The Treasury of Lives

The Fourth Chaktsa Tulku, Kunzang Pema Trinle (phyag tsha 04, kun bzang pad+ma phrin las) was born near Getse Dralek Monastery (dge rtse bkra legs dgon), the home base for preceding two Chaktsa lamas, in the late nineteenth or early twentieth centuries. The Third Katok Situ Chokyi Gyatso (kaH thog si tu 03 chos kyi rgya mtsho, 1880-1925) identified the child as the reincarnation of the Third Chaktsa Tulku, Kunzang Jampa Sengge (phyag tsha 03 kun bzang byams pa seng ge, d.u.) and invited him to Katok for his enthronement and naming ceremonies.

His primary lamas were Katok Situ Chokyi Gyatso, Ngawang Pelzang (ngag dbang dpal bzang, 1879-1941), Deshul Lama ('das shul bla ma, d.u.), and Pema Gyeltsen (kaH thog rje dbon pad+ma rgyal mtshan, d.u.).

This Chaktsa Tulku improved Getse Dralek Monastery by establishing both a Buddhist academy and a retreat center, and reforming the community's monastic discipline. Ngawang Pelzang was the inaugural first master of studies at the academy and in his Autobiography notes that while he was there in the early 1920s he also gave the initiations and transmissions for the Rinchen Terdzo. Chaktsa frequently visited Katok Monastery and exchanged teachings and transmission of rare teachings with lamas including the Third Getse Gyurme Tenpa Namgyel (dge rtse 03 gyur med bstan pa rnam rgyal, 1886-1952) and Khenchen Lekshe Jorden (mkhan chen legs bshad 'byor ldan).

 

Samten Chhosphel earned his PhD from CIHTS in India where he served as the head of Publication Dept. for 26 years. He has a Master’s degree in Writing and Publishing from Emerson College, Boston. Currently he is an adjunct Assistant Professor at the City University of New York, and Language Associate in Columbia University, NY.

Published December 2011

Bibliography

'Jam dbyangs rgyal mtshan. 1996.Rgyal ba kaH thog pa’i lo rgyus mdor bsdus.Si khron mi rigs dpe skrun khang, p. 131.

View this person’s associated Works & Texts on the Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center’s Website.