Widcly lnown undcr iIc nanc of Serta RInpocbe, Pe-

ma Lungtok Gyatso was iIc nosi fanous disciplc of iIc

grcai icacIcr DegyaI RInpocbe and Ic was rccognizcd as
an cnanaiion of Yudra NyIngpo.
Dorn in 1S91 in Colol Scria, a pari of Easicrn Tilci,
Scria FinpocIc was llcsscd ly iIc grcai icrin Dudjom
LIngpa wIcn Ic was 8 ycars old.
In SIicIcn nonasicry, Ic siudicd ai iIc fcci of Goser
npo Kbyenrab Gyatso RInpocbe, wIo cnirusicd Iin
NancI, SIiiIro, Longscl Nyingpo and Dudul Dorjc cyclcs
of icacIings. As iIis icacIcr was also a closc disciplc of
Dudjon Lingpa, Ic Iandcd down Tbrma Nagmo cyclc of
icacIings io iIc young nonl wIo acIicvcd iIc 500,000
accunulaiions of iIc prclininary praciiccs in SIulgang
Icrniiagc, siaying iIcrc during aloui iwo ycars.
Scria FinpocIc was aiiracicd ly iIc ancIoriic lifc lc-
causc Ic iIougIi iIai lifc in nonasicry was a sourcc of ioo
nany disiraciions wIicI disiurlcd DIarna praciicc, all
iIc norc so as Ic was givcn iIc rcsponsililiiy of lcing iIc
SIicIcn sicward. As Ic wasn'i auiIorizcd io siay in SIulgang Icrniiagc, Ic nci npo Fin-
pocIc sccrcily and rcqucsicd io Iin iIc pcrnission io lcavc iIc nonasicry in ordcr io dcvoic
Iis lifc io iIc ncdiiaiion in iIc rcnunciaic vagalond siylc. Sccing Iis rcsoluicncss, iIc ica-
cIcr auiIorizcd Iin io lcavc.
TIus, in 1910, Ic undcriool a pilgrinagc io ccniral Tilci. Along iIc way, Ic nci Adzom
Drukpa RInpocbe and siaycd iIrcc noniIs long in Iis cncanpncni. TIc son of iIis grcai
icacIcr Iaving io go io LIasa wiiI oiIcr iullus and lanas, Scria FinpocIc joincd io iIcir
caravan and uscd iIis opporiuniiy io ncci Tokden Sbakya SbrI. In LIasa, Ic paid Ionagc
io iIc various sacrcd siics and praciiccd CI in rcnoic placcs of ccniral Tilci.
In 1912, wIilc Ic was 22 ycars old, Scria FinpocIc nci onc lana coning fron iIc sanc
naiivc land iIan Iin and Ioldcr of Longcben NyIngtbIk lincagc, i.c Orgyen JIgme CbkyI
Senge RInpocbe. TIis icacIcr livcd in Tscring Jong (Yarlung arcai, iIc placc wIcrc siaycd in
iIc pasi iIc grcai JIgme LIngpa. Undcr Iis guidancc, Scria FinpocIc praciiccd diligcnily iIc
prclininarics and iIc crcaiion siagc of iIc iIrcc Foois during scvcral ycars. His sirong invol-
vcncni in ncdiiaiion praciicc rcjoiccd a loi Iis lana lui, in iIc sanc iinc, siirrcd up jcalou-
sy in iIc nind of sonc oiIcr disciplcs. TIcn, in ordcr for iIc sanayas io noi lc danagcd in
iIc sangIa, Scria FinpocIc prcfcrrcd io lcavc.
Moving fron iIc souiI io iIc noriI of ccniral Tilci, Ic ncdiiaicd in rcnoic placcs and
lcggcd Iis food anong iIc nonads.
Siaying onc noniI long in TsurpIu nonasicry, Ic was llcsscd ly iIc Karmapa Kbakyab
Dorje.
