The Treasury of Lives

Lobzang Dogyu Yeshe (blo bzang mdo rgyud ye shes) was born in Yilhung (yid lhung), in Derge, Kham, in 1806, the fire-tiger year of the thirteenth sexagenary cycle. His father, named Karge (dkar dge), was a member of a clan who had moved from Markham (smar khams) thirteen generations prior. His mother was called Gendun Tso (dge 'dun mtsho). When informed of miracles accompanying his birth, the head of Lhari (lha ri), for whom his father was then working, remarked that the child was extraordinary and would likely be a great lama. He gave the boy the name Gendun Gyatso (dge 'dun rgya mtsho).

When the boy was one year old a local Chinese leader came to his home and declared that the boy was the reincarnation of "Tongkhor Lama", exhorting the boys’ caretakers to keep him pure. Word spread about this, and it became widely reported that the child was the reincarnation of the Tongkhor Lama, a line of incarnations that was based at Tongkhor Tashilhunpo (stong 'khor bkra shis lhun po) in northeast Kham, near the border with Ngawa. The line had split following the death of the Fifth Tongkhor, Ngawang Sonam Gyatso (stong 'khor 05 ngag dbang bsod nams rgya mtsho, 1684-1752), and two children had been identified as the Sixth Tongkhor: Jampel Gendun Gyatso (stong 'khor 06 'jam dpal dge 'dun rgya mtsho, 1754-1803), who was based at Tashilhunpo; and Ngawang Jamyang Tendzin Gyatso (stong 'khor 06 ngag dbang 'jam dbyangs bstan 'dzin rgya mtsho, 1753-1798), who was based at Tongkhor Ganden Chokhor Ling (stong 'khor dgon dga' ldan chos 'khor gling) near Xining.

When the boy was three a group of administrators from Tongkhor Tashilhunpo came to meet with him and test him. They had previously interviewed a boy in Amdo as a possible candidate for recognition as the reincarnation of Ngawang Jamyang Tendzin Gyatso. Two years later the lamas consulted with the Second Shingza, Jigme Namkha (shing bza' 02 'jigs med nam mkha', 1768-1822), and Yeshe Tsultrim (ye shes tshul khrims, d.u); both advised that Gendun Gyatso was the proper choice.

Soon after Gendun Gyatso's identity was confirmed by local lamas, such as Ralo Dorje Chang Lobzang Tenpai Ngodrub (rwa lo rdo rje 'chang blo bzang bstan pa'i dngos grub, b. 18th century) and Chakmo Geshe Śākya Sonam (lcags mo dge shes shAkya bsod nams, d.u.), he was given the name Lobzang Dogyu Yeshe Tenpai Gyeltsen.

The official recognition of Lobzang Dogyu Yeshe Tenpai Gyeltsen as the reincarnation of Jampel Gendun Gyatso ensured that the schism in the Tongkhor incarnation line would not be healed; only a few years earlier a boy named Kelzang Jamyang Gyatso (skal bzang 'jam dbyangs rgya mtsho, 1799-1811) had been recognized as the reincarnation of Ngawang Jamyang Tendzin Gyatso.

At the age of seven Lobzang Dogyu Yeshe was taken to Tongkhor Tashilhunpo Monastery and enthroned. Ralo Dorje Chang and Chakmo Geshe were honored as his teachers. He received renunciation monastic vow from Ralo Dorje Chang when he turned eight years old, and received novice vows at eleven years old from the same lama. He toured across the region, visiting Geluk monasteries, no doubt in part to affirm his position as the Tongkhor Lama.

He began his formal education at Tongkhor Tashilhunpo around the age of thirteen, studying the Abhisamayālaṃkāra and other Indian classics. At the age of fifteen he met the Fourth Changkya, Yeshe Tenpai Gyeltsen (lcang skya 04 ye shes bstan pa'i rgyal mtshan, 1787-1846), who was on his way to Lhasa for the enthronement of the Tenth Dalai Lama, Tsultrim Gyatso (tA la'i bla ma 10 tshul khrims rgya mtsho, 1816-1837).

Soon after this a dispute between neighboring localities in Derge broke out, and Lobzang Dogyu Yeshe found himself in the midst of it, participating in the mediation alongside high level officials from Derge. The details are not clear, but the episode suggests the relatively strong bosition of Tongkhor monastery in the region, and the prestige that the Tongkhor incarnation apparently enjoyed at a Derge court that officially patronized the Sakya tradition but was predisposed towards ecumenicalism. He continued to be involved in regional disputes, mediating when called on to do so. He himself appears to have been allied with one local ruler named Chodzod (mi dbang chos mdzod), who is referred to in our source as Chodzod Rinpoche; during a later incidence of hostilities the two resided together at a hermitage named Yongdzin Lobzang Tenpel (yong 'dzin blo bzang bstan 'phel ri khrod).

At the age of twenty-four, with the patronage of Chodzod and his family, he went to Lhasa. There he visited Sera, the Jokhang, and other sacred locations. He had an audience with the Tenth Dalai Lama, and Gyeltsab Nominhan  (rgyal tshab no min han, d.u.), a lama whose identity is not made clear in our source; both made him gifts of robes and other objects.

He received teachings from Rongwo Geshe Yeshe Chopel (rong bo dge bshes ye shes chos 'phel, d.u.). Then he enrolled at Sera for further studies at the Dalai Lama's recommendation. There he received teaching and empowerments from a number of lamas, possibly including the Third Reting Tulku, Ngawang Yeshe Tsultrim Gyatso (rwa sgreng 03 ngag dbang ye shes tshul khrims rgya mtsho, 1816-1863).

At the age of twenty-seven he went to Tsang and received an audience with the Seventh Paṇchen Lama, Lobzang Pelden Tenpai Nyima (paN chen bla ma 07 blo bzang dpal ldan bstan pa'i nyi ma, 1782-1853), who gave him full ordination. He remained in U-Tsang for several more years, after which he informed his teachers that he wished to return to Kham. According to our source, Keutsang Rinpoche (ke'u tshang rin po che), whose identity is not clear, told him that if he were to remain in Lhasa he would surely be selected to serve as the Ganden Tripa; if he were to go to China he would become a teacher to the Emperor; but if  he were  to return home, he would benefit his religion and the faithful even more. Before leaving Lhasa, he was intent on earning a Geshe Lharampa (dge bshes lha ram pa) degree, which he was awarded, in the first ranking, at the age of thirty-one.

He arrived at Tongkhor Monastery to find there had been significant deterioration in the education system and in observance of the monastic vows, and spent the rest of his life in their restoration. He traveled the region giving teachings and initiations at neighboring monasteries, such as Dranggo (brang mgo); Kandze (dkar mdzes); Tsitsang (brtsi tshang), where he gave the Sarvavid-Vairocana (kun rig) initiation; and Nyi Dargye Monastery (snyi dar rgyas), where he gave the Bhairava initiation and Lamrim instructions.

At the age of forty-six he went on pilgrimage to Riwo Jakang (ri bo bya rkang), a mountain in southern Kham known in Chinese as Jizu Shan (鸡足山). (Both the Tibetan and Chinese name translate to "Bird foot Mountain"; it is said to have been a place where the Buddha's disciple Kāśyapa meditated.)

He passed away in 1852, at the age of forty-seven. A reliquary stupa was installed in Tongkhor monastery.