The Treasury of Lives

A Geluk incarnation line dating from the fifteenth century with its seat at Chamdo Jampa Ling in Chamdo. The Chakra tulkus are said to be emanations of Vajrapāṇi. The First Chakra Tulku Sanggye Peljor was the nephew and disciple of the First Pakpa Lha, whom he assisted in establishing numerous monasteries across Southeastern Tibet.

Timeline

Biographies

The First Chakra Tulku, Drubtob Sanggye Peljor was a Geluk lama of the second half of the fifteenth and first quarter of sixteenth centuries based in Chamdo in eastern Tibet. He was nephew and disciple of the First Pakpa Lha, whom he assisted in establishing numerous monasteries across southeastern Tibet. The Chakra Tulkus are said to be emanations of Vajrapāṇi.

The Second Chakra Tulku, Choje Ngawang, was a disciple of the Second Pakpa Lha. He was well honored throughout Kham and he served as the abbot of several monasteries.

The Third Chakra Tulku, Ngawang Chojor Zangpo, was a disciple of the Third Pakpa Lha Tongwa Donden. He lived only to the age of twelve.

The Fourth Chakra Tulku, Ngawang Trinle Zangpo was the younger brother of the Fourth Pakpa Lha. He received teachings from high lamas including the Second Zhiwa Lha and the Fourth Paṇchen Lama, who also granted him full ordination. He served as the seventeenth abbot of Chamdo Jampa Ling for two years, where he trained the Fifth Pakpa Lha, and also served as abbot of many other monasteries in Kham, including Chakra.

The Fifth Chakra Tulku, Ngawang Tendzin Lhundrub was the twentieth abbot of Chamdo Jampa Ling. He studied in Drepung Monastery and received teachings from lamas including the Fifth Pakpa Lha the Fifth Dalai Lama, and the First Jamyang Zhepa, and received ordination from the Fifth Paṇchen Lama. He trained the Sixth Pakpa Lha and, while abbot of Jampa Ling, commissioned statues, a silver and gold edition of the Buddhist cannon, and various religious objects.

Ngawang Trinle Pelzang, the Sixth Chakra Tulku, studied in Sera Monastery. He was awarded the title of "hutuktu" and seal from the Seventh Dalai Lama and Chinese Emperor. He served as abbot of Den Chokhor Monastery and he merged Chakra Monastery with Chamdo Jampa Ling.

The Seventh Chakra Tulku, Ngawang Pelden Gyeltsen Chokyi Wangchuk, was a disciple of the Fourth Zhiwa Lha and the Third Kondor Tulku, both abbots of Chamdo Jampa Ling Monastery. He studied at Sera Monastery near Lhasa and also received many teachings from the Eighth Dalai Lama.

The Eighth Chakra Tulku, Ngawang Tenpai Jungne Trinle Chokyi Gyeltsen was, unlike his predecessors, a tantric practitioner said to possess some sort of clairvoyance and mystic power; he was said to have predicted the destruction of Chamdo by fire in the year 1912. He acted as the Political Director of Chamdo while the Tenth Pakpa Lha was too young for the position. The Chakra Tulkus are considered incarnations of Vajrapāṇi.

The Ninth Chakra Tulku, Lobzang Trinle Namgyel, who lived for a short time only, was educated at Chamdo Jampa Ling, the seat of his predecessors.

The Tenth Chakra Tulku, Jampel Kelzang Jigme Chokyi Gyeltsen, born in Kham and identified by the Third Trijang Rinpoche. He died at the age of sixteen while studying in Chamdo.