The Treasury of Lives - Biographies of Himalayan Religious Masters

Wensapa Lobzang Dondrub (dben sa pa blo bzang don grub) was born in Lhaku (lha khud) in Tsang, in a place called Wensa (dben sa). His father was Sonam Dorje (bsod nams rdo rje) and his mother was Pal Dzomkyi (dpal ’dzom skyid). His childhood name was Gompo Kyab (mgon po skyabs).

At a very young age Wensapa met his first teacher, Je Kyabchog Pelzang (rje skyabs mchog dpal bzang), the abbot of Wensa Monastery. He is said to have been an extraordinary student and practitioner even from youth, quickly surpassing the knowledge and understanding of all of his peers. As well, Wensapa is said to have had great, spontaneous, and natural faith for Tsongkhapa (tsong kha pa), and prayed to be able to embody the essence of his teachings. In pursuit of this goal, at the age of eleven, he took ordination as a novice monk at Chokor Uding (chos ’khor dbus sdings) monastery. Drakpa Dondrub (grags pa don grub) of Lharitse (lha ri rtse) served as abbot and Tsultrim Rinchenpa (tshul khrims rin chen pa) was preceptor. He was given the name Lobzang Dondrub.

Soon after Lobzang Dondrub traveled to Drepung Monastery (’bras spungs) where he studied Lamrim (lam rim) and philosophical texts, and received instruction on the practices of highest yoga tantras with a number of lamas, particularly from Lharipa Drakpa Dondrub. He became the disciple of the siddha Chokyi Dorje (chos kyi rdo rje), and from him received the detailed instructions on the oral tradition of Tsongkhapa, taking his place as a lineage holder of the Ganden Oral Tradition. Chokyi Dorje transmitted the oral tradition of Tsongkhapa’s lineage of Ganden Mahamudra (dga’ ldan phyag chen), which Tsongkhapa is said to have received from Manjushri himself, together with the root text of the transmission, the Trulpai Legbam Chenmo (sprul pa’i glegs bam chen mo). From Chokyi Je Lodro Gyaltsan (chos kyi rje blo gros rgyal mtshan) he received the instructions, transmission, and permissions for the Nartang Gyatsa (snar thang brgya rtsa), the meditation instructions of Atisha, Guhyasamaja, among other tantric teachings.

When Wensapa was seventeen he contracted smallpox during an epidemic in the Lhasa region. While still ill he met his primary teacher, Drubchen Chokyi Dorje (grub chen chos kyi rdo rje), a master in the Ganden Oral Lineage. Wensapa reported later that he instantly perceived Chokyi Dorje to be a fully realized buddha, and that he immediately requested to be taken on as his disciple. Chokyi Dorje accepted him, and invited him to join him at his hermitage, Garmo Cho Dzong (mgar mo chos rdzong) in Tashi Dzong (bkra shis rdzong), to the West of Shigatse. Wensapa went to Garmo Cho Dzong when he had recovered from his smallpox, and there Cho Dorje gave him the full transmission of the Lamrim and the Ganden Oral tradition. From there Wensapa next went to a meditation cave known as Pema Chan (pad+ma can), a place also referred to as Pema O (pad+ma ’od) where he practiced these and other doctrines Chokyi Dorje had transmitted to him. There he lives as an Indian-style siddha, smearing his body with ash and sitting in seven-pointed posture for days on end. There has been some speculation that he also engaged in sexual yoga with a consort at this time. He also, at the age of twenty, practiced Guhyasamaja in the hermitage of Gyalwa Gyung (rgyal ba rgyung) in Drakgyawo (’brag rgya bo).

Gyalwa Wensapa gave his first dharma teachings at the hermitage of Pema O, and from then on taught extensively throughout the land, residing at various Gelug institutions in Tsang and U, includind Drepung, where at the age of thirty-three he took complete ordination vows from Gendun Gyatso (dge ’dun rgya mtsho), who would posthumously be known as the Second Dalai Lama. At Tashi Lhunpo (bkra shis lhun po) in Shigatse he met Lekpa Dondrub (legs pa don grub), with whom he collaborated on in several of his compositions. At Sera monastery he received additional teachings and empowerments from Gendun Gyatso. Back in Tsang, he received teachings from Panchen Jangchub Lodro (paN chen byang chub blo gros), Ngari Lochen Namgyal (mnga’ ri lo chen rnam rgyal) and Lekpai Lodro (legs pa’i blo gros).

Gyalwa Wensapa’s most important disciple was Sangye Yeshe, who became his primary spiritual lineage holder.

In 1566 Gyalwa Wensapa passed away. During the cremation of his body many miraculous signs appeared, including rainbows and flowers that fell from the sky. His remains were interred at Wensa monastery.

Sources

Willis, Janice D. 1995. Enlightened Beings: Life Stories from the Ganden Oral Tradition. Boston: Wisdom Publications.

Willis, Janice D. 1985. “Preliminary Remarks on the Nature of rNam-thar: Early dGe-lugs-pa Siddha Biographies.” In Soundings in Tibetan Civilizations. Barbara Aziz and Matthew Kapstein, eds. Delhi: Manohar.

Tshe mchog gling Yongs 'dzin Ye shes rgyal mtshan. 1970. Biographies of Eminent Gurus in the Transmission Lineages of the teachings of the Graduated Path, being the text of: Byang chub Lam gyi Rim pa’i Bla ma Brgyud pa’i Rnam par Thar pa Rgyal mtshan Mdzes pa’i Rgyan Mchog Phul byung Nor bu’i Phreng ba (1787). New Delhi: Ngawang Gelek Demo, vol 2, pp. 2-57.

Yongs ’dzin ye shes rgyal mtshan. 1990. Lam rim bla ma brgyud pa’i rnam thar. Lhasa: Bod ljongs mi dmangs dpe skrun khang.

Miranda Adams
September 2008