Tenzin Norbu, Yolmo. The Illuminated Life of the Great Yolmowa, Benjamin Bogin (trans). Chicago: Serindia Publications, 2013.
Summary by Raymond Wayne Heimann
Abstract
The autobiography (written and illustrated) of Yolmo Tenzin Norbu (Yol mo Bstan ‘dzin nor bu) is translated and collected by Benjamin Bogin in his The Illuminated Life of the Great Yolmowa.[1] As a “Tibetan Buddhist reincarnate lama, painter, ritual master, meditator, teacher, poet, and autobiographer”, Yolmo Tenzin Norbu’s (1598-1644) autobiography tells of his previous lives, his life as a traveling student and lama in Southeastern Tibet and Nepal, his interaction with important historical events that transpired during his life (including his experiences in the early-mid 17th century Mongolian invasions of Tibet), and his restful final years with his wife and daughter.
The life of Yolmo Tenzin Norbu is unique in many respects, but there are two defining features of his experiences that drive his life course and the substance of his autobiography. The first is his lifelong struggle to navigate the Tibetan Buddhist monastic bureaucracy and find a suitable place for himself within that framework. The second is his lineage-tied sense of obligation to develop exchanges, conversations, and unity between South Eastern Tibetan Buddhist practitioners and those of Nepal. Respectively, these defining features are the primary drivers of his internal and external goals as they relate to Buddhism.
Additionally, Yolmo Tenzin Norbu is famous for having renounced his monk standing within the Tibetan Buddhist monastic bureaucracy. Instead, he chose the life of a ngakpa, which is a somewhat loosely defined term that is interpreted by Bogin as a lay lama who focuses on tantric practices, and takes part in mystic ceremonies (death warding, healing rituals, etc.), and does not take vows of celibacy. One thing that is certain is the relatively low position that ngakpas enjoy in the monastic system. It was very uncommon at the time to move downward in the monastic hierarchy by choice, which is precisely what Yolmo Tenzin Norbu did (Bogin 25-26).
Ngakpa as a term is often negatively associated with illiterate mystics with poor hygiene. It is also associated with the Nyingma tradition (26-27). Yolmo Tenzin Norbu’s autobiography makes it clear that he does not fit into these categories (and certainly does not see himself as fitting into them). Firstly, despite lagging in his formal education (due to a number of external factors as well as his own recalcitrance and disdain for the material), Yolmo Tenzin Norbu sees himself as a sharp thinker who is most definitely literate to a relatively advanced degree (188). Secondly, he does not strongly mesh with any of the Nyingma traditions in which he partakes. He especially has trouble with the teachings of Rikzin Ngaki Wangpo, a renowned Nyingma teacher, and ends up leaving his instruction after less than a year (27-28). On the contrary, despite considering himself a ngakpa, he clearly communicates in his autobiography that he sees his life project as “entering the door of [his] own tradition”, i.e. blazing a soteriological path for himself, learning from many traditions, and deciding what works best for him (168-170).
It should also be noted that, as far as Bogin is concerned, Yolmo Tenzin Norbu is the only known Tibetan Buddhist autobiographer to provide an illustrated account of his life (9). Yolmo Tenzin Norbu’s unique participation in the art world is further evidence of his unique relationship with Buddhism (given that almost all of his paintings are related to the soteriological journeys of his reincarnation lineage), how he sees himself as a Buddhist (especially via his radically diverse self-portraits) and what practices he sees as worthwhile for a lama. To end my abstract, I note that Yolmo Tenzin Norbu wrote his autobiography at the behest of his wife (169-170).
Summary
Yolmo Tenzin Norbu was born into the family of Lochen Chenrezik (Lo chen Spyan ras gzigs), and was recognized as a reincarnate lama at a very early age. Speaking Sanskrit, evoking Padmasambhava at birth, claiming to remember being born and entering the womb, etc., he describes a traditional saintly childhood in his autobiography. As a child, Yolmo Tenzin Norbu remembered his past lives and could back this up when quizzed by those who knew his previous incarnation. Despite his father’s wish for him to stay out of the monastery, Yolmo Tenzin Norbu studied with multiple lamas at an early age and began what would become an incredibly diverse education (170-174).
Concisely, the young Yolmo Tenzin Norbu functioned not dissimilarly to a Dalai Lama, insofar as he was called upon to take part in important ceremonies, give blessings and even teach, while simultaneously going through the formal education system and taking on the trappings of a high monk as a child. In Yolmo Tenzin Norbu’s case, this tension between functions proved difficult, and he wound up having trouble focusing on his studies. To add to this tension, he often failed to get along with his teachers, whom he accuses of beating and disheartening him. This led to multiple requests on his part to change monasteries, a continued effort that afforded him the ability to see and participate in many different types of monastic traditions. It is clear that he liked some practices very much and could not stand many others. Despite his lack of formal education, Yolmo Tenzin Norbu claims to have been very sharp as a debater (180-186).
Much of his life was spent traveling around Tibet and Nepal, visiting sites that related to his previous incarnations, and developing the life goal of bridging relations between Buddhists in Tibet and Nepal. During this time he came in contact with many traditions, and became a respected member among the elite of Tibet and Nepal, functioning as a spiritual connector between the two communities, which seem to have many governmental and social isomorphisms already in place. It should be noted that he experienced great success in having visions, and some moderate success (with the inclusion of some absolute failures) as a treasure hunter (187-193).
After experiencing the tutelage of many lamas, and practicing various traditions throughout his life, Yolmo Tenzin Norbu finally renounced his position as a monk (a position that he obtained as a very young man) and officially entered the ngakpa tradition. During this period, he conceived a daughter with his consort, whom he later married. He spent his final years with his family, and talks at length about the restfulness he found in his later years (227-245).
[1] Published originally in 2013, and constituting one of the few if not the only circulating version of Yolmo Tenzin Norbu’s written and illustrated autobiography.