Lhodak Tulku Namkha Gyajin

la phyi ba nam mkha' rgyal mtshan, 1372-1437.

An outstanding master of several traditions. He was a lineage holder of the Sakya, Karma Kagyu, Drikung Kagyu and Shangpa Kagyu traditions. Namkha Gyaltsen earned the title of "Lapchi-wa" because he spent more time in the sacred place of Lapchi than anyone before or after him. All in all he spent 31 years there and also passed away there. His relic stupa remains in Lapchi to the present day and is kept in one of the larger caves there, the Rechen Cave, which was the assembly place for hermits until Shabkar Tsogdruk Rangdrol came in the 1830's and built a small monastery at the foot of the mountain.