The Treasury of Lives

The Sixty-eighth Ganden Tripa, Lobzang Gelek (dga' ldan khri pa 68 blo bzang dge legs) was born near Gyel Lhakhang (rgyal lha khang) in Penyul ('phen yul) in 1757, the fire-ox year of the thirteenth sexagenary cycle. His father was called Sonam Lhundrub (bsod nams lhun grub) and his mother was named Lhamo (lha mo).

At the age of nine, in 1765, the boy was escorted by his father to Tsang for audience of the Sixth Paṇchen Lama, Lobzang Pelden Yeshe (paN chen bla ma 06 blo bzang dpal ldan ye shes, 1738-1780) who cut his crown-hair and named him Lobzang Gelek. Thereafter he was escorted to Lhasa and matriculated in the Tsawa House of Sera Me College of the Sera Monastic University (ser smad tsha ba khang tshan) where he started his basic education in reading and spelling, and memorization of daily prayer texts under Kachupa Kelzang Dondrub (dka' bcu pa bskal bzang don grub d.u.). Lobzang Gelek was then ordained into a novice monk (śrāmaṇera; dge tshul) by Drubkhangpa Ngawang Jampel Delek Gyatso (sgrub khang pa ngag dbang 'jam dpal bde legs rgya mtsho d.u.) who also gave him teachings.

He began his monastic education with logic and epistemology and then studied Abhisamayālaṃkāra, Madhyamaka, Abhidharmakośa, Pramāṇavārttika, and Vinaya, the five major subjects of the Geshe courses of studies in the Geluk monastic curriculum. In addition to the courses of studies, he also received transmissions, initiations, empowerments, and instructions on important topics of Sutra and Tantra from many eminent teachers that included Trichen Ngawang Tsultrim, who became the Sixty-first Ganden Tripa (dga' ldan khri pa 61, tshe smon gling ngag dbang tshul khrims); Longdol Lama Ngawang Lobzang (klong rdol bla ma ngag dbang blo bzang, 1719-1794); Yongdzin Yeshe Gyeltsen (yongs dzin ye shes rgyal mtshan, 1713-1793), who was one of the most influential Geluk lama of the eighteenth century and the founder of Tsechokling monastery near Lhasa; the Sixth Chakra Tulku, Ngawang Trinle Pelzang (lcags ra sprul sku 06 ngag dbang 'phrin las dpal bzang, 1730-1794); Serding  Khenpo Gendun Jigme (gser sdings mkhan po dge 'dun 'jigs med, d.u.); Drakri Khenpo Gyatso Taye (brag ri mkhan po rgya mtsho mtha' yas, d.u.); Jangtse Tutob Gyatso (byang tse mthu stobs rgya mtsho, d.u.); and Khenchen Tokme Gyatso (mkhan chen thogs med rgya mtsho, d.u.).

At the age of thirty-two, in 1788, Lobzang Gelek stood for the examination of Geshe Lharampa during the annual Great Prayer Festival of Lhasa (lha sa smon lam chen mo) and received the title, the highest rank of Geshe in Geluk tradition. Thereafter he joined the Gyume College (smad rgyud grwa tshang) near Lhasa and studied Tantric texts, rites and rituals, chanting of prayers, religious dance, and drawings of maṇḍalas and so forth. He then stood for traditional examination on Tantra and received the title of ngakrampa (sngags ram pa).

Lobzang Gelek returned to Sera at the age of forty-four, in 1800, and served as the disciplinarian (dge bskos) of Sera Me Monastic College for one year. The following year he was appointed as the disciplinarian (bla ma dbu mdzad), the educational head of Gyume, and served that post for five years, teaching Tantra and leading the rituals and other dharma-activities of the monastery. At the age of forty-nine, in 1805, Lobzang Gelek was then enthroned to the seat of abbot of the college and served for three years. He renovated the house of Gyume in Penbo Drubgya ('phan po grub rgya). At the age of fifty-five, in 1811, he was enthroned to the seat of the abbot of Ganden Jangtse College (dga' ldan byang tse grwa tshang) the post that he served for four years, giving teachings on both Sutra and Tantra.

At the age of fifty-nine, in 1815, the wood-pig year of the fourteenth sexagenary cycle, Lobzang Gelek ascended to the Golden Throne of Ganden as the Sixty-eighth Ganden Tripa, the post that he served for about a year, from 1815 to 1816, giving teachings, at the monastery and at the annual Great Prayer Festival of Lhasa, which as Ganden Tripa he supervised.

At the age of sixty in 1816, the fire-hare year of the fourteen sexagenary Trichen Lobzang Gelek passed into nirvana. Traditional rites and rituals for his cremation and extensive nirvana prayers were done. Possibly like all other late Tripas a reliquary must have built but no details are known.

Jangchub Chopel (byang chub chos 'phel, 1756-1838), the First Trijang (khri byang), who was born in Litang, succeeded him.

Tsatrul Ngawang Lobzang (tsha sprul ngag dbang blo bzang, 1880-1957) was identified as his reincarnation.