The Treasury of Lives

Geshe Jampa Taye (dge bshes byams pa mtha' yas) was born at U-Yak Tseltang in the district of Dzogang in the Tsawagang region of Kham (khams tsha ba sgang gi sa cha mrdzo sgang rdzong khongs dbu yag tshal thang) in 1894, the wood-horse year of the fifteenth sexagenary cycle. Although the names of his parents are not known, he is said to have been born into a religious family with certain auspicious signs.

He was an intelligent child who showed a great interest in learning dharma. U-Yak Choktrul Rinpoche (dbu yag mchog sprul rin po che, d.u.) cut his crown-hair at the age of thirteen and gave him the name Norbu Tendzin (nor bu bstan dzin). Soon after he was admitted to Sang Ngag Tekchen Choling Monastery at Dzogang (rdzo sgang gsang snags theg chen chos gling) where he began his basic education in memorization of prayer texts and chanting, and traditional rituals of the monastery.

In 1910 Norbu Tendzin travelled to Lhasa and matriculated in the Khenyin House of Sera Je Monastic College (se ra byes mkhas snyan grwa tshang), studying traditional subjects under a number of eminent masters including Lhundrub Tsondu (lhun grub brtsun 'grus, d.u.), Drubkhang Yongdzin Jampa Choden (sgrub khang yongs dzin byams pa chos ldan, d.u.) and Geshe Jampa Chodrak (dge bshes byams pa chos grags, d.u.). He received the novice monk vows from the Second Pabongkha, Dechen Nyingpo (pha bong kha 02 bde chen snying po, 1878-1941), one of the most influential scholars of Geluk tradition of his era.

Norbu Tendzin studied a wide range of commentarial texts by both the Indian and Tibetan scholars covering all the five subjects of Geshe studies, focusing particularly on the Madyamaka texts of Nāgārjuna. Apart from his regular tutors, he received many commentarial teachings from Pabongkha on Lamrim at least four times and also Lojong and other wide range of important topics on both sutra and tantra including empowerments on the major tantric deities. Some of his other masters include Buldu Rinpoche ('bul sdud rin po che, d.u.); Ganden Serkong Dorjechang (dga' ldan gser kong rdo rje 'chang, 1856-c.1918); and Taktra Dorjechang Ngawang Sungrab Tutob (stag brag rdo rje 'chang ngag dbang gsung rab mthu stobs, 1874-1952), the Second Taktra and the former regent of Tibet.

Jampa Taye emerged as a special student in studies in the class of Geshe Lharampas, and monks unanimously agree that he deserves the first position in the next Lharampa examination, the highest rank of Geluk scholars. However, the Fourth Purchok, whose name is not known (phur lcog 04, b. c. 1902) possibly foreseeing a future in which he played a vital role in Chamdo and hoping to avoid his being tapped for the position of Ganden Tripa, all of sudden, summoned Jampa Taye and told him: "Too good is not good! It is better for you to withdraw from the Lharam class and appear the examination for the Lingtse (gling bsre) degree, a lower rank. Thus, Jampa Taye, respecting the recommendation of Purchok, later took examination for Lingtse Geshe in the midst of scholars of Sera Monastic University (se ra dgon pa) and impressed everybody. His scholarship was acknowledged and respected since then.

The Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Tubten Gyatso, (ta la'i bla ma 13 thub bstan rgya mtsho, 1876-1933) granted Norbu Tendzin the vows of full ordination, and, presumably, gave him his ordination name Jampa Taye. The Thirteenth Dalai Lama praised him for his monastic and moral character, and his intelligence and efforts in learning the dharma and applying it in his practical life. Jampa Taye was known for following two methods for cultivating bodhicitta: tonglen (gtong lan) practice and the Seven-Point Mind Training (rgyu 'bras man ngag bdun).

