The Second Katok Getse, Tsewang Rigdzin Gyatso (kaH thog dge rtse 02 tshe dbang rig 'dzin rgya mtsho), was the reincarnation of the influential Nyingma luminary, Getse Paṇḍiṭa, Gyurme Tsewang Chokdrub (dge rtse 'gyur med tshe dbang mchog grub, 1761–1829). He appears to have no published biography, and the details of his life must be pieced together from mentions in other individuals' biographies.
Based at Katok Monastery (kaH thog dgon), he was a close student of Kunzik Jigme Dorje (kun gzigs 'jigs med rdo rje), who was a disciple of the Second Katok Situ, Chokyi Lodro (kaH thog si tu 02 chos kyi blo gros, 1820–1879).
In 1862 or 1863, Getse was one of many important eastern Tibetan lamas taken hostage by the Nyarong-based warlord, Gonpo Namgyel (mgon po rnam rgyal, 1799–1863). At first these lamas were not held in bondage, but rather detained in house arrest at various monasteries in Nyarong. Getse was confined to a Jungkung Monastery ('byung khung dgon).[1] When central Tibetan military forces pushed back against Gonpo Namgyel in 1864, he brought all these lamas closer to his base in Pangring (spang ring), imprisoning them in rooms. Getse, along with Tromge Drungtrul (khrom dge drung sprul)—the predecessor to Tromge Trungpa (khrom dge drung pa), the maternal uncle of Chagdud Tulku (lcags mdud sprul sku, 1930–2002)—was held on the upper floor of a fort called Karnakma (mkhar nag ma) next to Gonpo Namgyel's primary castle.[2] In late 1864 or early 1865, central Tibetan forces, having driven Gonpo Namgyel out of Derge, marched on Pangring. First, they took over Karnakma, liberating Getse and more than eighty other prisoners. They then began a long siege of Gonpo Namgyel's castle, which ended in the summer of 1865 with the death of Gonpo Namgyel and the destruction of his forces.[3]
Around 1867, Getse gave transmissions to Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo ('jam dbyangs mkhyen brtse dbang po, 1820–1892), Jamgon Kongtrul ('jam mgon kong sprul blo gros mtha' yas, 1813–1899), and Chokgyur Lingpa (mchog 'gyur gling pa, 1829–1870), who visited Katok for that purpose. Getse's contemporaries, such as the Fourth Moktsa Jikdrel Chokyi Langpo (rmog rtsa 04 'jigs bral phyogs kyi glang po) and the Third Drime Zhingkyong Jigme Yonten Gonpo (dri med zhing skyong 03 'jigs med yon tan mgon po, 1837–1898), also gave the triad transmissions that that time.
From August 14 to October 16, 1872, Getse received sections of the Treasury of Revelations (rin chen gter mdzod) from Jamgon Kongtrul at his primary residence of Tsādra (tsA dra). With him in the assembly were the Third Jewon Chowang Tulku, Karma Drubgyu Tendzin Trinle (rje dbon chos dbang sprul sku 03 karma sgrub rgyud bstan 'dzin phrin las, d. 1874), and Chokgyur Lingpa's son, Tsewang Norbu (tshe dbang nor bu, 1856–1915/1916).[4]
In 1874–1875, Getse invited Jamgon Kongtrul to Katok to transmit more sections of the Treasury of Revelations. Getse returned to Tsādra in 1875 to receive still more sections that had just been published.[5]
Around 1876, he taught on Vajrakīlaya and gave transmissions for the Guhyagarbha Tantra,[6] as well as the revelations of Dudul Dorje (bdud 'dul rdo rje, 1615–1672) and Longsel Nyingpo (klong gsal snying po, 1625–1692), to Lerab Lingpa (las rab gling pa, 1856–1926) at Katok.
In 1885, at his residence near Katok—a hermitage called Bango (sbra 'go)—he was allegedly murdered by monks who had been turned against him by his own consort. The monks are believed to have also killed the consort and burned down the house, the ruins of which are still visible.[7]
His reincarnation was Gyurme Tenpa Namgyel (dge rtse 03 'gyur med bstan pa'i rnam rgyal, 1886–1952).
[1] Yudru Tsomo, p. 182n112.
[2] Yudru Tsomo, pp. 199–200.
[3] Gardner, p. 235; Yudru Tsomo, p. 199.
[4] Gardner, p. 301.
[5] Jamgon Kongtrul, pp. 172, 175; Gardner, pp. 307, 312.
[6] Pistono, p. 65.
[7] This account is from the oral tradition as recorded by Jann Ronis (Ronis, p. 165). In his History of Katok, Chatral Sangye Dorje (Bya bral sangs rgyas rdo rje, 1913–2015) does not confirm these details but states that Getse's life was indeed brought to an early end by some perfidy (Bya bral, p. 132).
Bibliography
Achard, Jean-Luc. 2003 "Rig 'dzin Tshe dbang mchog grub (1761-1829) et la constitution du rNying ma rgyud 'bum de sDe dge." Revue d'Etudes Tibétaines no. 3, June.
Bya bral sangs rgyas rdo rje. n.d. Dpal kaḥ thog pa'i chos 'byung rin chen phreng ba. Snga 'gyur bstan pa'i 'byung gnas kaḥ thog rdo rje'i gdan. BDRC W3CN3398.
Gardner, Alexander. 2019. The Life of Jamgon Kongtrul the Great. Boulder: Snow Lion.
Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye. 2003. The Autobiography of Jamgon Kongtrul: A Gem of Many Colors. Translated by Richard Barron. Ithaca and Boulder, CO: Snow Lion Publications.
Pistono, Matteo. 2014. Fearless in Tibet: The Life of the Mystic Terton Sogyal. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House.
Ronis, Jan. 2009. Celibacy, Revelations, and Reincarnated Lamas: Contestation and Synthesis in the Growth of Monasticism at Katok from the 17th through 19th Centuries. PhD diss., University of Virginia.
Yudru Tsomo. 2014. The Rise of Gonpo Namgyel in Kham: The Blind Warrior of Nyarong. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.