The Treasury of Lives

Ngawang Lobzang Tenpai Gyeltsen (ngag dbang blo bzang bstan pa'i rgyal mtshan) was born in 1811, the iron-sheep year of fourteenth sexagenary cycle, in Ngeda (rngas mda'), near Riwoche (ri bo che). His father was named Drolgon (sgrol mgon) and his mother was named Samdrub Tsomo (bsam grub mtsho mo). As a child he was recognized as the rebirth of Eighth Tatsak Jedrung, Tenpai Gonpo (rta tshag rje drung 08 bstan pa'i mgon po, 1760-1810), and enthroned at the age of four. The young Ninth Dalai Lama, Lungtok Gyatso (tA la'i bla ma 09 lung rtogs rgya mtsho, 1805-1815), who would have been nine at the time, affirmed the identification and gave him the name Ngawang Lobzang Tenpai Gyeltsen.

He went to Lhasa to train, and there he met the regent, the Eighth Demo, Ngawang Lobzang Tubten Jigme Gyatso (de mo 08 ngag dbang blo bzang thub bstan 'jigs med rgya mtsho, 1778-1819), at the Potala Palace. The Eighth Demo performed the monastic tonsure ritual.

He began his monastic education at Kundeling (kun bde gling), the seat of his incarnation line in Lhasa, and later, when he turned ten, enrolled Gomang College (sgo mang) at Drepung ('bras spungs) monastic university. At some point, he also made trip to Shigatse and received the novice monastic vows from the Seventh Paṇchen Lama, Tenpai Nyima (paN chen 07 bstan pa'i nyi ma, 1782-1853), presumably at Tashilhunpo Monastery (bkra shis lhun po dgon). He completed his studies and earned the Geshe Lharampa degree (dge bshes lha rams pa).

He then returned to Shigatse where the Seventh Paṇchen Lama gave him full ordination. Back in Lhasa he received a number of tantric transmissions and empowerments, and then went to Pasho Monastery (dpa' shod dgon pa), Genden Samdrub Ling (dpa' shod dge ldan bsam 'grub gling) in Kham, which had been established by Baso Chokyi Gyeltsen (ba so chos kyi rgyal mtshan, 1402-1473), considered to have been the First Tatsak Jedrung. He gave teachings there until the age of twenty seven, and then returned to Lhasa. There he gave teachings to the Eleventh Dalai Lama, Khedrub Gyatso (tA la'i bla ma 11 mkhas grub rgya mtsho, 1838-1855). He taught Prajñāpāramitā to the Fourth Gungtang, Konchok Tenpai Gyatso (gung thang 04 dkon mchog bstan pa'i rgya mtsho, 1824-1859). The Oirat Zhabdrung, Lobzang Tenpai Gyeltsen (o rod zhabs drung blo bzang bstan pa'i rgyal mtshan, b. 1819) is also listed as a student.

Ngawang Lobzang Tenpai Gyeltsen passed away in 1848, the at the age thirty-eight; some sources give the year as 1854. His compositions were edited into one volume.