1. His birthplace, etc.
Doctor
Karma Dondan was born in Mang-phug Cave, Rongthang Village, near the Romthang
Neytramo Monastery, in 1925, in Tengchem Dzong, Chamdo Prefecture, Tibet. Known
for his honesty and lack of resentment toward others, he was a strong and
well-built man. As a child, his eyesight was poor due to reading dharma texts
very close to his eyes. When I knew him, his vision remained unclear for
distance. He regularly practiced dKon mchok spyi ’dus (encompassing
the Three Jewels) and Phur sgrub rnam rol snying po (The
Essence of the Miraculous Accomplishment of Phurpa, Kilaya),
among other texts. Although he belonged to the Nyingma school within his own
philosophical tradition, he showed no sectarian bias between the Old and New
Schools. The local people admired and respected him, not only as a monk and
doctor but also for his honesty and moral integrity. Doctor Tashi, a highly
skilled and renowned physician in the region (1941–2017), regarded him as both
a teacher and guru, treating him with deep faith and reverence.
In general, he was adept at accurately identifying the sex of foetuses. Many patients with chronic diseases, who had been unsuccessfully treated by other doctors, found healing through his treatments. He frequently employed traditional methods: Tshug: A medicinal wood stick heated by friction on a wooden board, then applied to painful areas like the legs and hands. ’Jib ru: A blood-sucking horn used to draw out stagnant blood from painful spots. Khrag gtar ba: Bloodletting, which he used extensively. Me btsa’: Cauterization, applied to painful areas. Me bum: A fire vessel used to treat painful areas. Tsha thur: A thin copper stick heated in fire and inserted into painful spots, though he used this method less frequently. These techniques were integral to his medical practice, providing relief to many patients.
He sometimes used sMan mar, a treatment made from a blend of nutritious ingredients like milk, butter, brown sugar, honey, and various herbs, boiled together and formed into pieces to nourish patients with weakened physical health. Another method he employed was Lums, in which herbs were boiled to create a steam treatment. Despite the unpleasantness of tasting a patient’s urine, a traditional diagnostic practice in Tibetan medicine, he did so without hesitation. Consistent with Tibetan medical tradition, he provided treatments and medicines without concern for cost, never charging a medical fee throughout his life.
2. His father, mother, and relatives
His
father, Tshe-ring Choephel, was the son of Pon-yo Phag-tshe? and his mother was
Za-nag-za. Pon-yo family (dPon yo tshang) was the chief family among the four
major officials of the Khyung-po Meru Shog-sum (three local regions). He had
four brothers—Konchok, Lodroe, Loden, and Phaktse—and two sisters, Konchok Tso
and A-nyag. He had two wives. His first wife, from the Namchak clan, was the
grandmother of the 6th reincarnation of gNam Lcags tsa gsum gling pa
’Phags pa rgya mtsho (1950–2020) and gave birth to a son, Pon-yo Na-nam,
who later became the father of Trulku Phag-pa Gya-tsho and a local chieftain.
His second wife, Tashi Lhamo, had three sons with him, whom I will detail
below.
He eventually developed a debilitating leg disease,
which left him unable to manage his household or leadership role, so he moved
to Mang-phug Cave. During this difficult time, he met the 5th reincarnation
of gNam lcags rtsa gsum ling pa, bzod pa rab brtan, who
treated him and taught him extensively about traditional medicine. He also
received Buddhist teachings, empowerments, reading-transmissions, and
instructions from the head of Riwoche’s Taglung Monastery, the 7th Jedrung
Trinley Jampa Jungney (1856–1922), who was also Dujom Jigdral Yeshe Dorje’s one
root lama. Through these teachings, he developed a deep knowledge of Tibetan
medical theory and practice.
Throughout
his life, he treated many people in the region until his death during the
“Chinese public reform” period. At that time, Mang-phug caves were a center for
medical study in the region, with renowned experts like Trulku Zopa Rabten (gnam
sprul zod pa rab brtan), the Jampal dpon lha (doctor)
family, the Li chung (family name) Ponlha family, and Pon-yo
Tsering Choephel’s family. These families and their students resided in various
caves in the area, where the study and practice of medicine flourished. His
mother, Tashi Lhamo (1891–1974), was born to father Tsechu from Lari, and her
mother was from the Wangru clan. She was a kind and devoted woman, dedicating
her life to caring for her disabled husband and their two children (one died at
birth). Of their children, the eldest was Kochok Lhasrung, and the younger two
were twins; one passed away at birth, while the surviving twin became Doctor
Karma Dondan.
3.His childhood
He
began learning Tibetan from his father at the age of four or five. The renowned
Dharma text reader (A chod chen mo) Kyur-tsegon (skyur-clan tshe mgon), taught
him with dedication, helping him to read clearly and quickly. He also learned
the unique traditional Dharma reading melody, known as “shin lo rlung rdeb
ma” (the waving of the forest melody), and other melodies from Tsegon. His
main activities included communicating with his father, practicing Buddhist
rituals, and studying medicine.
In the field of Tibetan traditional medicine, he
studied the “Phyi Ma’i Rgyud” (Outer Tantra), which involves
techniques like identifying disease symptoms by feeling the nerves and
examining urine color and taste. Under the guidance of Trulku Zopa Rabten and
the region’s respected doctor, Jampal Lhaje, who was the father of Pon-lha
Tashi, he deepened his understanding of traditional medical practices.
