The Treasury of Lives

The Sixty-fifth Ganden Tripa, Gendun Tsultrim (dga' ldan khri pa 65 dge 'dun tshul khrims) was born in Gyeltang (rgyal thang) in Kham, in 1744, the wood-mouse year of the twelfth sexagenary cycle. His father was called Kelzang Kyab (bskal bzang skyabs) and his mother was named Dondrub Peldzom (don grub dpal 'dzom).

Gendun Tsultrim learned reading and writing, and memorization of prayer texts beginning at the age of seven in his parents home. Subsequently, at the age of thirteen, he enrolled in Ganden Monastery (dga' ldan dgon) in Gyeltang where he was granted the vows of primary ordination (rab byung) followed by novice monk (śrāmaṇera) by Khenchen Lobzang Jinpa (mkhan chen blo bzang sbyin pa, d.u.). There he was trained in monastic life, learning the daily prayers, chanting, drawings and rituals of tantric performances, and religious dance according to tradition of the monastery.

At the age of twenty-five Gendun Tsultrim travelled to U and matriculated in the Pombor House of Sera Me College of the Sera Monastic University (se ra smad spom 'bor khang tshan). He began his studies in logic and epistemology and then Abhisamayālaṃkāra, Madhyamaka, Abhidharmakośa, Pramāṇavārttika, and Vinaya, the major subjects of the Geshe course of studies in the Geluk monastic curriculum, under some eminent teachers including his paternal uncle Jinpa Chozang (khu bo sbyin pa chos bzang, d.u.) and Kelzang Namgyel (bskal bzang rnam rgyal, d.u.). He underwent a series of tests before successfully standing for the traditional examination of Geshe Lharampa (dge bshes lha ram pa), the highest degree awarded by the Geluk tradition.

Gendun Tsultrim became fully ordained monk (bhikṣu) at the age of thirty-four, in 1777, receiving the vows from the Sixth Paṇchen Lama, Lobzang Pelden Yeshe (paN chen bla ma 06 blo bzang dpal ldan ye shes, 1738-1780) who also later gave him many teachings.

He joined Gyuto College (rgyud stod grwa tshang) at the age of forty, in 1783. There he studied the major and specific topics of tantra and trained in the rites and rituals, chanting, and maṇḍala drawings related to tantric practice under a number of great teachers. He successfully took the traditional tests in Tantra to obtain the title of Ngakrampa (sngags rams pa), master in Tantra.

At the age of forty-eight, in 1791, Gendun Tsultrim was appointed as the abbot of Chokhor Gyel (chos 'khor rgyal) Monastery. The following year he was appointed chant master (bla ma dbu mdzad) taking charge of education at the monastery. In 1794, he accompanied Jamyang Monlam (khri chen 'jam dbyangs smon lam, 1750-1817), later the Sixty-seventh Ganden Tripa, on a visit to the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1735-1796) in Beijing. The Emperor honored him with a seal, rank and golden letter of felicitation.

At the age of fifty-five, in 1798, Gendun Tsultrim was appointed abbot of Gyuto College; some years later he was enthroned as abbot of Ganden Jangtse Monastery (dga' ldan byang rtse grwa tshang). During his tenure he gave extensive teachings on topics from both Sūtra and Tantra, and led the religious performances and related activities of the monastery.

In 1801, the iron-bird year of the thirteenth sexagenary cycle, he ascended to the Golden Throne of Ganden as the Sixty-fifth Ganden Tripa and served for seven years, until his nirvana in 1807. He passed away on the twenty-fifth day of the eleventh month in the fire-hare year of the fourteenth sexagenary cycle. Some sources erroneously record the year of his death at the age of fifty-eight, but given that he was born in 1744, he would have been sixty-three.

Gendun Tsultrim was succeeded by Ngawang Nyendrak (ngag dbang snyan grags, 1746-1824) who became the Sixty-sixth Ganden Tripa in 1807.