Kelzang Chokden Wangmo (skal bzang mchog ldan dbang mo) was born in Shang Tashitse (shangs bkra shis rtse) in Tsang (gtsang), in either 1747, the fire-rabbit year of the thirteenth sexagenary cycle, or in 1753. Her father was Ganden Namgyel (dga' ldan rnam rgyal), the son of the ruler of Tashitse, as well as the brother of the Sixth Paṇchen Lama Lobzang Pelden Yeshe (pan chen bla ma 06 blo bzang dpal ldan ye shes, 1738–1780) and the Tenth Zhamarpa Chodrub Gyatso (zhwa dmar pa 10 chos grub rgya mtsho, 1741/1742–1792). Her mother was Orgyen Chodzom (o rgyan chos 'dzoms).[1]
Her uncle, the Sixth Paṇchen Lama, identified her as the reincarnation of the Seventh Dorje Pakmo, Chodron Wangmo (bsam sding rdo rje phag mo 07 chos sgron dbang mo), and enthroned her at Samding Monastery (bsam sding dgon). The Seventh Dalai Lama, Kelzang Gyatso (ta la'i bla ma 07 bskal bzang rgya mtsho, 1708–1757), who had given her previous incarnation a government title, gave her novice vows and the name Kelzang Chokden Dechen Wangmo (skal bzang mchog ldan bde chen dbang mo).
She trained in the Bodong tradition under numerus masters, including the Fifth Ganden Ritro Tulku, Mingyur Rinchen Zangpo (dga' ldan ri khrod sprul sku 05 mi gyur rin chen bzang po); and the Fourth Jorra, Gelek Gyeltsen (sbyor ra 04 dge legs rgyal mtshan). She received the empowerment of nine Yamāntakas from the Paṇchen Lama at Tashilhunpo Monastery (bkra shis lhun po).
The Paṇchen Lama offered the ancient Nenying Monastery (gnas rnying dgon) in Gyangtse – together with its lands and households – to Kelzang Chokden Wangmo. She is said to have been invited to the Qing court by the Qianlong Emperor (r.1735–1796), but it is not known if she went to China.[2]
She passed away in 1802, at the age of forty-nine. An alternate date given for her death is 1774/1775.
[1] Ra se dkon mchog rgya mtsho, p. 143.
[2] Diemberger, p. 282; Ra se dkon mchog rgyal mtshan, p. 143.
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དཔྱད་གཞིའི་ཡིག་ཆ་ཁག།
Diemberger, Hildegard. 2007. When a Woman becomes a Religious Dynasty; The Samding Dorje Phagmo of Tibet. New York: Columbia University Press.
Ra se dkon mchog rgya mtsho. Gangs ljongs skyes ma'i lo rgyus spyi bshad. 2003. Lhasa: Bod ljong mi dmang dpe skrun khang. BDRC WA29229
Bla rung ar+ya tA re'i dpe tshogs rtsom sgrig khang. 2017. Bsam sding rdo rje phag mo 'i 'khrungs rabs dang sku phreng rim byon gyi mdzad rnam by Rdo rje dpal mo bde chen chos sgon and Grwa thub bstan rnam rgyal, in Mkha' 'gro'i chos mdzod chen mo, vol. 14, pp. 156-172. Lhasa: Bod ljongs bod yig dpe rnying dpe skrun khang. BDRC MW3CN2459
Deji Zhuoma (Bde skyid sgrol ma). 2003.Zangchuan fojiao chujia nüxing yanjiu (A Study of Tibetan Buddhist Nuns). Beijing: Shehui kexue wenxian chubanshe.
Rdo rje phag mo bde chen chos sgon and Grwa thub bstan rnam rgyal. 1994. "Bsam sdings rdo rje phag mo'i 'khrungs rabs dang/ sku phreng rim byong gyi mdzad rnam/ yar 'brog bsam sdings dgon gyi dkar chag bcas rags tsam bkos pa." Bod ljongs nang bstan, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 31–58.