The Treasury of Lives

The Third Gungtang Konchok Tenpai Dronme (gung thang 03 dkon mchog bstan pa'i sgron me) was born in southern Dzodge (mdzod dge'i smad) near Labrang (bla brang), in 1762, on the eighth day of the second month of the water-horse year of the thirteenth sexagenary cycle. His father was called Tepo Chakpo Jampa (the bo lcags po byams pa) and mother was named Bochok (bo cog).

At the age of seven, the Second Jamyang Zhepa, Konchok Jigme Wangpo ('jam dbyangs bzhad pa 02 dkon mchog 'jigs med dbang po, 1728-1791) recognized him as the reincarnation of the Second Gungtang Lama, Ngawang Tenpai Gyeltsen (gung thang bla ma 02, ngag dbang bstan pa'i rgyal mtshan, 1727-1759). Ngawang Tenpai Gyeltsen, who had been the Fifth throne holder of Labrang, was himself the reincarnation of Fiftieth Ganden Tripa Trichen Gendun Puntsok (dga' ldan khri pa 50 khri chen dge 'dun phun tshogs, d. 1724), also known as Tri Gungtangpa (khri gung thang pa).

Tenpai Dronme was brought to Labrang on the eighth of the first month of earth-mouse year in 1768 and was granted vows of upāsaka (dge bsnyen), primary monk (rab byung), and novice monk (dge tsul) and named Konchok Tenpai Dronme on the thirteenth day of the same month by the Second Jamyang Zhepa. He then learned reading and writing, and memorization of the prayer texts and root-verses of basic texts of study under the tutorship of Dorampa Lobzang Rinchen (rdo rams pa blo bzang rin chen, d.u.). He then studied the subjects of grammar, poetry, Sanskrit phonology, Tibetan medicine, astrology and astronomy, and so forth for about ten years. He also studied Pramāṇavārttika and Abhisamayālaṃkāra to some extent, and also learned Mongolian and Chinese languages.

Konchok Tenpai Dronme travelled to Lhasa at the age of seventeen and matriculated in Gomang College of Drepung Monastery, where he studied Abhisamayālaṃkāra, Madhyamaka, Abhidharmakośa, Pramāṇavārttika and Vinaya, the major subjects of Geshe Lharampa (dge bshes lha ram pa) curriculum under Hor Kelzang Ngodrub (hor skal bzang dngos grub, d.u.) a Mongolian scholar in the monastery. At the age of twenty-one, in 1782, on the full-moon day of the fourth month of the year of water-tiger Tenpai Dronme was granted the vows of fully ordained monk by the Eighth Dalai Lama Lobzang Jampel Gyatso (ta la'i bla ma 08 blo bzang 'jam dpal rgya mtsho, 1758-1804). Konchok Tenpai Dronme successfully stood for the traditional examination of Geshe Lharampa at the young age of twenty-two. He also studied the five treatises of Maitreya, and other many texts, and tantra during his about eight years study in U and became widely recognized scholar, his reputation spreading across U and Tsang and as far as Amdo and then Kham.

Besides his two main tutors Dorampa Lobzang Rinchen and Hor Kelzang Ngodrub, Konchok Tenpai Dronme studied under a number of distinguished scholars and prominent lamas that included the Eighth Dalai Lama Jampel Gyatso, the Second Jamyang Zhepa Konchok Jigme Wangpo, Tsechokling Yongdzin Yeshe Gyeltsen (tshe mchog gling yongs 'dzin ye shes rgyal mtshan, 1713-1793) and Labrang Dukhor Ponlob 04, Lobzang Rinchen (bla brang dus 'khor dpon slob 04 blo bzang rin chen, 1719-1793).

At the age of twenty-five, in 1786, the year of fire-horse, Konchok Tenpai Dronme travelled to Amdo and returned to Labrang and gave many teachings at the monastery. He also received many teachings and empowerments, and transmission, and instructions from his guru Konchok Jigme Wangpo who appointed him as the abbot of Tsakhoi Datsang (tsha kho'i da tshang) in 1791, the year of iron-pig at the age of thirty.

