The Treasury of Lives

The Sixty-ninth Ganden Tripa, Jangchub Chopel  (dga' lhan khri pa 69 byang chub chos 'phel) was born in Litang (li thang) in Kham in the fire-hare year of the thirteenth sexagenary cycle, in 1756. His father was called Tashi (bkra shis) and the mother was named Mamo Tso (ma mo mtsho).

At the age of twelve, his crown-hair was cut by Lama Dongnak (bla ma gdong nag) of Sampel Ling Monastery (bsam 'phel gling dgon pa) who gave him the name Jangchub Chopel. For the next eight years, according to his parents' instruction, he spent winters in the monastery studying but worked as a shepherd during the summers in Rutok (ru thog). While rearing the animals he read the Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra daily and gradually learned it by heart.

At the age of fourteen, in 1769, he was granted the vows of upāsaka, (dge bsnyen) primary-ordination (rab byung), and novice monk (dge tshul; śrāmaṇera) by Lama Konchok Chopel (bla ma dkon mchog chos 'phel, d.u.), who performed as the abbot and was assisted by Geshe Rinchen Zangpo (dge bshes rin chen bzang po, d.u.) at Sampel Ling Monastery.

In 1776, at the age of twenty-one, Jangchub Chopel travelled to U and matriculated in the Dokang House of Shartse College of the Ganden Monastic University (dga' shar rdo khang khang tshan) where he studied the philosophical texts of Geluk curriculum and later obtained the title of Kachupa (dka' bcu pa) at Sangpu (gsang phu). Subsequently he returned to Ganden Monastery and further studied under a number of scholars including Shartse Khenpo Chowang Gyatso (shar rtse mkhan po chos dbang rgya mtsho, d.u.) and Geshe Sanggye Gyatso (dge bshes sangs rgyas rgya mtsho, d.u.). Despite living in considerable poverty, at the age of twenty-three he took a traditional test on Pramāṇavārttika in the monastery that drew attention of many scholars for his acumen in debate.

At the age of twenty-four, in 1779 Jangchub Chopel received the vows of full ordination (dge slong; bhikṣu) from the Sixth Paṇchen Lama, Lobzang Pelden Yeshe (paN chen bla ma 03 blo bzang dpal ldan ye shes, 1738-1780). Subsequently he received many teachings from numerous scholars and prominent lamas including Ngawang Tsultrim (dga' ldan khri pa 61 tshe smon gling ngag dbang tshul khrims), who later became the Sixty-first Ganden Tripa; Longdol Lama Ngawang Lobzang (klong rdol bla ma rin po che ngag dbang blo bzang 1719-1794), and Yongdzin Yeshe Gyeltsen (yongs dzin ye shes rgyal mtshan, 1713-1793), one of the most important Geluk teachers of the eighteenth century who founded Tsechokling monastery near Lhasa. At the age of thirty-seven, in 1792, he stood for the traditional examination of Geshe Lharampa during the annual Great Prayer Festival of the year in Lhasa and obtained the Lharampa title, the highest degree in the Geluk tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

Jangchub Chopel joined Gyuto College (rgyud stod grwa tshang) the same year for studies in Tantra. There he studied all the four classes of tantra as classified by the Geluk tradition, studying particularly the Guhyasamāja, which became the basis for his personal practice. He also received a wide range of commentarial teachings, empowerments, esoteric instructions, and transmissions on such as Atiśa's Bodhipathapradīpa (byang chub lam sgron), the Sixth Paṇchen Lama's Myur Lam (myur lam), or Swift Path, and Guhyasamāja, Cakrasaṃvara, and Yamāntaka, and so forth from a number of outstanding teachers that included Sharchen Ngawang Tashi (shar chen ngag dbang bkra shis, d.u.); Gendun Tsultrim (dga' ldan khri pa 65 khri chen dge 'dun tshul khrims 1744-1807), who later became the Sixty-fifth Ganden Tripa; Sharpa Lobzang Tenpa (shar pa blo bzang bstan pa, d.u.), Gungru Lobzang Dondrub (gung ru blo bzang don grub, d.u.), and Khenpo Lobzang Tukje (mkhan po blo bzang thugs rje, d.u.).

