The Treasury of Lives

The Forty-seventh Ganden Tripa, Lobzang Chopel (dga' ldan khri pa 47 blo bzang chos 'phel) was born at Zhol (zhol) near Dab Yangteng Monastery ('dabs yang steng dgon) in Kham, presumably in the fourth decade of the seventeenth century. Details of family are not known but at a young age he was admitted to the Yangteng Monastery where he was given the vows of primary monk (rab byung). There he received the basic monastic training and studied reading, writing, and memorization of texts.

Lobzang Chopel travelled to Lhasa in his youth and matriculated in Ganden Monastery (dga' ldan dgon) where he studied logic, beginning with the Collected Topics (bsdus grwa). He then transferred to Sera Monastery (se ra dgon) here he studied the five major subjects of the Geshe course in the Geluk monastic curriculum: Abhisamayālaṃkāra, Madhyamaka, Abhidharmakośa, Pramāṇavārttika and Vinaya.

After completing his studies at Sera, Lobzang Chopel enrolled in Gyuto College (rgyud stod grwa tshang) for studies in tantra. There he studied under a number of outstanding masters including Gyuchen Gendun Drakpa (rgyud chen dge 'dun grags pa, d.u.) and Khenchen Lobzang Gelek (mkhan chen blo bzang dge legs, d.u.). He successfully completed his studies in all the four sections of tantra (rgyud sde bzhi) according to the Geluk tradition and related topics in several years. In addition to the primary topics, he also learned rituals, basic-drawings of maṇḍala, chanting and so forth, according to the Gyuto tradition.

Lobzang Chopel was initially appointed to the chant master (dbu mdzad) and then "vajra holder" (rdo rje 'dzin pa) of Gyuto. Thereafter, in 1691, he was enthroned as abbot of Gyuto. Shortly after, he joined Ganden Shartse College (dga' ldan shar rtse grwa tshang) and enhanced monastic discipline, education, and the rites of meal-offerings, earning a reputation as a capable administrator as well as a scholar.

Lobzang Chopel travelled to Ngari and served as the abbot of Ngari Toling Monastery (mnga' ris mtho lding). His fame spread over the western regions (stod phyogs) so that kings, including the king of Ladakh, honored him. He introduced and established the practice of tantric system according to the Gyuto tradition in Toling Monastery. When a Mongolian army (stod hor gyi dmag dpung) threatened Ladakh, Lobzang Chopel successfully employed the Chakhar Zurgu (lcags mkhar zur dgu) rites to repel them, raising his profile in the region even more.

In 1699, the earth-hare year of the twelfth sexagenary cycle, Lobzang Chopel was enthroned as the Forty-seventh Ganden Tripa. He served on the Golden Throne for about three years, until 1701, during which he gave special attention to monastic education and gave many teachings on both sutra and tantra.

According to sources Lobzang Chopel's compositions were collected in three volumes, but these do not seem to be extant. Among his disciples was Shartse Lobzang Dargye (shar rtse blo bzang dar rgyas, d.u.), the Forty-ninth Ganden Tripa.

Trichen Lobzang Chopel passed away presumably in the beginning of the eighteenth century. Records of his birth and death are not available but it is said that he lived to the age of fifty-seven. A stupa of descent from Tuṣita (lha babs mchod rten) was built in gold and silver as his reliquary and installed in the Lama Lhakhang (bla ma lha khang) at Ganden.