The Treasury of Lives

Jigme Tenpai Gyeltsen ('jig med 'bstan pa’i rgyal mtshan, 1788-1850) was born in 1788 at Mangdi Trelar (mang sde sprel lar), in the Trongsa (krong gsar) district of central Bhutan. According to legend, at the age of five, Jigme Tenpai Gyeltsen repeatedly declared himself to be Drubtob Namgyel Lhundrub (sgrub thob rnam rgyal lhun grub, 1718-1786), and he insisted on going to Jangchub Pelri Monastery (byang chub dpal ri dgon pa). After affirming his authenticity, attendants of Drubtob Namgyel Lhundrub took the boy to Jangchub Pelri and enthroned him as the Second Petsaling Tulku (pad tshal gling sprul sku), posthumously giving the title of First Petsaling Tulku to Namgyel Lhundrub. There, he studied under two primary disciples of Namgyel Lhundrub, Namgyel (rnam rgyal) and Śākya (shAkya).

At age of eight, Jigme Tenpai Gyeltsen took lay vows (dge bsnyen) from Jigme Lingpa ('jigs med gling pa, 1729-1798) and was given the name Jigme Tenpai Gyeltsen. At the age of nine, following the order of Jigme Lingpa, he went to Dungsam Yongla Monastery (gdung bsam yongs la dgon pa) to study under Jigme Kundrol ('jigs med kun grol, d.u.), one of Jigme Lingpa's close disciples and the founder of the monastery. There he received the full transmission of the Longchen Nyingtik (klong chen snying thig).

At the age of eleven, Jigme Tenpai Gyeltsen went to study under Jigme Lingpa, but the great master passed away that same year. He received a statue containing his great master’s relic as consolation.

He then went to Mindroling (smin grol ling) monastery. There, Khenchen Tendzin (mkhan chen bstan 'dzin, d.u.) gave him the vows of the preliminary (rab byung), and novice monk (dge tshul). He spent the next five years mastering the thirteen major philosophical texts (gzhung chen bcu gsum) according to the Nyingma tradition, as well as scripture, ultimately earning the title of Lhomon Geshe (lho mon dge bshes). To mark his graduation, Jigme Tenpai Gyeltsen distributed a roll of pangkheb (spang keb), a silk brocade table cover, to every monk at the monastery. After making offerings to the Lhasa Jowo and going on a pilgrimage to Samye and other places sacred to Padmasambhava, he returned to Bhutan, arriving in his nineteenth year.

During that time, the practice of any religious tradition other than the Drukpa Kagyu ('brug pa bka' rgyud) required the approval of the government. So, in the year 1808, Jigme Tenpai Gyeltsen went to see the twenty-fifth Druk Desi Pema Chodra (pad ma chos grags) and obtained permission to continue the tradition and lineage of his former incarnation. The Desi gave him a gift of a cymbal that was named Puntang Madrakpa (spungs thang mar drags pa), which is preserved today at Jangchub Pelri.

In 1809, Jigme Tenpai Gyeltsen expanded Jangchub Pelri, the monastery built by his predecessor, adding an additional floor, a new temple and residence. After its consecration, he entered into a three year retreat, and is said to have experienced a number of important visions, such as the three root deities of the Longchen Nyingtik, and Jigme Lingpa.

At the end of his meditation, now twenty-five years old, Jigme Tenpai Gyeltsen returned to Tibet. While there, he received his complete ordination vows (bsnyen rdzogs) from Minling Khenchen Kunden (smin gling mkhan chen kun ldan, d.u.). From Minling Trichen Pema Wangyal (smin gling khri chen pad ma dbang rgyal, d.u.), Terchen Garwang Tingdzin Gyelpo (gter chen gar dbang ting 'dzin rgyal po, d.u.), and the Sixth Lhalung Sungtrul Kunzang Tenpai Gyeltsen (lha lung gsung sprul 06 kun bzang bstan pa’i rgyal mtshan, 1763-1817) he received empowerments, transmissions, and instructions and advice. Once again, Jigme Tenpai Gyeltsen made offerings to the Lhasa Jowo and the monks of Mindroling, and then returned to Bumthang.

