The Fifth Zamtsa Sertri, Kelzang Jigme Namkha

The Fifth Zamtsa Sertri, Kelzang Jigme Namkha (zam tsha gser khri 05 skal bzang 'jigs med nam mkha') was born at a place called Kotse in Amdo (mdo smad kho tshe) in 1875, the wood-pig year of the fifteenth sexagenary cycle. The names of his parents are not known. The Fourth Jamyang Zhepa Kelzang Tubten Wangchuk ('jam dbyangs bzhad pa 04 skal bzang thub bstan dbang phyug, 1856-1916) identified him as the reincarnation of the Fourth Zamtsa Sertri Jigme Samdrub Gyatso (zam tsha gser khri 04 'jigs med bsam grub rgya mtsho, 1833-1874), in 1881, on the full-moon day of the fourth month of the iron-snake year. (The Zamtsa Sertri line of incarnations originated with the Fifty-fifth Ganden Tripa Trichen Ngawang Namkha Zangpo; dga' ldan khri pa 55 khri chen Ngag dbang nam mkha' bzang po, 1690-1750). It can be assumed that soon after the identification he received the vows of primary and novice monks (rab byung and dge tshul) most probably from the Fourth Jamyang Zhepa.

At the age of twelve, in 1886, Kelzang Jigme Namkha matriculated at Labrang Tashikhyil under the guidance of the Fifth Hortsang Sertri Kelzang Pelden (hor tshang gser khri 05 skal bzang dpal ldan grags pa, d.1916). Geshe Dentruk-tsang (dge bshes 'dan phrug tshang, d.u.) served as tutor to the young tulku. At the age of twenty-one, in 1895, Kelzang Jigme Namkha was granted the vows of full ordination (dge slong) by the Hortsang Sertri, who guided him in education and practice.

Kelzang Jigme Namkha received many empowerments, initiation, transmissions, and esoteric instructions on many tantric deities, including Yamāntaka, from the Fourth Jamyang Zhepa. Unfortunately he passed into nirvana at the young age of twenty-five, in 1899, on the thirteenth day of the earth-pig year in fifteenth sexagenary cycle.

Kelzang Lungrik Gyatso (zam tsha 06 skal bzang lung rigs rgya mtsho 1901-1954) born in Ngulra area in the region of Upper Lingkar in Amdo (mdo smad gling dkar stod kyi sa cha dngul rwa) in 1901 was identified as his reincarnation, the Sixth Zamtsa Sertri, by the Fourth Jamyang Zhepa.

Sources

Bstan pa bstan 'dzin. 2003. Chos sde chen pod pel ldan 'bras spungs bkra shis sgo mang grwa tshang gi chos 'byung chos dung g.yas su 'khyil ba'i sgra dbyangs. Dpal ldan 'bras spungs bkra shis sgo mang dpe mdzod khang, pp. 343-344.

Skal bzang thogs med. 2005. Rje 'jam mgon rgyal ba gnyis pa'i lung rtogs kyi bstan pa rin po che'i srog shing dam pa dga' ldan khri thog nga lnga pa khri chen nam mkha' dpal bzang po'i 'khrungs rabs rim byon gyi rnam thar nyung ngur bkod pa rnyog ma bgrung bar byed pa'i snying nor. Lhasa: Mi rigs dpe skrun khang, pp. 202-206.

Samten Chhosphel
January 2011