The Treasury of Lives

Jedrung Kunga Pelden (rje drung kun dga' dpal ldan) was born in Tsang Nyangtod (gtsang nyang stod) in the fire-ox year of the eighth sexagenary cycle, the year 1457.

He studied under many outstanding masters in the great monasteries in U and Tsang and become a great scholar. Thereafter he went to Kham and served as the abbot of Den Chokhor (ldan chos 'khor) Monastery there.

His biography recounts an episode in which Den Chokhor was attacked by a combined force of Sakya and Ling Tsang (gling tshang) forces. According to this obviously partisan account, the battle was due to "evil thoughts and actions" of the leaders of Ling Tsang. Chokhor Monastery was initially unsuccessful in repelling their enemies, and, as abbot, Kunga Pelden appealed to the ḍākinī and dharpapelas for help. Tradition has it that the deities imbued each monk with the power of a hundred men, and that their horses galloped with magical flames, utterly defeating the monastery's foes. The biography goes on to state that many of Den Chokhor's enemies died with acute pains and so forth, an indication of punishment and defeat by the dharma protectors. As Kunga Pelden was credited with bringing the divine aid, he was declared a great adept (druptob; grub thob), and henceforth known as Drubtob Kunga Pelden.

Meanwhile, the throne at Chamdo Jampa Ling (chab mdo byams pa gling) was vacant, the previous abbot, Jedrung Kunga Pelwa (rje drung kun dga' dpal ba, 1451-1514), having passed away five years earlier without a replacement. Kunga Pelden applied to Gendun Gyatso (dge 'dun rgya mtsho, 1475–1542), the abbot of Drepung ('bras spung), (and posthumously identified as the Second Dalai Lama), for the post. His application was said to have been initially refused largely on the basis that the abbots of Khampa monasteries preferred that a Khampa assume the office. It seems that the people of Chamdo and the abbots of the monasteries in the surrounding areas wanted Sher Zang, a Khampa scholar for the post. However, Gendun Gyatso was then dealing with a political crisis, as the Tsang forces allied with the Karma Kagyu who had occupied Lhasa since 1498 were then being driven out of the U region, and the Geluk monasteries under the leadership of Drepung were taking control of the government.

In 1519, the earth-hare year of the ninth sexagenary cycle, at the age of sixty-three, Kunga Pelden went to Chamdo and was enthroned to the throne of abbot of Chamdo Jampa Ling Monastery. Soon after taking the office he gave extensive teachings on the commentaries of sutra and tantra texts. He left the monastic system of education intact, and is remembered as a capable administrator during a period of great strength.

Among Kunga Pelden's additions to the monastery were a golden statue of Tsongkhapa (tsong kha pa, 1004-1064) in the Central Hall; a highly crafted embroidery-thanka of Mañjuśrī made from the gold threaded brocade of China; and a famous statue of Yamāntaka.

After having served the monastery for twenty-two years, at the age of eighty-four, in iron-mouse year, 1540, Kunga Pelden passed away. Relics and other holy objects discovered in the ashes of his cremation were put in a silver reliquary and placed in the temple of the great Maitriya.