholar, Thönmi Sambhota, to India. It was this great scholar and master who then created the Tibetan alphabet, which became instrumental in the spreading and preservation of the teachings in Tibet. Thönmi Sambhota was one of the previous lives of Terdag Lingpa. It was also during the reign of Songtsen Gampo that the Ten Virtuous Actions were first introduced in Tibet and became the basis of Tibet's code of laws.

King Trisong Detsen, descendent of the same Chögyal lineage, reigned in the years 756-797 (or 804 according to different sources). Under his reign, Buddhism was established as the state religion of the country. He invited great Buddhist scholars to Tibet from India. Amongst them were the great learned abbot Shantarakshita, and the Second Buddha of our time, Mahaguru Padmasambhava, who established the Vajrayana teachings in Tibet.

From a very young age, Yum Lhadzin Yangcen Drolma was very learned, accomplished and kind. She was greatly loved by the people of her family and the province and known for her gentleness and grace. She was especially known for her generosity, who made many vast offerings to various great masters and monasteries and saved innumerable animals who were to be slaughtered.

From a very young age she studied recitation, calligraphy and other fields of knowledge. Yum Lhadzin Yangcen Dolma received many transmissions and teachings from great masters of the day such as Sakyapa Zhabdrung Garchen, Tsherlungpa Künga Namgyal, Khenpo Shakya Rinwang, Tshe Tsham Par Dragpa and Na Lung Trulzhig.

Lhadzin Yangcen Dolma married the great master of the Nyö lineage, Sangdag Thrinley Lhundrub when she was in her twenties. After she became the Sangyum (consort) of Sangdag Thrinley Lhundrub, she gave birth to seven children, four sons, two daughters and one who died at childbirth:

Her oldest son Rigdzin Gyurme Dorje aka Chögyal Terdag Lingpa born in the year of the Fire Dog Year.

  • Gyalse Tenpa'i Niyma was born the Year of the Earth Rat.
  • Semo Sönam Paldzom was born in the Year of the Female Iron Hare, after one child who died at birth.
  • Chöpal Gyatso, the Great Lochen Dharmashri was her third son and was born in the Year of the Wood Horse.
  • Chung Je Wön Chagdzöd Künga Tsultrim (gcung rje dbon phyag mdzod) was born in the Fire Monkey Year.
  • Semo Lhachig Paldzom was born in the year of the Earth Pig.

Semo is an honorific term given to daughters of noble families. These days, this word is being translated loosely as 'princess' but it is not entirely correct. The term princess applies when we use the term Gyalpo'i Semo which literally means "daughter born to a king."

The literal translation of Semo, a term used mainly for daughters of teachers who are lineage heads or for daughters who are born to nobility, would be 'she-sons' as derived from the word 'Se' which is an honorific word for son. The term semo may be translated as noble daughter.

A great learned practitioner and scholar, Yum Lhadzin Yangcen Drolma continued to receive teachings from many great masters. Along with Padrö Chöwang Lhundrub, she received the entire Hundred Thousand tantras of the Nyingma School (rnying ma'i rgyud 'bum) and numerous other teachers from Yabje Rigzin Chenpo. Furthermore, she received many teachings from other great masters of the day such as Peling Sungtul Tsultrim Dorje, Bönlung Rinpoche and Padro Chöje. In this way, she received many teachings and accomplished the practices becoming renowned as a great yogini. She was also known for her accomplishment of the dream yoga.

Yum Lhadzin Yangcen Drolma also assisted her husband Sangdag Thrinley Lhundrub in his vast activities of teachings. Her biography mentions that several times she donated all her material wealth for the construction of temples and to support the poor of the provinces and in this way setting an exemplary tradition for all Sangyums (an honorific term mainly used for consorts who are actually married to a master of great accomplishment) within the lineage to follow in supporting and engaging in the activities of their consorts.

To these two great masters were then born the children who went on to establish and found Mindrolling which then became the one of the major Nyingma learning and practice centers. There are six main lineages or monasteries of the Nyingmas: Mindrolling, Dorje Drag, Shechen, Dzogchen, Kathog and Palyul.

All of these major monasteries are holders of the vast and profound teachings of the Secret Mantrayana teachings. However, due to the vast vision and tireless efforts of the two Mindrolling brothers, Chögyal Terdag Lingpa and Lochen Dharmashri, Mindrolling became known as one of the epicenters of authentic tradition of buddhist rituals and practices containing the highest levels of learning and practices of Dzogchen.

