Lhodrak Gyelse Zangpo

Lhodrak Gyaltse Zangpo (lho brag rgyal sras bzang po) was born into the Shupu (shud phu) clan in Lhodrak the late thirteenth or early fourteenth century. He took preliminary vows with Lhodrak Sengge Zangpo (lho brag seng ge bzang po, d.u.) at the age of ten and began his monastic education. Sengge Zangpo gave him teaching in Lamrim, one of the central teachings of the Kadam tradition, including the teachings of Mahānaruṇā.

Gyaltse Zangpo studied with a number of Kadam lamas of his day, including Tsonawa Sherab Zangpo (mtsho sna ba shes rab bzang po, d.u.) and Mondrapa Tsultrim Tashi (mon gra pa tshul khrims bkra shis, d.u.), who is counted as the twenty-first holder of the Lamrim teachings (lam rim bla brgyud bla rabs).

At Drowa Gon (sgro ba dgon), the monastic seat of the Shubu clan in Lhodrak, he engaged in study of the Vinaya and in installed religious objects in the temples.

Lhodrak Gyaltse Zangpo is counted as the thirtieth holder of the Lamrim teachings.

Among his disciples were Drubchen Namkha Gyeltsen (grub chen nam mkha' rgyal mtshan, 1326-1401), who is counted as the thirty-first holder of the Lamrim teachings.

Sources

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, pp. 1882-1883.

Yongs 'dzin ye shes rgyal mtshan. 1980. 'Dul ba'i sde snod kun 'dzin thag mar pa'i rnam thar. In Lam rim bla ma brgyud pa'i rnam thar, vol. 1, pp. 408-409. 'Bar khams: Rnga khul bod yig rtsom sgyur cus. Also published in Lam rim bla ma brgyud pa'i rnam thar, vol. 1, pp. 302-303. Lhasa: Bod ljongs mi dmangs dpe skrun khang.

Alexander Gardner
September 2010