The Treasury of Lives

The Fourth Hortsang Sertri, Jigme Tenpai Nyima (hor tshang gser khri 04 'jigs med bstan pa'i nyi ma) was born in Pelshul (dpal shul) in Amdo in late 1816, the year of fire-mouse of the fourteenth sexagenary cycle. His father was called Khandro Bum (mkha' 'gro 'bum) and his mother was Khanakza Somo Gyal (kha nag bza' bsod mo rgyal).

At the age of five Jigme Tenpai Nyima was identified as reincarnation of the Third Hortsang Sertri, Jigme Rigpai Sengge (hor tshang gser khri 03 'jigs med rigs pa'i seng+ge, 1747-1816) by the Third Jamyang Zhepa, Lobzang Tubten Jigme Gyatso ('jam dbyangs bzhad pa 03 blo bzang thub bstan 'jigs med rgya mtsho, 1792-1855) and the Third Gungtang Lama, Konchok Tenpai Dronme (gung thang bla ma 03 dkon mchog bstan pa'i sgron me, 1762-1823) and brought to the seat of the line of incarnation, Labrang Tashikhyil.

Jigme Tenpai Nyima received the vows of primary and novice monks (rab byung and dge tshul) from the Third Jamyang Zhepa at the age of seven. At the age of nine he commenced the memorization of the lengthy root-verses including Abhisamayālaṃkāra and Madhyamaka. At the age of thirteen he enrolled in the philosophical courses and studied the five major subjects of the Geluk monastic curriculum under the tutorship of Trichen Taklung Lobzang Nyima (khri chen stag lung blo bzang nyi ma, d.u.). The Jamyang Zhepa granted Jigme Tenpai Nyima the vows of full ordination (dge slong) at the age of twenty.

In 1837, at the age of twenty-two, Jigme Tenpai Nyima travelled to Lhasa and matriculated in the Gomang College of Drepung Monastic University to further his studies. There, under a number of eminent scholar teachers, he continued his studies in the five major traditional subjects. He then stood for the traditional examination at the Lhasa Monlam Chenmo and successfully obtained the degree of Geshe (dge bshes). Later he received teachings from Tsador Jampel Tsultrim (tsha rdor 'jam dpal tshul khrims, d.u.), Gyeltsab Tsador Nominhan (rgyal tshab tsha rdor no min han, d.u.), the Ninth Tatsak Jedrung (rta tshag rje drung, 1811-1848), Trati Lobzang Jampel (pra ti blo bzang 'jam dpal d.u.), and Lodro Tenpa (gung ru blo gros bstan pa, d.u.). At the age of twenty-nine Jigme Tenpai Nyima returned to Amdo, from where he travelled on to many places in Mongolia to teach. At the age of thirty-five he went to Beijing on pilgrimage and made an extensive prayer with offering to the famous sandalwood statue of the Buddha (tsan dan jo bo).

In 1854, the wood-tiger year of the fourteenth sexagenary cycle, Jigme Tenpai Nyima was enthroned to the seat of Forty-seventh Abbot of Labrang Tashikhyil. He served the abbacy for eight years, during which he mainly focused his attention on education, and he also improved the meal and other facilities in the monastery. He also adopted a new constitution. He then retired from the abbatial chair of Labrang in around 1861 and served as mentor in educational development of the monastery. The details of his death are not known.