In 1920, Ic rcccivcd iIc llcssings fron DrIkung Kyabgn along wiiI sonc DIarna
iransnissions. TIc following ycar, Ic wcni for pilgrinagc in Ncpal and, on iIc way lacl, Ic
nci Tsogkbang RInpocbe, wIo was also fron Colol.

In 1923, Ic wallcd io Wcsicrn Tilci and rcacIcd iIc fooi of Mouni KailasI. In TIrugolIo,
a Drilung lagyu nonasicry, Ic Icard for iIc firsi iinc aloui DegyaI RInpocbe, a lana fron
Colol unnaicIcd in iIc iIrcc rcalns. WIisIing io ncci Iin, Ic wcni io iIc Icrniiagc of
Namkba Kbyung Dzong, iIc "Spacc Caruda Forircss" and arrivcd on iIc TcniI day of iIc lu-
nar noniI, wIilc Dcgyal FinpocIc was icacIing io Iis disciplcs. Ai iIis vcry noncni, Ic was
convinccd iIai iIis lana was iIc aciual VajradIara. Hc offcrcd io Iin Iis lody, spcccI and
nind and rcqucsicd io lcconc Iis disciplc.
Pcrfcci nonl and yogi, Dcgyal FinpocIc was onc of iIc grcai disciplcs of Dudjon Lingpa.
Holdcr of Iis lincagc, Ic was, in pariicular, an acconplisIcd praciiiioncr of TIrna Nagno
and Dzogcben.
Fron iIcn on, Scria FinpocIc dcvoicd all Iis lifc io pui Iis icacIcr's insiruciions inio
praciicc iIrougI inicnsivc rcircais. For canplc, Ic acconplisIcd a iIrcc ycars rcircai in a
Icrniiagc wiiI iIc Iclp of Iis firsi siudcni, Pema KundrI GyaIpo, wIo providcd Iin food and
waicr Ic carricd fron afar, sparing no cffori io Iclp Iin.
Scria FinpocIc livcd in iIc siylc of iIc grcai adcpis of iIc pasi, dcvoiing Iis lifc io ncdiia-
iion praciicc in rcnoic placcs of Hinalaya, lciwccn Tilci, India and Ncpal, aliIougI Ic was
narricd (Iis wifc was Sberab DIkari and Iad scvcral cIildrcn. Hc faccd nany IardsIips wiiI
an unfailing icnaciiy and iIc signs of Iis rcalizaiion lccanc norc and norc olvious, iIus ai-
iraciing a loi of disciplcs.
Wclconcd ly Lama JampaI Rabgye in MuktInatb (Ncpali Ic iaugIi iIcrc iIc Ioly DIarna
io nany lanas, nonls, nuns and lay pcoplc. For iIis occasion, a ncw waicr-spring appcarcd
niraculously.
In 1933, wIilc Ic was icacIing onc norc iinc in iIis placc, Ic undcrsiood iIai Dcgyal Fin-
pocIc Iad jusi passcd away. Hc quiclly canc lacl NanlIa KIyung Dzong io pay Ionagc io
iIc dcad lody of Iis icacIcr. TIinling iIai ii sIould lring grcai lcncfiis for all, iIc nain disci-
plcs dccidcd io crcci a rcliquary siupa io lccp Dcgyal FinpocIc's lody aficr cnlalning. Scria
FinpocIc iool rcsponsililiiy for collcciing sandalwood and aloc fron Ncpal. Hc lrougIi lacl
aloui 25 lilos of wood along wiiI a widc rangc of prccious sioncs givcn ly Iis lcncfaciors,
iIus coniriluiing io sprcad Iis fanc.
In 1934, iIc siupa was acIicvcd and onc icnplc was luili. TIus, liiilc ly liiilc, iIc Icrni-
iagc iurncd inio a nonasicry. Fron iIis iinc on, Scria FinpocIc was rcqucsicd io icacI in
NanlIa KIyung Dzong.
