The Ninth Taklung Tripa, Tashi Peltsek

The Ninth Taklung Tripa, Tashi Peltsek (stag lung khri pa 09 bkra shis dpal brtsegs) was born in 1359. His father was Kunga Shenyen (kun dga' bshes gnyen) and his mother was Jampel Kyi ('jam dpal skyid). As a child he was blessed by the Dharmasvamin Ratnakara (d.u.). At age six he studied reading and writing with Gompa Rinshom (sgom pa rin gzon, d.u.) and learned sutra and tantra in the Kagyu tradition from Rinchen Pelwa (rin chen dpal ba, d.u.) starting at age eleven, particularly the Cakrasaṃvara, Kālacakra, and Hevajra, the last of which became one of his specialties.

At the age of seventeen he took preliminary ordination with the Eighth abbot of Taklung, Namkha Pelzang (stag lung khri 08 nam mkha' dpal bzang, 1333-1379), who gave him the name of Tashi Peltsek Nyimai Wangpo Sungwai Gocha (bkra shis dpal brtsegs nyi ma'i dbang po bsrung ba'i go cha). His education continued, receiving teachings on the Naro Chodruk (na ro chos brug) and the complete Kagyu teachings held by Namkha Pelzang, as well as Cho and Lamdre teachings.

The following year Namkha Pelzang passed the abbacy of Taklung to the eighteen year old Tashi Peltsek, despite still not having received full monastic ordination. Two years later he went to Lhasa where he met with Tselpa Situ Kunga Dorje (tshal pa si tu kun dga' rdo rje, 1309-1364) and the Pakmodrupa governor, Drakap (grags pa), who arranged a grand reception for him. There, at Raka Drak (ra ka brag), he took final ordination with Lochen Jangchub Tsemo (lo chen byang chub rtse mo, 1303-1380), who taught him Kālacakra and Cakrasaṃvara according to the Krishnaya tradition, among other teachings. Also participating in his ordination were Lotsawa Drakpa Gyeltsen (lo tsA ba grags pa rgyal mtshan, d.u), who taught him a number of tantric cycles mostly relating to the Kālacakra and Guhyasamāja, further illustrating Tashi Peltsek's ecumenical collection of lineages and teachings.

In 1379 Namkha Pelzang passed away, and Tashi Peltsek oversaw the funeral rites. Soon he became enmeshed in the wars between the former Sakya myriarchies which had fallen to Tai Situ Janchub Gyeltsen (ta'i si tu byang chub rgyal mtshan 1302-1364) of the nascent Pakmodru Dynasty. In 1380 it would seem that a Drigung leader, Jongji Sonam Rinchen (jong ji bsod nams rin chen, d.u.) attacked Khartsewa (mkhar rtse ba), a fort in Penyul, and Tashi Peltsek tried to mediate a cease to hostilities. He later repeated his attempts to mediate between Jongji and his victims, in this case unsuccessfully on behalf of the people of Rongpo who had been levied with severe fines.

Tashi Peltsek sat a four year retreat at some point during his long life, but otherwise was extremely active, both at Taklung and across Tibet. He made a number of expansive offerings to monasteries in U and Tsang, such as statues, tea, garments, and butter lamps. He became quite famous, and yet seems to have continued to receive teachings from other masters well into his career. He received teachings on Nairatma and Nigu Chodruk (ni gu chos drug) from the Sakya master Tekchen Choje Kunga Tashi (theg chen chos rje kun dga' bkra shis, 1349-1425), whom he met at the Kadampa monastery of Reting (rwa sgrengs).

In addition to extensive pilgrimages, it would seem that Tashi Peltsek was an active missionary. The natives of Menshang (men zhang), a region in Ngari, sent gifts and expressed their faith in the Kagyu tradition, which had made inroads there some fifty years earlier. The Menzang had earlier been dissuaded from a practice of sacrificing human beings as part of funeral services, but had returned to the custom, which they referred to as a “fire wheel” (me 'khor). Tashi Peltsek was able to secure from them an oath to cease the custom.

Tashi Peltsek oversaw the funeral of Chennga Sonam Zangpo (1380-1416), the abbot of Densatil (gdan sa thil) from 1403 to his death in 1416, and installed his successor, Chennga Sonam Gyeltsen (spyan snga bsod nams rgyal mtshan, d.u.).

In the last year of his life Tashi Peltsek received the title of guoshi (國史, national preceptor) from the Yongle Emperor (r. 1402-1424), as well as a number of gifts. Suffering from paralysis, he appointed Taklung Zhamar Jangchub Gyatso (stag lung zhwa dmar byang chub rgya mtsho, 1403-1448) to the abbacy of Taklung. He passed away in 1424 at the age of sixty-six.

Sources

Roerich, George, trans. 1996. The Blue Annals. 2nd ed. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidas, pp. 638.

Gtsug lag 'phreng ba. 1980. Chos 'byung mkhas pa'i dga' ston. New Delhi: Karmapae Chodhey Gyelwae Sungrab Partun Khang, vol, pp. 855.6-

van der Kuijp, Leonard W. J. 2000. “On the Fifteenth Century Lho rong chos 'byung by Rta tshag Tshe dbang rgyal and Its Importance for Tibetan Political and Religious History.” In Aspects of Tibetan History edited by R. Vitali and T. Tsering. Special issue, Lungta 14: 57-76, p. 66.

Alexander Gardner
November 2009