The Treasury of Lives



The Fourth Rongwo Drubchen, Lobzang Chodrak Gyatso (rong bo grub chen 04 blo bzang chos grags rgya mtsho) was born in 1795, the wood-rabbit year of the thirteenth sexagenary cycle, in a place named Ralotang (ra lo thang) near Chubzang (chu bzang) Monastery. His father, Kelzang Namgyel (skal bzang rnam rgyal, d.u.) was the nephew of the Third Changkya Rolpai Dorje (lcang skya 03 rol pa’i rdo rje, 1717-1786), and his mother was named Wangmo Tso (dbang mo mtsho, d.u.).

While his mother was pregnant with him, she was told by Arik Geshe Chenmo (a rig dge bshe chen mo, d.u.) that she was carrying a bodhisattva and that she needed to take particular care.

At the age of twelve he received novice monastic vows from Tso Tritrul Lobzang Gyeltsen Sengge (gtsos khri sprul blo bzang rgyal mtshan seng ge, 1757-1849), the reincarnation of the Fifty-third Ganden Tripa, Gyeltsen Sengge, who gave him the name Lobzang Chodrak Gyatso. In the same year Lobzang Chodrak Gyatso was invited to Rongwo monastery, where he started his basic training and preliminary education in reading and memorization of daily prayers texts. He eventually took courses in Buddhist philosophy under the instructions of Sokpo Geshe Lobzang Tendzin (sog po dge bshes blo bzang bstan 'dzin, d.u.) and a lama named Gyabo (rgya bo).

At the age of twenty-three, he went on pilgrimage to U-Tsang. At Tashilhunpo Monastery he had an audience with the Seventh Paṇchen Lama, Tenpai Nyima (paN chen 04 bstan pa’i nyi ma, 1782-1853). In Lhasa he matriculated in the Jangtse college of Ganden monastic university (dga' ldan byang rtse grwa tshang) where he studied Madhyamaka and Prajñāpāramitā under the Ninth Jedrung Tatsak, Lobzang Tenpai Gyeltsen (rta tshag rje drung 09 blo bzang bstan pa'i rgyal mtshan, 1811-1848), and gained some renown for his skill in debate. When he turned twenty-six he received full ordination from the Paṇchen Lama.

At the age of twenty-eight Lobzang Chodrak Gyatso had an audience with the Tenth Dalai Lama, Tsultrim Gyatso (ta la'i bla ma 10 tshul khrims rgya mtsho, 1816- 1837) and met again with the Paṇchen Lama, after which he returned to Rongwo Monastery.

The following year he invited Tso Tritrul Lobzang Gyeltsen Sengge to Rongwo to consecrate a newly-built assembly hall named Tashi Gomang (bkra shis sgo mang), an offering room named Lhota (lho lta) and Mahākāla temple.

At the age of thirty-nine he was invited to consecrate a new temple for a Jowo image at Chubzang Monastery (chu bzang).

Lobzang Chodrak Gyatso spent the remainder of his life at Rongwo. He passed away in 1843, the water-rabbit year of the fourteenth sexagenary cycle.

Tsering Namgyal is a scholar in Xining.

Published June 2011

参考书目

'Jigs med dam chos rgya mtsho. 1997.Sku phreng bzhi pa blo bzang chos grags rgya mtsho. InShar skal ldan rgya mtsho'i skyes rabs rnam thar, pp. 304-315. Xining: mMtsho sngon mi rigs dpe skrun khang. TBRC W30432

Minyak mgon po. 1996.Gangs can mkhas dbang rim byon gyi rnam thar mdor bsdus, Beijing: Krung go'i bod kyi shes rig dpe skrun khang.

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