Not long afterwards, Jigme Kundrol passed away and so Jigme Tenpai Gyeltsen went to Dungsam. He stayed there for a quite a long time, performing the funeral rites (dgongs rdzogs sgrub), teaching the regent Dorje Gyeltsen (bla tshab rdo rje rgyal mtshan), and further teaching and blessing the patrons in the region.

Upon his return to Bumthang, Jigme Tenpai Gyeltsen continued to teach his followers. As requested by his patrons and devotees, he built Puntsok Pelri Monastery (phun tshogs dpal ri dgon pa), Muktsen Nekhang (rmug btsan gnas khang), Dungsam Khangmai Lhakhang (gdung bsam khang ma’i lha khang), and Sengor Lhakhang (seng sgor lha khang). To every household of Sengor he gave a "prosperity vase" (g.yang bum) in recognition of their serving as the first patrons of his previous incarnation. Many houses of Sengor retain these vases today.

Jigme Tenpai Gyeltsen was invited by his patrons to Bumthang Dezhi (bum thang sde bzhi), Mangde Tshozhi (mang sde tsho bzhi), Tashigang (bkra shis sgang), Zhongar (gzhong mgar), Lhuntse, and Wangduephodrang (dbang 'dus pho brang), where gave empowerments, transmissions, instructions, and performed services for subduing evil spirits (gdon bgegs 'byung po). He is said to have stopped animal sacrifices (dmar mchod) wherever he went. He rebuilt the Kurizam (ku ri zam) bridge in Mongar after it was burned during a civil war. Today, the names of governors, religious masters and noble families who contributed to the bridge reconstruction can be seen on a slate at Kakaling (ka ka gling). He subdued an evil spirit residing below Kurizam that had been harming the people and animals of the area when he stayed at Kakaling, a site above Kurizam.

In 1844, on the request of the Tashigang Dzongpon (bkra shis sgang rdzong dpon) of Choje Orgyen Puntsok (cho rje o rgyan phun tshog), Jigme Tenpai Gyeltsen gave teachings and initiations to the local people. Like his predecessor, he refused the offerings made to him, but requested a purba dagger, since it was the dream of his root lama Jigme Kundrol to make one similar to the one possessed by his previous incarnation, which had also come from that place. The local dzongpon (rdzong dpon) summoned the descendants of Logzo Tralko (blugs bzo spros rko) living below Drametse (dra med rtse) village, whose forefathers made similar purba as offerings to his former incarnation. These purba were offered to Dorje Gyatso (rdo rje rgya mtsho), the second abbot of Dungsam Yongla Monastery (gdung bsam yongs la dgon pa).

Jigme Tenpai Gyeltsen returned to Bumthang to continued with his teachings. During this period, he constructed the Jangchub stupa (byang chub mchod rten) and wrote the biography of the first Petseling Tulku.

Cognizant that he was not going to live much longer, he appointed his student Lama Kunzang Dechen (bla ma kun bzang bde chen) as a regent (bla tshab). Jigme Tenpai Gyeltsen’s other students included Lhalung Tukse (lha lung thugs sras), son of Lhading Terchen Garwang Tingdzin Gyelpo (lhas sdings gter gar dbang ting 'dzing rgyal po), the Sixth Paro Nepu Tulku (spa ro gnas phu sprul sku), Je Sonam Gyeltsen (rje bsod nams rgyal mtshan), Paga Geshe Tsendra (spa sgang dge bshes tsan dra), the second Yongla abbot Dorje Gyatso (rdo rje rgya mtsho), the third Yongla abbot Kedrub Gonpai Choje Tseten (mkhas grup dgon pa’i chos rje tshe brtan), Tsamdrak Lama Orgyen Dorje (mtshams brag bla ma o rgyan rdo rje), and Paro Drak Tulku (spa ro brag sprul sku).

Among his patrons were Druk Desi Tsapuk Dorje Namgyel (tsha phug pa rdo rje rnam rgyal), Dorje Norbu (rdo rje nor bu), Trongsa Penlop Orgyen Puntsok (krong gsar dpon slop o rgyan phun tshogs), Wangchen Dorje (dbang chen rdo rje) and other rulers of eastern and western Bhutan.

Jigme Tenpai Gyeltsen passed away at the age of sixty in 1850. Lama Jangchub Tsundru (byang chub brtson 'grus, 1817-1856) conducted his funeral rites.