Konchok Jigme Wangpo established the Ngawa Gomang Monastery (rnga ba sgo mang) in the beginning of the fifth month of the same year, and instructed Konchok Tenpai Dronme to accept the abbatial chair at the new monastery. Thus he became the first abbot of Ngawa Gomang and he gave initiations on Amitāyus and White Tara, and also empowerment on Avalokiteśvara at the new monastery.

Konchok Tenpai Dronme was enthroned to seat of the Twenty-first lineage holder of the Labrang at the age of thirty-one in 1792, the year of water-mouse in the thirteenth sexagenary cycle. He then gave teachings on various topics from the sutra and tantra. He also gave initiations and empowerments from time to time. He also reviewed and reformed some codes of rules and disciplines in the monastery.

In 1797, the fire-snake-year, Konchok Tenpai Dronme was enthroned to the seat of abbot of Gonlung Jampa Ling (dgon lung byams pa gling). The following year Dawa Zhonnu (zla ba gzhon nu, d.u.), the reincarnation of Konchok Jigme Wangpo, was placed on the seat of the lineage of the monastery; he served as tutor to the young reincarnated lama and passed on the transmission of profound teachings of their tradition completely as far as possible.

At the age of forty-one, in 1802, the water-dog year, Konchok Tenpai Dronme commenced the construction of a great stupa that was completed and consecrated in the wood-ox year in 1805.  Konchok Tenpai Dronme visited at various places in the region spent most of his time in giving teachings, empowerments, transmissions, and discussion on critical points of dharma, and composing texts. Konchok Tenpai Dronme became quite famous and served as a scholar for many of the monasteries in the northern and southern regions of Amdo. Starting at the age of forty-five, in 1806, Konchok Tenpai Dronme mainly resided at the Labrang and its hermitage, Yega Chodzin (yid dga' chos dzin), engaging in retreat and meditation, and composing a number of texts on various subjects. He also gave teachings time to time and developed a large number of scholar disciples and devotees.

Among the over thirty disciples named in the sources, some of the more prominent were the twenty-fourth throne holder of Labrang, Konchok Gyeltsen (bla brang khri 24 dkon mchog rgyal mtshan, 1764-1853), Drungpa Sherab Gyatso (drung pa shes rab rgya mtsho, 1803-1875), the Third Jamyang Zhepa, Tubten Jigme Gyatso ('jam dbyangs bzhad pa 03 blo bzang thub bstan 'jigs med rgya mtsho, 1792-1855), Yeshe Dondrub Tenpai Gyeltsen (ye shes don grub bstan pa'i rgyal mtshan, 1792-1855) and Changlung Paṇḍita Ngawang Lobzang Tenpai Gyeltsen (lcang lung paNDi ta ngag dbang blo bzang bstan pa'i rgyal mtshan, 1770-1845).

Konchok Tenpai Dronme is well known for his written works on various subjects and topics including Abhisamayālaṃkāra, Abhidharmakośa, and Vinaya; the guru yoga of Yamāntaka, Cakrasaṃvara, Guhyasamāja (the three major tantric deities of the Geluk tradition) as well as other deities; biographies of lamas; Tibetan medicine and astrology; texts on basic line-drawings of measurements for proportion of building statues and tanka paintings; and poetry, as well as other subjects. His works on ethics, such as Hundred Waves of Elegant Sayings, which uses water analogies, and Hundred Branches of Elegant Sayings, which uses tree analogies, remain popular works in Tibetan schools. His works were collected into twelve volumes and carved into wooden blocks for printing and preservation, although only eleven volumes are currently extant.

Following his retirement from the abbacy of Labrang, Konchok Tenpai Dronme settled into private life for few years, before passing away in 1823, the water-sheep year of the fourteenth sexagenary cycle, at the age of sixty-two.