In 1938 Jampa Taye attended the commentarial teaching on Lamrim Chenmo by Pabongkha given at the request of the Third Trijang, Lobzang Yeshe Tendzin Gyatso (khri byang 03 blo bzang ye shes bstan 'dzin rgya mtsho, 1900-1981) at Ganden Monastery (dga' ldan dgon). While he was at Ganden he gave some short but important courses to the monks there. In 1939 he fulfilled a request and travelled to some monasteries in the Tsang region such as Gyaltse Pelkhor Chode (rgyal rtse dpal 'khor chos sde), Pokang Tsokpa (spos khang tshogs pa), Panam Gawadong (pa rnam dga' ba gdong), and Wensa (dben dgon pa), where he gave teachings on Lamrim and Vinaya and other topics. He made significant offerings and did prayer for three days to the reliquary of Wensapa Lobzang Dondrub (dben sa pa blo bzang don grub, 1505-1556) at Wensa and then went on to Tashilhunpo (bkra shis lhun po) and gave general discourses as well as rare teachings on some important topics to a selected audience of followers. He later returned to the region to give additional teachings.

At the time Chamdo Jampa Ling Monastery (chab mdo byams pa gling), which had suffered substantial destruction by Chinese forces in 1912, was still in the process of rebuilding and reestablishing its annual rites.

Papongkha had spent two years in Chamdo, from 1935 to 1937, and he recommended Jampa Taye to serve as teacher there, a suggestion Trijang Rinpoche supported.

Jampa Taye accepted Chamdo's invitation, and, having received blessings from the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (ta la'i bla ma 14 bstan 'dzin rgya mtsho, b. 1935) and the Ninety-Fourth Ganden Tripa, Lhundrub Tsondru (dga' ldan khri pa 94 lhun grub brtson 'grus, d. 1949) in December 1939, who also gave him certain guidelines for the position. A special welcome ceremony was organized on the Kartangma (dkar thang ma) assembly ground where the large tanka of Tsongkhapa (tsong kha pa, 1357-1419) was installed. In 1940 Jampa Taye gave a seven-day teaching on Ganden Lhagyama to over two thousand monks and the lamas including the Fifth Kondor Tulku, Lobzang Namgyel Tendzin Lhundrub (blo bzang 'rnam rgyal bstan 'dzin lhun grub, 1894-1950), the then abbot of Chamdo Jampa Ling. The teaching was also attended by hundreds laypeople of Chamdo.

Soon thereafter Jetsun Jampa Taye introduced courses and classes of Prajñāpāramitā with traditional debating system of dialectics and restored the tradition of Spring and Winter semesters for intensive studies. He followed the root text: Maitreya's Ornament of Clear Realizations, and its Commentary Clear-Meaning by Haribhadra Suri; and Tibetan commentaries by Tsongkhapa and his disciples and Chokyi Gyeltsen who is the author of Sera Je College texts. He gave initiations and empowerments during the breaks of semesters. He also restored their tradition of Summer Retreat during which he gave teachings mainly on, Lamrim, Lojong, and some selected topics from the Vinaya.

He also restored the tradition of the Prayer Festival in the first Tibetan month and gave teachings on Tsongkhapa's Three Principle Aspects of the Path. As a general discourse to monks and laypeople he gave teachings focused on the development of the religious path, mind-training, refuge, law of cause and effect, and, for more advanced practitioners, long-life initiations and empowerments.

Jampa Taye mediated and settled some pending cases of disputes between the monks and the administration of the monastery. Unfortunately his tenure was marred by slander spread by staff members of the monastery administration that caused him a great distress and disappointment. Consequently, he decided to leave Jampa Ling and return to Lhasa. However, after serious series of request from the lamas, senior monks, and public as well as officials of Chamdo he had to cancel his return. Apparently the eight-year-old Tenth Chakra Tulku, Jampel Kalzang Jigme Chokyi Gyeltsen (lcags ra sprul sku 10 'jam dpal bskal bzang 'jigs med chos kyi rgyal mtshan, 1934-1948) made a maṇḍala offering to Jampa Taye, weeping until he agreed to remain.

