The History of Mindrolling: Part IX
Zhabdrung Gyurme Yidzhin Legdrub
Zhabdrung Gyurme Yidzhin Legdrub was one of the three sons of the Chögyal Terdag Lingpa and Sangyum Phuntsog Palzom. Chung (younger brother), as his siblings affectionately referred to him, was born in the year of the Female Earth Sheep.
Along with his brothers, Pema Gyurme Gyatso, Drinchen Rinchen Namgyal and sister, Jetsün Migyur Paldrön, he grew up receiving a vast amount of teachings and transmissions from many teachers, primarily his father, the dharma monarch Chögyal Terdag Lingpa and his uncle, the great Lochen Dharmashri.
From a very young age Zhabdrung Gyurme Yidzhin Legdrub manifested great devotion to the path of practice and embodied the qualities of renunciation, wisdom and compassion. He chose to receive ordination and became particularly proficient in the training and teachings of the Vinaya. He was recognized as the incarnation of the great master and scholar of the 15th century Chokyong Zangpo ('jig rten mig gcig bya rgod pa mkhas grub chos skyong bzang po) but as is the tradition in the Mindrolling lineage, a great amount of emphasis was not laid to the recognition, as the bloodline of the Mindrolling family and lineage was considered most important and where Zhabdrung Gyurme Legdrub's activities would manifest most widely.
Being exceptionally endowed with the qualities of wisdom and understanding, Gyurme Yidzhin Legdrub became perfectly accomplished in the study, practice and conduct of the dharma. He became a great proficient master in all the three streams of rituals—ritual dances, mandala and ritual chants (gar thig and dbyangs). Besides upholding the many responsibilities of being a son of the Mindrolling lineage, he was also being trained to hold the title of Khenchen and become the great abbot and holder of the Vinaya lineage. With regard to this, he accomplished many years of intensive studies and practices of Buddhist philosophy and all branches of knowledge and sciences. He was expected to be and showed all the signs of being a great Khenchen who would inspire many generations of practitioners in the future.
He mainly studied with his father, Chögyal Terdag Lingpa and his incomparably learned uncle, Lochen Dharmashri. He received all the profound and pith instructions of the sutra and tantra from both of them including all the empowerments and transmissions within the kama and terma lineages. In particular he received his Gelong vows (full ordination) from the omniscient one, Lochen Dharmashri, thus becoming a holder of the purest of Vinaya lines. Zhabdrung Gyurme Yidzhin Legdrub was completely trained and capable to lead the Mindrolling Monastery and its many branch institutions in the monastic orders of the Vinaya lineage.
Zhabdrung Gyurme Yidzhin Legdrub also imparted many profound transmissions and empowerments of the precious family terma teachings to his younger brother, Drinchen Rinchen Namgyal, and many other heart sons of the family. He was thus one of the main holders of his father's precious terma transmissions such as the extraordinary terma of Minling Dorsem (Minling Vajrasattava) with its profound Ati teachings.
Tragically in 1718 in the Earth Dog year, the Dzungar Mongals invaded Tibet, beginning years of incredible destruction and violence. Not only was Mindrolling Monastery razed to the ground but Lochen Dharmashri, Pema Gyurme Gyatso and Gyurme Yidzhin Legdrub were all captured and imprisoned. Only a few family members—Jetsün Migyur Paldrön, Drinchen Rinchen Namgyal and Sangyum Phuntsog Palzom, were able to escape this terrible invasion.
Later that same year, the Dzungar Mongals executed Lochen Dharmashri, Pema Gyurme Gyatso and Zhabdrung Gyurme Yidzhin Legdrub. Zhabdrung Gyurme Yidzhin Legdrub was not yet thirty years old when he was killed and a great master was thus lost to the immense misfortune of not just the Mindrolling lineage but of the entire Nyingma school and Tibetan Buddhism.