The Treasury of Lives

Lobzang Tsultrim Gyatso (blo bzang tshul khrims rgya mtsho) was born in 1841, the female iron-ox year of the fourteenth sexagenary cycle, in a place named Yodar (yod dar) in Dome Lingkarto (mdo smad gling dkar stod), Ngawa (rnga ba). His father was named Choshu Yarphel (chos shul yar 'phel, d.u.) and mother was Pelshul Konchok Kyi (dpal shul dkon mchog skyid, d.u.).

At the age of three he was recognized as the reincarnation of Gomang Khenchen Lobzang Chodar (sgo mang mkhan chen blo bzang chos dar, 1732-1812) by the Fourth Paṇchen Lama, Pelden Tenpai Nyima (paN chen 04 dpal ldan bstan pa'i nyi ma, 1782-1853), and brought to Ngayul Gomang Monastery (rnga yul sgo mang). He began his studies at the age of six with memorization of daily prayers and basic reading and writing under the instruction of Tikgya Konchok (tig gya dkon mchog, d.u.).

In 1847, at the age of seven he was taken to Labrang Tashikhyil (bla brang bkra shis 'khyil) and enthroned. On the tenth month of the same year, he received lay and novice monastic vows from the Third Jamyang Zhepa, Lobzang Tubten Jigme Gyatso ('jam dbyangs bzhad pa blo bzang thub bstan 'jigs med rgya mtsho, 1792-1855), who was then serving as the twenty-seventh throne holder of Labrang. There he trained in the ten disciplines of a novice monk under the guidance of Geshe Ngulra Samten Gyatso (dge bshes dngul ra bsam gtan rgya mtsho, d.u.). After a stay of a little more than one year he returned to Gomang Monastery.

At Gomang he studied with his father and a lama named Dentri Rinpoche (gdan khri rin po che, d.u.). His primary teacher was Pelmang Konchok Gyeltsen (dpal mang dkon mchog rgyal mtshan, 1764-1853), with whom he lived.

At the age of twelve, Lobzang Tsultrim Gyatso returned to the Geluk monastic university of Labrang Tashikhyil and matriculated in the Tosam Ling college (bla brang thos bsam gling chos grwa). Living in somewhat destitute personal condition, he studied sutra and tantra, and began to compose works.

In 1866, at the age of twenty-six, he went on pilgrimage to U-Tsang where he had an audience with the Twelfth Dalai Lama, Trinle Gyatso (ta la'i bla ma 12 phrin las rgya mtsho, 1856-1875) and the Fifth Paṇchen Lama, Lobzang Tenpai Wangchuk (paN chen 05 blo bzang bstan pa'i dbang phyug 1855-1882).

Over the course of four years in U-Tsang he visited numerous monasteries and pilgrimage destinations, collecting hundreds of volumes of scripture which he brought back to Gomang in 1869, at the age of twenty-nine. On his return he was joined by eighteen stewards of Ragya (rwa brgya) monastery.

He spent the remainder of his life traveling across Amdo and Mongolia giving teachings.

In 1907 Lobzang Tsultrim Gyatso passed away at Gonlung (dgon lung) Monastery, where he had been invited by the Fourth Changkya, Yeshe Tanpel Gyeltsen (lcang skya 04 ye shes bstan pa'i rgyal mtshan, 1787/1789-1846). He was sixty-two.