Rinchen Gyeltsen (rin chen rgyal mtshan) was born in the earth dog year of 1238 at Sakya (sa skya). His father was Zangtsa Sonam Gyeltsen (zangs tsha bsod nams rgyal mtshan), and his mother was Machik Jodro (ma gcig jo 'gro).
In 1244 Koden Khan summoned his uncle, Sakya Paṇḍita (sa skya paN Di ta, 1182-1251) and two elder brothers, Pakpa Lodro Gyeltsen ('phags pa blo gros rgyal mtshan, 1235-1280) and Chana Dorje (phyag na rdo rje, 1239-1267). For the next twenty years Sakya Monastery (sa skya dgon) was administered by a regent for Sakya Paṇḍita named Shākya Zangpo (shAkya bzang po, d. 1270), who took the title of Ponchen (dpon chen).
Little is known about Rinchen Gyeltsen during this period. He studied with the lamas of Sakya, including Uyuk Sonam Sengge (u yug pa bsod nams seng+ge, d. 1253). Following Pakpa Lodro Gyeltsen's return to Sakya in 1265 he assumed of the throne of the monastery and the title of Sakya Tridzin (sa skya 'khri 'dzin). Pakpa, however, was required to spend much of his time in China, and he left the throne after little more than a year. Upon his departure in 1267 he assigned his brother Rinchen Gyeltsen to the office. There is some controversy within the historical records regarding this appointment. Some Tibetan historians such as Tukwan Lobzang Chokyi Nyima (thu'u bkwan blo bzang chos kyi nyi ma, 1737-1802), suggest that Rinchen Gyeltsen was merely his brother’s representative. However, it is customary in the list of Sakya Tridzin to include Rinchen Gyeltsen as the Eighth in the line. He held the office until 1275, when Pakpa returned from China and resumed the position.
Rinchen Gyeltsen was then appointed to the office of Imperial Preceptor (dishi 帝師), a post he held until his death. He resided in Beijing, in the Metok Rawa (me tog ra ba) residence where Pakpa had also lived.
According to hagiographies, Rinchen Gyeltsen became a master of both sutra and tantra, and students came from all regions of Tibet in order to study under his tutelage. He is said to have sponsored readings of the Buddhist canon both far and wide, including places such as Kham and Nepal. The record also reports that he founded a monastery named Serling Lhundrubling (gser gling lhun grub lding), but this is so far unidentified.
He passed away at the age of forty-two in the year 1279, or possibly in 1282 at the age of forty-five, at Shingkun (shing kun).
参考书目
Dung dkar blo bzang 'phrin las. 2002. Dung dkar tshig mdzod chen mo. Beijing: Krung go'i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang, p. 2287. TBRC W26372.
Grags pa 'byung gnas and Rgyal ba blo bzang mkhas grub. 1992. Gangs can mkhas grub rim byon ming mdzod. Lanzhou: Kan su'u mi rigs dpe skrun khang, pp. 1803-1804. TBRC W19801.
Mkhan po bsod nams rgya mtsho. 2011. Gdan rabs ngo mtshar bang mdzod. Dehradun: Sakya College, pp. 225-230. TBRC W1KG17209.
Ngag dbang kun dga' bsod nams. 2000. Dpal sa skya pa chen po sngags 'chang thams cad mkhyen pa ngag dbang kun dga' bsod nams kyi gsung 'bum, vol. 16, pp. 7-288. Kathmandu: Sa skya rgyal yongs gsung rab slob gnyer khang. TBRC W29307.
Petech, Luciano. 1990. Central Tibet and the Mongols -- The Yuan- Sa-skya Period of Tibetan History. Rome: Istituto Italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente, pp. 21, 23.