The Treasury of Lives

Ga Lama Gendun Zangpo (sga bla ma dge 'dun bzang po) was born in 1880 in Gapa (sga pa), northwestern Kham. His father was Dzinda Norlu ('dzi mda' nor lu), the chieftain of Dzinda ('dzi mda'). His mother, named Rinlu (rin lu), was a member of the Dzipu family ('dzi phu tshang). He had eight brothers, including Ga Lama Jamyang Gyeltsen (sga bla ma 'jam dbyangs rgyal mtshan, 1870-1940) and Kelzang Trinle (skal bzang phrin las), who was the father of the Bhutan Khenpo Ngawang Yonten Gyatso ('brug mkhan po ngag dbang yon tan rgya mtsho. 1902-c.1963).^[1]

Together with his brother Jamyang Gyeltsen he studied under Khenpo Zhenga Zhenpen Chokyi Nangwa (mkhan po gzhan dga' gzhan phan chos kyi snang ba, 1871-1927) at Dzogchen Monastery's (rdzogs chen dgon) Śrī Siṃha College, from about 1901 to 1906. His fellow students also included Ngawang Lodro Zhenpen Nyingpo (P973 ngag dbang blo gros gzhan phan snying po, 1876-1953), who would serve as the Sixty-Fifth Ngor Khenchen, and Dezhung Anjam Tulku Jamyang Kunga Tenpai Gyeltsen (sde gzhung sprul sku a 'jam 'jam dbyangs kun dga' bstan pa'i rgyal mtshan, 1885-1952).

In 1920 Lama Gendun accompanied Khenpo Zhenga to Jyekundo Dondrub Ling (skye dgu mdo don grub gling), where the master taught Śāntideva's Bodhicaryāvatāra and Candrakīrti's Madhyamakāvatāra. Lama Gendun served as the assistant teacher (bskyar dpon), repeating each day's lesson during the evening and taking questions from the students. Among his charges were his nephew Ngawang Yonten Gyatso and his cousin, the Third Dezhung Rinpoche, Kunga Tenpai Nyima (sde gzhung rin po che 03 kun dga' bstan pa'i nyi ma, 1906-1987). Dilgo Khyentse Tashi Peljor (dil mgo mkhyen brtse bkra shis dpal 'jor, 1910-1991) was also a student there at the time.

Lama Gendun inspired terror in his students, scolding and beating them regularly, although unlike Ngawang Yonten Gyatso, Dezhung Rinpoche apparently avoided being beaten. Lama Gendun once snapped at Dezhung Rinpoche, "You a tulku? Hah! Maybe a vulture's tulku!" Lama Gendun's strict observance of the monastic rules meant that students had to sneak food after noon.^[2]

After Khenpo Zhenga left Jyekundo, Lama Gendun served as the second abbot of the college for four years. In 1923 or 1924 he participated in the transmission of the Lamdre Lobshe (lam 'bras slob bshad) at Dzonyak Samdrub Monastery (mdzo nyak bsam grub), which was given by Gaton Ngawang Lekpa Rinpoche (sga ston ngag dbang legs pa, 1868-1941).^[3]

He settled for a time at Dzinda Hermitage ('dzi mda' ri khrod). Jackson notes that as the brother of Jamyang Gyeltsen, who had been banned from Tarlam (thar lam) for his unpopular reforms, he was unable to go to that monastery. When a conflict erupted between the Sakya and Geluk communities over a point of doctrine, he went to the Geluk monastery Raknyak (rag nyag), where a cousin of his was a monk, to defend his tradition. He defeated the monastery's favorite debater, whose name is not recorded, and in victory rode around the courtyard on his opponent's shoulders, from where he announced, "This being able to ride on the nape of a first-class geshe from the great central Tibetan seminaries is due to the grace of Gorampa."^[4]

He later traveled to Ngor Ewaṃ Choden Monastery (ngor e waM chos ldan), likely during the abbacy of his friend, Ngawang Lodro Zhenpen Nyingpo, then known as Dampa Rinpoche (dam pa rin po che). He served as the abbot of the new monastic college there for a brief time, and traveled the region with Lama Dampa.[5]

He passed away in 1939 or 1940 at Sakya Monastery (sa skya dgon).

 

 

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