Tangpo Chungwa Lodro Pel

Tangpo Chungwa (thang po chung ba blo gros dpal) was born in U in 1313. At the age of six he received ordination as a novice monk from the abbot of upper Namgyel in Tolung (stod lung rnam rgyal gong ma) and studied the monastic code, the Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra, and epistemology. He became famous as a scholar at the monasteries of Zhalu (zhwa lu) and Sangpu (gsang phu), and then went to the great Karma Kagyu monastery of Tsurpu (mtshur phu) and received many teachings such as the Tantra Trilogy of Hevajra and the Doha.

Tangpo Chungwa then traveled to the region of Tsang, where he studied many subjects in monasteries such as Drakram (brag ram), Tropu (khro phu), and Ralung (ra lung). In particular, he studied extensively under the master Jigme Drakpa ('jigs med grags pa, d.u.) at Sakya Monastery. When the Sakya master of the Khon family named Donyo Gyeltsen (don yod rgyal mtshan, d.u.) went to Jonang to request teachings from Dolpopa Sherab Gyeltsen (dol po pa shes rab rgyal mtshan, 1292-1361), Tangpo Chungwa also went there and received a pleasant welcome from the great master.

When he received the Kālacakra initiation and the instructions of the six-branch yoga from Dolpopa, it it recorded that an exceptional experience and realization of blissful emptiness arose in him. He recognized Dolpopa's meditation strap, which had previously belonged to the great adept Yumowa (yu mo ba mi bskyod rdo rje, b. c.1027), and Dolpopa prophesied that Tangpo Chungwa was an emanation of Yumowa. Tangpo Chungwa received full monastic ordination and all the exoteric and esoteric transmissions from Dolpopa, such as the Bodhisattva Trilogy.

He also received many teachings from Dolpopa's other major disciples such as Kunpang Chodrak Pelzang (kun spangs chos grags dpal bzang, 1283-1363), Jonang Lotsāwa Lodro Pel (jo nang lo tsA wa blo gros dpal, 1299-1354), Mati Paṇchen Lodro Gyeltsen (ma ti paN chen blo gros rgyal mtshan, 1294-1376), and Chokle Namgyel (phyogs las rnam rgyal, 1307-1386).

Tangpo Chungwa then became the abbot of upper Namgyel in Tolung, where he gave many teachings such as the Vimalaprabhā. When he passed away, he remained resting in clear light for forty-nine days. Many miraculous events are said to have occurred at his passing and during his cremation, and wonderful sacred images emerged from his bones.

Sources

Gyal ba jo bzang dpal bzang po. 1992. Chos kyi rje kun mkhyen chen po yab sras bco lnga'i rnam thar nye bar bsdus pa ngo mtshar rab gsal. In The 'Dzam-thang Edition of the Collected Works (Gsung-'bum) of Kun-mkhyen Dol-po-pa Shes-rab rgyal-mtshan, Delhi: Shedrup Books, vol. 1: 559–629, pp. 623–25. The same work has also been published in Byang sems rgyal ba ye shes. 2004. Dpal ldan dus kyi 'khor lo jo nang pa'i lugs kyi bla ma brgyud pa'i rnam thar. Beijing: Mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 2004, 143–209.

Ngag dbang blo gros grags pa. 1992. Dpal ldan jo nang pa'i chos 'byung rgyal ba'i chos tshul gsal byed zla ba'i sgron me. Koko Nor: Krung go'i bod kyi shes rig dpe skrun khang, 1992, pp. 36–37.

Cyrus Stearns
August 2008