The Treasury of Lives

The Fifth Kondor Tulku Lobzang Namgyel Tendzin Lhundrub (dkon rdor sprul sku 05 blo bzang 'rnam rgyal bstan 'dzin lhun grub) was born in Powo in 1894, the wood-horse year of the fifteenth sexagenary cycle. His father, Kanam Depa Wangchen Dudul (ka gnam sde pa dbang chen bdud 'dul, d.u.), was from a family that traced its lineage to an ancient Tibetan royal family. His mother, Tsering Dolma (tshe ring sgrol ma, d.u.) belonged to the Tsarong (tsha rong) family.

The boy's father initially refused to allow the identification of his son as the reincarnation of the Fourth Kondor Tulku, Lobzang Jampel Tendzin Namgyel (dkon rdor 04 blo bzang 'jam dpal bstan 'dzin rnam rgyal, 1840-1892), despite the efforts of the Eighth Chakra Tulku, Ngawang Tenpai Jungne Trinle Chokyi Gyeltsen (lcags ra sprul sku 08 Ngag dbang bstan pa'i 'byung gnas 'phrin las chos kyi mtshan 1861-1914). Thus he was not brought to Chamdo Jampa Ling until he was eighteen years old, in 1911, when he was formally enthroned. The Eighth Chakra Tulku and the Sixth Zhiwa Lha, Ngawang Jigme Khenrab Tendzin Trinle (zhi ba lha 06 ngag dbang 'jigs med mkhen rab bstan 'dzin 'phrin las, 1864-1923) oversaw his education.

Following the destruction of Chamdo Ganden Jampa Ling in 1912 at the hands of Chinese troops in after the fall of the Qing dynasty, Kondor Tulku travelled to Lhasa where he had an audience of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Tubten Gyatso (ta la'i bla ma 13 thub bstan rgya mtsho, 1876-1933). The Dalai Lama granted him the vows of novice monk followed by full ordination. Lobzang Namgyel also received many teachings from the Dalai Lama and from Pabongkha Dechen Nyingpo Jampa Tendzin Trinle Gyatso (pha bong kha 01 bde chen snying po byams pa bstan 'dzin 'phrin las rgya mtsho, 1878-1941), who was one of the most influential Gelukpa masters of the twentieth century. Kondor Rinpoche then returned to Chamdo and received commentarial teachings on Lamrim from Tokden Jamyang Lodro (rtogs ldan 'jam dbyangs blo gros, 1888-1941) several times.

In 1935 The Tenth Pakpa Lha, Lobzang Tubten Mipam Tsultrim Gyeltsen ('phags pa lha 10 blo bzang thub bstan mi pham tshul khrim rgyal mtshan, 1901-1937) invited Pabongkha to Chamdo, and Kondor Tulku arranged for him to stay at his residence, serving him for about a year. During that time Pabongkha gave teachings on Lamrim Chenmo (lam rim chen mo) and other versions of Lamrim and Lojong (blo sbyong), and gave empowerments on Cakrasaṃvara according to the tradition of Drilpupa (dril bu pa), and also on Yamāntaka, Guhyasamāja, Vajrayogini and other tantric systems. He also gave extensive teachings on philosophical texts and sutras, including the Lankavatara Sutra, reportedly emphasizing on the avoidance of consumption of meat. Kondor Tulku was present for all of these teachings.

Later Kondor Tulku received a wide range of teachings on sutra and tantra from Geshe Jampa Taye (dge bshes byams pa mtha' yas, 1894-1949), with whom he studied for about ten years. Geshe Jampa Taye was one of the chief disciples of Pabongkha, and he was invited from Sera Monastery to Jampa Ling during the tenure of the Tenth Pakpa Lha to help with their philosophical courses.

Kondor Tulku took active part in appealing to the Dalai Lama and Lhasa government for the restoration of official designation of the Tenth Pakpa Lha who was deposed from the designation due to his violation of monastic vows. The Fifth Reting Rinpoche, the then regent (srid skyong rwa sgreng 05 thub bstan 'jam dpal ye shes bstan pa'i rgyal mtshan, 1912-1947) accepted the appeal and Kondor Tulku was instructed to re-ordain Pakpa Lha. Thus, the Tenth Pakpa Lha was re-ordained and re-enthroned as the abbot of Jampa Ling Monastery in 1934.

The Tenth Pakpa Lha, who was then serving as the twenty-ninth abbot of Chamdo Jampa Ling, passed into nirvana in 1937, and the following year the Fifth Kondor Tulku was formally enthroned to the abbot's seat, taking charge of both religious and secular affairs in Chamdo. He organized an extensive nirvana-prayer for his predecessor, built the reliquary stupa, and supervised the search and identification, and enthronement to the Eleventh Pakpa Lha, Lobzang Tendzin Gelek Namgyel ('phags pa lha 11 blo bzang bstan 'dzin dge legs rnam rgyal, b. 1939). He also organized a great nirvana-prayer for his master Geshe Jampa Taye who passed away in 1949.

The abbacy of the Fifth Kondor Tulku is remembered as a period of restoration and development, one that was tragically short-lasting, as the monastery was again destroyed by the Chinese only a short time after his tenure ended with his death in 1950.

The Fifth Kondor Tulku passed away in the sixth month of the iron-tiger year, at the age of fifty-seven. The monastic authorities organized an extensive nirvana-prayer and also built a golden reliquary to hold the relics from the ashes of his cremation. The reliquary was installed in the temple inside the rear part of General Assembly Hall of the monastery.

Lobzang Tendzin Pelden Lhundrub (blo bzang bstan 'dzin dpal ldan lhun grub), born in Kham in 1951, the iron-hare year of the sixteenth sexagenary cycle, was identified as his reincarnation, the Sixth Kondor Tulku.