Riwoche Jedrung 05 Rinchen Lekdrub

The fifth Riwoche Jedrung Rinchen Lekdrub (ri bo che 05 rje drung rin chen legs grub) was born in 1745, in Pashodrak Druka (dpa' shod brag gru kha). Pakchok Rinpoche Tashi Drakpa Gyaltsan ('phags mchog rin po che bkra shis grags pa rgyal mtshan, 1724-1785) recognized him as the rebirth of Jedrung Drakpa Rinchen Sherab (rje drung grags pa rin chen shes rab, 1715-1743).

When Rinchen Lekdrub was thirteen, in 1757, he was brought to Riwoche for education. Pakchok Rinpoche ordained him and gave him the transmissions and empowerments of the Taklung Kagyu tradition. He was said to have been exceedingly intelligent and an excellent painter.

Rinchen Lekdrub served as abbot of Yanggon Monastery (yang dgon), a branch of Riwoche, for many years, through to 1804. That year the monastery split into opposing factions and Rinchen Lekdrub was forced to leave, at the age of sixty, and he installed his disciple, Pakchok Yishi Wangpo ('phags mchog yid bzhin dbang po, d.u.) on the throne of Yanggon. Rinchen Lekdrub went to a hermitage, Drukpaka ('brug pa kha), where he meditated for the remainder of his life. He passed away in 1829.

Sources

Ngag dbang bstan pa'i nyi ma. 1830. Stag lung pa'i chos srid kyi byung tshul. Unpublished manuscript.

Alexander Gardner
November 2009