In 1936, Ic sciilcd down on iIc lanl of Raksbas TaI Iake, nci io Manasarovar Iake, in a
old and disuscd snall nonasicry nancd Tsegya Gn, wIicI Ic undcriool io rcsiorc.
On iIc following ycar, a son was lorn io Iin wIo appcarcd io lc Dcgyal FinpocIc's rcliriI.
Officially rccognizcd in 1939, iIc cIild was cniIroncd and nancd Pema JIgme CbyIng
RangdrI.
Along iIc ycar, Scria FinpocIc dividcd Iis iinc in iwo nain paris. long winicr rcircais and
icacIings in NanlIa KIyung Dzong or in diffcrcni Hinalayan placcs of Ncpal, lilc Hunla, Hi-
lin, Musiang and Dolpo. His acconplisIncnis aiiracicd nany disciplcs and lcncfaciors lui
Ic conicnicd Iinsclf wiiI only iIc larc nininun.
Hc uscd nainly iIc donaiions io Iclp NanlIa KIyung Dzong wIicI Iad lcconc a grcai
rcligious ccnirc for nonls, nuns and ngalpas. TIcrcly, in 1943, Ic collccicd iinlcr io luild a
largc asscnlly Iall.
In 1946, Scria FinpocIc wcni for a pilgrinagc in India, visiiing Bodbgaya and Benares.
His wifc dicd wIilc Ic was on iIc way lacl io Ionc.

During iIc following ycars, Ic iravcllcd all across Hinalaya io answcr io iIc nany rcqucsis
and iaugIi DIarna in sunncr wIilc siaying sccludcd in winicr.
In 19S3, Ic visiicd again India and wcni io iIc sacrcd lalc of Tso Pema, iIcn io LabauI
and SpItI. Hc canc onc norc iinc in iIis couniry in 19SS. Also, Ic coniriluicd io iIc luilding
of a lig praycr wIccl in NanlIa KIyung Dzong and lcd iIc consccraiion ccrcnony.
In 19S9, iIc iragic cvcnis in Tilci lcd Iin io lcavc iIc couniry for India wiiI Iis rciinuc
and Ic arrivcd in a rcfugcc canp of Sandew (Uiiar PradcsIi wIcrc aloui onc iIousand Tilc-
ians wcrc gaiIcrcd.
In 1961, Ic lcfi iIis canp io nalc a pilgrinagc in iIc sacrcd placcs of DuddIisn. Ii was
iIc long-awaiicd opporiuniiy for Iin io ncci for iIc firsi iinc Kyabje Dudjom RInpocbe JIg-
draI Yesbe Dorje in KaIImpong, wIilc Ic was giving iIc iransnission of iIc Nyingna canoni-
cal scripiurcs (lla'-nai. Kyaljc Dudjon FinpocIc pui Iin on a iIronc and iniroduccd Iin io
iIc oiIcrs as a TIrna Nagno lincagc Ioldcr, calling Iin wiiI nucI affcciion "Scria Drup-
cIcn", "iIc grcai acconplisIcd onc fron Scria".
Aficrwards, Scria FinpocIc livcd in a Tilcian sciilcncni of OrIssa. In October 1964, Ic dis-
solvcd Iis nind in DIarnadIaiu, siaying iwo days long in iIuldan. During iIc crcnaiion,
nany wondcrful signs occurrcd and laicr, Iis rclics wcrc pui in a siupa of Ncwal TIang, iIc
nonasicry Ic Iad luili in Hunla.

Scria FinpocIa Iad nany disciplcs in Hinalaya and cspccially
a loi of ngalpas.
Anong all Iis disciplcs, wcrc.
