Pema Dechen Lingpa

Pema Dechen Lingpa (padma bde chen gling pa) was born in southern Amdo, in a region called Gongti (gong ti). His father was Konchok (dkon mchog) and his mother was named Zungtarma (gzungs thar ma). They named him Shakya Tar (shAkya thar). He was a child who was strongly drawn to religion, venerating the images of the buddhas and developing strong compassion for beings.

At the age of twenty he went on pilgrimage in Tibet, meeting Serpa Lama Yeshe Gyeltsen (gser pa bla ma ye shes rgyal mtshan) either there or back in Amdo the following year. Yeshe Gyeltsen taught him advanced tantric practices, including Hayagriva, which he practiced for seven years of retreat.

At age twenty-five Pema Dechen Lingpa received a prophesy and a registry for a treasure cycle. In Gyarang (rgyal rong) in southeast Amdo, he revealed his well-known cycle, the Longsel Khandro Nyingtik (klong gsal mkha’ ’gro snying thig) at the sacred mountain Mudo (gnas chen dmu rdo). Two years later he traveled to Katok where he met Longsel Nyingpo (klong gsal snying po), who became his chief master. Pema Dechen Lingpa also studied with Ta Lama Pema Norbu (ta bla ma padma nor bu), another disciple of Longsel Nyingpo, and later identified his own nephew, Tsewang Norbu (tshe dbang nor bu) as the reincarnation of the Ta Lama. He also trained with Tagsham Nuden Dorje (stag sham nus ldan rdo rje), another treasure revealer from whom he received all his transmissions.

Pema Dechen Lingpa revealed further treasure, the Khandro Gongdu (mkha’ ’gro dgongs ’dus) from Tepu Dragri Shunkar (tre phu brag ri zhun mkhar), the Kadu Nyingpo (bka’ ’dus snying po) from Tsanri Dorje Drak (btsan ri rdo rje’i brag), giving the empowerments and transmissions to numerous disciples. At Tsanri he built a hermitage, where he welcomed students such as the 10th Shamarpa Chodrub Gyatso (zhwa dmar 10 chos grub rgya mtsho) and Kunkyen Tenpai Nyinje (kun mkhyen bstan pa’i nyin byed). Chief among them was his nephew, Rigdzin Tsewang Norbu (rig ’dzin tshe dbang nor bu).

His son, Pema Wanggyal (pad+ma dbang rgyal) carried on his teachings.

Sources

’Jam mgon kong sprul blo gros mtha’ yas. 1976. Gter ston brgya rtsa. In Rin chen gter mdzod chen mo v.1 pp. 291-759. Paro: Ngodrup and Sherab Drimay, pp. 619-622.

Ronis, Jann. 2007. “Celibacy, Revelations, and Reincarnated Lamas: Contestation and Synthesis in the Growth of Monasticism at Katok Monastery from the 17th through 19th Centuries.” PhD thesis, University of Virginia, pp. 90-91.

Gyurme Dorje
August 2007