Item: Teacher (Lama) - Teacher

Sengge Zangpo.

Lhodrak Sengge Zangpo (lho brag seng ge bzang po) was born into the Shupu (shud phu) clan in Lhodrak the late thirteenth or early fourteenth century. He studied reading and writing as a child, and at the age of twenty-eight he received preliminary ordination and teachings on the Vinaya from his fellow clan member Lhodrak Namkha Gyelpo (lho brag nam mkha' rgyal po, d.u.). He also studied Vinaya with Zhang Yeshe (zhang ye shes, d.u.).

Sengge Zangpo later studied Lamrim with Namkha Gyelpo, and, after his teacher passed away, he transferred to his clan's monastic seat, Drowa Gon (sgro ba dgon), where he trained in the Three Roots (gzhi gsum gyi phyag len) and other ritual systems. He became a close disciple of Tsonawa Sherab Zangpo (mtsho sna ba shes rab bzang po, 13th c.) and moved to the newly build college at Lawa Monastery (gla ba dgon).

Lhodrak Sengge Zangpo is counted as the twenty-eighth holder of the Lamrim teachings.

Of his disciples, the most prominent was Khenchen Gyelse Zangpo (mkhan chen rgyal sras bzang po, d. 1356) who is counted as the thirtieth holder of the Lamrim teachings.

Alexander Gardner is Director and Chief Editor of the Treasury of Lives. He completed his PhD in Buddhist Studies at the University of Michigan in 2007.

Published September 2010