The Treasury of Lives



The Seventeenth Chogye Trichen, Jampa Rinchen Khyentse Wangpo (bco brgyad khri chen 17 byams pa rin chen mkhyen brtse dbang po) was born between 1869 and 1871 to the prominent Zhalu Kuzhang family (zha lu sku zhang) that traced its heritage to Tibetan imperial days and were patrons of several major Sakya monasteries of central Tibet. His father was Kuzhang Dawa Dondrub / Gyeltsen (sku zhang zla ba don grub / rgyal mtshan), whose brother was Ngawang Lodro Nyingpo (ngag dbang blo gros snying po, d. 1905/1906), the fifty-ninth abbot of Ngor Ewaṃ Choden (ngor e waM chos ldan).[1] His mother was from the Nyemo Seri Shepa family (snye mo se ri she pa).

He had three younger brothers: Sonam Sengge Wangchuk (bsod nam seng ge dbang phyug, 1873–1928); Ngawang Khyenrab Jampel Nyingpo (ngag dbang mkhyen rab byams dpal snying po, 1871–1952), who served as the sixtieth Ngor abbot; and Wangdu Norbu (dbang 'dus nor bu, 1885–c. 1954), who served as an abbot of Zhalu Monastery (zha lu dgon). He also had a sister named Tashi Chodron (bkra shis mchod sgron) who was a nun, and a sister named Yudron (g.yu sgron) who married.[2]

According to David Jackson, Jampa Rinchen Khyentse Wangpo's parents had initially intended to place their son as an abbatial candidate, or zhabdrung (zhabs drung) at Zhalu Monastery, but he was instead appointed by the Tibetan government to abbatial candidate of the Chogye Labrang (bco brgyad bla brang) at Nalendra Monastery (na len+dra dgon), placing him in line to become the Chogye Trichen (bco brgyad khri chen) and abbot of Nalendra.[3] Khenpo Jamlo (mkhan po 'jam blo) states that his selection as Chogye Trichen was accomplished through the ritual of the golden urn in Lhasa, a method normally reserved for high-level reincarnations. The same author states that the child was said to be a reincarnation of Nalendra's founder Rongton Sheja Kunrik (rong ston shes bya kun rig, 1367–1449), a status normally given to the monastery's Zimwok incarnations (gzims 'og sprul sku).[4]

At Nalendra his tutor was Lama Luwang (bla ma klu dbang), from whom he learned grammar and astrology. His main teacher was the Fourth Zimwok, Tenzin Nyendrak (gzim 'og 04 byams pa bstan 'dzin snyan grags, died circa 1885), a paternal relative. Zimwok Rinpoche transmitted the Lamdre Lobshe and other central Sakya teachings, but he passed away suddenly around the year 1885, and thus other lamas had to complete the young eighteenth Chogye Trichen's education.[5]

The Seventeenth Chogye Trichen taught the Lamdre multiple times and gave the Kangyur transmission three times. He passed away at the age of fifty-eight in 1927, the fire-hare year.[6] His successor was his paternal nephew, the Eighteenth Chogye Trichen, Tubten Lekshe Gyatso (bco brgyad khri chen rin po che thub bstan legs bshad rgya mtsho, 1920–2007). Stories began circulating at some point that the Seventeenth Chogye Trichen emanated into his nephew some time before his death, making the Eighteenth Chogye Trichen a reincarnation of sorts of the Seventeenth Chogye Trichen.[7]



[1] Jackson (p. 666) has as his birth year the earth snake, 1869-1870, and Dawa Dondrub as his father's name, while Mkhan po 'jam blo (p. 1) has his birth year as the iron horse, 1870–1871 and Dawa Gyeltsen as his father's name.

[2] Jackson, pp. 4; 666–667.

[3] Jackson, p. 247, note 16; Mkhan po 'jam blo, p. 1.

[4] Mkhan po 'jam blo, p. 1.

[5] Mkhan po 'jam blo, pp. 2–3.

[6] Mkhan po 'jam blo, p. 4.

[7] Jackson, pp. 15–16.

 

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Publication of this biography was made possible through support of National Endowment for the Humanities.

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Additional Bios Sponsored By National Endowment for the Humanities

Alexander Gardner is Director and Chief Editor of the Treasury of Lives. He completed his PhD in Buddhist Studies at the University of Michigan in 2007. He is the author of The Life of Jamgon Kongtrul The Great.

Published June 2023

参考书目

Jackson, David. 2020. Lama of Lamas: The Life of the Vajra-Master Chogye Trichen Rinpoche. Kathmandu: Vajra Books.

Mkhan po 'jam blo, editor. 2016. Rtsom pa poʼi rnam thar. Dpal sa skya baʼi chos sde nā lendraʼi gdan rabs rim byon gyi gsung ʼbum, vol. 2, pp. 10–14. Lhasa: Bod ljongs bod yig dpe rnying dpe skrun khang.

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