The Treasury of Lives

Lobzang Dongak Chokyi Gyatso (blo bzang mdo sngags chos kyi rgya mtsho), also known as Tulku Sungrab (sprul sku gsung rab), was born in 1903, the water-hare year, to the government official Tamdrin Namgyel (rta mgrin rnam rgyal) and his elder wife Shertso (sher mtsho) in Wangchen Bum (dbang chen 'bum), one of Golok's (mgo log) three major districts.

The young Lobzang Dongak Chokyi Gyatso began his studies of the ordinary sciences, such as craft, medicine, grammar and logic, at the age of six. He took the vows of a novice (dge tshul) when he was seven years old from Lama Pelyang (bla ma dpal dbyangs, d.u.), and received the name Tubten Dawa Zangpo (thub bstan zla ba bzang po). At the age of fifteen, he was recognized by his main teacher, Amdo Geshe Jampel Rolpai Lodro (a mdo dge bshes 'jam dpal rol ba'i blo gros, 1888-1936), as the incarnation of Japa Dongak Gyatso ('ja' pa mdo sngags rgya mtsho, 1824-1902) and enthroned at Pel Nyenmo (dpal snyan mo) monastery in Golok. At eighteen he took the vows of full ordination from the famous Drakkar Geshe, Lobzang Tendzin Nyendrak (brag dkar dge bshes blo bzang bstan 'dzin snyan grags, 1866-1928) and was given the name Lobzang Dongak Chokyi Gyatso (blo bzang mdo sngags chos kyi rgya mtsho).

He had several teachers from both the New (gsar ma) and Ancient (rnying ma) traditions, but the most important were Amdo Geshe, Drakkar Geshe, and Terton Sogyel Lerab Lingpa (gter ston bsod rgyal las rab gling pa, 1856-1926). Eventually he became the second principal teacher and the third in the line of abbots at Pel Nyenmo monastery, but he also taught at several other monasteries, including Sangsang Dungkar (sang sang dung dkar), Lhogyu Sera (lho rgyud se ra), Wangda (dbang mda'), Denang (sde nang) and Tongkyab (stong skyabs), as well as Dori (rdo ri) hermitage.

He was connected with many of the most senior religious figures of his day, such as the Ninth Paṇchen Lobzang Tubten Chokyi Nyima (paN chen 09 blo bzang thub bstan chos kyi nyi ma, 1883-1937) and Alak Lekshe Gyatso (a lags legs bshad rgya mtsho, d.u.) of Ragya (rwa rgya) Monastery, and he was awarded the rank of Sanorultu (san 'o rul thu) by the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Tubten Gyatso (ta la'i bla ma 13 thub bstan rgya mtsho, 1876-1933).

Dongak Chokyi Gyatso’s many disciples included Kyashul Gelong Tubten Gyatso (skya shul dge slong thub bstan rgya mtsho, d.u.); Lobzang Pakpa Puntsok (blo bzang 'phags pa phun tshogs); Wangda Gyangtrul Dondrub Dorje (dbang mda' gyang sprul don grub rdo rje, 1892-1960); Dungkar Khenpo Damcho (dung dkar mkhan po dam chos, d.u.); Serai Yangtrul (se ra'i yang sprul, d.u.); Domtsa Terton Tsewang Gonpo (dom tsha gter ston tshe dbang mgon po, d.u.); Tashul Khenpo Abhi (rta shul mkhan a bhi, d.u.); Khenpo Gyatso (mkhan po rgya mtsho, d.u.) of Changma Monastery (lcang ma dgon); Tulku Chodrak (sprul sku chos grags, d.u.); Tulku Kadak (sprul sku ka dag, d.u.); Lola Shedrub (glo bla bshad sgrub, d.u.); the incarnation of Amdo Geshe, Jampel Rolwai Loden ('jam dpal rol ba'i blo ldan, d.u.); Trul Rinpoche Lobzang Kunkhyen (sprul rin po che blo bzang kun mkhyen, d.u.), and many others.

Although some of his writings have not survived the ravages of time, many were preserved by disciples such as Tulku Kadak and later collected in Pel Nyenmo Monastery. They include a longer commentary on the Madhyamakālaṃkāra called Light on the Path of Reason (rigs pa’i lam gyi snang ba) and a shorter interlinear commentary on the same text called A Sword to Cut Through Wrong Views (lta ngan gcod pa’i ral gri); The Jeweled Mirror of Pure Vision: Establishing the Identity of the Views of the Old and New Traditions of Secret Mantra (gsang sngags gsar rnying gi lta ba gcig tu sgrub pa dag snang nor bu’i me long); Wheel of Reason: A Seed of Analysis on the Combination of Grammar and Logic (sgra tshad zung du ‘brel bar dpyad pa’i sa bon rigs pa’i ‘khor lo); collected praises, such as In Praise of the Three Jewels: The Jeweled Diadem that Dispels the Darkness of Torment (dkon mchog gsum la bstod pa gdung ba’i mu sel nor bu’i cod pan); works on practice, such as Mind Training according to the Great Vehicle (theg pa chen po’i blo sbyong), collections of sādhana and rituals, official correspondence and letters, biographies, advice and experiential songs, and annotations. Altogether these amount to more than three volumes, for which the woodblocks still exist today.

He died at the age of fifty-four in 1957, the fire-bird year.

Adam Pearcey is the founder of Lotsawa House. He completed his PhD at SOAS, University of London, in 2018 with a thesis on Dzogchen, scholasticism and sectarian identity in early twentieth-century Tibet. Read more at adamspearcey.com.

Published March 2013

参考书目

Nor sde. 1996. Rtsam pa po mtshams sbyor mdor bsdus. InSnyan dgon sprul sku gsung rab pa’i gsung rtsom gces bsgrigs. Mtsho sngon mi rigs dpe skrun khang, pp.1-4.TBRC W19277.

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