Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen

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Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen (Tibetan: སྤྲུལ་སྐུ་གྲགས་པ་རྒྱལ་མཚན, Wylie: sprul sku grags pa rgyal mtshan ) (1619–1656) was an important Gelugpa lama and a contemporary of the Fifth Dalai Lama (1617–1682). His Seat was the upper residence (gzims khang gong ma) of Drepung monastery (wylie: 'bras spungs dgon), a famous Gelugpa monastery located near Lhasa.[1][2]

Incarnation Lineage

Dragpa Gyaltsen is usually considered to be the 4th incarnation of Panchen Sonam Dragpa (wylie: Pan-chen bSod-nams grags-pa), who was the 15th Gaden Tripa.[3] Some say he has been the second reincarnation of Sönam Drakpa, who, before his death in 1554, had established his own estate, the Upper Chamber (Zimkhang Gongma), which was named because of its location at the top of Drepung, just below the Ngakpa debating courtyard.[4]

According to Lindsay G. McCune the "Gelukpa authorities" agreed that he was the incarnation of Sönam Gelek Pelzang (1594–1615), the fourth incarnation, or trülku, in the Drepung Zimkhang Gong ma line.[5]

His short "incarnation lineage"[6] includes:[7]

0. Buton Rinchen Drub (1291–1364) - Seat: zhwa lu dgon monastery/Shalu monastery[8][9]
1. Panchen Sonam Dragpa (1478–1554)[10][11]
2. Sonam Yeshe Wangpo (1556–1592) - Seat: Drepung monastery[12]
3. Sonam Gelek Palzang (1594–1615) - Seat: Drepung monastery[13]
4. Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen (1619–1656) - Seat: Drepung monastery[14]

Drakpa Gyaltsen (1619–1656) was born at Ge Khasa in Tolung in 1619 to his mother Lak Agyal and father Namsey Norbu. The Fifth Dalai Lama was asked to write a prayer to Dragpa Gyaltsen mentioning his previous lifetimes. "His chamberlain, Sonam Chöpel, who when he became involved in politics became known as Sonam Rabten, objected ... and he created disturbances ... saying that [the] prayer ... was wrong. This stirring of conflict and division made it so that the fifth Dalai Lama did not compose [this] prayer."[15]

Tibetan historian Samten Karmay writes that after the death of Dragpa Gyaltsen the search for his reincarnation was banned. Thus the Drepung Zimkhang Gong ma line ended and the estate founded by Panchen Sönam Dragpa (also called Dakpa) in 1554 at the Upper Chamber of Drepung ceased to exist in 1656. Later on he (Dragpa Gyaltsen) appeared as Dorje Shugden.

Rivalry, Murder and Reincarnation

Tibetan historian Samten Karmay writes "It should be recalled that he had been one of the candidates for the reincarnation of the Fourth Dalai Lama. As a result, he was always seen as a rival of the Fifth Dalai Lama though he invariably proclaimed himself a disciple of the latter. He came to be despised by a number of officials and especially the sDe-srid."[16]

It is rumoured that, because Dragpa Gyaltsen's fame rivaled that of the Fifth Dalai Lama, Sonam Chöpel and some of the Dalai Lama's other attendants became extremely jealous and later murdered Dragpa Gyltsen.[17]

Tibetan historian Samten Karmay further writes "The circumstances of his death, whether natural or not, were contested and part of the dGe-lugs-pa school believed that the official Norbu, acting under the sDe-srid's orders had assassinated him. Whatever the truth, the search for his reincarnation was banned, which suggests that the affair must have been quite serious indeed. In 1658, the actual building of the 'Upper Chamber' was destroyed and the stupa containing the remains of the Lama was supposedly thrown into the sKyid-chu river. It was then believed that the spirit of Grags-pa rgyal-mtshan had returned as a sort of 'protector of the Buddhist religion'."[16]

After he reappeared as Dorje Shugden, the Fifth Dalai Lama was frightened and requested various lamas to perform an exorcism:

"Because of the manipulations of Lag Agyal (the mother) of Gekhasa, the false reincarnation of Tulku Sonam Geleg Palsang (Tulku Dakpa Gyaltsen) got his way (and was installed as the successful candidate). However, because of distorted prayers he became a perfidious spirit and brought serious harm to sentient beings. Therefore, a total of seven groups of practitioners led by (Pema Trinley) Rinpoche of Dorje Drag, Choegyal Terdag Lingpa, Choeje Vugja Lungpa, Ngari Ngagchang Konchok Lhundup, Palri Tulku and two groups of practitioners of Phende Legshe Ling (Namgyal Dratsang) performed a ritual fire offering and burnt the interfering spirit."[18]

This exorcism was unsuccessful, and so the Dalai Lama realized Dorje Shugden to be a holy being, wrote one of the first prayers to him, built a temple to him called Trode Khangsar, and made a statue of him with his own hands.[19]

Selected information from different sources

One of his disciples, the Mongolian Buddhist monk Jaya Pandita Lozang Trinle (Jaya Pandita blo bzang 'phrin las, 1642-1708)[20] is said to have mentioned in his Collected Works several of the prophesies of Drakpa Gyeltsen, and his rnam thar was preserved in Mongolian Jaya Pandita's works. The latter was an important master at the time when much of the profound knowledge of Buddhism and the Gelug in particular was being imported into Mongolia.[21]

Lobsang Tamdin’s be bum extracted the biographies (rnam thar) of Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen and his reincarnation lineage into a work called sprul sku grags pa rgyal mtshan gyi sngon byung ‘khrungs rabs dang bcas pa'i rnam thar (dza ya pandi ta blo bzang 'phrin las kyi gsan yig nas zur du bkod pa bzhugs so). The originals can also be found directly in the catalog of received teachings (thob yig) of Jaya Pandita published by Lokesh Chandra, International Academy of Indian Culture (1981, vol. 4, folios 43-60). This contains the list of the long incarnation lineage of Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen, with brief biographies. The biography of Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen himself contains a year by year account of his life.