His cIildrcn
- Tsewang 0orje
- Hach|k Zangmo
- 8hakya 0orje
- Tendre| Zangmo
- Pema J|gme 6hy|ng Rangdr| |lre 2rd 0edva| R|rpocre)
And also
- Pema Kundr| Cya|po |r|s l|(sl d|sc|p|e)
- Tsu|tr|m Cyatso R|npoche
- Lama Katak R|gz|n 0orje
- Lama Thubten Phuntsok
- Lama Tongnye
- Lama Pema Tash|
- Yontan Cyatso
- Lama Jampa| Rabgye
- Curu 8hr| Zagat Prakash Lama.
Tsogyal-la, i.e Shiva Lodr Rinpo-
che's wife in front of the silver stupa
which contains Serta Rinpoche's
relics in Humla.

In conclusion, Icrcaficr arc iIc words of Scria FinpocIc's son, i.c. Tsewang Dorje RInpo-
cbe, wIo wroic Iis liograpIy.
Dcuotng Is ]c to ncdtuton, tIc o)d o] tIc ucconpsIcd oncs, i.c. Pcnu LungtoI Guutso,
tIs g)cut tcucIc) uo)tIu o] nucI )cspcct, ddn`t unutIng csc tIun Icnc]tng tIc otIc)s, n pu)t-
cuu) tI)ougI Is DIu)nu tcucIngs. Hc uscd tIc nunu donutons o] pous Icnc]ucto)s to nuIc
o]]c)ngs o) sIu)c tIcn out to tIc poo) pcopc. Hc ncuc) sto)cd unu ucutI ]o) Insc]. Euc)u
ucu), Ic suucd tIc ]c o] gouts, nuttons und otIc) unnus uutng ]o) suugItc). I o]]c)cd tIcn
to tIc TI)cc Jcucs , Ic tod, And tIcu uon`t cu))u ununo)c ouds ]o) sut Iusncss .
In tIc sunc uuu, Ic nctcd Is )ctnuc und Is studcnts to stop tIc ncgutuc uctons us uc
us tIc usc o] d)ugs Ic toIucco, Ic nt)oduccd to tIc nutu)u stutc sonc ]o)tunutc dscpcs uIo
)cccucd Is dccp nst)uctons o] tIc o)uu t)unsnttcd tcucIngs und uIo dcuotcd tIc) cnt)c ]c
to DIu)nu p)uctcc. Hs uttunncnts uc)c sup)cnc unong u. In uddton, Ic tuugIt nunu tncs
tIc conncntu)cs, p)uctcu nst)uctons und p)cccpts, tIc Gu)u sudIunu , tIc ncndng und pc-
tton )tuus, tIc p)uuc)s und Cung tIc unu ])on u]u) .
Aso, Ic I)ougIt g)cut Icnc]ts tI)ougI pc)]o)nng Icung )tuus ]o) tIc pous Icnc]ucto)s. In
tIc sunc uuu, Ic guncd con]dcncc und ]utI o] u tIunIs to Is cc)cnoncs to suIduc tIc nuc-
uocnt n]ucnccs und tIunIs uso to Is p)uuc)s sud utI u sncc)c ]utI o) unu otIc) p)uctcc
]ttcd to tIc c)cunstunccs.
Anong Is ]oouc)s, too, Is Icst dscpcs tu)n tIc DIu)nu uIcc, Iuuc tIc uItu to Icnc]t
IotI scntcnt Icngs und DIu)nu tcucIngs und dcuotc tIc) ]c to tIc sp)tuu p)uctcc. TIosc o]
ncdun cupuctu ncdtutc utI cxc)ton und cun Icp otIc)s n nconccuuIc uuus. Eucn tIc ]cu
Icou uuc)ugc dscpcs Ic nc uIo ct tIcnscucs Icng dcudcd Iu ]ood und )tuu o]]c)ngs
tI)ougI Icng uttucIcd to tIs ]c us uc us ucutI u ut cust Iuuc noucd u ttc It ]o)uu)d
on tIc putI Ic]o)c tIc tnc o] dcutI.