The Treasury of Lives

The Fifth Zimwok, Jampa Ngawang Kunga Tenzin Trinle (gzim 'og rin po che 05 byams pa ngag dbang kun dga' bstan 'dzin 'phrin las) was born on the tenth day of the seventh month of the wood-monkey year, or August 31, 1884. His family, Apa Pontsang (a pa dpon tshang), were the chieftains of the Engo (e/n rgod) nomadic regions in north-central Tibet. He was born in an encampment known as Jang Sangzhung (byang sangs gzhung), below the snow-capped mountain of Samten Khangzang (bsam gtan khang bzang). The Fourth Zimwok, Jampa Tenzin Nyendrak (gzim 'og 04 byams pa bstan 'dzin snyan grags, died 1884), had been visiting the family when he passed away in August 1884. As the chieftains of Engo were major patrons of Nalendra Monastery (na len+dra dgon), the monastery's leadership chose a child from that family as Fourth Zimwok's reincarnation. It was rare, although not unheard of, to identify a child born before the death of a lama as that lama's reincarnation.^[1] A second identified reincarnation of the Fourth Zimwok was Dezhung Tulku Anjam (sde gzhung a 'jam, 1885–1952).

The Fifth Zimwok was educated at Nalendra under Lama Ngaklo (bla ma ngag blo, 1892–circa 1959), the Seventeenth Chogye Trichen Jampa Rinchen Khyentse Wangpo (bco brgyad khri chen 17 byams pa rin chen mkhyen brtse dbang po, 1869/1970–1927), the Thirty-Ninth Sakya Trichen Drakshul Trinle Rinchen (sa skya khri chen 39 grag shul 'phrin las rin chen, 1871–1935), and Khenpo Nyendrak Tarpa (mkhan po snyan grags thar pa). He received the Compendium of Sādhanas (sgrub thabs kun btus) from Jetsunma Pema Trinle (rje btsun ma pad ma 'phrin las, 1874–1950). She had received the massive collection of practice texts from Jamyang Loter Wangpo ('jam dbyangs blo gter dbang po, 1847–1914), who had worked with Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo ('jam dbyangs mkhyen brtse'i dbang po, 1820–1893) on its creation.^[2]

The Fifth Zimwok received Geluk teachings from the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Tubten Gyatso (tA la'i bla ma 13 thub bstan rgya mtsho, 1876–1933), possibly including the collected works of the Fifth Dalai Lama, which he received together with the Secong Pabongkha, Dechen Nyingpo (pha bong kha 02 bde chen snying po, 1878–1941). The two lamas remained friends and Zimwok Tulku later transmitted to Pabongkha the Sakya teachings the Cycle of Three Red Deities (dmar po skor gsum)[3]

He received Nyingma teachings from Chozang Rinpoche (cho bzang rin po che) of Dorje Drak Monastery (rdo rje brag dgon).^[4] The Nyingma teachings included the Wishing Vase (dod 'jo'i bum bzang), a compilation of treasure practices compiled by Terdak Lingpa (gter bdag gling pa, 1646–1714) and Lochen Darmaśrī (blo chen d+harma shrI, 1654–1718) of Mindroling Monastery (smin grol gling dgon).^[5] He mastered the tantric teachings of the Sakya tradition such as Hevajra and Vajrayogīnī, and spent most of his time in meditation retreat.^[6]

From Dabzang Tulku (zla bzang sprul sku), the reincarnation of Dabzang Tulku Karma Ngedon (zla bzang sprul sku karma nges don, 1808–1864) he received Kagyu teachings and the Hundred Instructions of Jonang (jo nang khrid brgya), a compilation of Jonang material made in the seventeenth century by the twenty-fourth abbot of Jonang Monastery (jo nang dgon), Kunga Drolchok (kun dga' grol mchog, 1507–1585).^[7]

The Fifth Zimwok went to Kham three or four times, as was customary for leading lamas of Nalendra. He gave the Kangyur reading transmission twice while there, at Beru Lachen Monastery (be ru bla chen dgon) in Nangchen. While in Kham he met with Khenpo Zhenga (mkhan po gzhan dga', 1871–1927), who was famous for establishing monastic colleges in Kham. Khenpo Zhenga asked Zimwok Rinpoche to open a college at Nalendra. In the 1920s Zimwok sent his teacher Lama Ngaklo to Dar Drongmoche (dar grong mo che dgon), where Zhenga's close student Dragyab Tubten (brag g.yab thub bstan, d. 1931) was then staying, to invite that lama to Nalendra to establish the college.^[8]

According to Dezhung Rinpoche (sde gzhung 03, 1906–1987), the Fifth Zimwok gave countless transmissions and empowerments, including the Lamdre Lobshe transmission in the Tsarpa tradition eighteen times and the Thirteen Golden Teachings of Sakya (sa skya gser chos bcu gsum), a set of tantric practices that are traced back to Sachen Kunga Nyingpo (sa chen kun dga' snying po, 1092–1158).^[9]

His main disciple was the Eighteenth Chogye Trichen, Tubten Lekshe Gyatso (bco brgyad khri chen rin po che thub bstan legs bshad rgya mtsho, 1920–2007), whom he began training in 1929 when the child arrived at Nalendra. Chogye Trichen received the Lamdre transmission for the first time from Zimwok Rinpoche that year, and for a second time in 1949. In 1935 Zimwok transmitted the Compendium of Sādhanas to him. In 1949, in addition to the Lamdre, Zimwok transmitted the One Hundred Instructions of Jonang, the Wishing Vase, and the Trilogy of Red Male Deities (dmar po skor gsum) and the Trilogy of Red Female Deities (dmar mo skor gsum).^[10]

In March, 1959 Zimwok Rinpoche fled Tibet with Chogye Trichen and several others, including another lama of Nalendra, Fifth Tsedong Tulku Pelden Ngawang Nyendrak Wozer (rtse gdong sprul sku 05 dpal ldan ngag dbang snyan grags 'od zer, 1902–1965), and Chogye Trichen's elderly mother, Chime Dolkar ('chi med sgrol dkar, 1895–1966). Zimwok Rinpoche wished to go north to his family's nomadic estates, but Chogye Trichen convinced him to go instead to Mustang, where his older sister Kelzang Chodron (bskal bzang chos sgron) was married to the king, Jampel Tenzin Dradul (byams dpal bstan 'dzin dgra 'dul, 1900–1964). They arrived in the capital, Lo Monthang, in June 1959.

Zimwok Rinpoche went to Dharamsala not long after arriving in Mustang and was joined by Chogye Trichen in 1962. He passed away there on August 29, 1963. Because Chogye Trichen was in Darjeeling helping arrange the publication of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama's (tA la'i bla ma 14, b. 1935) autobiography, the funeral ceremonies were headed by the Fifth Tsedong Tulku.

The Sixth Zimwok Rinpoche, Ngawang Tendzin Trinle Norbu (zim 'og 06 ngag dbang bstan 'dzin 'phrin las nor bu, b. 1964), was enthroned at Sakya Centre in Rajpur, on October 20, 1971.

 

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