Nyame Sangye Palsang

Nyame Sangye Palsang (1398-1465) was born near Taktsang in the mountains west of Lhasa to the Be family, his father was Pon Rinpoche Zang and his mother Tsebum Pal. His parents suffered much grief because they had lost their first child but hermit Ritrö Rechen Sangye Senge and scholar and translator Jangchup Tsemo assured them that they would soon have a wonderful child and asked the parents to protect him. When the child was born his parents named him name Sangye Palsang. As a small child Sangye Palsang was very kind and compassionate to all of the animals. He began to help the villagers by writing letters and reading documents when he was ten because was the best at writing letters in the province. At the age of fifteen, Sangye Palsang took novice monks' vows before the abbot Kenchen Gyalwe Shangpa. He studied with Shangkarwa Rinchen Gyaltsen and by the age of eighteen was able to give new explanations on the texts. In his nineteenth year, he took the full monks' vows with Shangkarwa as his abbot, Lopon Kansan as the action teacher and Lama Sangye Dorje as his secret preceptor. He became an exemplary student who served and pleased his teacher perfectly in every way. Sangye Palsang trained in the two kinds of bodhichitta; following this he received instruction for the Six Doctrines of Niguma, including the teachings on Inner Heat. After one year of practice he experienced the blazing heat of bliss and the realization of illusoriness arose in him. He gained a clear understanding of the Dream Yoga practices of transformation as well as a continuous experience of the clear light nature of mind. He was henceforth able to perform miraculous deeds, many of which were actually witnessed by his disciples. Once, when the nectar in the ceremonial skull-cup had frozen, he visualized Vajrayogini, who became actually visible to all those present. She then dissolved into the nectar in the skull, which began to boil and spill over. Another time, in the depths of winter, he made a lotus-flower blossom in one of the flask on the shrine. He had many realized female disciples. When Sangye Palsang passed away, sweet scents and a clear radiance filled the room and when his body was cremated rainbows were seen in the sky.

Sources: mnyam med chos rje rin po che sangs rgyas dpal bzang gi rnam thar, shangs chos, vol. 1, pp. 641-656.

[TSD]

Primary Teachers

• Shangkarwa Rinchen Gyaltsen
  

Primary Students

• Drubchen Namkha Gyaltsen
  

Internal Links

• Shangpa Kagyu