The Treasury of Lives

Tawen Lodro Gyeltsen (tA dben blo gros rgyal mtshan) was born in the area of Shalazug (sha la zug), near Sakya, in 1332, the water-snake year of the sixth sexagenary cycle. His father was Kunga Gyeltsen (kun dga' rgyal mtshan, 1310-1358), one of the sons of the Eleventh Sakya Tridzin, Zangpo Pel (sa skya khri 'dzin 11 bzang po dpal, 1262-1324). His mother was Kunga Gyeltsen's second wife, Machik Sonam Pel (ma cig bsod nams dpal), the daughter or sister of Lama Kunpangpa Chodrak Pelzang (bla ma kun spangs pa chos grags dpal bzang, 1223-1363) of Ralung (rwa lung). His half-brother by the same father, Chokyi Gyeltsen (chos kyi rgyal mtshan, 1332-1359) served as the twelfth Imperial Preceptor (dishi 帝師). His family branch was the Lhakhang Labrang (lha khang bla brang), one of four hereditary palaces of Sakya; his father is counted as the first throne holder of the palace.

When Lodro Gyeltsen was sixteen, in 1347, Lama Dampa Sonam Gyeltsen, the Fourteenth Sakya Tridzin (sa skya khri 'dzin 14 bla ma dam pa bsod nams rgyal mtshan, 1312-1375) stepped down from the throne of Sakya, and he was enthroned as his replacement. This represented a shift in power at Sakya, as Lama Dampa had been the head of the Rinchen Gang Labrang (rin chen sgangs bla brang). The Rinchen Gang Labrang and the Lhakhang Labrang were, during the fourteenth century, in a tense contest for control of Sakya.

It is likely that Lodro Gyeltsen's father, who was then in Beijing serving as the Imperial Preceptor, was central to the appointment. As head of Sakya, Lodro Gyeltsen became the throne holder of the Zhitok Labrang (bzhi thog bla brang), the residence of the Sakya Tridzin.

Lodro Gyeltsen trained with the lamas of his day, including Lama Dampa Sonam Gyeltsen, Dolpopa Sherab Gyeltsen (dol po pa shes rab rgyal mtshan, 1292-1361), Buton Rinchen Drub (bu ston rin chen grub, 1290-1364) and Sabzang Mati Paṇchen Lodro Gyeltsen (sa bzang ma ti paN chen blo gros rgyal mtshan, 1294-1376).

He was said to have been an expert in Dharmakīrti's Pramāṇavārttika, his mastery surpassed only by Sakya Paṇḍita Kunga Gyeltsen (sa skya paN +Di ta kun dga' rgyal mtshan,1182-1251) and Uyukpa Rigpai Sengge (u yug pa rig pa'i sengge, d.1253 ).

As was customary for the Sakya Tridzin, the Yuan Emperor, probably Huizong (惠宗r. 1333-1370), gave him the title "ta dben gu shri," presumably Da Yuan Guoshi 大元國師, meaning National Preceptor of the Yuan Dynasty, and a crystal seal.

In 1349, when Lodro Gyeltsen was eighteen, Jangchub Gyeltsen (byang chub rgyal mtshan, 1302-1364), the Ponchen (dpon chen), or lord of the Pakmodru Myriarchy, took control of most of U. Within a decade he had conquered Tsang as well, and in 1358 the Huizong Emperor, unable to protect the Khon rulers in Sakya, conceded the change of regime and granted Jangchub Gyeltsen the title of Tai Situ (ta'i si tu 大司徒).

In 1356 Lodro Gyeltsen and his brother Chokyi Gyeltsen, allied with the lords of Lato Jang (la stod byang), arrested the Ponchen of Sakya, Gyelwa Zangpo (rgyal ba bzang po). The Ponchen, who had defeated Jangchub Gyeltsen in 1346, had apparently switched sides following a loss on the battlefield in 1354. In response Jangchub Gyeltsen called a peace conference, attended by Lodro Gyeltsen, his brother, their uncle Lama Dampa Sonam Gyeltsen and their maternal grandfather / uncle Kunpang Chodrak Pelzang who was highly involved in the political affairs of the day. The result of the negotiations, which required three rounds, was that Sakya conceded and released Gyelwa Zangpo to Jangchub Gyeltsen. Chokyi Gyeltsen was called to Beijing to serve as National Preceptor (guoshi 國師), and it is possible that the Lhakhang Labrang's estates were seized in part of full. The affair essentially ended Sakya resistance to the ascent of Jangchub Gyeltsen and his establishment of Pakmodru control of Tibet.

In addition to Gyelwa Zangpo, the Sakya Ponchens during Lodro Gyeltsen's tenure were Wangchuk Tsondru (dbang phyug brtson 'grus), who served from 1347 to 1250, Namkha Tenpai Gyeltsen (nam mkha' bstan pa'i rgyal mtshan), who served starting in 1257 and again in 1364, and Pelbum (dpal 'bum), whose tenure ended in 1260.

Lodro Gyeltsen passed away at the young age of thirty three, in 1364, the wood-dragon year of the sixth sexagenary cycle at the Lhakang Labrang.