The Ninteenth Ganden Tripa, Ngawang Chodrak (dga' ldan khripa 19 ngag dbang chos grags) was born in Tolung Dai Ngozhi (stod lung mda'i dngos gzhi) in 1501, the iron-bird year of the eighth sexagenary cycle. He received the vows of novice monk at the age of nine, and the full ordination at the age of nineteen, a little earlier than is customary in the Tibetan tradition.
Ngawang Chodrak studied the traditional great texts of both sutra and tantra and then served as the master in Gyuto College (rgyud stod). Thereafter he spent twelve years in Kham and Amdo. According to the sources, he also served twelve years as abbot of Shartse College (shar rtse grwa tshang) of Ganden Monastery (dga' ldan).
In 1548, the earth-monkey year of the ninth sexagenary cycle, at the age of forty-eight, Ngawang Chodrak was enthroned as the Ninteenth Ganden Tripa. He served the post for five years, giving teachings on both sutra and tantra and leading all the important dharmic activities of the Monastery. Giving traditional teachings and Chodrak built a gilt copper spire (rgya phigs) over the great silver reliquary in Ganden Monastery (dga' ldan dngul gdung khang).
Trichen Ngawang Chodrak passed into nirvana at the age of fifty-one in 1551, the iron-pig year of the ninth sexagenary cycle.
Bibliography
Grags pa 'byungs gnas and Blo bzang mkhas grub. 1992.Gangs can mkhas sgrub rim byon ming mdzod.Kan su’u mi rigs dpe skrun khang, p. 783.
Grong khyer lha sa srid gros lo rgyus rig gnas dpyad yig rgyu cha rtsom ’bri au yon lhan khang. 1964.Dga’ ldan dgon pa dang brag yer pa’i lo rgyus, grong khyer lha sa’i lo rgyus rig gnas deb 02.Bod ljongs shin hwa par ’debs bzo grwa khang, p. 62.
Sde srid sangs rgyas rgya mtsho. 1989 (1698).Dga' ldan chos 'byung baiDU r+ya ser po. Beijing: Krung go bod kyi shes rig dpe skrun khang, p. 83.