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Gampopa Sönam Rinchen Biography
GampopaWutso Gabar Jalbo, was a physician from Nyip clan, living in the Seba valley of Nyal, in Tibet. He had two wives, Yunlaza and Sangdan Dronma.
Each wife gave birth to a son, and the oldest was Darma Drak, later known as Gampopa. He was born in 1079 C.E.
By age fifteen Darma Drak already learned several tantras of Nyingmapa school, and taught by his father, mastered the eight branches of medical science. He came to be also known as Dakpo Lharjé "the Physician from Gampo."
At age twenty-two Darma Drak married the daughter of a local chieftain. They had two children, a son and a daughter.
When Darma Drak was twenty-five, a contagious disease broke through the region; his son got sick and died. He took the body of the boy to be buried and when he returned home found that his daughter also died. Few days later his wife got sick. Despite his using all his knowledge to heal her, she died. The tragedy caused him to renounce the householder's life and seek ordination.
First, he went to Puto monastery in Penyul, but as he felt that there was no karmic connection to the lama there, he returned to his native place for a while and got some provisions and gold to support his studies.
Then he went to Gyachak Ri monastery in Penyul and received ordination as a bhikṣu in the Kadam1 order, and was named Sönam Rinchen (Tib. Precious Merit). He received many Dharma teachings such as Mahāyānasūtrālaṅkāra, Abhisamayālaṃkāra, Abhidharmakośa, Hevajra and Guhyasamāja. He remained at Gyachak Ri to practice the teachings received.
Later, while walking around the monastery, Sönam Rinchen overheard some beggars talking about “Milarepa, the Lord of Yogis, [staying] in the western Lachi Mountain range, who lives on food of austerity and samadhi, wears a single cloth and survives with the heat of tumo [… ] to be in his presence and just see his face would be wonderful.”
Just hearing the name of Milarepa made Sönam Rinchen feel deep emotion and desire to search for him. His teacher also told him: “I have known all along that you have a close karmic connection with such a meditation master. Go find Milarepa.”
In 1109, after a difficult journey, after almost dying from exhaustion, Sönam Rinchen arrived at Tashigang, where it appeared that Milarepa was already expecting him. Because Milarepa noticed him being proud of his accomplishments, he delayed the face to face meeting for two weeks.
Then he gave the monk a cup of chang (Tibetan beer) which after some hesitation2 he drank, symbolizing that he will be the lineage holder. When Sönam Rinchen offered Milarepa sixteen measures of gold and a package of tea, Milarepa declined to accept it, saying that he had no desire for his gold or tea.
Milarepa then gave Sönam Rinchen the teachings on Vajravārahī and sent him to meditate in a nearby cave. For the next thirteen months, Sönam Rinchen reported signs of realization. Each time Milarepa’s reply was “It is neither good nor bad. Meditate more.” Then, Milarepa gave him the transmission of his entire teachings, including tumo and Mahāmudrā, and sent him back to his homeland.
Before parting, Milarepa gave him his final advice: “renounce pride and egotism, cut the strings of affection and attachment and abandon all worldly desires. Merge all the Teachings into one practice; always pray to me, your old father […]” Then he told him to return after twelve years.
Sönam Rinchen spent the next three years in a Kadam monastery of Sebalung, in Nyang. Then he went to solitary retreat in Gampodar and Wode Gunggyel. After finishing the twelve year retreat period that his teacher had recommended, he decided to return to Milarepa.
On his way there he learned that Milarepa had passed away. He then returned to Wode Gunggyel to continue his meditation, and then moved to Gampo region where he established his monastery, Daklha Gampo, in year 1121.
Gampopa had many great students, both monks and laypeople, who were accomplished tantric practitioners. Four of them were great Siddhas that established their own subdivisions of Kagyu tradition:
• Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo (1110-1170), established the Pakdru Kagyu;
• Düsum Khyenpa (the future First Karmapa, 1110-1193), established the Karma Kagyu;
• Zhang Yudrakpa Tsöndru Drakpa (1122–1193), established the Tsalpa Kagyu;
• Barompa Darma Wangchug (1127-1194), established the Barom Kagyu.
Gampopa wrote several treatises, among the best known being the “Jewel Ornament of Liberation” and “The Precious Rosary of the Supreme Path.” He also wrote the instructions of Mahāmudrā and composed Tibetan medicine books.
Gampopa passed away while meditating, in 1153, the Water Bird Year, on the Day of Pūrṇimā (full moon) of the sixth month of the Tibetan lunar calendar.
Sources
• https://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Gampopa-Sonam-Rinchen/3168)
• The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa, by Tsangnyön Heruka, translations by Garma C.C. Chang, C. Stagg
• The Life and Teachings of Gampopa, Khenchen Trangu Rinpoche
• http://buddhism.redzambala.com/buddhism/teacher/gampopa-the-founder-of-kagyu.html
• https://studybuddhism.com/en/tibetan-buddhism/spiritual-teachers/gampopa/the-life-of-gampopa
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gampopa
Footnotes
1. The Kadam school of Tibetan Buddhism was founded by Dromtön (1005–1064), a Tibetan lay master and the foremost disciple of the great Bengali master Atiśa (982-1054). The Kadampa were quite famous and respected for their proper and earnest Dharma practice. The most evident teachings of that tradition were the teachings on bodhicitta ("enlightenment-mind", the mind that strives toward awakening, empathy, and compassion for the benefit of all sentient beings). Later, these special presentations became known as lojong and lamrim by Atiśa.
Je Tsongkhapa, a reformer, collected all the three Kadam lineages and integrated them, along with Sakya, Kagyu and other teachings, into his presentation of the doctrine. The pervasive influence of Tsongkhapa was such that the Kadampas that followed were known as "New Kadampas" or, more commonly, as "Gelugpas", while those who preceded him became retroactively known as "Old Kadampas" or simply "Kadampas."
The Kadam tradition ceased to exist as an independent tradition by the end of the 16th century.
2. As an ordained monk he was prohibited from having alcohol.
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