This great monastic institution renowned as Mindrolling was established by the eldest son born to Sangdag Trinley Lhundrub and Yum Lhadzin Yangcen Dolma, Chögyal Rigzin Terdag Lingpa.

Terchen Rigzin Gyurme Dorje aka Chögyal Orgyen Terdag Lingpa

Chögyal Rigzin Terdag Lingpa was born as the eldest son of Sangdag Thrinley Lhundrub and Yum Lhadzin Yangcen Drolma, on Monday, 26th March 1646, the 10th day of the 2nd month of the Fire Dog Year, at his father's monastery, Dargye Chöling in Dranang, Central Tibet.

Before the birth of Terdag Lingpa, Sangdag Thrinley Lhundrub dreamt that a beautiful maiden came and offered him a blazing red HRI syllable. His consort, Yum Lhadzin Yangcen Drolma, too, saw in her dream a beautiful celestial maiden offering her a crystal stupa. As soon as she held the stupa in the dream, Yum Lhadzin Yangcen Drolma awoke just as the sun arose in the dawn. Upon birth, Terdag Lingpa was given the name Künga Ngödrub Rinchen Wangyi Gyalpo.

Tertön Gyurme Dorje aka Chögyal Rigzin Orgyen Terdag Lingpa, also known as Pema Garwag Gyurme Dorje, is known as the emanation of many great bodhisattvas, mahasiddhas and masters. To enumerate a few of whom we hear often - he was Ananda during the time of Buddha Shakyamuni, Thönmi Sambhota at the time of King Songtsen Gampo, the great scholar and translator Vairocana during the time of Guru Rinpoche and Zurchen Shakya Jungne, one of the three great receivers (babs sa) of the Nyingma teachings.

From a young age, Chögyal Rigzin Terdag Lingpa received many teachings and initiations. At the age of five he went to receive the blessings of the Jowo in Lhasa. As soon as he offered prostrations, his mind filled with great clarity and he was able to clearly remember his past lives. From then onwards, he began to receive extensive teachings and transmissions from learned abbots of the time. In particular, Terdag Lingpa began to receive religious training under the guidance of his father, who first bestowed upon him the initiation of the Kagyed Sangdzog (bk'a brgyad gsang rdzogs).

Terdag Lingpa studied reading, writing, grammar and literature with the great scholar Dhöndup Wangyal. His other teachers in his early age were Rigzin Pema Thrinley, Gönpo Sönam Chogden and Lochen Zhenphen Dorje.

At the age of nine, Chögyal Rigdzin Terdag Lingpa received his first vows, the genyen vows (dge bsnyen) from his father and thereafter received further training in meditation, rituals and rites of the Nyingma practices with particular emphasis on the dzogchen teachings. Then he went into a three month retreat, during which he had visions of Guru Padmasambhava and received empowerments from him.

While in retreat, Terdag Lingpa was able to memorize the texts of numerous sadhana practices without any difficulty. He also studied and learned by heart numerous root texts and commentaries, among them were the Essential Root Tantra (rtsa rgyud gsang ba snying po), The Peerless Continuum (rgyud bla ma), The Relaxation of Mind Nature (sems nyid ngal gso), the Wish Granting Treasure (yid bzhin mdzod) and the Four Medicine Tantras (sman dpyad rgyud bzhi) and many others. Thus in his young age, Terdag Lingpa's depth of learning and understanding had become truly immeasurable.

Between the age of 15 and his early twenties, Terdag Lingpa received the oral transmissions of the Eighteen volumes of Nyingma Tantra (rnying ma rgyud 'bum bco brgyad) at Tashi Chöling monastery. Later he also received the transmissions of innumerable treatises and cycles of teachings of both the Kama (bka ma) and Terma (gter ma) lineages.

At the age of 23, Terdag Lingpa went to Palden Drepung Monastery (dpal ldan 'bras spungs) where the Great Fifth Dalai Lama Ngawang Lobzang Tenzin Gyatso performed the (gtsug phud) hair cutting ceremony and bestowed upon him the name Ngawang Pema Tenzin. Later he received from the Great Fifth Dalai Lama the yongdzog genyen vows (yongs rdzogs dge bsnyen) - the complete lay vows of Pratimoksha, Bodhisattva, and Tantra traditions. This auspicious bestowal of the yongdzog genyen vows marks the beginning of an exceptional and very close teacher-student-teacher relationship between the Great Fifth Dalai Lama and Rigdzin Terdag Lingpa.

