The Treasury of Lives

Dosib Tubten Gyeltsen (mdo srib pa thub bstan rgyal mtshan) was born in the Rimda (ri mda') region of the Derge kingdom, in 1902, the water-tiger year. His father was Tsewang Puntsok (tshe dbang phun tshogs) and his mother was Drolkar Tso (sgrol dkar 'tsho). He is said to have not been like other children in that he was mainly interested in Buddhist activities.^[1]

According to a biography by the contemporary Tibetan scholar Gelek Puntsok (dge legs phun tshogs) of Rabten Monastery (rab brtan dgon) in Derge, he studied reading and writing with his maternal uncle, a lama named Jamyang Rinchen ('jam dbyangs rin chen). When he was six or seven he suffered a serious illness, which neither medicine nor rituals could cure. An elderly astrologist advised his father that unless he put him in a monastery the child would not live long, while as a monk in a monastery he would excel. Thus, when he turned eight years old they brought him to Dosib Monastery (mdo srib dgon), a Sakya institution in Jomda ('jo mda'), on the west bank of the Drichu River ('bri chu).^[2]

When he was thirteen he studied with Minyak Khenpo Apel Rinpoche, Pelden Wozer (mi nyag mkhan po a dpal rin po che dpal ldan 'od zer), who was at Dosib to initiate the observance of the summer retreat and who would serve as the retreat master for three years. Khenpo Apel had been an attendant and student of the famous master from Minyak named Kunzang Sonam (kun bzang bsod nams, 1823–1905). Tubten Gyeltsen received his novice vows at that time from Khenpo Apel.^[3]

Khenpo Apel also taught him the Bodhicaryāvatāra, the Prātimokṣasūtra, Nāgārjuna's Mulamadhyamakakārikā, Candrakīrti's Madhyamakāvatāra, the Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra and other scriptures. He was so delighted in learning the Buddhist classics that he earned the nickname "Little Abbot."^[4]

In 1916 Khenpo Apel was invited to Ngor Monastery (ngor) to serve as abbot. Before he departed the monastery gave him a festival, at the conclusion of which Khenpo Apel instructed Tubten Gyeltsen to continue his studies at Khamshe (khams bye), the monastic college of Dzongsar Monastery (rdzong sar).^[5]

He was, however, unable to go to Dzongsar for several years. In the meantime he received the Compendium of Sādhana (sgrub thabs kun btus) from Jamyang Loter Wangpo's ('jam dbyangs blo gter dbang po, 1847–1914) close disciples Khenpo Zopa Lekshe Gyatso (mkhan po bzod pa legs bshad rgya mtsho) and Khenchen Ngawang Damcho Gyeltsen (mkhan chen ngag dbang dam chos rgyal mtshan), the latter of which was a paternal relative. The two teachers also transmitted the Sakya Kambum (sa skya bka' 'bum), the Collected Works of Ngorchen Kunga Zangpo (P1132 ngor chen kun dga' bzang po, 1382–1456), the Collected Works of the Tenth Ngor Khenchen, Kunga Lhundrub (ngor mkhan chen 10 kun dga' lhun grub, 1497–1557), as well as the Lamdre Lobshe, and other major collections of scripture.^[6]

At the age of twenty-one Khenchen Damcho Gyeltsen reminded Tubten Gyeltsen of Khenpo Apel's instruction to study at Dzongsar, and he gave him a letter for the abbot, Wonto Khenchen Khyenrab Chokyi Wozer (dbon stod mkhyen rab chos kyi 'od zer, 1889–1959), whom Damcho Gyeltsen had studied alongside. His two teachers and his fellow monks at Dosib gifted him with new robes and other necessities for his time at Khamshe. He traveled to the college together with his father, his provisions carried by horse.^[7]

Tubten Gyeltsen studied at Khamshe for eight years under the second and third abbots, Khenpo Chokyi Wozer, and Jamyang Gyeltsen ('jam dbyangs rgyal mtshan, 1870-1940), and served as teaching assistant (skyor dpon) for the second half of his time there. During his studies he received the transmission for the Lamdre, the Treasury of Instructions (gdams ngag mdzod), Compendium of Sādhana, and the Collected Works of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo ('jam dbyangs mkhyen brtse'i dbang po, 1820–1892).^[8] Chokyi Wozer declared him to be the finest of his students.^[9]

