The Treasury of Lives

The Fifty-fifth Ganden Tripa, Ngawang Namkha Zangpo (dga' ldan khri pa 55 ngag dbang nam mkha' bzang po) was born in the family of Pakpatsang ('phags pa tshang), a clan of Zamtsa Ngorang (zam tsha ngo rang) at a small town called Dentang (ldan thang) in Amdo. The year of his birth was 1690, the iron-horse year of the twelfth sexagenary cycle. His father was called Zamtsa Konchok Kyab (zam tsha dkon mchog skyabs, d.u.) and his mother was named Lumo Kyi (klu mo skyid, d.u.). Some sources have 1685, the wood-ox year of the eleventh sexagenary cycle as his year of birth.

At a young age he learned reading, memorization of prayer texts, and some practical rituals under the guidance of a hermit named Pakge Lama ('phags dge bla ma, d.u.) at the Deo Hermitage (de'u ri khrod). Subsequently he received the vows of upāsaka (dge bsyen) followed by primary and novice monks (rab byung and dge tshul) from Nyangtsang Chenpo (nyang tshang chen po, d.u.), a well-known practitioner of Vinaya.

In 1705, at the age of about fifteen, on the full moon day of the third Tibetan month, Namkha Zangpo travelled to Lhasa. He sojourned before his departure the residence of Phakge Lama to report and get his blessings. Pakge was pleased and exhorted him with the words, “Do not return until you gain authority over the Golden Throne of Ganden.” Pakge also gave him some important instructions and offered him prayers.

At his arrival in Lhasa Namkha Zangpo visited Ganden and Sera monasteries to seek admission but he did not receive a prompt favorable response. After making prayers at the Jokhang and Potala Palace he matriculated at Gomang College of Drepung Monastic University. He began his studies with logic, studying Logic via the Collected Topics (bsdus grwa) and then Abhisamayālaṃkāra, Madhyamaka, Abhidharmakośa, Pramāṇavārttika, and Vinaya, the five major subjects of the Geluk monastic curriculum, under the tutorship of the First Jamyang Zhepa, Jamyang Zhepai Dorje ('jam dbyangs bzhad pa 01 'jam dbyangs bzhad pa'i rdo rje, 1648-1721/22) and Tashi Pelden (bkra shis dpal ldan, d.u.). He lived a very simple life, spending what little he received from prayer services on lighting butter lamps, making torma offerings, and other meritorious acts. He was soon appointed as the House Master of his house (kham tshan) and despite his poverty he sponsored a human-size statue of Tsongkhapa and installed in his house.

Apart from his teachers Jamyang Zhepa and Tashi Pelden, later he studied regularly under Pelden Drakpa (tA dbon dpal ldan grags pa, d. 1729), the Fifty-first Ganden Tripa, who gave him wide range and variety of commentarial teachings and transmissions on both sutra and tantra, including esoteric instructions and empowerments. He also received teachings on the Ganden Nyengyu (dga' ldan snyan brgyud) from other scholars including Jecho Gyatso (rje chos rgya mtsho, d.u.), Tulku Lobzang Tenpa (sprul sku blo bzang bstan pa, d.u.), Khenchen Ngawang Lobzang (mkhan chen ngag dbang blo bzang, d.u.), and Lama Jampel Yang (bla ma 'jam dpal dbyangs, d.u.). He prepared an index of the instructions he received and practiced them accordingly. He later served as a principal tutor to Sumpa Khenpo Yeshe Peljor (sum pa mkhan po ye shes dpal 'byor, 1704-1788).

At the age of thirty-seven Namkha Zangpo successfully stood for the traditional Geshe Rabjampa (dge bshes rab 'byams pa) examination at the 1726 Lhasa Monlam Chenmo. It was said that he demonstrated miraculous signs of realization, impressing a large number of people. Thereafter he received the vows of full ordination (dge slong) from the Fifth Paṇchen Lama, Lobzang Yeshe (paN chen bla ma 05 blo bzang ye shes, 1663-1737) who later gave him many teachings on topics from both sutra and tantra.

