The Treasury of Lives

The Twenty-sixth Ganden Tripa, Damcho Pelbar (dga’ ldan khri pa 26 dam chos dpal ’bar) was born at Khangmar Shar (khang dmar shar) in Ne (gnas), Tsang in 1523, the water-sheep year of the ninth sexagenary cycle. He was admitted at young age to Ne Chode (gnas chos sde) where he became a monk and studied under the tutorship of Paṇchen Nepa (paN chen gnas pa, d.u.).

He served as the educator (’chad nyan pa) in the Drakwar Monastery (brag dbar dgon) in Lhasa. There he built a new Mahākāla Temple there and a large applique tankas of Maitreya and the Sixteen Arhats. He also built statues of Yidam, Mahākāla, and Mahākāli. He also introduced and established the tradition of Rikdra Ngachod (rig gra lnga mchod) and Jammon (byams smon) prayers.

Damcho Pelbar then proceeded to Reting Monastery (rwa sgreng), founded in 1507 by Dromton Gyelwa Jungne ('brom ston rgyal ba 'byung gnas, 1004-1064) and served as their chief lama and reformed the monastic codes of disciplines. He also did some renovation and new construction at the monastery. He established an affiliated for the monastery to Tashilhunpo (bkra shis lhun po), the major Geluk monastery in Shigatse. Thereafter he left Reting and went to Ganden Jangtse College (dga' ldan byang rtse grwa tshang) at Ganden Monastery (dga' ldan dgon) and served as their educator.

At the age of sixty-seven, in the year of earth-ox of the tenth sexagenary cycle, he was enthroned to the seat of the Twenty-sixth Ganden Tripa, the abbot Ganden, a post he held from 1589 until 1596. During his tenure he gave special attention to the monastic education as well as to his routine duties in teachings on both sutra and tantra, and leading the religious events such as the annual Lhasa Monlam Chenmo, each session of which he attended.

In 1596, at the age of seventy-four, Trichen Damcho Pelbar retired from the seat of Tripa and pursued his personal practice. He passed away three years later, in 1599, the earth-pig year in the tenth sexagenary cycle. An extensive nirvana-prayer was done and carried out annually thereafter in his honor.