The Treasury of Lives

The Sixty-sixth Ganden Tripa, Ngawang Nyendrak (dga' ldan khri pa 66 ngag dbang snyan grags) was born in Jakhyung in Amdo (mdo smad bya khyung) in 1746, the fire-tiger year of the twelfth sexagenary cycle. Details of his parents are not known. He was admitted in the local Jakhyung Monastery (bya khyung dgon) at the age of ten and ordained by Dowa Khenchen Ngawang Dondrub (mdo ba mkhan chen ngag dbang don grub, d.u.) there at the monastery.

At the recommendation of his uncle Jakhyung Ngawang Chodrak, the Fifty-eighth Ganden Tripa (dga' ldan khri pa 58, bya khyung ngag dbang chos grags, 1707-1778), Ngawang Nyendrak travelled to U in 1763 at the age of eighteen. He was then enrolled in the Samlo House of the Sera Je College of the Sera Monastic University and accommodated in the Upper Residence (gzims khang steng). Later he became Chodze (chos mdzad), a title literally meaning "religious deed" and is held by monks who are exempt from common chores by virtue of donations made to the community. This title was adopted by his successive incarnations, the Zimkang Chodze (gzims khang chos mdzad). Ngawang Nyendrak was ordained into a novice monk (śrāmaṇera) by his uncle Trichen Ngawang Chodak.

At Sera Ngawang Nyendrak commenced his studies with logic and primary epistemology, continuing with Abhisamayālaṃkāra, Madhyamaka, Abhidharmakośa, Pramāṇavārttika, and Vinaya, the major subjects of the traditional Geshe course of studies in the Geluk monastic curriculum under a number of eminent teachers including Ketsang Jampa Monlam (skyed tshang byams pa smon lam, d.u.), Khenchen Kalzang (mkhan chen skal bzang, d.u.), and Gomde Lhawang Gyatso (sgom sde lha dbang rgya mtsho, d.u.). At the age of twenty-nine, in 1774, Ngawang Nyendrak was granted the vows of a fully ordained monk (bhikṣu) by the Third Paṇchen Lama, Lobzang Pelden Yeshe (paN chen bla ma 03 blo bzang dpal ldan ye shes, 1738-1780).

After nearly fifteen years of study, in 1777, at the age of thirty-two, Ngawang Nyendrak appeared for the traditional examination during the Great Prayer Festival of the year and obtained the title of Geshe Lharampa. Subsequently he joined Gyume College (rgyud smad grwa tshang) for studies in Tantra, and in 1781, was appointed the disciplinarian (dge bskos) of the College.

Ngawang Nyendrak studied under nearly forty teachers; he received teaching on the Lamrim Chenmo (lam rim chen mo) and Drelpa Zhidrak ('grel pa bzhi grags), among other classic texts of the Geluk tradition, from Yongdzin Yeshe Gyeltsen (yongs dzin ye shes rgyal mtshan, 1713-1793), one of the most important Geluk teacher of the eighteenth century who founded the Tsechokling Monastery (tshe mchog gling) near Lhasa. He received recitation-transmission on the Kangyur (bka' 'gyur) from Longdol Lama Ngawang Lobzang (klong rdol bla ma ngag dbang blo bzang, 1719-1794), and studied with Reting Tritul Tenpa Rabgye (rwa sgreng khri sprul bstan pa rab rgyas, 1759-1815) and the Fourth Zhiwa Lha, Pakpa Gelek Gyeltsen (zhi ba lha 04 'phags pa dge legs rgyal mtshan, 1720-1799), who was the twenty-second abbot of Chamdo Jampa Ling.

At the age of forty, in 1785, Ngawang Nyendrak was appointed as the chant-leader (bla ma dbu mdzad) of Gyume College and then abbot after seven years. He also served as the abbot of Ngari Todhing (mnga' ris mtho thing) Monastery at the age of fifty-one, and, the abbot of Ganden Jangtse Monastery (dga' ldan byang rtse grwa tshang) at the age of fifty-eight in 1803.

At the age of sixty-two, in 1807, the fire-hare the first year of the fourteenth sexagenary cycle, Ngawang Nyendrak ascended to the Golden Throne of Ganden as the Sixty-sixth Ganden Tripa. He served for seven years, until 1813, giving teaching and leading religious ceremonies as per tradition and requirement. Trichen Ngawang Nyendrak also served as the principal tutors to the Ninth Dalai Lama Lungtok Gyatso (ta la'i bla ma 09 lung rtogs rgya mtsho, 1805-1815) and also the Tenth Dalai Lama Tsultrim Gyatso (ta la'i bla ma 10 tshul khrims rgya mtsho, 1816-1837).

Trichen Ngawang Nyendrak also taught the Fourth Paṇchen Lama, Lobzang Tenpai Nyima Chokle Namgyel (paN chen bla ma 04 blo bzang bstan pa'i nyi ma phyogs las rnam rgyal, 1781-1854); the Third Jamyang Zhepa Kunkyen Jigme Gyatso ('jam dbyangs bzhad pa 03 kun mkhyen blo bzang thub bstan 'jigs med rgya mtsho, 1792-1855); the Fifth Jebtsundamba Khutuktu of Mongolia, Lobzang Tsultrim Jigme Tenpai Gyeltsen (khal kha rje btsun dam pa 05 blo bzang tshul khrims 'jigs med bstan pa'i rgyal mtshan, 1815-1841); and the Seventh Kirti, Kunga Chopak Tubten Nyima (kir+ti 07 kun dga' chos 'phags thub bstan nyi ma, 1797-1848).

Trichen Ngawang Nyendrak retired from the Golden Throne in 1813, the year of water-bird of the fourteenth sexagenary cycle. He lived for over a decade, but his activities are not known. He passed into nirvana at the age of seventy-nine, in 1824, the year of wood-monkey in the fourteenth sexagenary cycle. Cremation and nirvana-prayers were done with rites and rituals following the tradition.

Trichen Ngawang Nyendrak was succeeded by Jamyang Monlam (dga' ldan khri chen 67 'jam dbyangs smon lam, 1750-1817) who was born at Chingpuk near Ganden Dargyeling in Kham in 1750, the iron-horse year of the thirteenth sexagenary cycle, and who became the Sixty-seventh Ganden Tripa in 1814.