The Treasury of Lives

The Sixth Tukwan, Lobzang Wangchuk Shedrub Gyatso (thu'u bkwan 06 blo bzang dbang phyug bshad sgrub rgya mtsho) was born into the Drati Zhamar clan (pra ti zhwa dmar rigs) in 1839, the earth-pig year of the fourteenth sexagenary cycle. He was identified as the reincarnation of the Fifth Tukwan, whose name is not known but who died in 1838 after living only ten years; the Fourth Tukwan died in 1826. Shedrub Gyatso received the vows of upāsaka and primary monastic vows (rab byung) from the Third Jamyang Zhepa, Lobzang Tubten Jigme Gyatso ('jam dbyangs bzhad pa 03 blo bzang thub bstan 'jigs med rgya mtsho, 1792-1855) who was the twenty-seventh throne holder of Labrang Tashikhyil, a major Geluk monastery in Amdo.

At the age of thirteen Shedrub Gyatso was enrolled in Shedrubling College of Kumbum Monastery (sku 'bum bshad sgrub gling grwa tshang) and studied mainly dialectical and philosophical subjects under the tutorship of Cheshe Ngawang Sherub Tenpai Nyima (che shes ngag dbang bshad sgrub bstan pa'i nyi ma, 1787-1859/60). In 1853, at the age of fifteen, he travelled to China where he was received with great honor by the Xianfeng Emperor (r. 1850-1861), in honor of the kindness of the previous Tukwan incarnations.

In 1856, at the age of eighteen, Shedrub Gyatso returned to Amdo and visited Kumbum Monastery where he gave teachings. Subsequently he proceeded to his seat at Gonlung Jampa Ling (dgon lung byams pa gling) and resumed his studies in Abhisamayālaṃkāra, Madhyamaka, Abhidharmakośa, Pramāṇavārttika and Vinaya, the five major subjects of the Geluk monastic curriculum, followed by courses of studies in tantra. He studied under a number of scholars including Sumpa Khenchen (sum pa mkhan chen) and Detri Jamyang Tubten Nyima (sde khri 'jam dbyangs thub bstan nyi ma, 1779-1862), the thirtieth throne holder of Labrang Monastery; and Tukwan Yongdzin Rabjampa Tenpa Gyatso (thu'u bkwan yongs 'dzin bstan pa rgya mtsho, 1825-1897), a tutor of his previous incarnations. Tukwan Shedrub Gyatso also received many teachings from the Third Jamyang Zhepa, Lobzang Tubten Jigme Gyatso.

Tukwan Shedrub Gyatso was a serious dharma practitioner who strictly observed his monastic vows in accordance with the teachings in the “Collection of Moral Laws” (lhag pa tshul khrims kyi bslab pa: adhiśīlaśikṣa) and he took the “Collection of Teachings on Wisdom” (lhag pa shes rab kyi bslab pa: prajñāśikṣa) and “Collection of Teachings on Single-pointed Meditation” (lhag pa ting nge ’dzin gyi bslab pa: samādhiśikṣa)  as the basis of his main daily practices.

Later in the life Tukwan Shedrub Gyatso visited Beijing several times, giving teachings and performing special religious rituals and other important activities at the request of the Tongzhi Emperor (r. 1861-1875) and the Guangxu Emperor (r. 1875-1908). He also assisted in certain tasks aiding the political activities of the Emperors, but details are not currently known.

Back at his Gonlung, Shedrub Gyatso built temples and commissioned large number of objects including various statues. In addition to giving teachings he skillfully administered the monastery.

Among the students of Tukwan Shedrub Gyatso, the only name known is Lobzang Gyatso (blo bzang rgya mtsho, d. 1923) who was also known as Chone Lama due to his birth into a royal family there.

In 1894, wood-horse year of the fifteenth sexagenary cycle, at the age of fifty-five, Tukwan Lobzang Wangchuk Shedrub Gyatso passed into nirvana. Kelzang Damcho Nyima (skal bzang dam chos nyi ma), who was born in 1895, was identified as his reincarnation and the Seventh Tukwan.