From then on, Terdag Lingpa continued to receive a vast amount of transmissions and he accomplished many retreats. From the Great Fifth Dalai Lama, Terdag Lingpa received numerous transmissions; amongst them was the Great Sealed Secrets (gsang ba rgya can), a cycle of teachings comprising of the Fifth Dalai Lama's visionary texts, treasure teachings and supplementary notes on the secret levels of practices. Traveling between the monasteries of Gungthang, Benyul, Nyemo and Kyitsal, Terdag Lingpa continued to study scriptures and meditation. These included the Great Illusion Tantra (sgyu 'phrul), the Union Tantra (mnyam sbyor), the Vajrakila (phur pa), the Yamri Tantra (gshed skor), treatises on the meditation level (sgrub sde), as well as the tantra teachings such as the Hundred Sadhanas (sgrub thabs brgya rtsa), Chakrasamvara (bde mchog), Guhyasamaja (gsang 'dus), Hevajra (dkyes rdor), the Ladzog Thugsum (bla rdzogs thugs gsum) which was the Trio of Guru Sadhana, Atiyoga and the Great Compassionate One, and many others. Terdag Lingpa also studied the texts and expositions of great scholars like Sakya Pandita and in particular the Great Omniscient Longchen Rabjampa.

Out of all the great master and accomplished teachers of Terdag Lingpa, there were three who were incomparable in their kindness, eleven from whom he had received nectar-like teachings for self-emanation and growth, and twenty-five who were the source of Terdag Lingpa's extensive vision and from whom he received a vast amount of teachings and transmissions. The first three were:

  • The Great Fifth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobzang Tenzin Gyatso
  • Rigzin Terdag Lingpa's own father, Sangdag Thrinley Lhundrub
  • The great master, Sungtrul Tsultrim Dorje.

Among the eleven masters from whom Terdag Lingpa received the nectar like teachings were Rigzin Pema Thrinley, Zhalu Rinchen Sönam Chogdub, Zur Ngawang Phuntsog, Trulshig Longyang Odsal, Sakyapa Sonam Wangchuk, Konchok Lhundrub and others.

In all, Rigdzin Terdag Lingpa had over thirty five teachers from whom he had received oral transmissions and profound teachings on meditation and ritual practices.

In the History of Nyingma, His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche presents the following enumeration of transmissions and teachings Terdag Lingpa received, and of the scriptures and texts he studied and accomplished:

"Terdag Lingpa's studies of the doctrinal transmissions were infinite. It would be difficult to grasp even the titles, but they include all the transmitted precepts of the Ancient Translation School for which there exists a continuous lineage nowadays, such as the Sutra Which Gathers All Intentions, the Magical Net, the Three Traditions of the Mental Class (sems-sde lugs-sum), the Buddhasamayoga, and the cycles of Yangdak Heruka, Vajrakila and Yamantaka; most of the well-known treasures as exemplified by the varied transmitted precepts of the class for means of attainment, the Trio of the Guru, Atiyoga and Great Compassionate One, in general and in particular; the general transmitted precepts of the New Translation School, such as the Vajra Garland and the Hundred Means of Attainment, as well as such particular transmitted precepts as those of Cakrasamvara, Hevajra, Kalachakra, Guhyasamaja, Yamantaka, and the Kriya and Yoga empowerments, guidance and exegetical transmissions, along with many works of the sutra tradition; and the transmission of the entire Kangyur, which is the root of them all.
Starting in his thirteenth year, Choegyal Terdag Lingpa memorised the Root Tantra of the Secret Nucleus, the Supreme Continuum of the Greater Vehicle, the Mind at Rest, and the root text and commentary of the Wish-fulfilling Treasury; and from his venerable father he gradually received their oral exegeses. Later, he mastered the scriptures of the Nub tradition, the Zur tradition of Rongzom Pandita, Sakya Pandita's Analysis of the Three Vows (sa skya pandi ta'i rab dbye), Comden Rigpei Reldri's Definitive Order of the Tripitaka (bcom ldan ral gri'i spyi rnam), and the Profound Inner Meaning by the 3rd Karmapa Rangjung Dorje (rang byung zhabs kyi nang don). In particular, by diligently studying all the scriptures of the great all-knowing Longchenpa, he obtained unimpeded powers of intellectual analysis, and thereby resolved all doubts."

