The Fourth Chaktsa, Kunzang Pema Trinle

The Fourth Chaktsa Tulku, Kunzang Pema Trinle (phyag tsha 04, kun bzang pad+ma phrin las) was born near Getse Tralek Monastery (dge rtse bkra legs dgon), the home base for preceding two Chaktsa lamas, in the late nineteenth or early twentieth centuries. The Third Katok Situ Chokyi Gyatso (kaH thog si tu 03 chos kyi rgya mtsho, 1880-1925) identified the child as the reincarnation of the Third Chaktsa Tulku, Kunzang Jampa Sengge (phyag tsha 03 kun bzang byams pa seng ge, d.u.) and invited him to Katok for his enthronement and naming ceremonies.

His primary lamas were Katok Situ Chokyi Gyatso, Ngawang Pelzang (ngag dbang dpal bzang, 1879-1941), Deshul Lama ('das shul bla ma, d.u.), and Pema Gyeltsen (kaH thog rje dbon pad+ma rgyal mtshan, d.u.).

This Chaktsa Tulku improved Getse Tralek Monastery by establishing both a Buddhist academy and a retreat center, and reforming the community's monastic discipline. Ngawang Pelzang was the inaugural first master of studies at the academy and in his Autobiography notes that while he was there in the early 1920s he also gave the initiations and transmissions for the Rinchen Terdzo. Chaktsa frequently visited Katok Monastery and exchanged teachings and transmission of rare teachings with lamas including the Third Getse Gyurme Tenpa Namgyel (dge rtse 03 gyur med bstan pa rnam rgyal, 1886-1952) and Khenchen Lekshe Jorden (mkhan chen legs bshad 'byor ldan).

Source

'Jam dbyangs rgyal mtshan. 1996. Rgyal ba kaH thog pa’i lo rgyus mdor bsdus. Si khron mi rigs dpe skrun khang, p. 131.

Samten Chosphel
December 2011