In 1929 Khenpo Chokyi Wozer went to Pelpung (dpal spungs) to serve as abbot of the college there, and he brought Tubten Gyeltsen with him to teach and serve as the summer retreat master. He stayed at Pelpung for a year, at which point he received a request from the elderly abbots of Dosib to return to his home monastery and oversee the summer retreat. They asked that before doing so he take full ordination from Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro ('jam dbyangs mkhyen brtse chos kyi blo gros, 1893–1959), and so he first returned to Dzongsar for his vows. He received the ordination name Tubten Chokyi Gyeltsen (thub bstan chos kyi rgyal mtshan).^[10]

For the next thirteen years he served as the summer retreat abbot at Dosib. For the first four years he returned to Pelpung to teach during the winter months, and he was there at the end of March, 1931, when the young Sixteenth Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpai Dorje (karma pa 16 rang 'byung rig pa'i rdo rje, 1924–1981) was enthroned, in an assembly of lamas and tulkus and the rulers of the kingdom, including the king, Jigme Tsewang Dudul ('jigs med tshe dbang bdud 'dul, 1916–1942). During the ceremonies, he was instructed by Khenpo Chokyi Wozer to give a talk on the difficult points of the prajñāpāramitā. His speech impressed those present, especially Pelpung Situ Pema Wangchok Gyelpo (ta'i si tu 11 padma dbang mchog rgyal po, 1886–1952) and secured his reputation as a learned scholar. He also had the opportunity to make an offering to the Karmapa, and participated in a series of long-life sādhanas and empowerments.^[11]

At Dosib, with the patronage of the chieftain of Rimda, he instituted the annual ceremony of accumulating maṇi mantra recitations. He traveled to three nearby monasteries to give the transmission of the Kangyur: Dungdo Monastery (dung mdo dgon) on the west bank of the Drichu, Rabten Monastery, and Dzamtok (dzam thog dgon). At Rabten he also established the monastic college and gave the initial scriptural teachings, installing Tubten Pelgye (thub bstan 'phel rgyas) as the first abbot. As soon as he started the Kangyur transmission at Rabten, an earthquake hit the region, which was taken as an auspicious sign, similar to the shaking of the universe that is said to have occurred when the Buddha taught the prajñāpāramitā sūtras.^[12]

Tubten Gyeltsen also taught at Lhari Gar (lha ri sgar) in Yilhung, having been earlier invited there by the powerful Derge minister Jago Tobden (bya rgod stob ldan, 1898–1960), who had made Yilhung his base of power starting in the early 1930s. Jago had earlier met Tubten Gyeltsen at  Dungdo Monastery while he was in the region on government business, and had attended part of the Kangyur transmission. He invited Tubten Gyeltsen to Lhari Gar in order to receive the remainder.^[13]

Back at Dosib he established a monastic college, creating a fund to support between fifteen and twenty monks, and initiating observance of the bimonthly upoṣada confession ritual.^[14]

In 1943 Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro requested Tubten Gyeltsen to take the abbacy of Khamshe. During his tenure he gave the transmission of the Sakya Kambum, the collected works of Ngorchen Kunga Zangpo and Tenth Ngor Khenchen, as well as the Compendium of Sakya Tantra (rgyud sde kun 'dus).^[15] He initiated the propitiation of the deity Begtse, on the advice of Khyenrab Chokyi Wozer. He held the position for seven years, until the spring of 1951, the third month of the iron-hare year, when Minyak Damcho (mi nyag dam chos, c. 1908–1960s) was sworn in as the eighth abbot.^[16]

He returned to Dosib, serving as abbot of the summer retreat and teaching Sakya Paṇḍita's Treasury of Good Sayings (legs bshad rin gter). He did not remain long, however, appointing his nephew, Kunga Wangchuk (kun dga' dbang phyug, 1921/23–2008) as the abbot, and traveling to Rabten Monastery in 1953. On his return he sent his nephew to study at Dzongsar with Khyentse Chokyi Lodro, and taught the students at Dosib the Bodhicaryāvatāra and the Madhyamakāvatāra. In 1956 he went to Wara Monastery (wa ra dgon) and established a monastic college, where he appointed his nephew Kunga Wangchuk as abbot.^[17]

In addition to those already mentioned, his students included the ninth abbot of Khamshe, Drayab Khenrab Sengge (brag g.yab mkhen rab seng ge); Pewar Tulku Chime (dpe war sprul sku 'chi med, b. 1933); and the historian and publisher T. G. Dhongthog Rinpoche (gdong thog rin po che, 1933–2015).^[18]

