The Treasury of Lives

The Fourth Chakra, Ngawang Trinle Zangpo (lcags ra sprul sku 04 ngag dbang 'phrin las bzang po), was born in 1607, the fire-sheep year of the tenth sexagenary cycle, in Longpo Topa (long po stod pa). His father was Tsetar Dondub (tshe thar don grub) and his mother was called Gyalmo (rgyal mo). He was the middle among three brothers. Pakpa Chokyi Gyelpo, the Fourth Pakpa Lha ('phags pa lha 04 'phags pa chos kyi rgyal po 1605-1643) and the sixteenth abbot of Chamdo Jampa Ling (chab mdo 'jam pa gling) was his elder brother; and his younger brother Pakpa Tenpel ('phags pa bstan 'phel) was identified as the reincarnation of a little known lama called Pelbar Drungpa Ngawang Chodrak (dpal 'bar drung pa ngag dbang chos grags).

Following his identification as the reincarnation of the Third Chakra, Ngawang Chojor Zangpo (lcags ra sprul sku 03 ngag dbang chos ’byor bzang po1595-1606), Ngawang Trinle Zangpo was invited by a local leader, Depa Wangdak (sde pa dbang grags) and escorted to Chamdo where his father and elder brother joined him. The Second Zhiwa Lha, Wendrung Sanggye Jungne, (zhi ba lha 02 dbon drung sangs rgyas 'byung gnas, 1543-1620), who was then serving as the fifteenth abbot of Chamdo Jampa Ling (chab mdo byams pa gling) granted him vows of novice monk and later gave him many teachings and transmissions.

When he was thirteen Ngawang Trinle Zangpo moved his residence to Lho Chotritang (lho chos khri thang) to the south of Chamdo, where he began giving teachings at area monasteries. Subsequently he travelled for about four years in many places including Powo, (spo bo) and Jangshab in Markham (smar khams 'jang zhabs) and gave teachings as per requirement of his devotees. Eventually he returned to Chamdo Jampa Ling and met his brother Chokyi Gyelpo, and made him offerings in large quantity.

In 1625, on the eve of his elder brother's departure to Lhasa, Ngawang Trinle Zangpo was appointed as the acting abbot of the Chamdo Jampa Ling for about two years (1625-1626), making him the seventeenth abbot, despite the fact that his tenure fell in the midst of his brother, the sixteenth abbot's tenure. At the return of the Chokyi Gyelpo to the seat of the abbot, he left to Markham region and gave teachings and empowerments at many places.

In 1629 Ngawang Trinle Zangpo travelled to U-Tsang. He made extensive pilgrimages and had audience with the Fifth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobzang Gyatso (ta la'i bla ma 05 ngag dbang blo bzang rgya mtsho 1617-1682) and a number of other high lamas in various monasteries of the four Gelukpa seats of learning, and made prayers and abundant offerings. In the autumn of the same year, at the age of twenty-three, he went to Tashilhunpo (bkra shis lhun po) and was fully ordained by the Fourth Paṇchen Lama, Lobzang Chokyi Gyeltsen (paN chen bla ma 04 blo bzang chos kyi rgyal mtshan, 1570-1662). The Paṇchen Lama gave him empowerments on Vajramala and so forth and also esoteric instructions on many tantric practices. Pleased with the young tulku's interest and intelligence, the Paṇchen Lama also gave him a personal gift, the bell that he had used during the empowerments.

After his satisfactory pilgrimage and other dharma activities in U-Tsang, Ngawang Trinle Zangpo returned to Kham and served as abbot for the monasteries of Chakra (lcags ra) and Chotritang (chos khri thang). He gave teachings on both sutra and tantra, and revised the codes of conduct in the monasteries for better administration. He renovated the lama's residence of Chakra monastery and put new perimeter wall. He also constructed a new large lama's residence and summer retreat house for Chotritang and arranged for other construction such as new walls and the renovation of the temple roof. He organized the repair and renovation of some ancient statues, temples and monasteries at other places in the region, and reviewed and reformed the codes of discipline in those monasteries. In brief, besides giving teachings and empowerments, he was actively involved in administration and physical development of a number of monasteries in the region.

After his elder brother, the Fourth Pakpa Lha, passed away in 1643 Ngawang Trinle Zangpo served as special assistant to the Third Zhiwa Lha, Zhiwa Zangpo (zhi ba lha 03 zhi ba bzang po, 1625-1717), the then abbot who was still teenager. He organized the mass nirvana-prayer, rituals for cremation and other funeral ceremonies. He also took active part in searching, identifying and also enthronement of the Fifth Pakpa Lha, Pakpa Gyelwa Gyatso ('phags pa lha 05 'phags pa rgyal wa rgya mtsho 1644-1713). Thereafter, he settled in retreat in the Chakra and other monasteries of the southern region, giving teachings during the intervals.

In 1651 he accompanied the Fifth Pakpa Lha on a trip to U-Tsang, by way of Chakra. It was at this time that the Fifth Pakpa Lha received novice vows from the Fifth Dalai Lama in Lhasa. Falling ill in Lhasa, he returned to Chakra by way of Kongpo rather than continue on to Shigatse with the Fifth Pakpa Lha. In the following year he travelled to Chamdo to participate the enthronement ceremony and function of the nine-year-old Gyelwa Gyatso to the seat of abbot of Chamdo Jampa Ling. He stayed there for about four months in the Khuchuk Residence and gave to the tulku many teachings and empowerments on certain rare and uncommon topics.

Ngawang Trinle Zangpo then returned to Chakra where he stayed for the remaining years of his life, continuing to give vows, teachings, initiations, empowerments and so forth to his followers. In 1664, while Gyelwa Gyatso was on his way to Lhasa for full ordination, Chakra Tulku gave him some important empowerments and esoteric instructions such as the Oral Transmission of Heruka deity as conclusion of his teachings.

In 1667, in the fire-sheep year of the eleventh sexagenary cycle, Chakra Ngawang Trinle Zangpo passed away in Chakra at the age of sixty-one. Gyelwa Gyatso returned from U and organized an extensive nirvana-prayer function and built a memorial reliquary. All the remains discovered from the ashes of cremation were collected and placed in the newly built silver reliquary in Chakra.