The Treasury of Lives

The Thirtieth Ganden Tripa, Lodro Gyatso (dga' ldan khri pa 30 blo gros rgya mtsho) was born at Taklung Drak in Tolung (stod lung mda' stag lung brag) in 1546, the fire-horse year of the ninth sexagenary cycle. At a young age he was admitted to the Kyormolung Monastery (skyor mo lung) and became a monk where he began his training and basic education: the memorization of prayer texts, learning to read and write, and the study of subjects such as grammar and poetry. Thereafter he studied the traditional courses in both the sutra and tantra according to the Geluk tradition and became a noted scholar.

According to sources, Trichen Lodro Gyatso's teacher included the Twenty-fifth Ganden Tripa, Peljor Gyatso (dga' ldan khri pa 25 dpal 'byor rgya mtsho, 1526-1599); Gyuchen Namgyel Zangpo (rgyud chen rnam rgyal bzang po, d.u.); and Gungru Chokyi Jungne (gung ru chos kyi 'byung gnas, d.u; lived until the age of 79), who served as the Seventeenth abbot of Gomang College of Drepung Monastery ('bras spungs sgo mang grwa tshang).

After completion of his studies Lodro Gyatso served as the abbot of Sangpu (gsang phu) and Gyume (rgyud smad) monasteries and taught topics in both sutra and tantra. He also served as abbot at Kyormolung, Sang-ngag Khar (sangs sngags mkhar), and other monasteries.

Choje Lodro Gyatso founded the Jangtse College of the Ganden Monastery (dga' ldan byang rtse grwa tshang), which he named Tosamling (thos bsam gling), literally "a place for study and contemplation." He served as the new college's first abbot. Lodro Gyatso also restored and resumed the Department of Studies at Kyormolung that had been discontinued for some time.

In 1615, the wood-hare year of the tenth sexagenary cycle, at the age of seventy, Choje Lodro Gyatso was enthroned as the Thirtieth Ganden Tripa and served for four years, until 1618. Trichen Lodro Gyatso gave teachings in both sutra and tantra and led the monastery's religious activities including the Lhasa Monlam Chenmo. Some sources also have it that Trichen Lodro Gyatso also gave teachings Lamrim and other teachings to the Fifth Dalai Lama. Ngawang Lobzang Gyatso (ta la’i bla ma 05, ngag dbang blo bzang rgya mtsho 1617-1682).

Trichen Lodro Gyatso's disciples included Kelden Gyatso (skal ldan rgya mtsho, 1607-1677); Cho Gyatso (chos rgya mtsho, 1571-1635), the Second abbot of Kumbum (sku 'bum) monastery;  the Thirty-fifth Ganden Tripa, Konchok Chopel (dga' ldan khri pa 35 dkon mchog chos 'phel, 1573-1644); Namgyel Peljor (rnam rgyal dpal 'byor, 1578-1651), the Fifth Abbot of Kubum; and Pilbuwa Ngawang Chodrak (spyil bu pa ngag dbang chos grags, d.u.).

Trichen Lodro Gyatso composed a text entitled Notes on Teachings of Lamrim with the Lineages of the Short and Comprehensive Lamrim (byang chub lam rim che chung sogs kyi brgyud pa bzhugs pa gsan yig gang gi chu rgyun).

At the age of seventy-three, in 1618, the earth-horse year of the tenth sexagenary cycle, Trichen Lodro Gyatso passed into nirvana. A silver enlightenment stupa (byang chub mchod rten) was built in as a reliquary and installed to the left of the Lolang (blos bslangs) in Ganden Monastery in his memory. An extensive nirvana-prayer was held then and annually thereafter.