Jangchub Chopel served as the disciplinarian for the Winter Session that was participated by monks from the three main Geluk monasteries around Lhasa. At the age of forty-four in 1799 he was appointed as the chant leader (bla ma dbu mdzad) of Gyuto College, taking control of education there, and soon made abbot of the same college. After ten years, eight of which he lived at the Panglung Hermitage (spang lung ri khrod) engaging in his personal practices, in 1809, at the age of fifty-four, he was enthroned to the seat of Sharpa Choje (shar pa chos rje), placing him in line to ascend to the Golden Throne of Ganden from Shartse side. In 1811 Jangchub Chopel was appointed as the tutor to the Ninth Dalai Lama Lungtok Gyatso (ta la'i bla ma 09, lung rtogs rgya mtsho 1805-1815).

In January/February 1816, the twelfth month of fire-mouse year of the fourteenth sexagenary cycle, at the age of sixty, Jangchub Chopel was enthroned as the Sixty-ninth Ganden Tripa, only a few weeks before the annual Lhasa Monlam Chenmo. Some sources have it that his enthronement was in 1815, the wood-pig year of the fourteenth sexagenary cycle, but given that Trichen Lobzang Gelek, the previous Ganden Tripa (dga' ldan khri pa 68 khri chen blo bzang dge legs, 1757-1816), was enthroned in 1815 and served for about a year, the enthronement of Trichen Jangchub Chopel in the year 1816 seems to be correct.

Jangchub Chopel served as Ganden Tripa for seven years, from 1816 to 1822, during which he gave traditional teachings and led the important religious programs of the Geluk tradition, including those that occur during the annual Lhasa Monlam Chenmo that was held for twenty-one days in the first month of Tibetan calendar. During his tenure he served as tutor to the Tenth Dalai Lama Tsultrim Gyatso (ta la'i bla ma 10 tshul khrims rgya mtsho, 1816-1837). He also sponsored and commissioned a large quantity of objects of faith. He retired from the Golden Throne in 1822, after the customary seven years of his tenure was completed.

Ngawang Chopel (dga' lhan khri pa 70 ngag dbang chos 'phel, 1760-1839) who was born in Damzhung (’dam gzhung) in 1760 in U region succeeded him.

Following his retirement Jangchub Chopel settled at Chubzang Hermitage (chu bzang ri khrod) for personal practices, and he gave teachings to his many disciples. He also built statues of Tsongkhapa and his main immediate disciples.

Among his disciples were Oro Zhabdrung Lobzang Tenpai Gyeltsen (o rod zhabs drung blo bzang bstan pa'i rgyal mtshan, b. 1819); Yeshe Dondrub Tenpai Gyeltsen (ye shes don grub bstan pa'i rgyal mtshan 1796-1855); Takpu Yongdzin Yeshe Gyatso (stag phu yongs 'dzin ye shes rgya mtsho, 1789-1856); the Third Rongta Chetsang, Lobzang Tenpai Gyeltsen (rong tha che tshang 03 blo bzang bstan pa'i rgyal mtshan, 1782-1857); Urge Khenpo Tobden Rabjam (u rge mkhan po stobs ldan rab 'byams, b.1813); and the Seventh Kirti Kunga Chopak Tubten Nyima (kirti 07 kun dga' chos 'phags thub bstan nyi ma, 1797-1848).

Jangchub Chopel passed into nirvana after about seventeen years following his retirement, at the age of eighty-three in 1838, the earth-dog year of the fourteenth sexagenary cycle. A traditional cremation was done with traditional rites and rituals, and nirvana-prayers were done extensively.

Lobzang Tsultrim Pelden, (blo bzang tshul khrims dpal ldan, 1839-1900), who served as the Eighty-fifth Ganden Tripa, was recognized as the reincarnation of Jangchub Chopel, and took the title of Trijang Rinpoche (khri byang rin po che). The Third Trijang, Lobzang Yeshe Tendzin Gyatso (khri byang 03 blo bzang ye shes bstan 'dzin rgya mtsho, 1901-1981) was the junior tutor to the Fourteenth Dalai Lama.