Longchen nying tig

The 1st Sangye Nyenpa, 1457-1525)

Sangye Nyenpa Tashi Paljor
(sangs rgyas mnyan pa bkra shis dpal 'byor), (1457-1525), the 1st Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche. Also known as Denma Drubthob ('dan ma grub thob) or Denma Drubchen ('dan ma grub chen). A great and important lineage master of the Kamtshang or Karma Kagyu tradition. At the age of six, he met the 7th Karmapa Chödrag Gyatso in whom he developed extraordinary faith. From him he received the name Tashi Paljor. At the age of eight, he received novice vows (later on the full ordination), empowerments and profound instructions from the Karmapa and studied all the outer and inner sciences with great diligence under the guidance of both Bengar Jampal Sangpo (ban sgar 'jam dpal bzang po), (15th-16th cent.) and Geshe Paljor Döndrub (dge shes dpal 'byor don sgrub).
For seven years he did not part from Karmapa Chödrag Gyatso and received the complete transmission of all empowerments and instructions of the Karma Kagyu lineage from him. The Karmapa then instructed him to meditate for three years at Kampo Nenang (kam po gnas nang), for two years at Tsurphu (tshur phu), for two years at Palpung (dpal spung) and for one year in the Tangla mountains (thang la). It is said, that for these eight years he relied solely on the "food of meditative absorption". After that he spent another five years meditating in seclusion on the Semodo island (se mo do) in the great lake known as Namtsho (gnam mtsho). He became the root teacher of the young 8th Karmapa Mikyö Dorje (1507-1554), who had a clear vision of the protector Mahakala, telling him to take Sangye Nyenpa as his guru. The picture shows a precious silver statue that is kept in Tsurphu, the Karmapa's seat in Central Tibet. It was made by the 8th Karmapa and is said to have floated in the air for several days after the Karmapa had consecrated it.