Furthermore, His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche continues to write:

"He received the empowerments, instructions, and exegetical transmissions of the four rivers [of the Sutra which Gathers All Intentions] in their entirety, including the seal entrustment and the longevity empowerment for final support from Taktön Chögyel Tenzin who had opened forty five mandalas on the basis of the Empowerment Ceremony of the Sutra which Gathers All Intentions entitled the Jewel Rosary ('dus pa mdo'i dbang chog rin chen phreng ba). Moreover, on the basis of the Empowerment Ceremony [entitled] the River of Honey (dbang chog sbrang rtsi'i chu rgyun) he received, from the same guru, the complete empowerments, transmissions, and instructions, relying on twenty one mandalas painted on cloth. Again, from Rigzin Pema Thrinley of Dorje Drak, he received the full empowerments, instructions and exegetical transmissions, based on the Empowerment Ceremony entitled the Jewel Rosary, relying on a condensed version which utilised twenty-seven mandalas, of which the root mandala was painted on cloth, a nd the surrounding ones laid out schematically. Both of these masters conferred on him the secret name Gyurme Dorje Tsal."

After this period of extensive study and training, Rigdzin Terdag Lingpa went into a solitary retreat and he accomplished many practices. Rigdzin Terdag Lingpa then revealed many treasure teachings (terma). Hence Terdag Lingpa is also renowned as a great Tertön or treasure finder. Among the treasures he revealed are the following:

  • At the age of eighteen, he discovered the terma of the Heart Essence of the Vidyadharas [rig-'dzin thugs-thigs] at Yamalung on Friday, June 15, l663 (25the day of the 4th month tenth day 5th month, water hare year).
  • At the age of twenty-two, he discovered the terma of Yamantaka, The Destroyer of Arrogance [gshin-rje dregs' joms] at Yarlung Sheldrag (Yarlung Crystal Caves) on Saturday, September 24, 1667 (8th day khrums month, fire sheep year).
  • At the age of thirty-one, he discovered the terma Zabter Thragthung Pema Dragpo of the Wrathful Guru (Guru drag-po) and the Atiyoga and the Vajrasattva cycle [rdor sems ati'i skor] at Okar Drak on Saturday, December 19, 1676 (15th day, tiger month, fire dragon year)
  • At the age of thirty-five, he discovered the terma of the Doctrinal Cycle of the Great Compassionate One as The Universal Gathering of the Sugatas [thugs-rje chenpo bde gshegs kun-dus kyi chos skor] in public at Shawuk Tago on Friday, August 23, 1680 (29th day, 6th month, iron monkey year).

Having received many teachings from the Great Fifth Dalai Lama, Rigdzin Terdag Lingpa in turn also bestowed numerous teachings and transmissions to the The Great Fifth Dalai Lama. These transmissions included the Tantra of Vajrapani's Whispered Lineage (phyag rdor snyam brgyud), the Seven Treasury Texts (mdzod bdun) of the Great Omniscient Longchen Rabjampa, as well as the treasure teachings of Padma Lingpa, Dorje Lingpa, Ratna Lingpa and numerous other transmissions. It is said that once while the Great Fifth Dalai Lama was receiving a transmission from Rigzin Terdag Lingpa, many witnessed numerous miraculous signs.

The exceptional and auspicious teacher-student-teacher relationship between the Great Fifth Dalai Lama and Chögyal Rigzin Terdag Lingpa continued throughout the lives of both these accomplished masters. When Terdag Lingpa was 25 years old, the Great Fifth Dalai Lama fully patronized the building of Terdag Lingpa's monastery and gave it the name Og Min Ogyen Mindrol Ling Ngedön Gatsal Ling meaning:

Og Min (Akanishta),
Ogyen (Uddiyana),
Mindrol (ripening and liberation),
Ling (land),
Ngedön (definitive meaning),
Gatsal (joyous garden).

The Mindrolling Monastery was thus founded in the year 1646. Terdag Lingpa's great vision paved the way for many changes in the existing system in the structure and traditions observed by the Mindrolling Monastery. Terdag Lingpa stressed the importance of merit and learning over more conservative traditions of hierarchy. Therefore, in the Mindrolling Monastery in Tibet, there was only one throne for the Trichen in the main shrineroom and everyone else sat on the thick cushions used in shrinerooms all over (böden). Only when a regent would be appointed in the absence of a Trichen, was another throne set up for the regent.

