Namkha Chokyong

Namkha Chokyong (nam mkha' chos skyong), who was one of the major disciples of Jamyang Konchok Sangpo ('jam dbyangs dkon mchog bzang po), was born in Zhey Tongmon (bzhad mthong smon). He studied extensively in many subjects from a young age. He was a substitute abbot (mkhan tshab) at the monastery of Ngamring (ngam ring) for many years. From Jamyang Konchok Sangpo he received a vast number of profound transmissions, such as the Kalacakra initiation, the explanation of the Kalacakra Tantra, the esoteric instructions of the six-branch yoga, the collected writings of the dharma lord Dolpopa, and the Bodhisattva Trilogy. He also held the monastic seat of Tsechen Monastery (rtse chen dgon) for a long time.

Namkha Chokyong was the eighteenth holder of the monastic seat of Jonang Monastery and gave many profound and vast teachings there, such as the six-branch yoga and the great Vimalaprabha commentary to the Kalacakra Tantra. He also offered special service to the great Jonang stupa, such as gilding the thirteen Dharma wheels of the spire and having exceptional murals painted in the main dome. Furthermore, he carried out many repairs and restorations of the main assembly hall at Jonang, the ecclesiatical residence, and the nearby retreat sites of Dewachen (bde ba can), Kyipuk (skyid phug), and Khacho Deden (mkha' spyod bde ldan).

Wonderful signs accompanied Namkha Chokyong's passing. He had countless disciples such as Panchen Namkha Pelsang (paN chen nam mkha' dpal bzang), Dorje Gyelpo (rdo rje rgyal po), and Gorumpa Kunga Legpa (sgo rum pa kun dga' legs pa). Namkha Chokyong was succeeded on the Jonang monastic seat by his disciple Pelden Rinchen (dpal ldan rin chen).

Sources

'Jam mgon a mes zhabs ngag dbang kun dga' bsod nams. 2000. Dpal dus kyi 'khor lo'i zab pa dang rgya che ba'i dam pa'i chos byung ba'i tshul legs par bshad pa ngo mtshar dad pa'i shing rta. In The Collected Works of A-mes-zhabs Ngag dbang kun dga' bsod nams, vol. 19: 1-532. Kathmandu: Sa skya rgyal yongs gsung rab slob gnyer khang, pp. 241–42.

Taranatha. 1983.  Dpal dus kyi 'khor lo'i chos bskor gyi byung khungs nyer mkho, In The Collected Works of Jo-nang rje-btsun TAranAtha, vol. 2: pp. 1–43. Leh: Smanrtsis Shesrig Dpemdzod, 1983, pp. 40–41.

Cyrus Stearns
August 2008