The Sixty-Second Ganden Tripa, Lobzang Monlam

The Sixty-second Ganden Tripa, Lobzang Monlam (dga' ldan khri rabs 62 blo bzang smon lam) was born at a place called Tronang (pro snang) in Gyalmo Tsawarong (rgyal mo tsha ba rong) in Amdo, in 1729, the earth-bird year of the twelfth sexagenary cycle. The name of his father was Unisha (u Ni Sha) and his mother was called Dolma Tso (sgrol ma mtsho). He was admitted to Ganden Dropenling Monastery (dga' ldan 'gro phan gling dgon) in his youth and learned reading, writing, and memorization of prayer texts.

At the age of seventeen Lobzang Monlam travelled to U-Tsang and then enrolled in the Loseling College of the Drepung Monastic University ('bras spungs blo gsal gling grwa tshang) for further studies. There he studied logic and then Abhisamayālaṅkāra, Mādhyamaka, Abhidharmakośa, Pramāṇavārtika, and Vinaya, the five subjects of the Geshe curricula under the guidance of a number of eminent teachers in the monastery. In addition to the prescribed courses, he also studied the six Kadam treatises (bka' gdams gzhung drug), Lamrim and Lojong (lam rim and blo sbyong), under outstanding masters such as the First Purchok, Ngawang Jampa (phur bu lcog 01 ngag dbang byams pa, 1682-1762); Tsechokling Yongdzin Yeshe Gyeltsen (tshe mchog gling yongs 'dzin ye shes rgyal mtshan, 1713-1793); the Fifty-sixth Ganden Tripa, Lobzang Drime (dga' ldan khri pa 56 blo bzang dri med, b. 1683); and the Fifty-seventh Ganden Tripa, Samten Puntsok (dga' ldan khri pa 57 bsam gtan phun tshogs, 1703-1770). He also received empowerments, transmissions, and esoteric instructions on Yamāntaka, Cakrasaṃvara, and Guhyasamāja, the three major Geluk tantric deities.

Completing his studies at Drepung, Lobzang Monlam successfully stood for the traditional examination of Geshe Lharampa (dge bshes lha ram pa) at the Lhasa Monlam Chenmo, the annual prayer festival. At the age of forty Lobzang Monlam matriculated at Gyume College (rgyud smad grwa tshang) and successfully completed the prescribed courses in tantra after about three years, studying tantra and related rituals. At the age of forty-three he was appointed as the chant leader (bla ma dbu mdzad) and then abbot of Gyume, and, 1776 at the age of forty-eight, Lobzang Monlam was enthroned to the seat of abbot of the Ganden Jangtse Monastery.

In 1785, the year of wood-snake in the thirteenth sexagenary cycle, at the age of fifty-seven Lobzang Monlam was elevated to the Golden Throne of Ganden becoming the Sixty-second Ganden Tripa, the post that he served for seven years, until 1792. He built many statues and other objects of faith during his tenure in addition to the normal duties of teaching and leading religious activities. Upon his retirement in 1792 Lobzang Khechok (blo bzang mkhas mchog, 1736-1792) was appointed as his successor as the Sixty-third Ganden Tripa.

Lobzang Khechok passed away after only about six months at the post, and Trichen Lobzang Monlam returned to the office in 1793. He thus again served the office of Ganden Tripa for nearly two years, continuing to give teachings on both sutra and tantra, finally retiring in 1794.

At the age of seventy, in 1798, the earth-horse year of the thirteenth sexagenary cycle, Lobzang Monlam passed into nirvana. A reliquary stupa of enlightenment (byang chub mchod rten) made in silver was built and installed in Drepung Loseling Monastery.

Sources

Bstan pa bstan 'dzin. 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, pp. 100-101.

Grags pa 'byung gnas and Blo bzang mkhas grub. 1992. Gangs can mkhas grub rim byon ming mdzod. Lanzhou: Kan su'u mi rigs dpe skrun khang, pp. 1046-1047.

Grags pa mkhas grub. 1798. Khri thog drug cu re gnyis pa khri chen rgyal rong blo bzang smon lam gyi rnam thar in Dga' ldan khri rabs rnam thar, pp. 313-321 (TBRC digital page number); pp. ba 1-39b (original text page number).

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, p. 73.

Samten Chhosphel
January 2011