The Treasury of Lives

The Thirty-ninth Ganden Tripa, Konchok Chozang (dga' ldan khri pa 39 dkon mchog chos bzang) was born in Tolung Chuzang (stod lung chu bzang). The year of his birth was probably 1586 or 1587, the fire-dog or pig year of the tenth sexagenary cycle, because he died at the age of eighty-seven in 1673. He was admitted to the Chubzang Monastery (chu bzang dgon) at a young age, where he was presumably ordained, and received the basic monastic education and training there, learning daily prayer texts and other important root-texts by heart, and studying the primary and common subjects such as grammar, poetry, composition and so forth.

Konchok Chozang travelled to Lhasa and matriculated at Gomang College ('bras spungs sgo mang grwa tshang) of Drepung Monastic University the largest monastic educational center of the Geluk tradition in Tibet. There he studied Abhisamayālaṃkāra, Madhyamaka, Abhidharmakośa, and Vinaya, the four among the five major subjects of the geshe courses of study under the guidance of a number of eminent masters. After the completion of his studies in the above subjects Konchok Chozang joined Gyuto College (rgyud stod grwa tshang) and studied texts of tantra according to the tradition of the college. He also learned in detail the rituals and the basic line-drawings of maṇḍalas and related works in accordance with Gyuto's tantric tradition. After many years of study he developed into a highly recognized scholar in the Geluk tradition.

Konchok Chozang served as educator at several monasteries including Gyuto College and Shartse College of Ganden. It seems that he served as abbot of these two monasteries before ascending to the throne of Ganden Tripa. Thereafter in the earth-mouse year of the eleventh sexagenary cycle in 1648 Tolungwa Konchok Chozang was enthroned to the seat of Ganden Tripa as its thirty-ninth lineage that started from Tsongkhapa, the founder of the tradition. Trichen Konchok Chozang served the post for seven years, giving general teachings on both sutra and tantra. Also as customary duty of the office, he led all the important religious activities and festivals of Geluk tradition including the Great Monlam Festival of Lhasa.

After his retirement from the office of Ganden Tripa, Trichen Konchok Chozang spent the remaining years of his life mostly in Meldro Rinchenling (mal gro rin chen gling) and Dechen Sang Ngag Khar (bde chen gsang sngags mkhar), giving teachings at these monasteries and helping to develop their education system. He passed into nirvana in 1673, the water-ox year of the eleventh sexagenary cycle, at the age of eighty-seven. An extensive nirvana-prayer was done as part of the funerary rites.