The Treasury of Lives

The Fourth Gungtang Lama, Konchok Tenpai Gyatso (gung thang 04 dkon mchog bstan pa'i rgya mtsho) was born into the Dong (ldong) clan at Tsayul in the district of Zhaho (zhA hwo rdzong gi tsa yul) in Kanlho (kan lho) in 1824, the year of wood-monkey in the fourteenth sexagenary cycle.

When he was six the Twenty-seventh throne holder of Labrang Tashikyil Monastery (bla brang bkra shis 'khyil), Tubten Jigme Gyatso (thub bstan 'jigs med rgya mtsho, 1792-1855) identified him as reincarnation of the Third Gungtang Konchok Tenpai Dronme (gung thang 03 dkon mchog bstan pa'i sgron me, 1762-1823), and a year later the same lama gave him his primary monastic vows (rab byung) followed by the vows of a novice monk (dge tshul), presumably in Labrang. Konchok Tenpai Gyatso was taught reading and writing by Drungyig Konchok (drung yig dkon mchog, d.u.), the secretary of the monastery.

At the age of eighteen Tenpai Gyatso travelled to Lhasa and matriculated in Gomang College (sgo mang grwa tshang) of Drepung Monastery ('bras spungs). He began his studies under the tutorship of Tatsak Yongdzin Dulwa Khenpo Lodro Tenpa (rta tshag yongs 'dzin 'dul ba mkhan po blo gros brtan pa, d.u.). At the age of twenty Konchok Tenpai Gyatso received the vows of full ordination (dge slong) from the Seventh Paṇchen Lama Lobzang Tenpai Nyima Chole Namgyel (paN chen bla ma 07 blo bzang bstan pa'i nyi ma phyogs las rnam rgyal, 1781-1854), to whom he made a considerable offering of one hundred silver coins (dngul srang), fifty horses, and fifty dzos (mdzo; a hybrid of a cow and yak). Subsequently Tenpai Gyatso did an extensive pilgrimage in the U-Tsang region by visiting and making offerings at the holy places in Nartang (snar thang), Sakya (sa skya), Zhalu (zhwa lu), Olkha ('ol kha), Zangri Kangmar (zangs ri mkhang dmar), Yarlung (yar lung), Samye (bsam yas), and then Ganden (dga' ldan) and Sera (se ra).

Konchok Tenpai Gyatso returned to Amdo at the age of twenty-two and kept in busy with various religious activities for about a decade. At the age of thirty-two he was enthroned to the seat of the lineage of Labrang as its Forty-eighth abbot. Upon becoming the authority of the monastery, he reviewed all functions of the monastery and reformed the codes of discipline. Over hundred monks found guilty in violation of monastic rules and their vows were expelled. He also enhanced the system of education by introducing many new types of tests and examinations and evaluating the students and teachers as well. Thus, abbot Konchok Tenpai Gyatso was remembered for his development in the field of education and administration in Labrang Monastery.

Among the large number of disciples of Konchok Tenpai Gyatso some of the well known names included Detang Khentrul Jamyang Tubten Gyatso (bde thang mkhan sprul 'jam dbyangs thub bstan rgya mtsho d.u.); Nangzhig Tulku Tendzin Gyatso (snang zhig sprul sku bstan 'dzin rgya mtsho, d.u.); Lobzang Tsultrim Gyatso (blo bzang tshul khrims rgya mtsho, 1841-1907), who was the Eighteenth abbot of Ngoyul Gomang (rnga ba sgo mang); Ngawang Gendun Gyatso (ngag dbang dge 'dun rgya mtsho, 1830-1905), and Jigme Samdrup Gyatso ('jigs med bsam grub rgya mtsho, 1833-1874), the Fifty-third throne holder of Labrang.

Konchok Tenpai Gyatso composed several texts including Outlines of Abhisamayālaṃkāra, Outlines of Madhyamika, Description of Lingse (gling bsre'i bshad pa rgyas pa), and the Important Points of Guru Yoga with Regard to Guru Tsongkhapa.

Konchok Tenpai Gyatso passed away at the young age of thirty-six in 1859, the year of earth-sheep in the fourteenth sexagenary cycle.