The Forty-Second Ganden Tripa, Lobzang Donyo

The Forty-second Ganden Tripa, Lobzang Donyo (dga' ldan khri pa 42 blo bzang don yod) was born in a poor family in Zhokdrampu in Penpo ('phen yul zhogs gram phu) in 1602, the water-tiger year of the tenth sexagenary cycle.

Lobzang Donyo was ordained at a young age and matriculated in the Seraje College of Sera Monastic University. Lobzang Donyo began his studies with the course in logic and then studied Abhisamayālaṅkāra, Mādhyamaka, Abhidharmakośa, Pramāṇavārttika and Vinaya, the major subjects of the Geshe courses of studies, and became a recognized scholar specializing in logic and dialectical subjects. After completing his studies in Sera Monastery, he joined Gyume College where he studied advanced tantra, covering the four sections of tantra according to the Geluk doxography, with rites and rituals of tantric practice according to the Gyume tradition. He gave teachings to many monk students thereafter, subsequently serving as an educator at Gyume College and later Jangtse College of Ganden Monastic University.

In 1668, the earth-monkey year of the eleventh sexagenary cycle, Lobzang Donyo was enthroned as the Forty-second Ganden Tripa. He served the Tripa-chair for seven years, until 1675, giving teachings and leading religious programs, including the teachings during the annual Great Prayer Festival of Lhasa, the Lhasa Monlam Chenmo, attended by the monks of the three Geluk seats, Ganden, Drepung, and Sera monasteries. The Prayer Festival is also called Chodrul Monlam Chenmo (cho 'phrul smon lam chen mo) as it is held in the Chodrul month, the first month of the Tibetan year. Examinations for the highest rank of geshes, “Geshe Lharampa,” were also held during this festival. Thus it was one of the major duties of Ganden Tripas to lead this annual religious festival in Lhasa.

After his retirement from the Golden Throne of Ganden, Trichen Lobzang Donyo served as the abbot of Reting (rwa sgreng) and Rinchenling (rin chen gling) monasteries where he taught the monks until his death, at the age of seventy seven in 1678, the earth-horse year of the eleventh sexagenary cycle. A stupa of enlightenment (byang chub mchod rten) manufactured in silver and ornamented with various precious gems was installed in Ganden as a reliquary.

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. 1066-1067.

Gomang Khenzur Geshe Tenpa Tenzin. 1992. 'Jam mgon rgyal wa'i rgyal tshab gser khri rim byon rnams kyi khri rabs yongs 'du'i ljon bzang. Mundgod: Drepung Gomang Library, p. 84.

Grong khyer lha sa srid gros lo rgyus rig gnas dpyad yig rgyu cha rtsom 'bri au yon lhan khang. 1994. Dga' ldan dgon pa dang brag yer pa'i lo rgyus, grong khyer lha sa'i lo rgyus rig gnas deb 02. Lhasa: Bod ljongs shin hwa par 'debs bzo grwa khang, pp. 68.

Sde srid sangs rgyas rgya mtsho. 1989 (1698). Dga' ldan chos 'byung baiDU r+ya ser po. Beijing: Krung go bod kyi shes rig dpe skrun khang, p. 92.

Samten Chhosphel
December 2010