Teacher: Rendawa Zhonnu Lodro
Sakya Tradition Main PageRendawa Zhonnu Lodro (rje btsun red mda' ba gzhon nu blo gros) was born in Renda Khabsor (red mda' khab sor), near Sakya Monastery, in 1349, the earth-ox year of the sixth sexagenary cycle. The name of his birth-town also appears as Khangsor (khang sor). He was given the name Tsunne (btsun ne). His father, Tashi Gyeltsen (bkra shis rgyal mtshan), who was a minister (blon chen) of the Renda kingdom, belonged to the Gar (mgar) clan and traced his decent from Gar Tongtsen Yulsung (mgar stong btsan yul srungs), an eminent minister of King Songtsen Gampo (srong btsan sgam po). His mother was called Yeshe Khandro (ye shes mkha' 'gro).
While Tsunne was a young child both of his parents died and he was raised by his paternal aunt Tashi Bum (a ne bkra shis 'bum), who arranged for him to learn to read and write. According to tradition he once announced to his aunt that he would either become a ruler of Tibet or a great religious teacher.
His inclinations appear to have led him towards the religious life; as a youth he received teachings on Mahākaruṇā from Pakchen Chozang Pel ('phags chen chos bzang 'dpal, d.u.). In 1366, at the age of eighteen, he received primary and novice vows (rab byung and dge tshul) from the Sakya master Sabzang Mati Paṇchen Lodro Gyeltsen (sa bzang ma ti paN chen blo gros rgyal mtshan, 1294-1376) who gave him the name Zhonnu Lodro.
Zhonnu Lodro began his studies in the five major philosophical texts later adopted as course for Geshe studies by the Gelukpa tradition. He studied Pramāṇavārttika under Nyawon Kunga Pelwa (nya dbon kun dga' dpal ba, 1285-1379) and Khenchen Sanggye Pel (mkhan chen sangs rgyas dpal ba, 1350-1414); Prajñāpāramitā under Lama Sonam Gyeltsen (bla ma bsod nams rgyal mtshan, 1312-1375); Abhidharma under Lochen Jangchub Tsemo (lo chen byang chub rtse mo, 1303-1380); Vinaya under Doklopa Kunga Zangpo (ldog lod pa kun dga' bzang po, d.u.); and Madhyamaka, using texts by both Indian and Tibetan masters, under Choje Jangchub Sengge (chos rje byang chub seng ge, d.u.).
He received the vows of full ordination (dge slong sdom pa) from Doklopa Kunga Zangpo.
Zhonnu Lodro sat for a study-retreat at Sakya, closely examining texts on logic and epistemology and related topics. He subsequently stood for the traditional examinations in several monasteries in the region, earning a reputation for his erudition.
He then studied the tantric traditions of Sakya under about twenty scholars, and applied them in his daily practice. He studied Guhyasamāja under the tutorship of Lochen Jangchub Tsemo; general commentary on tantras under Lochen Kyabchok Pelzang (lo chen skyab mchog dpal bzang, d.u.); and Heruka from Sabzang Paṇchen.
Zhonnu Lodro received teachings on Lamrim and Lojong (blo sbyong), and related topics, from Gyelse Tokme Zangpo (rgyal sras thogs med bzang po, 1295-1369), the author of the famous Thirty-seven Practices of the Bodhisattva (rgyal sras lag len so bdun ma), in Ngulchu Chozong (dngul chu chos rdzong). He also received from him bodhicitta vows (smon sems kyi sdom pa) and important related teachings on the Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra. From this connection he is counted as seventy-fourth in the Lamrim lineage.
Rendawa Zhonnu Lodro, as he came to be known, together with his main guru, Lotsāwa Kyabchok Pelzang, led a summer retreat attended by about five hundred monks at Namtseding Monastery (gnam rtse lding), where he gave many teachings. He then resided twelve years in Bulrong ('bul rong), a remote hermitage. For the first five years he studied and practiced meditation and gave extensive teachings for the next seven years.
He gave variety of teachings and important esoteric instructions at other many places including Reting (rwa sgreng) where he taught and practiced for three months with Tsongkhapa Lobzang Drakpa (rje tsong kha pa blo bzang grags pa, 1357-1419). Tsongkhapa later composed a five-line verse of praise, later known as the Miktsema (dmigs brtse ma), a prayer naming him as the source of compassion, wisdom, and power; Rendawa replaced his name with Tsongkhapa's and returned it to him with the remarks that the verse is better suited to Tsongkhapa; it is still widely recited as a prayer to Tsongkhapa.
