Jigme Tenpai Gonpo

The Seventh Pakpa Lha, Jigme Tenpai Gonpo ('phags pa lha 07 'jigs med bstan pa'i mgon po) was born in 1755, the wood-pig year of the thirteenth sexagenary cycle, in Powor Gang (spo 'bor sgang), a place near Litang Tubchen Jampel Ling monastery (li thang thub chen byams pa gling) in Kham.  His father Aten Gonpo (a brtan mgon po) belonged to a noble family with a long history, and his mother Dolma-phel (sgrol ma 'phel) was a close relative of the Seventh Dalai Lama, Kelsang Gyatso (ta la'i bla ma 07 rgyal ba bskal bzang rgya mtsho, 1670-1757) (his mother was the daughter of the Dalai Lama's mother's brother). As an infant he was recognized as the reincarnation of the Sixth Pakpa Lha, Jigme Tenpai Gyatso ('phags pa lha 06 'jigs med bstan pa'i rgya mtsho, 1714-1754), an identification that was investigated through divination and confirmed by the Seventh Dalai Lama and the Third Panchen Lobzang Pelden Yeshe (paN chen bla ma 03 blo bzang pel ldan ye shes, 1738-1780).

In 1762, at the age of five the boy was enthroned on the abbot's seat of Chamdo Jampel Ling Monastery under the guidance of the Fourth Zhiwa Lha, Pakpa Gelek Gyeltsen ('phags pa dge legs rgyal mtshan 1720-1799), and the twenty-second and current abbot of the monastery. At the age of eight he travelled to Lhasa and attended the coronation ceremony of the Eighth Dalai Lama, Jamphel Gyatso (ta la'i bla ma 08 'jam dpal rgya mtsho, 1758-1804) and made significant offering. He also made offerings to the Third Panchen Lama  from whom he recived empowerments on Yamantaka, and the union of Amitayus and Hayagriva. The Panchen Lama administered a series of vows, including that of the novice monk, giving him the name Yeshi Jigme Pelden Tenpai Gonpo (ye shes 'jigs med dpal ldan bstan pa'i mgon po).

Jigme Tenpai Gonpo returned to Chamdo where he began his basic education, consisting of reading and writing, memorization of daily prayers and root verses of fundamental philosophical texts, and rituals. Gradually he commenced his regular study in logic and primary topics of traditional philosophy under the tutorship of Geshe Pakpa Samten (dge shes 'phags pa bsam gtan).

In 1771 Jigme Tenpai Gonpo returned to U and Tsang for further studies in Sera Monastic. He was admitted in the Khainyan House (mkhas snyan grwa tshang) of the Sera Je College of Sera Monastic University and remained there for about five years, training in the traditional philosophical texts including Madhyamaka and Prajnaparmita. While there, in 1774, he received his full ordination from the Panchen Lama. Together with a number of high lamas, including the Eighth Dalai Lama, The Panchen Lama gave him teachings and initiations on the Twenty-One Taras and so forth. He also later received from him many teachings, empowerments, initiations, and important esoteric instructions.

Jigme Tenpai Gonpo returned to Chamdo and took the formal charge of Jampel Ling Monastery in 1776. He reviewed and reformed the codes of conduct and discipline in the monastery and also reviewed the terms of conduct and administration of over one hundred subordinate monasteries in the Kham region, mostly concentrated in Chamdo, Drayab, Pagshod, Shopado, Sang-ngag Choling, and Powo. He demolished the old palace of the abbatial estate and rebuilt it significantly larger, now a five-storey building with six hundred pillars. The new palace was completed in two years with beautiful wall paintings and statues, including a large Maitreya. When the Third Panchen Lama passed through the region on his way to China Jigme Tenpai Gonpo went to meet him and helped him make arrangements for the voyage, receiving from him teachings and empowerments.

In 1791 Jigme Tenpai Gonpo travelled to Lhasa and built a new temple dedicated to prayers for the Qing Qianlong Emperor in Beijing who had reached the age of eighty. He met the Eighth Tatsag Lama, Tenpai Gonpo (rta tshag 08 bstan pa'i mgon po, 1760-1810) and congratulated him for his appointment to the office of regent of Tibet. Jigme Tenpai Gonpo was rewarded with a bronze seal and felicitation with the title Namenhan (那門漢), a title derived from the Mongolian nomon/nomun han/khan, meaning "king of dharma," which was also enjoyed by his predecessor.

Jigme Tenpai Gonpo passed away in 1794, in the wood-tiger year of the thirteenth sexagenary cycle, at the age of forty, having served as abbot of Chamdo Jampel Ling Monastery for nineteen years. Traditional rites and rituals were done extensively throughout the region under the direction of the Fourth Zhiwa Lha. Lobzang Dorje (blo bzang rdo rje), the personal manager of the late Pakpa Lha assisted Zhiwa Lha. Offerings in large quantity and prayers were also made in Lhasa and the monasteries in U and Tsang as part of the commemoration.

According to the biographies a number of relics were found in the ashes of his cremation, which were collected and cleaned and grinded into fine power that was mixed with medicinal-herbal power and clay. The mixture was used for making statues of the thirty-five Buddhas of Confession and various bodhisattvas. Other remains from the ashes and the statues were put in a golden reliquary. The personal manager of the late abbot was proud to compare the new reliquary with the reliquary of the Fifth Pakpa Lha in quality and size too. The Third Kondor Tulku Lobzang Chokle Namgyel (dkon rdor sprul sku 03 blo bzang phyogs las rnam rgyal, 1762-1829) became his successor on the abbatial seat at Jampel Ling Monastery.

Sources

Anonymous. 1986. Bod kyi lo rgyus rig gnas dpyad gzhi'i rgyu cha gdams bsgrigs. Beijing: Mi rigs dpe skrun khang. Vol. 9, pp. 69-149

Byams pa chos grags. N.d. Chab mdo byams pa gling gi gdan rabs. Chamdo: Chab mdo par 'debs bzo grwa par btab, pp. 353-361, 520-21

Samten Chhosphel
June 2010