The Second Chakra Tulku, Choje Ngawang

The Second Chakra Tulku, Choje Ngawang (lcags ra sprul sku 02 chos rje ngag dbang), was born in 1525, the wood-bird year of the ninth sexagenary cycle, in Kongpo. His birth as the reincarnation of the First Chakra Tulku, Sanggye Peljor (lcags ra sprul sku 01 grub thob sangs rgyas dpal 'byor, 1449-1523) was said to have been prophesized to the Second Pakpa Lha, Sanggye Pel ('phags pa Lha 02 sangs rgyas dpal, 1507-1566) by Jangsem Lodro Wozser (byang sems blo gros 'od zer).

Choje Ngawang studied with Sanggye Pel, who imparted him the complete textual and oral teachings, transmissions, empowerments, initiations, general and esoteric instructions, and rituals in accordance with their tradition. He thereby became an accomplished scholar and was known for possessing such tantric power that local people secretly whispered, “He is the living Vajrapāṇi," lending weight to the belief that the Chakra Tulku incarnation line was an emanation of Vajrapāṇi.

Sanggye Pel sent Choje Ngawang to the region of Naksho in Kham as his representative to perform religious activities. In 1550 he He travelled to Chamdo Jampel Ling together with Sanggye Pel when he was invited by Jedrung Ngakrampa Gendun Tashi (rje drung sngags ram pa dge 'dun bkra shis, 1486-1557), the Eighth abbot of that monastery. There, at the age of twenty six, Choje Ngawang was granted full ordination by the Pakpa Lha and Jedrung Ngakrampa.

Later Choje Ngawang became the abbot of several monasteries in southern Kham, including Lho Chotritang (lho chos khri thang), Powo Chudho (spo bo chu mdo), Sumdzong (sum rdzong), and Chakta Dazhing (lcags rta mda' zhing), where he gave extensive teachings and empowerments and performed various religious rituals.

Following the death of Sanggye Pel, Choje Ngawang organized an extensive nirvana-prayer. He invited the reincarnation of his lama, the Third Pakpa Lha, Tongwa Donden ('phags pa Lha 03 mthong ba don ldan 1567-1604) to Powo Chudho several times and made copious offerings each time. He also made many gold statues in the memory of his late lama, Sanggye Pel, that were consecrated by Tongwa Donden.

Among the statues he commissioned were statues of the Buddha and of the Second Dalai Lama, Gendun Gyatso (ta la'i bla ma 02 rje dge 'dun rgya mtsho, 1475-1542) that were later installed in the lama residence of Lho Chotritang Monastery; a statue of Sanggye Pel that was installed in the Common Hall of the Powo Chudo Monastery; a statue of Heruka that was installed in the lama residence of Pende Monastery (phan bde gzims khang); a statue of Guhyasamāja that was installed in the Gyume Tantric Monastery (rgyud smad grwa tshang), and the statue of Yamāntaka was said to be installed in the Ngakpa House of Drepung Monastery ('bras spungs sngags pa grwa tshang).

Choje Ngawang passed away in 1591, at the age of sixty-seven, in the iron-hare year of the tenth sexagenary cycle. The Second Zhiwa Lha, Sanggye Jungne (zhi ba lha 02 sangs rgyas 'byung gnas, 1543-1620), who was the fifteenth abbot of Chamdo Jampel Ling, organized the nirvana-prayer and made extensive offerings in his honor. Sanggye Jungne also sponsored the construction of a large golden statue of Amitāyus to house his relics, and installed it in Sumzong Monastery (sum rdzong dgon).

Source

Byams pa chos grags. N.d. Chab mdo byams pa gling gi gdan rabs. Chamdo: Chab mdo par 'debs bzo grwa par btab, pp. 283-285.

Samten Chhosphel
July 2010