Jampa Ngawang Kunga Chopel ('byam pa ngag dbang kun dga' chos 'phel) was born in 1884 in Namru (gnam ru), into the family of the chieftain of Anor Tsang (a nor tshang). His father's family lineage was the Gungpa (gung pa). One of his brothers served as an astrologer at Tsurpu Monastery (mtshur phu dgon). He was a disciple of the Seventeenth Chogye Trichen, Jampa Rinchen Khyentse Wangpo (bco brgyad khri chen 17 byams pa rin chen mkhyen brtse dbang po, circa 1869–1927).^{^[1]}

He served as a religious instructor at Nalendra Monastery (na len+dra) in the early twentieth century and was the first tutor there of the Eighteenth Chogye Trichen, Tubten Lekshe Gyatso (bco brgyad khri chen 18 thub bstan legs bshad rgya mtsho, 1920–2007) starting on that lama's arrival at the monastery in 1929. Chogye Trichen, who was ten years old at the time, lived with Kunga Chopel for the next several years.^{^[2]}

Kunga Chopel transmitted the Konchok Chidu (dkon mchog spyi 'dus), a cycle of revelations by Jatson Nyingpo ('ja' mtshon snying po, 1585–1656) that was the main practice of his parents; the Hundred Sādhanas (sgrub thab rgya rtsa), a core Sakya collection compiled by the Kadampa monk Chim Namkha Drak (P1060 mchims nam mkha' grags, 1210–1285); as well as the transmission of the texts for all monastery's rituals. He trained Chogye Trichen Rinpoche in all the ritual performances, including offering ceremonies and exorcism. He recorded all of his pupil's religious activities up until Chogye Trichen was thirty years old, in a diary that was later lost.^{^[3]}

In addition to Chogye Trichen, his disciples included a lama named Geshe Tsechok (dge bshes tshe mchog), who was a master of the Bodhicaryāvatāra, and who gave Chogye Trichen instructions on the bodhisattva path.^{^[4]}

No other details of his life are available.

^{^[1]} Jackson, p. 19.

^{^[2]} Jackson, p. 15.

^{^[3]} Jackson, pp. 19–20.

^{^[4]} Jackson, p. 20.

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Alexander Gardner is Director and Chief Editor of the Treasury of Lives. He completed his PhD in Buddhist Studies at the University of Michigan in 2007. He is the author of The Life of Jamgon Kongtrul The Great.

Published June 2023