The order of seating of monks too was based on learning and seniority. If a monk passed the necessary classes and studies which were essential in order to be permitted to sit in the shrineroom, he would then take his seat and then the next one who passed the tests, would sit after him and so on. It was not based on age or rank.

Terdag Lingpa emphasised the importance of maintaining a low profile for practitioners and exemplified this in his own monastery. He stressed on the quality of the practitioners instead of great numbers, and so even at its peak, Mindrolling never had more than 300 monks. Terdag Lingpa constructed Mindrolling in a place in the Drachi valley where it was almost hidden and could not be seen until one was almost there. This he said was to remind his students and followers of the lineage that a practitioner must not live to display one's practice but to live a quiet, humble life steeped in tranquillity and reflection. That a practitioner should not have to impress others or seek others but that others should seek the practitioner should they need to.

Another shift from the existing ethos of the time was Terdag Lingpa's view on gender equality. Terdag Lingpa emphasised the importance of educating women and their role in transmitting and practicing the authentic dharma. In this he led by example and made sure that his daughters had a choice and were educated in the same way as his sons. He stressed that daughters of his lineage were to be taught just like the sons. This was a revolutionary concept in its day and from then on the daughters of Mindrolling have the title of Jetsün. Jetsün in Tibetan comes from two words. Je (rje) meaning lord or sovereign and tsün (tsun) means persons of great nobility and virtue. So together it is often translated as a title meaning the exalted one and literally means sovereign of virtuous and noble ones.

Terdag Lingpa established Mindrolling monastery with the great vision of establishing a source of the pure and authentic traditions of mantrayana where learning and practicing of the genuine dharma would be its only purpose. In the subsequent years, Mindrolling became the reference point of all the ritualistic traditions such as sadhana practices, ritual dances and mandala making for the Nyingma monasteries and various other lineages from all over Tibet. It was seen as the source of most ritualistic traditions and is even now referred to as the chu go of the Nyingma School. Chu go meaning the source or the mouth from which something flows out into the open.

Upon the completion of the building following seven years of construction, on the day of the inauguration of Og Min Ogyen Mindrolling, The Great Fifth Dalai Lama personally performed the hair cutting ceremony for the new monks of Mindrolling.

In the subsequent year, when the Dalai Lama fell sick, Terdag Lingpa performed practices and rituals to expel obstacles, and it is said that due to the power and blessings of those practices, The Great Fifth Dalai Lama recovered fully.

When his activities were thriving, at the age of 33, Rigzin Terdag Lingpa became seriously ill. Based on a prediction and instruction of The Great Fifth Dalai Lama, Rigzin Terdag Lingpa accepted a spiritual consort, who was an emanation of Kshetrapali. It was due to her blessings and presence that Terdag Lingpa not only regained his health and prolonged his life, but his realization also became greatly enhanced and deepened. Due to the presence of certain obstacles, this consort did not bear a child, but later Terdag Lingpa successively married two consorts (sangyum) who gave birth to three sons and two daughters, all of whom became exceptional practitioners.

The first of two sangyum was the Great Lady Yönten Dolma, who gave birth to Terdag Lingpa's eldest son Pema Gyurme Gyatso.

The second Sangyum was the daughter of Tsug Lag Dzin, a direct descendant of the king of Zahor, and her name was Phuntsok Paldzom. She was known as the emanation of Dorje Phagmo (Vajrayogini). Sangyum Phuntsok Paldzom gave birth to two sons and two daughters:

  • Zhabdrung Yidzhin Lekdrup
  • Trichen Drinchen Rinchen Namgyal
  • Semo Jetsün Mingyur Paldron
  • Semo Cham Paldzin

As we will see in the subsequent chapters, all of Terdag Lingpa's children came to be exceptional practitioners and masters of their time.

Chögyal Rigzin Terdag Lingpa was known for his great generosity. Whatever material offerings he received were always generously donated to the Mindrolling Monastery and for other Dharma activities, and thus the monks of Mindrolling never lacked anything. Furthermore, Terdag Lingpa also commissioned many paintings and sculptures, as well as over five hundred volumes of rare and precious texts in gold and silver, including the Kangyur, and numerous xylographs for the commentaries, exegeses, ceremonies and rituals.

Not only was this great master known for revealing treasure teachings and for further teaching and transmitting the vast and profound treasure teachings, but to him is also credited the unexcelled contribution of preserving the Kama lineage. He compiled many texts, was a great composer, received and reinforced many teachings and in this way renewed the transmission lineages of many lines of transmissions.

