The Treasury of Lives

The Sixth Hortsang Sertri Lobzang Pelden Gyatso (hor tshang gser khri 06 blo bzang dpal ldan rgya mtsho) was born in the clan of Trokho Numai Pelshul (khro kho nu ma'i dpal shul gyi rigs) in Darlung (dar lung) near Yumik (g.yu rmig) in Amdo in 1913, the water-ox year of the fifteenth sexagenary cycle. His father was called Tsedor (tshe rdor) and the mother was named Shikyi (shis skyid).

According to his hagiography, when the child was taken for the blessings of the Fourth Jamyang Zhepa Kelzang Tubten Wangchuk ('jam dbyangs bzhad pa 04 skal bzang thub bstan dbang phyug), he caught hold of the lama's mala and held it firmly as if the lama was well-known to him. The Jamyang Zhepa gave him blessed-strings and sweets, and later suggested that he be considered as a candidate for reincarnation of the Fifth Hortsang Sertri, Kelzang Pelden Drakpa (hor tshang gser khri 05 skal bzang dpal ldan grags pa, d. c.1912). At the age of five or six the Ninth Paṇchen Lama Lobzang Tubten Chokyi Nyima Gelek Namgyel (paN chen bla ma 09 lo bzang thub bstan chos kyi nyi ma dge legs rnam rgyal, 1883-1937) formally recognized him as such, and gave him the name Lobzang Pelden Gyatso, and composed a long-life prayer for him.

Lobzang Pelden Gyatso was then escorted to Labrang Tashikhyil (bla brang bkra shis 'khyil) where he started his basic training and primary education in reading and writing, and memorization of daily prayer texts under the guidance and tutorship of Geshe Tsultrim Gyatso (dge bshes tshul khrims rgya mtsho, d.u.). In the meantime Pelden Gyatso was given the vows of primary and novice monks (rab byung and dge tshul) by Alak Lako Jigme Trinle Gyatso (a lags bla kho 'jigs med 'phrin las rgya mtsho, 1866-1948). He was then officially enrolled in the Labrang monastery.

In 1940 at the instruction of the Fifth Jamyang Zhepa Lobzang Jamyang Yeshe Tenpai Gyeltsen ('jam dbyangs bzhad pa 05 blo bzang 'jam dbyangs ye shes bstan pa'i rgyal mtshan, 1916-1947) Pelden Gyatso established the Temple of White Tārā at Labrang, installing all necessary objects of faiths and related items. (He had earlier been instrumental in identifying the Fifth Jamyang Zhepa.) Subsequently he was enthroned to the Forty-fourth abbot of Shitsang Monastery (shis tshang) and later served as the abbot of Ngulra Monastery (dngul rwa dgon), and then the throne holder of Labrang, although the dates of his tenure are not available. However, he served the abbacy of Labrang for three years, during which he focused on the education in the monastery.

In 1954, Lobzang Pelden Gyatso travelled to U-Tsang for pilgrimage. He made abundant offerings to the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tendzin Gyatso (ta la'i bla ma 14 bstan 'dzin rgya mtsho b. 1935) and his two personal tutors. He then visited the monasteries especially the four seats of the Geluk tradition in Lhasa and Shigatse, and made plentiful offerings to the lamas and monks there, and returned to Amdo.

At the age of forty-six, in 1958, the earth-dog year in the sixteenth sexagenary cycle, Hortsang Sertri Lobzang Pelden Gyatso passed into nirvana. His reincarnation, Jigme Drakpa Gyatso ('jigs me grags pa rgya mtsho) was identified by the Sixth Jamyang Zhepa ('jam dbyangs bzhad pa 06, b.1948) in 1991 and enrolled in Labrang Tashikhyil where he was studied under Geshe Gendun Gyatso (dge bshes dge 'dun rgya mtsho).