Namgyel Drakpa Zangpo

Namgyel Draksang (rnam rgyal grags bzang) was born in the ruling family of Ngamring (ngam ring) in the Jang (byang) district of Tsang. He became a great Buddhist master, especially of the Kalacakra tradition, and is remembered as one of the most important physicians in Tibetan history. The Jang school of Tibetan medicine continued Namgyel Draksang's teachings. He also received the title Tai Situ (ta'i si tu) from the Ming emperor of China and ruled the Jang region for many years. He was known by the epithets Kalki Pundarika (rigs ldan padma dkar po) and Mahakalki (rigs ldan chen po), allusions to his identity with the Kalki emperor of Shambhala known as Pundarika.

From a young age Namgyel Draksang engaged in intensive studies under masters such as Lochen Jangchup Tsemo (lo chen byang chub rtse mo), Ka Ngapa Peljor Sherab (bka' lnga pa dpal 'byor shes rab), the Indian Mahapandita Vanaratna, and Bodong Panchen Chokle Namgyel (bo dong paN chen phyogs las rnam rgyal). He also experienced visions of many deities and masters, such as Shakyamuni Buddha, Guru Padmasambhava, and the Shambhala emperor Sucandra.

From about 1435 Namgyel Draksang began ambitious projects at the Jang capital of Ngamring, such as the construction of a large three-dimensional Kalacakra mandala created from gold and silver and adorned with jewels. With his brother, Konchok Lekgpai Gyeltsen Pel Zangpo (dkon mchog legs pa'i rgyal mtshan dpal bzang po), he later completed a huge image of the future buddha Maitreya at Ngamring in 1466. Namgyel Draksang composed many treatises, especially concerning the Kalacakra traditions of meditation and astrology, and also wrote many medical texts.

Namgyel Draksang considered the Dharma lord Dolpopa (dol po pa shes rab rgyal mtshan) to be the ultimate authority on the Kalacakra tradition and declared himself a member of the Jonang tradition. He was also one of the main influences on the Sakya master Serdok Panchen ShAkya Chokden's (gser mdog paN chen shAkya mchog ldan) acceptance of the zhentong (gzhan stong) view. Two of Namgyel Draksang's main disciples who upheld his tantric teachings were the eighteenth holder of the monastic seat of Jonang Monastery, Namkha Chokyong (nam mkha' chos skyong), and Shongton Kunga Pelden (shong ston kun dga' dpal ldan).

Sources

Kun dga' grol mchog. 1985. Rigs ldan chos kyi rgyal po byang bdag rnam rgyal grags bzang gi rnam par thar pa rab bsngags snyan pa'i 'brug sgra. Kansu: Kan su'u zhing chen grangs nyung mi rigs kyi gna' dpe dag sgrib gzhung las khang and Kan lho bod sman zhib 'jug khang.

Dpal ldan chos kyi bzang po. 1974.  Sde pa g.yas ru byang pa'i rgyal rabs rin po che bstar ba. In Rare Tibetan Historical and Literary Texts from the Library of Tsepon W.D. Shakabpa. New Delhi: Taikhang, 166-208, pp. 184-86

Sangs rgyas rgya mtsho. 1982. Dpal ldan gso ba rig pa'i khog ‘bubs legs bshad bai DUr ya'i me long drang srong dgyes pa'i dga' ston. Lanzhou: Kan su'u mi rigs dpe skrun khang, pp. 306-12.

Cyrus Stearns
August 2008