In his introduction to the be bum, Lobsang Tamdin writes that Dorje Shugden is a magical emanation of Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen’s three enlightened secrets (gsang gsum).

A relevant entry is found in Sumpa Khenpo’s Chronology of Tibet for the Wood Sheep year (1655–1656), preceded by a symbol that denotes an entry for a person’s birth:6 “The Kangxi Emperor [is born and] becomes famous as the reincarnation of Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen.”[22][23]

Further reading

Literature

  • Autobiography of the First Panchen Lama (1567–1622) Panchen Lozang Chökyi Gyeltsen (Chos smra ba'i dge slong blo bzang chos kyi rgyal mtshan gyi sphyod tshul gsal bar ston pa nor bu'i phreng ba zhes bya ba zhugs so)
  • The Vaidurya Serpo (Dga' ldan chos byung vai durya ser po), Desi Sangye Gyamtso's (1653–1705) history of the Gandenpa tradition
  • Dungkar's Encyclopedia (dung dkar tshig mdzod chen mo) by Dungkar Lozang Trinle (1927–1997)
  • Treasury of Names (Ming dzod) by Koshül Drakpa Chungne (born 20th century) and Gyelwa Lozang Khedrup (born 20th century)
  • Ngawang Lozang Gyamtso's Autobiography of the Fifth Dalai Lama (za hor gyi ban de ngag dbang blo bzang rgya mtsho'i 'di snang 'khrul ba'i rol rtsed rtogs brjod kyi tshul du bkod pa du lu la' gos bzang)
  • Ngawang Lozang Gyamtso's Spontaneous Achievement of the Four Enlightened Activities: [Rites of] realization, offerings, expiation, praises, feasts, and so forth for the ocean of loyal dharma protectors who possess unhindered strength and power (Thogs med drag rtsal nus stobs ldan pa'i dam can chos srung rgya mtsho'i mngon rtogs mchod 'bul bskyang bshags bstod tsogs sogs 'phrin las rnam zhi lhun drub ces bya ba bzhugs so)
  • Sumpa Khenpo Yeshe Peljor's (1704–1788) Chronological Table (Dpag bsam ljon bzang)

Notes

  1. ↑ TBRC
  2. ↑ TBRC
  3. ↑ Brief History of Ganden Monastery
  4. ↑ Drepung: An Introduction by Georges Dreyfus (April 10, 2006)
  5. ↑ Tales of Intrigue from Tibet's Holy City: The Historical Underpinnings of a Modern Buddhist Crisis / Thesis by Lindsay G. McCune, Introduction, p.2 The Florida State University College of Arts and Sciences]
  6. ↑ A small explanation for the Lineages
  7. ↑ E. Gene Smith ; edited by Kurtis R. Schaeffer, "Among Tibetan Texts: history and literature of the Himalayan Plateau", page 129 Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2001
  8. ↑ bu ston rin chen grub TBRC P155
  9. ↑
  10. ↑ paN chen bsod nams grags pa (gzims khang gong ma 01) TBRC P101
  11. ↑ A Brief History: Drepung Loseling College:"Panchen Sonam Dakpa (1478–1554) became one of the main disciples of the Second Dalai Lama Gedun Gyatso (1476–1542). As directed by the Second Dalai Lama, Panchen Sonam Dakpa became the Loseling abbot and taught there for about six years. He took a great responsibility for its academic activities and administrations. For the benefit of all beings, he bestowed upasaka vows to the Third Dalai Lama and named him Sonam Gyatso Pel Sangpo. Panchen Sonam Dakpa wrote fourteen volumes of treatises on the five major Buddhist texts for the benefit and promotion of the teachings of the Buddha in general and the Yellow Hat tradition in particular. Even today these commentaries are being used as the main textbooks in the Loseling College, the Shartse College of the Gaden Monastic University, in many monasteries of Kham and Amdo provinces of Tibet as well as in some monasteries in Mongolia."
  12. ↑ bsod nams ye shes dbang po (gzims khang gong ma 02) TBRC P1000
  13. ↑ bsod nams dge legs dpal bzang (gzims khang gong ma 03) TBRC P5585
  14. ↑ grags pa rgyal mtshan (gzims khang gong ma 04) TBRC P1729
  15. ↑ Music Delighting the Ocean of Protectors by Trijang Rinpoche, p. 19
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Karmay, Samten G. "The arrow and the spindle : studies in history, myths, rituals and beliefs in Tibet.", page 514, Kathmandu: Mandala Book Point, 1998.
  17. ↑ p.95
  18. ↑ Translation of the testimony that the Fifth Dalai Lama (1617–1682) mentions in his autobiography
  19. ↑ Dorje Shugden and Dalai Lama - Spreading Dharma Together
  20. ↑ TBRC
  21. ↑ Jaya Pandita (1642–1708)
  22. ↑ All sources presented by Trinley Kalsang in his article on Jaya Pandita
  23. ↑ Homepage

See also

External links


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