Jampa Taye restored the system of granting vows and personally gave ordination to a number of monks. In addition to the restoration of tradition in practice of the three basics monastic rites, including the regular confession ceremony, he imposed ban on use of fur, leather, and full sleeve shirts by monks. He also restricted evening meals for monks with the exception to sick monks. He also banned gambling in the monastery. He used the offerings received from the teachings for sponsoring summer retreats and other important dharma activities.

Jampa Taye served as the principal tutor of the Eleventh Pakpa Lha Gelek Namgyel ('phags pa lha 11 dge legs rnam rgyal, b. 1940) soon after his enthronement in 1942. He also served as tutor and ordained into novice monk the Tenth Chakra Tulku.

In 1945, Jampa Taye introduced the tradition of examination in debating for the philosophical classes followed by teachings on Madhyamaka. The next year, following the summer retreat at the remote hermitage of Chubar (dben gnas chu bar), he gave teachings on Lamrim, and commentary on certain prayer-texts, and granted empowerment on Yamāntaka, Cakrasaṃvara, Guhyasamāja, and Hivajra to a great number of followers including the Eleventh Pakpa Lha, and the Tenth Chakra Tuku.

Jampa Taye also granted Upasaka vows to the Eleventh Pakpa Lha, followed by empowerment on Guhyasamāja at the age of seven, and he also ordained him into novice monk in 1947. Subsequently he gave long-life empowerment and transmissions on the Hundred-Deities of Tushita (dga' ldan lha brgya) and so forth at Dilsum Hermitage (dil gsum ri khrod) and Trokhang Luding (spro khang klu lding).

In 1946 and onwards Jampa Taye gave regular teachings on Lamrim, Lojong, and related topics during the summer retreat, followed by initiation or empowerments. He also gave many public teachings and empowerments. His teachings were mainly sponsored by well-known businessmen such as the Tehor Merchant Sanggye Chopel (tre hor tshong pa sangs rgyas chos 'phel), and also government officials including Yutok Tashi Dondrob (g.yu thog bkra shis don grub, 1906-1983) and Lhalu (lha lu), who served as the governor of Chamdo.

Jampa Taye deputed Dartse (dar rste, d.u.) and Geshe Jamyang Losel (dge bshes 'jam dbyangs blo gsal, d.u.) to introduce a course in dialectics at Tukchak Monastery (thugs chags dgon) in Tsawa Me (tsha bas mad). At Jampa Ling he revised and reformed Vinaya practices, the tradition of religious performances, and the educational system. Consequently, the number of monks taking part in summer retreat increased from three hundred to fifteen hundred; the number of students in the School of Dialectics reached eight hundred, becoming a widely respected center of Geluk learning. Jetsun Jampa Taye often received scholars from near and far to answer questions on certain crucial points of philosophy or ask his advice on important religious projects. He was not himself an author, stating that there were already sufficient works by Indian and Tibetan scholars available. However, he did compose a few prayer-texts in response to requests from his disciples.

Three days after giving initiations on Vajrayoginī to a limited number of followers, including Tartse Rinpoche (thar rtse rin po che, d.u.) and Geshe Jamyang Tabkhe (dge shes 'jam dbyangs thabs mkhas, d.u.) Geshe Jampa Taye made an announcement that he was engaging into a profound retreat on Heruka from the thirteenth of the tenth Tibetan month, and he gave certain useful and detail advices relating to general and individual affairs of monks of the monastery. Pakpa Lha, aware of the meaning of the announcement, requested him to live for a longer life but he refused. Thereafter audiences or appointments were restricted and only his personal assistant Kalzang had access to his room. While in meditation he would ask his assistant whether dawn was rising; at dawn of the thirteenth day of the tenth Tibetan month, in 1949, the earth-ox year of the sixteenth sexagenary cycle, he passed away. He was fifty-five years old.