Taksham Nuden Dorje

stag sham nus ldan rdo rje - 1682-? / 1655 - Taksham Nuden Dorje, also known as Samten Lingpa (bsam gtan gling pa) [RY]

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Taksham Nuden Dorje (sTag sham nus lDan rDo rJe, 1682-?), also known as Samten Lingpa (bSam gTan gLingpa), wrote the life story (namthar - rNam thar) of Padmasambhava according to his manifestation as Dorje Tröllö - the Lama Dorje Tröllö Kyi Namthar (bLa ma rDo rJe gro lod kyi rNam thar).

In his day Taksham Nuden Dorje, which means 'Powerful Tiger-skirted Vajra', was regarded as a zhig-po - a wisdom-eccentric or enlightened madman. He was born in the Lhorong valley of Southeastern Tibet and, whilst being far from an academic or intellectual, authored texts of great profundity. According to the 'Pawo Chö-jung' (dPa' bo chos 'byung), a Book of Buddhist History by Pawo Tsuglhag Gawa Teng'ar (dPa' bo gTsug lhag dGa' ba phreng ba - otherwise known as Pawo Rinpoche), it is stated that: 'A ngakpa named Nuden Dorje will appear, who shall reveal the gTérmas of Padmasambhava in Kham'. One of Taksham Nuden Dorje's main teachers was Chö-jé Lingpa - one of the consorts of Jomo Menmo (a great Nyingma Yogini and Lama of whom Khyungchen Aro Lingma was an incarnation). Taksham Nuden Dorje was the incarnation of A-tsara Sa-lé (Gyalwa Changchub - rGyal ba byang chub), one of the consorts and disciples of Yeshé Tsogyel - and as such was gifted with the precise ability of discovering the gTérma of her biography, 'The Secret Life and Liberated Song-thread of Yeshé Tsogyel' or 'Pö-kyi Jomo Yeshé Tsogyel gyi Dzèd-tshul Nampar Tharpa Gabpa Gön-jung Gyüd-mang Dri-za'i Lu-treng' (bod kyi jo mo ye shes mTsho rGyal gyi mDzad tshul rNam par thar pa gab pa mNgon byung rGyud mangs dri za'i gLu 'phreng). Taksham Nuden Dorje was entrusted with this text by the protector Hu-dag Nakpo - Düd-jé 'Barwa (Chu bDag nag po - bDud rJe 'bar ba) - 'Sovereign of the Black Waters - Blazing Lord of Devils' - who had been oathbound to deliver it into his hands by Padmasambhava and Yeshé Tsogyel.

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