One of Chögyal Terdag Lingpa's greatest contributions has been the restoration and preservation of some of the great cycles of terma teachings which had been discovered in the past but had lost much of their transmissions, exegesis, and understanding. Almost no one at the time knew the methods of practices contained within these termas or had the required transmissions to practice these profound traditions. Chief amongst them were the works of the two greatest of tertöns, Nyang Ral Nyima Ozer (1124-1192) and Guru Chöwang (1212-1273). Terdag Lingpa revived the numerous termas of these two great early tertöns and nurtured the growth and flourishment of their teachings. Nyang Ral Nyima Ozer's great terma Kagyed Desheg Düpa (bka' brgyad bde gshegs 'dus pa) which became one of the pivotal traditions maintained at Mindrolling. In fact when Terdag Lingpa was about to pass into parinirvana, he instructed his disciples not to mourn him but instead to do a ten day drubchen of Kagyed Desheg Düpa in order to benefit all beings in the samsara.This tradition is maintained in Mindrolling right up to the present day. Guru Chöwang's famed terma, Lama Sangdü (bla ma gsang 'dus), also became one of the principal traditions held at Mindrolling. It is the drubchö based on Lama Sangdü that is performed every year on the auspicious occasion of the 10th day of the Monkey month (7th month) and is called the great Tse chu ceremony.

His Holiness Dujom Rinpoche summarizes Chögyal Rigdzin Terdag Lingpa's incomparable contribution to the preservation of the teachings of various lineages in the following words:

"This great treasure finder, directly and indirectly, was most gracious to the entire teaching, ancient and new. More than that, he maintained the vitality of the instructions of the minor doctrinal traditions, such as the Conangpa, Shangpa and others. In particular, by the 17th century, the exegesis and attainment of the Nyingma Traditions, of which the foremost is the trilogy of the Sutra Which Gathers All Intentions, the Magical Net and the Mental Class had almost begun to resemble a lamp that had run out of oil, Terdag Lingpa, with courageous and untiring great perseverance, sought out all those traditions and restored the deteriorated teaching from its very foundations by means of exegesis, attainment, and work. In point of fact, because of the kindness of this most venerable master, his brother, disciples, and descendants, the Sa-nga Nyingmapa, or the "Ancient School of Secret Mantra", has been equal to the meaning of its name, and its genuine, authoritative continuous lineage has increased, without decline, down to the present day. Therefore, none can match Terdag Lingpa's wonderful kindness and legacy. For these reasons, we later Nyingmapa do not merely rely on ephemeral ceremonies and rites which are referred to as profound doctrines, but extensively maintain the tradition, which is a great treasure chest of teaching."

Thus Chögyal Terdag Lingpa is known as an extraordinary master of the Kama (oral) and Terma (revealed treasures) lineages and therefore is called Chögyal Terdag Lingpa-the Dharma King Terdag Lingpa.

It is due to his extraordinary foresight and unbiased dedication to all lineages of the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism that Terdag Lingpa is also known as a pioneer of his time in upholding the and strengthening the non sectarian view. He established a vision wherein later generation masters such as Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Thaye and Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo founded the Rime (non sectarian) movement

It is actually impossible to write down all the vast and tireless activity of Chögyal Terdag Lingpa. Reading his biographies and listening to great teachers such as Kyabje Mindrolling Trichen, Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche, speak about Chögyal Rigzin Terdag Lingpa, always left listeners marveling and awestruck by this great master's realization and activity. It often seems impossible for one person to accomplish all those activities in one lifetime.

At the age of 69, he started showing signs of ill health and began leaving instructions to his sons and daughters and his students.

On the morning of 2nd day of the 2nd lunar month (Saturday 17th March 1714) Chögyal Rigdzin Terdag Lingpa got up saying: "I must now take seven steps to the East". He then took seven steps in the eastern direction and sat down in a meditation posture and said:

"Appearances, sounds and awareness Are deities, mantras and the sphere of dharmakaya Spreading forth infinitely as the display of kayas and primordial wisdom. Within the practice of the profound and secret great yoga. May they be indivisible and of one taste in the essence of mind."

Then, gazing around at all those who surrounded him, Rigdzin Terdag Lingpa said, "I see that the dakinis have arrived to greet me", and gazing skywards entered into parinirvana. The following days were filled with amazing peace and wonderful signs that were witnessed by all throughout the region.