Tubten Gyeltsen was asked to serve as the next abbot of Lhundrubteng's college, but circumstances did not allow him to take the post. Instead, at the age of fifty-six, in 1957, on the twenty-eighth day of the fifth month of the fire-bird year, in the face of increasing difficulties under the new Communist regime, he convened a gathering of abbots, including his students Khenpo Appey (mkhan po a pad, 1927–2010) from Serjong (gser ljongs), Ngawang Tubten from Dungdo Monastery, and representatives from Shangto Monastery (shangs mtho dgon), and Rabten. Tubten Gyeltsen read the astrological signs and much of the group decided to leave the region. They went to Lhasa via the northern road, passed Nyenchen Tanglha (gnyan chen thang lha), where they stopped to make offerings following a period of severe weather. They faced a major obstacle in crossing the Nakchu River, which had risen after the rain. The group sat and performed golden ablutions (ser skyems), Tārā puja, a fulfillment propitiation (bskang gso), and waited until the water receded, confident that the gods and dharma protectors were assisting them.

They passed Taklung Monastery (stag lung dgon) and Reting Monastery (ra sgreng dgon), the Nezur Stūpa (sne zur mchod rten), and Nalendra Monastery (na lendra), where they received hospitality from the abbot, Khenpo Tsultrim Gyeltsen (mkhan po tshul khrims rgyal mtshan, 1933–2002). On their arrival in Lhasa they were housed by Tsipon Shuguba, the father of Ngor Tartse Khenpo Sonam Gyatso (ngor thar rtse mkhan po bsod nams rgya mtsho, 1933–1987 who settled in Japan and was known as Hiroshi Sonami. Tubten Gyeltsen and his companions received an audience with the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (ta la'i bla ma 14 bstan 'dzin rgya mtsho, b. 1935), at the Potala (po ta la) and toured the holy sites of the city, as well as nearby sites such as Samye Monastery (bsam yas dgon), Drak Yongdzong (sbrags yang rdzong), Densatil (G434 gdan sa mthil) and Yarlung, and praying at each place for the wellbeing of Tibet.^[19]

From Gyantse they left Tibet for India, either alongside Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro or following him. In 1958, the earth-dog year, Tubten Gyeltsen toured the sacred sites of India with Chokyi Lodro and then returned to Tibet, reuniting with Khenpo Appey, who had remained in Lhasa.^[20] He spent time at Sakya (sa skya), at the enthronement of the Forty-First Sakya Trichen, Ngawang Kunga Tekchen Pelbar (ngag dbang kun dga' theg chen dpal 'bar, b.1945) to whom he gave a teaching on Sakya Paṇḍita's (sa skya paN Di ta, 1182–1251) Differentiating the Three Vows (sdom gsum rab dbye), and then at Ngor Monastery, where he participated in the annual ceremony remembering the monastery's founder.^[21]

At Ngor he was able to meet two young lamas of the monastery, Tartse Khenpo Jamyang Kunga Tenpai Gyeltsen (thar rtse mkhan po 'jam dbyangs kun dga' bstan pa'i rgyal mtshan, 1933–1987) and Luding Khenpo Jamyang Tenpai Nyima (klu lding mkhan po 'jam dbyangs bstan pa'i nyi ma, b. 1931). He taught Tartse Khenpo and Khenpo Appey the classic Sanskrit treatise of poetics, Kāvyādarśa (snyan ngag me long) and other grammatical texts, while in the afternoons he taught the Madhyamakāvatāra to Luding Khenpo and Luding Shabdrung. Khenpo Jamyang Kunga Tenpai Gyeltsen transmitted the Hevajra and renewed Tubten Gyeltsen's vows.^[22]

In the late summer of 1958 he returned to Lhasa. Reports of the Chinese Army's activities in Kham were circulating the city, and Tubten Gyeltsen turned to the Fifth Dagchen Rinpoche, Jikdrel Ngawang Kunga Sonam (bdag chen rin po che 05 'jigs bral ngag dbang kun dga' bsod nams, 1929–2016), who advised him to leave Tibet. He delayed, however, and in March, 1959, in the midst of the violent conflict between the Tibetans and the PLA, Tubten Gyeltsen was arrested and held in a factory building before being released with other elderly lamas.^[23]

According to Rabten Gelek Puntsok the lamas were released to their homes, rather than their monasteries, and for the next several years Tubten Gyeltsen observed the religious calendar in Lhasa, going to the Jokhang on the holy days of the month to perform observances, as well as exchanging teachings with Geluk geshes. That ended in 1965 with the advent of the Cultural Revolution, when all expressions of religion were forbidden and lamas such as Tubten Gyeltsen were persecuted.^[24] Details of the last years of his life are not currently available. Tubten Gyeltsen passed away in 1971, on the sixth day of the sixth month of the iron-pig year.^[25]

 

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