Rendawa also travelled widely in Ngari (mnga' ris), Mangyul (mang yul) and Gungtang where he gave extensive teachings and also all levels of monastic as well as lay vows. Through his extensive teachings and compositions he is credited with restoring the popularity of Madhyamaka studies in Tibet, after several centuries of shrinking attention.
Rendawa Zhonnu Lodro is remembered as having been very kind and compassionate, continually donating his possessions to the poor and to support religious activity. He received in large quantity offerings from his devotees, items such as costly clothing and ornaments from the Ming Emperor of China and boxes of saffron from the king of Guge. He donated all these offerings for funding study and the printing of texts.
Among his disciples were Gonyo Nyima Drak (gon g.yo nyi ma grags, d.u.), an expert in the views of the Buddhist traditions; Kunga Pelzang (kun dga' dpal bzang, d.u.), a renowned practitioner; Peljor Sherab (dpal 'byor shes rab, d.u.), a great composer; Sonam Sherab (bsod nams shes rab, d.u.), highly skilled in teaching; Gyeltsab Darma Rinchen (dar ma rin chen, 1364-1432), the Second Ganden Tripa; Gelek Pelzang (dge legs dpal bzang, 1385-1438), the Third Ganden Tripa; and Ngaripa Sanggye Gyatso (mnga' ris pa sangs rgyas rtse mo, d.u.), who composed a well-known biography of Rendawa. His disciples are enumerated as seven highly distinguished scholars; ten experts in the four traditional subjects; and over hundred scholars of Prajñāpāramitā and Pramāṇavārttika. Few scholars of his era did not study with him.
Zhonnu Lodro's compositions include Compendium of the Comprehensive Commentaries of Upper and Lower Abhidharmas (mngon pa gong 'og gi Tik+ka bsdus); Commentary on the Root-sutra of Vinaya (mdo rtsa'i Tik+ka); Outlines of the Fundamental Madhyamaka (rtsa she'i spyi don); Commentary on the Fundamental Madhyamaka (dbu ma shes rab kyi Tik+ka); Commentary on the Madhyamakāvatāra (dbu ma 'jug pa'i Tik+ka); The Four-hundred Verses of Madhyamaka (bzhi brgya pa'i Tik+ka); Commentary on Root-tantra (rtsa rgyud kyi Tik+ka); Commentary on the Uttaratantra (rgyud bla ma'i Tik+ka); Commentary on Nāgārjuna's Letter to a Friend (bshes spring gi Tik+ka); Commentary on the Abhidharmasamuccaya (lung kun las btus pa'i Tik+ka); Complete Rituals of the Guhyasamāja Tantra (gsang 'dus kyi cho ga cha tshang); Praises to the Buddha and Bodhisattvas (sang rgyas byangs sems kyi bstod pa); and Poetic Songs of Experiences (nyams mgur). He also wrote polemics against the Zhentong (gzhan stong) view and the Kālacakra, which he had learned from Nyawon Kunga Pelwa.
In 1412, at the age of sixty-four, on the twenty-ninth day of the tenth month of water-dragon year in the seventh sexagenary cycle, reportedly at sun-rise, Rendawa Zhonnu Lodro passed into nirvana. Relics and other remains found in the ashes of his cremation were distributed to his disciples, including Tsongkhapa. Some of the remains are said to have been placed in a life-size gold-gilded statue of Mañjūśrī at a monastery in Mangyul. Extensive nirvana-prayers were done by his disciples and followers all over the region.
Samten Chhosphel earned his PhD from CIHTS in India where he served as the head of Publication Dept. for 26 years. He has a Master’s degree in Writing and Publishing from Emerson College, Boston. Currently he is an adjunct Assistant Professor at the City University of New York, and Language Associate in Columbia University, NY. Published June 2011
[Extracted from the Treasury of Lives, Tibetan lineages website. Edited and formatted for inclusion on the Himalayan Art Resources website. August 2020].
Bibliography:
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Mnga ris pa sangs rgyas rtse mo. Unpublished manuscript. Rje btsun thams cad mkhyen pa ku mA ra ma ti'i rnam thar ngo mtshar rmad byung. TBRC W18649 and W1CZ1885.
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A biography of Red mda' ba gzhon nu blo gros by Mnga' ris pa Sangs rgyas rtse mo is listed in Sonam Dondrub's catalog of Tibetan biographies, no. 1882; another by 'Dul 'dzin Grags pa rgyal mtshan is no. 1882. See: Bsod nams don grub. 2000. Bod kyi lo rgyus dpe tho. Lhasa: Bod ljongs Mi dmangs Dpe skrun khang.
