The Treasury of Lives

The Eighth Gangteng Tulku, Orgyen Trinle Dorje (sgang steng sprul sku 08 o rgyan 'phrin las rdo rje) was born in 1906, the wood-snake year of the fifteenth sexagenary cycle, to the Thimphu Dzongpon Kunzang Trinle (thim phu rdzong dpon kun bzang 'phrin las), a member of the Nyo (smyos) clan. Kunzang Trinle was a descendant of Khedrub Kunga Wangpo (mkhas grub kun bzang dbang po, d.u.) and of Pema Linpa (pad+ma gling pa, 1450-1521) himself. The Eighth Gangteng’s mother, Sanggye Dolma (sangs rgyas sgrol ma), was the younger sister of the Seventh Gangteng Tulku, Tenpai Nyinje (sgang steng sprul sku 07 bstan pa'i nyin byed).

Shortly after his enthronement, the Eighth Gangteng received the full teachings of the Peling tradition from the Ninth Peling Sungtrul, Tendzin Chokyi Gyeltsen (pad gling gsung sprul 09 bstan 'dzin chos kyi rgyal mtshan, 1894-1925).  It was the Eighth Gangteng who encouraged his followers to wear the traditional robes (gos), modeled on the custom of court attendants. He also became the Thimphu Dzongpon after the passing of his father. While in Thimphu, he constructed Guru Lhakhang (gu ru lha khang) there.

When the Eighth Gangteng would visit Gangteng Monastery (sgang steng dgon pa), he would stop at a nearby stupa, dismount from his horse, and change into his religious robes. The stupa became known as the Tabab (rta babs) stupa, meaning "the stupa (where the Gangteng would) dismount". In 1949, the earth-rat year of the sixteenth sexagenary cycle, the Eighth Gangteng Tulku passed away in Wangduephodrang Dzong (dbang 'dus pho brang rdzong), and was cremated at Gangteng Monastery.