The Treasury of Lives

The Fifth Gungtang Lama, Jamyang Tenpai Nyima (gung thang 05 'jam dbyang bstan pa'i nyi ma) was born in Marchu Dram-ngog Chakok in Amdo (mdo smad rma chu 'gram ngogs gca' khog) in 1860, the year of iron-monkey of the fourteenth sexagenary cycle. Some sources have 1859 as the year of his birth but it appears to be an error as the previous incarnation died in the same year. His father's name was Dechen Dargye (bde chen dar rgyas) and his mother was called Sonam Kyi (bsod nams skyid). They gave him the name Wangchen Tsering (dbang chen tshe ring).

At the age of four Wangchen Tsering was identified as reincarnation of the Fourth Gungtang Lama, Konchok Tenpai Gyatso (gung thang 04 dkon mchog bstan pa'i rgya mtsho, 1824-1859) and brought to the Gungtang Labrang Tubten Kyetsel (gung thang bla brang thub bstan skyes tshal) at Labrang Monastery. Je Sherap Gyatso (rje shes rab rgya mtsho, d.u.) granted the vows of primary monk (rab byung) and gave him the name Jamyang Tenpai Nyima. Subsequently, he learned reading and writing, and memorized prayer and other important texts. At the age of seven, he received the vows of novice monk (dge tsul) from Je Sherab Gyatso.

Jamyang Tenpai Nyima enrolled in Mejung Tosamling (rmad byung thos bsam gling) at the age of thirteen, where he studied Abhisamayālaṃkāra, Madhyamaka, Abhidharmakośa, Pramāṇavārttika, and Vinaya, the major subjects of the Geluk monastic curriculum. He received the vows of full ordination (dge slong) at the age of twenty-one from Dranye Khenchen Ngawang Tubten Gyatso (bra nye mkhan chen ngag dbang thub bstan rgya mtsho, 1836-1889).

Jamyang Tenpai Nyima travelled to U-Tsang on pilgrimage to Lhasa and the region at the age of twenty-five. He had an audience with the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Tubten Gyatso (ta la'i bla ma 13 thub bstan rgya mtsho, 1876-1933). At some point he went to Mongolia and gave audience and extensive teachings, and then, at the age of forty, made a second trip there.

At the age of forty-four Jamyang Tenpai Nyima was enthroned as the Sixty-ninth throne holder of Labrang Monastery. During his tenure he gave special attention to the education of monks and also reviewed and tightened the disciplines in the monastery. He also commissioned ornamental items of brocade for decoration in the Central Hall of the monastery and occasional rich feast-offerings to the monks.

At the age of fifty-five he travelled again to Mongolia, to the Khalha region, and he was offered the position of patron-lama of over thirty monasteries including Cholota (cho lo ta), Ana (a na), Iguti (i gu thi), Shichang (shis chang) and so forth. He was also able to settle the standing disputes between the the Muslim warlord Ma Qi and Labrang by his simple and skilful means, and peace was established in the region.

Jamyang Tenpai Nyima's collected works include hagiographies, commentary on maṇḍala offering, prayers, notes on teachings from lamas, important correspondences, general ethics, and other topics.

Gungtang Jamyang Tenpai Nyima passed into nirvana at the age of sixty-six in 1925, the wood-ox year of the fifteenth sexagenary cycle, at Beshing (be shing) Monastery.