This year marks the 500^th Anniversary of the birth of one of the most outstanding and influential throne-holders of the Drikung Kagyu Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism: Gyalwang Rinchen Phuntsog (1509-1557). It’s time to recall his life and significance for the lineage by way of a brief biography.

Rinchen Phuntsog was the son of Tenpe Gyaltsen, the youngest brother of Gyalwang Kunga Rinchen (1475-1527), the 16^th Drikung Kagyu throne-holder. Before his birth, Kunga Rinchen had already announced that the boy will be the reincarnation of the Indian Mahāsiddha Hūmkaravajra. At the age of six he accompanied Kunga Rinchen on a pilgrimage to Yarlung, where they were welcomed by the king of Ne'udong. On his trip he was accompanied by a boy and a girl, who had manifested to play with him and nobody else except him were able to see. During a blessing ritual a shower of flowers appeared and the dharma-protector Pehar Gyalpo (dpe dkar rgyal po) manifested and promised to become his personal protector. Rinchen Phuntsog was exceptionally intelligent. Even while just a child he was able to memorize texts like the Chakrasamvara Sadhana, Protector Rituals, the Chenrezig Sadhana, Guru Yoga and the Five-fold Profound Path of Mahāmudrā.

Later during his stay in Yarlung, Rinchen Phuntsog received teachings and empowerments on Chakrasamvara, Mahākala, the songs of Milarepa and the complete collected works of Gampopa, Phagmodrupa, Jigten Sumgön and other Drikung masters from Khenchen Sönam Tashi (mkhan chen bsod nams bkra shis, 1477-1532). Moreover he received teachings on the Gongchig, Amitayus in the tradition of Yoginī Siddharajñi and Gyalwang Yangonpa’s (1213-1258) Mountain Dharma (an authoritative manual for retreats).

When he was nine years old he took the novice vows from the 4^th Shamarpa Chökyi Drakpa (zhwa dmar pa chos kyi grags pa, 1453-1524) at Densa Thil, who gave him the name Rinchen Phuntsog. The Shamarpa also gave Rinchen Phuntsog the transmission and oral instructions on the Three Cycles of Jewels of the Hearing Lineage as well as transmission of the new Tantric tradition of the 100,000 Tantras (Sarma Gyübum). During this time he also memorized the Hevajra root-texts and familiarized himself with the Hevajra commentaries.

At the Shamarpa’s monastery Yangpachen, Rinchen Phuntsog received from him the Kalachakra empowerment and the completion stage teachings and showed clear signs of success. He also received the completion stage teachings on Chakrasamvara, Guhyasamaja and Hevajra. The Shamarpa imparted to Rinchen Phuntsog Gongchig and Zabchö and other teachings unique to the Drikung lineage. Furthermore, Rinchen Phuntsog also received teachings on the texts of the Karmapas and Shamarpas. At Yangpachen, Rinchen Phuntsog especially familiarized himself with the Five Dharmas of Maitreya. While in retreat in the Gura Cave, Rinchen Phuntsog realized the oneness of the outer and inner states. 

In 1525, Rinchen Phuntsog finally returned to Drikung Thil. He was then sixteen. His uncle, Gyalwang Kunga Rinchen, the then 16^th throne-holder, gave him empowerments and teachings on the Mogu Sogkhor, Gongchig, Tenying (Thegchen Tenpe Nyingpo), Zabchö, Cittamani, Five-fold Profound Path of Mahāmudrā and Co-emergent Unification Mahāmudrā instructions. When he received the Mogu Sogkhor he received clear signs of success and when he received the Five-fold Profound Path of Mahāmudrā teachings he attained actualization. In accordance with the established tradition at Drikung, Rinchen Phuntsog practiced the Six Yogas of Naropa, clad only in a white cotton shawl. Kunga Rinchen blessed him as a true lineage-holder of the Drikung Kagyu lineage. 

In 1527 Gyalwang Kunga Rinchen departed. Rinchen Phuntsog presided over the funeral rites and thereafter he received full ordination from Khenchen Drakpa Gyaltsen and went into a retreat on Achi and received the signs of protection. In 1528, Gyalwang Rinchen Phuntsog became the 17^th throne-holder of Drikung. 

Rinchen Phuntsog’s public teachings followed the old tradition: Five-fold Profound Path of Mahāmudrā in the summer and the Six Yogas of Nāropa in the winter. He also sent disciples to the traditional retreat places of Lapchi, Kailash and Tsari. 

According to certain prophecies, Rinchen Phuntsog’s life could only be stable if he did not cut his hair. But under the pressure of the monastic community, Rinchen Phuntsog cut his hair despite the prophecies. Not long after, he received a vision of Guru Rinpoche in a dream who advised him to have the entire Kangyur recited, to hold a hundred feast-offerings of Vajravārāhī and to make prayers to the Dharma protectors. Guru Rinpoche repeated the advice that he kept his hair long instead of shaving them off. Immediately after this vision, Rinchen Phuntsog withdrew himself to the valley of Terdrom to do as Guru Rinpoche instructed.

