Lobzang Tashi Trinle Gyatso (blo bzang bkra shis 'phrin las rgya mtsho) was born to the family of the Rongwo Nangso (rong bo nang so), the noble family of Rebkong (reb gong), in 1890, the iron-tiger year of fifteenth sexagenary cycle. He was identified as the reincarnation of the Fourth Setsang, Lobzang Tashi Tenpai Gyeltsen (bse tshang 04 blo bzang bkra shis bstan pa'i rgyal mtshan, 1880-1888/1889) and enthroned at Terlung Monastery, Yiga Chodzin Ling (gter lung yid dga chos 'dzin gling) at the age of seven.
He began his studies at the age of thirteen at Rongwo Monastery, Gonchen Tosam Namgyel Ling (rong po dgon chen thos bsam rnam rgyal gling). Among his teachers there were Jamyang Tubten Gyatso (jam dbyangs thub bstan rgya mtsho, 1866-1928), the fifty-fifth abbot; Lobzang Tenpai Gyeltsen (blo bzang bstan pa'i rgyal mtshan, 1858/1859-1915), the fifty-eighth abbot of the monastery; and Yongdzin Paṇḍita, Lobzang Pelden (yongs 'dzin paNDi ta blo bzang dpal ldan, 1880/1881-1944).
At the age of thirty he was made abbot of the monastery.
In 1919, when he was thirty-one years old, a Muslim army led by the powerful military commander named Ma Qi (馬麒, 1869-1931), attacked Labrang Tashikhyil Monastery (bla brang bkra shis 'khyil) and nearby Tibetans communities. During this war, both local Tibetan lay and monastic community were armed and fought against the Muslim forces, but they were outmatched. Most monasteries, including Terlung, were destroyed, villages in Hortsang (hor gtsang) and Namlha (gnam lha) were set fire, and much of the population fled to the mountains for about one month. In this period of time, Terlung monastery was used as army base by the Muslims and all the temples, library and teaching materials were set on fire, and around one hundred monks were slaughtered.
During this period the Fifth Setsang remained at Rongwo. After the violence ended, he organized fundraising activity in Rebkong and Tsekhok (rtse khog), reconstructed Terlung monastery, and recovered the formal education system and monastic traditions.
He passed away in 1937 at the age of forty-seven at Terlung monastery.
Bibliography
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