Ngawang Namkha Zangpo matriculated in Gyuto College and studied tantra in detail, both texts and rituals. In general discussions among other geshe his commentaries were said to be the most impressive. At the completion of his studies in tantra he served as abbot of Gyuto College and then abbot of Ganden Shartse College, teaching at both institutions. When he retired from the abbacy of the Gyuto College he handed all his possessions to the new abbot saying, “I do not own even needles and threads here. Everything belongs to Gyuto.” He went to Dregepel Hermitage ('bras dge 'phel ri khrod) where he spent a few years in meditation.

In 1746 (or, in some sources, 1747) the year of fire-tiger of the twelfth sexagenary cycle at the age of fifty-six Ngawang Namkha Zangpo was enthroned as the Fifty-fifth Ganden Tripa. During his tenure he gave a wide range of teachings from both sutra and tantra, and led the major religious activities and festivals of the Geluk tradition. He also sponsored and commissioned a large number of objects of faith including statues and scriptures.

Miwang Polhane Sonam Topgyal (mi dbang pho lha nas bsod nams stobs rgyal, 1689-1747), the then ruler of Tibet, became a sponsor of Ngawang Namkha Zangpo, and offered him a new throne-cover, robes for the Trichen himself and for everyone in his retinue including servants, and a saddle of the best quality. Mongolian rulers also paid respect and made substantial offerings.

Following Polhane's death his two sons divided the kingdom, but the younger, Gyurme Namgyel ('gyur med rnam rgyal) took charge of their father's kingdom in Tsang region, soon dispossessed his brother, Gung Gyurme Tseten (gung 'gyur med tshe brtan) of the three provinces of Ngari (mnga' ris skor gsum), and was implicated in his murder. Gyurme Namgyel ordered the Ganden Tripa to perform murderous tantric rites – in this case really black magic – to support his plot. The Trichen boldly declined, saying, “I cannot kill people while on the Golden Throne of Ganden.” As a result he was deposed from the post after serving about five years, presumably in 1749/1750, the year of earth-snake or iron-horse of the thirteenth sexagenary cycle. He resisted his attendants' requests to take revenge on Gyurme Namgyel, saying “I will put on my three dharma-robes and go to the Buddha Maitriya in the Tushita Pure Land (indicating his imminent nirvana); please do not do anything.” After giving an extensive teaching and advice to his disciples, he left the throne.

In 1750, at the age of sixty-one, in the morning of the full-moon day of the first month of the iron-horse year of the thirteenth sexagenary cycle, Trichen Ngawang Namkha Zangpo placed a prayer-mattress in the Tebokhang (the bo khang) temple and sat in vajra position (crossed-legs) with all three monk robes and his scholar's hat on. After performing a brief ritual and reciting the Ganden Lhagyama (dga' ldan lha brgya ma), a prayer in praise of Tsongkhapa, he passed into nirvana. His disciples recited the short prayer to Tsongkhapa (dmigs brtse ma) for forty-nine days after his death. As Ngawang Namkha Zangpo had never saved money or materials he had received there was no money to cover the expenses of his reliquary. A wealthy Mongolian sponsored the construction of a reliquary stupa of enlightenment (byang chub mchod rten) in gold and silver that contained his heart, tongue, eyeballs and other relics collected from the ashes of the Trichen's cremation. The stupa was installed in the Tubpa Tsultrimai Lhakhang (thub pa tshul khrims ma'i lha khang).

Among his disciples were Yongdzin Yeshe Gyeltsen (yongs 'dzin ye shes rgyal mtshan, 1713-1793); the Fifty-seventh Ganden Trichen, Samten Puntsok (dga' ldan khri pa 57 khri chen bsam gtan phun tshogs, 1703-1770); Ngakrampa Lobzang Chopel (brag rgyab sngags rams pa blo bzang chos 'phel, d.u.); and Gomang Ponlob Khedrub Gendun Dechen (sgo mang dpon slob mkhas grub dge 'dun bde chen, d.u.).

A painting of Mañjuśrī said to be by the hand of Ngawang Namkha was said to have been preserved in the Ganden Sokpo Khangtsen (dga' ldan sog po khang tshan) as one of their main objects of faith.

Lobzang Jigme Namkha (blo bzang 'jigs med nam mkha', 1768-1822) was identified as the reincarnation of Ngawang Namkha Zangpo, initiating a line of incarnations known as the Zamtsa Sertri (zam tsha gser khri) Tulkus.