In 1534, urged by his cousin, Rinchen Phuntsog stepped down from the throne and transferred it to his cousin’s son Phagmo Rinchen Namgyal (phag mo rin chen rnam rgyal 1519-1576), who became the 18^th throne-holder.

After traveling in Tibet and teaching the 12 year old 5^th Shamarpa (1526-1583), Rinchen Phuntsog had a clear vision to reveal a treasure. In 1538 he came back to Terdrom. While at Terdrom, Rinchen Phuntsog reopened the sacred cave of Kiri Yangdzong – a cave first discovered by the 10^th throne-holder of Drikung, Dorje Gyalpo (1284-1350). In the uppermost small cavern inside the cave he discovered the treasure-text Damcho Gongpa Yangzab, thus he became a renowned Tertön (treasure revealer). As Tertön he received the name Senge Namchag Mebar (seng ge nam lcags me 'bar). After retrieving the Termas, Rinchen Phuntsog traveled to Katsel Monastery and focused on editing and arranging the texts as well as renovating Katsel. He completed editing the Yangzab texts in 1542 and transmitted them to his closest disciples. Among his most outstanding students were: Drungpa Rinchen Pal, Lochen Phuntsog Namgyal, Lama Chökyong Rinchen, Togden Dorje Pelbar, Togden Kunga Sherab and Togden Khetsun Drakpa Tsultrim.

In the year 1544 he traveled to Mongolia and spent a year there. In 1546 he married Rigdzin Bhutri (rig dzin bu khrid, 1524-1560). Their only son, Chögyal Rinchen Phuntsog (chos rgyal rin chen phun tshogs, 1547-1602) became the 21^st throne-holder of Drikung.

Rinchen Phuntsog went down in history as a great reformer. After having received transmissions from various lineages, he integrated doctrines, rituals, and meditational practices above all of the Nyingma school into the traditional teaching of the Drikung Kagyu order, thereby opening up and augmenting its dogmatic orientation. One of his innovations concerned the site of the Monkey Year Teachings. Since his days they were moved to the seclusion of Drongur in the valley of Terdrom, where his hermitage was located. On this occasion he also gave teachings to those attending on the doctrines from the treasure texts that he himself had found in this place.  Rinchen Puntsok was also responsible for starting the mandala rituals of Chakrasamvara, Hevajra, Guhyasamaja, Kalachakra and Kunzang Gongdu (a Terma discovered by Pema Lingpa, 1450-1521) at Drikung Thil. Rinchen Phuntsog was an assiduous author whose writings are also highly regarded by the Nyingma, and were included in the collection of Nyingma Tantras.

One of Rinchen Phuntsog’s decisions of great consequence to the spread of the Drikung Kagyu Lineage was to send Denma Kunga Drakpa (ldan ma kun dga' grags pa) to Mt. Kailash. Under the influence of this new Dorzin (meditation master), the Drikung monasteries in the vicinity of Mt. Kailash rose to new heights. More important, Kunga Drakpa laid the foundations of the Drikung lineage in Ladakh.

Later, recognizing the importance of the monastic Sangha, Rinchen Phuntsog expanded the hermitage of Yangrigar into a monastery. He gave many teachings at different monasteries in order to fundraise for this project. He also consecrated the soil of many future monasteries with dances he had perceived in a vision of Guru Rinpoche’s pure land.  

Although already an accomplished master, Gyalwang Rinchen Phuntsog continued to visit with and receive teachings from other Lamas (especially Nyingma). At Samye Monastery he met with the famous Nyingma master Ngari Panchen Pema Wangyal (1487-1542) and received from him teachings of the Nyingma lineage. Gyama Migyur Kunga imparted the Mahāyoga Kagyed (“Eight Pronouncements”) teachings and the Atiyoga Nyingthik Yazhi to him while Rigdzin Dudjom Dorje gave him the Kagyed teachings from the Nyang tradition as well as the Lama Gongdu teachings revealed by Sangye Lingpa (1340-1396). 

In 1557 Rinchen Phuntsog unexpectedly left the Drikung area and went to Gyama – the birthplace of King Songtsen Gampo. There he wrote his spiritual testament and in the fifth month he began to dissolve his body mandala. It was his wish that his death be kept secret for three years and so peace prevailed in the area since there was a great fear of his magical powers.   

His mummified body was eventually brought back to Drikung Thil and interned in a stupa with elaborate ceremonies. Later, the stupa was moved to Khangsar Yangon where he once had been in retreat. Some of his relics were also brought to Katsel Monastery where they had been enshrined in his funerary a stupa.