The Treasury of Lives

The Eighty-ninth Ganden Tripa, Lobzang Nyendrak Gyatso (dga' ldan khri pa 89 blo bzang snyan grags rgya mtsho) was born in Drayab in Kham (khams brag g.yab) in the second quarter of the nineteen century. Nothing is known about his parents, early life or ordination. At a young age he travelled to Lhasa and matriculated in the Nyari House of Shartse College of Ganden Monastic University (dga' ldan shar rtse nyag re khang tshan).

At Ganden Lobzang Nyendrak Gyatso studied logic and the great texts of Abhisamayālaṃkāra, Madhyamaka, Abhidharmakośa, Pramāṇavārttika, and Vinaya, the five major subjects of Geshe Lharampa Studies in the Geluk monastic curriculum. After years of endeavor he stood in the traditional examination of Geshe Lharampa (dge bshes lha ram pa) during the annual Lhasa Monlam Chenmo, the highest accomplishment of studies in the sutra section of the monastic curriculum in Geluk Tradition.

He then enrolled in Gyuto College to train in tantra and related rituals, including drawing maṇḍala and so forth, according to the Gyuto tradition, earning the title of Ngakrampa (sngags rams pa), Master in Tantra. Subsequently he served as disciplinarian (dge bskos), chant leader (bla ma dbu mdzad), the educational head, and finally abbot of Gyuto College. Following his tenure at Gyuto he occupied the post of Shartse Choje (shar rtse chos rje) at Ganden Shartse College (dga' ldan shar rtse grwa tshang), one of two posts from which monks ascended to the Golden Throne of Ganden.

In 1918, the earth-horse year of the fifteenth sexagenary cycle, Lobzang Nyendrak Gyatso succeeded Khyenrab Yonten Gyatso (dga' ldan khri pa 88 khri chen mkhyen rab yon tan rgya mtsho) as the Eighty-ninth Ganden Tripa. Some sources have the year as 1919. During his tenure he performed the usual duties of the office, teaching and leading important dharma activities and ceremonies such as the annual Lhasa Monlam Festival that is held for twenty-one days in the first month of every Tibetan year to mark the Buddha's subjugation of Māra. Most sources have his tenure as lasting only two years, until 1920, but others have him serving until 1924.

The details of Lobzang Nyendrak Gyatso's nirvana are not known. Sources have it that he passed away in the same year as the Eighty-seventh Ganden Tripa, Ngawang Lobzang Tenpai Gyeltsen (ngag dbang slob bzang bstan pa'i rgyal mtshan, 1844-1919/1920); in fact, his grief over the latter’s death is given in some sources as a cause for his own passing.

Lobzang Nyendrak Gyatso was succeeded by Jampa Chodrak as the Ninetieth Ganden Tripa (byams pa chos grags, 1849-1937).