The Treasury of Lives

The Seventy-seventh Ganden Tripa, Tsultrim Dargye (dga' ldan khri pa 77 tshul khrims dar rgyas) was born in Pombor, in Kham (spo 'bor / spom 'bor) in the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century.

Although many details of his life are not known, the educational and professional development of Ganden Tripa during his era was fairly standard. It can be assumed that he studied logic and related topics, Abhisamayālaṃkāra, Madhyamaka, Abhidharmakośa, Pramāṇavārttika, and Vinaya, the five major subjects of the Geluk monastic curriculum, at one of the main Geluk monasteries near Lhasa (Sera, Drepung, or Ganden), and, earned his Geshe Lharampa degree after standing in the traditional examination during one of the annual Lhasa Monlam Chenmo.

He studied Tantra at Gyuto College (rgyud stod grwa tshang) and presumably earned ngakrampa (sngags rams pa) degree in Tantra. It was customary for Ganden Tripas to first serve as chant leader (bla ma dbu mdzad) and abbot at the College, then take the post of Sharpa Choje (shar pa / shar rtse chos rje) at Ganden Shartse College (dga' ldan shar rtse).  However, those arrive from Gyume will serve as Jangpa Choje (byang pa / byang rtse chos rje) at Ganden Jangtse College. The two Chojes ascend to the throne in alternate sequence.

In 1859, the year of earth-sheep of the fourteenth sexagenary cycle, it was the turn of the Sharpa Choje to ascend the Golden Throne, and thus the Sharpa Choje Tsultrim Dargye ascended to the throne as the Seventy-seventh Ganden Tripa from the Shartse's line for the throne. Trichen Tsultrim Dargye served the post of Tripa for three years, from 1859 to 1861, or, alternately, for about two years, from 1858 to 1859.

Given that the Ganden Tripa customarily served seven years, it can be presumed that Trichen Tsultrim Dargye passed into nirvana while in office.

Jamyang Damcho (dga' ldan khri pa 78 khri chen 'jam dbyangs dam chos) was his successor to the Golden Throne.