Each summer and fall, he harvested enough medicinal
plants to last an entire year. He would prepare medicinal compounds and provide
fresh herbal treatments to those who visited daily, customizing the remedies
based on test results. In addition to his medical and spiritual
responsibilities, he also managed various household chores, both inside and
outside the family home.
4. Visit to studies
At
age 16, in 1941, he joined the monastery of Pal Tanglung Marthang, Yusho
Riwoche. The monastery had three departments: the New Sect, the Old Sect, and
Dratsang, and he chose the Old Sect. He received teachings, transmissions, and
instructions from high lamas and practiced them without interruption. He cherished
these teachings and carefully recorded them, preserving his notes for the rest
of his life.
Some of these records can still be found in the Gulum
family’s book files. During this time, he was required to return home monthly
to bring back supplies, including food and clothing, as he needed to manage his
own expenses. Once, he told me (the author), “I’d go home, gather some
food and clothing, and even have new soles fixed onto my shoes. But by the time
I reached Drala Pass, near the monastery, the new soles already had holes, so I
had to patch them again after arriving at the monastery.” He would regularly
walk back and forth, carrying enough supplies for a month. His family’s lack of
money underscored the poverty of their life at that time.
5. Parents’ Gratitude and Medical Knowledge Improvement
After
spending less than ten years in Riwoche, he returned home to care for his
parents. He made significant advancements in the medical sciences he had first
learned from his father at a young age. His treatments included not only
testing symptoms through nerves and urine analysis, but also using methods such
as gtar, bsreg, lums (mentioned
in the first chapter), and byugp (apply cream),
along with other Tibetan medical practices. He eventually mastered these higher
levels of practice. Through continued study with his father and other medical
experts, he improved his medical skills considerably. For 15 years, he was
actively involved in medical practice and research in the local region.
6. Public Reform and Cultural Revolution
Soon
after the start of the Public Reform, his father passed away. Later, during the
Great Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), he was not allowed to remain in
Mang-phug Cave. As a result, he moved to Po-yo Village, where he continued to
provide medical care. After staying there for a few years, he moved in 1968 to
Nyi-to Village in the Skyid Khar area to live with his nephew, Tsering Dorjee,
the son of his elder brother Konchok Lha-srung, and his (Tsering Dorjee) wife,
Bumo Rinchen.
Their two households merged into one. Even during the
Great Cultural Revolution, he was able to continue practicing Tibetan medicine,
serving as a doctor for several years and preserving Tibetan medical
traditions. After a few years, he was allowed to stay at home and continue his
medical practice. During this period, many monks were forced to return to lay
life, yet he managed to remain steadfast, living as a pure monk without
compromising his principles.
7. Freedom of Religious Belief
In
1979, with the onset of decollectivization, responsibilities were redistributed
privately, and the policy of religious freedom began to be implemented. From
that time until his passing, he dedicated himself to serving the public through
medicine. In the 1980s and 1990s, he personally gathered medicinal herbs,
sometimes taking relatives (including me, the author, and others) along to
collect medicinal plants. Additionally, he sought ways to acquire rare
substances, such as the “bzang drug,” the six precious substances,
and other items not available in Tibet, from alternative sources. However,
access was not a major challenge, as Dr. Tashi frequently provided these
medicinal substances at no cost.
Meanwhile, during the three years between the start of
the religious freedom policy and the completion of the restoration of Romthang
Neytramo Monastery, the late Namtrul Phakpa Gyatso, the late Serpa Lama Ngawang
Lodroe, the late Lama Trinley (son of Ngawang Lodroe), the late Dode Tulku
Gyurme Tenzin, and other members of Romthang
Monastery and the local community gathered to perform the “sgrub chen” (Great
Accomplishment) and recite the “bKa' 'gyur” (100 volumes of
sacred scriptures of Buddhist) at the monastery. For these gatherings, the
entire upper and lower floors of the Gulum family’s house were offered as
venues for various religious activities.
At that time, aside from some elders, most young
people lacked tantric empowerments, oral transmissions, and lineage; they also
lacked vows from the Sutra tradition. Therefore, the senior Serpa Lama Ngawang
Lodro provided empowerments, oral transmissions, and instructions, while
another senior Lhaje, Doctor Karma Donden, gave the lay practitioner vows of
taking refuge in the Three Jewels to young people like Nagzing and Pema Tenzin,
enabling them to practice the Dharma.
Additionally, to facilitate the “sgrub chen” practice, he provided essential items such as decorations for mandalas, offering utensils like vases, musical instruments like small trumpets (as there were initially no large trumpets), and various retual practicing texts like “Zhi khro Nges don nying po” (Peaceful and Wrathful Deities: The Heart Essence). After the restoration of Romthang Neytramo Monastery was completed, he took on the role of elder monk in the monastic community, serving until the end of his life. During summer retreats, he stayed at the monastery and carried out rituals such as “Thuk chen ngan song rang drol” (The Great Compassionate One: Natural Liberation of the Lower Realms). Through these and other contributions, he devoted himself to serving this monastery to the best of his abilities.