The Treasury of Lives



The Eighty-third Ganden Tripa, Jangchub Namkha (dga' ldan khri pa 83 byang chub nam mkha') was born in the Gyelrong (rgyal rong) region of Kham. Details of his birth, parents, and childhood are not known.

In his youth, Jangchub Namkha travelled to Lhasa and matriculated in Gyelrong House of Sera Me College of the Sera Monastic University (ser smad grwa tshang gi rgyal rong khang tshan) where he studied the texts of Abhisamayālaṃkāra, Madhyamaka, Abhidharmakośa, Pramāṇavārttika, and Vinaya, the five major subjects of the Geluk monastic curriculum.

Jangchub Namkha then enrolled in Gyuto College in Lhasa for studies in four classes of tantra (rgyud sde bzhi) according to the Geluk tradition, together with related rituals.

Upon completing his education there and obtaining Ngakrampa (sngags rams pa) title, he occupied the posts required for ascent to the Golden Throne, including abbot of the college, prior to being made Shartse Choje (shar rtse chos rje) at Ganden Shartse Monastery, one of two positions from which one ascended to the Golden Throne.

Traditionally, after completing one's education in tantra at Gyuto College, an aspirant to the Golden Throne must serve as disciplinarian (dge bskos) for four months, chant leader (bla ma dbu mdzad), the head of education, for three years, and finally abbot for three years at Gyuto. Some time after his retirement from the abbacy he is appointed Shartse Choje at Ganden Shartse and serves the post for fourteen years, after which he ascends to the Golden Throne. Those who study at Gyume follow a similar trajectory, becoming Jangtse Choje (byang rtse chos rje) at Ganden Jangtse; the Shartse and Jangtse Chojes alternate their occupancy of the Golden Throne.

In 1886, fire-dog year of the fifteenth sexagenary cycle, Jangchub Namkha ascended to the Golden Throne as the Eighty-third Ganden Tripa, serving for five years, until 1890. Alternate dates have him serving three years, from 1888 to 1890, and also six years, from 1889 to 1894.

The date of Jangchub Namkha's nirvana is not known. He was succeeded by Lobzang Tsultrim (blo bzang tshul khrims), the Eighty-fourth Ganden Tripa.

Samten Chhosphel earned his PhD from CIHTS in India where he served as the head of Publication Dept. for 26 years. He has a Master’s degree in Writing and Publishing from Emerson College, Boston. Currently he is an adjunct Assistant Professor at the City University of New York, and Language Associate in Columbia University, NY.

Published February 2011

参考书目

Grags pa 'byung gnas and Rgyal ba blo bzang mkhas grub. 1992. Gangs can mkhas grub rim byon ming mdzod. Lanzhou: Kan su'u mi rigs dpe skrun khang, p. 113.

Grong khyer lha sa srid gros lo rgyus rig gnas dpyad yig rgyu cha rtsom 'bri au yon lhan khang. 1994. Dga' ldan dgon pa dang brag yer pa'i lo rgyus, grong khyer lha sa'i lo rgyus rig gnas deb 02. Lhasa: Bod ljongs shin hwa par 'debs bzo grwa khang, p. 78.

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