The Treasury of Lives

The Ninety-first Ganden Tripa, Lobzang Gyeltsen (dga' ldan khri pa 91 blo bzang rgyal mtshan) was born in Yara, Kham (khams ya ra) in the mid nineteenth century. Information on his parents, childhood and ordinations are not available.

He was educated in Lhasa, having matriculated in the Lawa House of Sera Je College of the Sera Monastic University (ser byes lA ba khang tshan) where he began his education by memorizing daily prayers and root-verses of the traditional texts. He then studied logic and epistemology, and before moving on to the great texts of Abhisamayālaṃkāra, Madhyamaka, Abhidharmakośa, Pramāṇavārttika, and Vinaya, the five major subjects of Geshe Lharampa Studies in the Geluk monastic curriculum. Lobzang Gyeltsen was awarded the title of Geshe Lharampa (dge bshes lha rams pa), the highest rank of a Geluk scholar, after the successful examination before of tens of thousands of monks during the annual Great Prayer Festival of Lhasa (Monlam Chenmo) that was held during the first month of every Tibetan year.

Lobzang Gyeltsen next enrolled in Gyuto College to study the tantric scriptures and to train in the rites and rituals according to the Gyuto system. He stood for the traditional grand debate-examination and attained the title of Ngakrampa (sngags rams pa), Master in Tantra. He then held various positions at Gyuto, including the disciplinarian (dge bskos), chant leader/ head of education (bla dbu mdzad), and abbot. Subsequently he was enthroned to Shartse Choje (shar rtse chos rje) at Ganden Shartse College (dga' ldan shar rtse grwa tshang).

In 1927, the year of fire-hare in the sixteenth sexagenary cycle, Lobzang Gyeltsen ascended from Sharpa Choje to the Golden Throne of Ganden as the Ninety-first Ganden Tripa and served the abbacy for six years, until 1932, when he passed into nirvana, one year short of the customary seven year tenure.

He was succeeded by Tubten Nyinje (thub bstan nyin byed, d. 1933).