New Gaden Tripa

[vajrastorm]

This thread is being restarted amid intense but healthy speculation about how the 'relationship' between the current Gelug school/tradition(bearers of the lineage of Je Tsongkapa's teachings) and Dorje Shugden is going to evolve beyond the ban and the current Dalai Lama.

The Gelug school had all been strong supporters and devoted practitioners of Dorje Shugden until the ban on Shugden practice by the Dalai Lama. THe ban has created a great schism between those who , mainly through Guru Devotion and through devotion to Shugden, continue to practice Shugden and those who have followed the ban and are vocally and actively engaged in anti-Shugden criticism and condemnation.

THe Gelug school is the only school of Tibetan Buddhism which is totally under the control of the Dalai Lama. (THe other three schools will not tolerate any interference from the Dalai Lama). The Gaden Tripa(who had been an elected Head of the Gelug lineage before 1999) is appointed by the Dalai Lama and hence has no actual powers.

The newly appointed  Gaden Tripa, the 102nd Gaden Tripa, has been a Dorje Shugden practitioner, but now(in office) he follows the dictates of the ban on Shugden practice. However, he has not spoken out against Dorje Shugden nor against Shugden practitioners. The example set by his predecessor, the 101th Gaden Tripa, in resuming his practice of Shugden immediately upon retirement is a fine example for him to follow. 

If, within the seven years of his holding office as Gaden Tripa, the Dalai Lama were to pass on and the circumstances and conditions arise for him(the 102nd Gaden Tripa) to assume the role of his earlier predecessors as absolute head of the Gelug school, would he quickly work to have the ban removed(if it were not removed by then)? Would he promote the practice of Dorje Shugden intensively?Behind these questions lie a prayer and a hope. 

As WB has so clearly delineated, there has been a strong link(historically speaking) between the 2nd,3rd, 4th and 5th Dalai Lama and the '3 Dragpas lineage'(Duldzin Dragpa Gyeltsen, Panchen Sonam Dragpa, Tulku Dragpa Gyeltsen) that promised to arise as a Protector of Je Tsongkapa's lineage and honored the promise by arising as Dorje Shugden, and the Gaden Tripa(as in the 13th Gaden Tripa - Panchen Sonam Dragpa) to affirm the truth and reality of the Big Picture. 

   

[Vajraprotector]

Just read up on the biography of the 102nd Gaden Tripa after I saw the photo of Kalon Tripa and Gaden Tripa in Ladakh 


A Brief Biography of His Eminence 102nd Gaden Tripa: Rizong Se Rinpoche Thupten Nyima Lungtok Tenzin Norbu

This great personality was born in the Mangtroe castle of Ladhak on the 8th day of 4th month in the 16th Rabjung of the Tibetan calendar i.e. in 1927. He was born in the family whose father’s name is Phuntsok Namgyal, a brother of His Eminence Prince Bakula Rinpoche whose lineage is traced back to the great kings of Tibet, and mother’s name is Tsering Lhadon.
 
He was recognized as the third unmistaken reincarnation of the great Prince Druppe Wangchuk of the Rizong monastery by His Holiness the thirteenth Dalai Lama. Around the age of four he lived in the Rizong monastery. There he was tenderly taken care of by the Venerable Tsultrim Choesang, a disciple of his previous incarnation,  who took the role of his personal tutor. Starting with basic reading skills, he was taught all the recitation and application skills of all the rite and ritual texts of the monastery.

He attained different heights of achievement at this tender age. For example when he was eight years old, he was able to conduct long-life empowerment of Amitabha, the Buddha of Boundless Life. Furthermore, he was wisely able to study some important texts such as Lama Tsongkhapa’s Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path of Enlightenment at this juvenile age.

Around that time, he received the upasaka vows from the previous incarnation of Ngari Tulku who gave him the name Ngawang Sungrab Thutop Tenpe Gyaltsen. Later he was ordained as shramanera, a novice monk, by His Eminence Prince Bakula Rinpoche who gave him the name Thupten Nyima Lungtok Tenzin Norbu.

He then memorized the textual instructions containing the precepts of a novice monk, the textual instruction of the three vows: the pratimoksa, bodhisattva and mantra vows and topical outlines of the Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path of Enlightenment. And during the in-depth teaching of the Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path of Enlightenment, he was appointed as the monitor whose role is closely taking exams of other students’ memorization.

With the view to enroll him in one of the Three Great Seats of the Gelugpa tradition in Tibet, His Eminence Bakula Rinpoche made him memorize the two root texts: Maitreya's Ornament for Clear Realization and Chandrakirti's Introduction to the Middle Way. He then asked the Venerable Kau Tsundue to introduce this young tulku the basic Buddhist study on logics from the Collected Topics, starting with the fundamental lines of reasoning on the basis of colors, and thus he absorbed and understood the expertise of logical reasoning.

Between the period when he was fourteen and fifteen years old, under the guidance of the Venerable Geshe Kachen Yeshi Dondup of the Pethup monastery, he studied the two Tibetan grammatical textbooks formulated by Thumi Sambota, the father of the Tibetan language, along with their commentaries such as Yangchen Drupepel’s Lekshe Jonwang and Kane Selwe Melong and Situ Rinpoche’s grammar texts; Tibetan orthographical textbook entitled Dakyig Ngagdron; and Tibetan poetics and composed many illustrative verses based on the similes from the second chapter of the Tibetan poetics.
 
In 1945, along with Kachen Yeshi Dondup, he travelled to Tibet. And there he was kindly taken cared by the 94th Gaden Throne-holder, Jetsun Lhundup Tsundue for three years. From this great master, he and a few others including the reincarnation of Ngulchu received an elaborate teachings on the Four Interwoven Commentaries of the Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path of Enlightenment. Furthermore, he studied many other major Buddhist texts such as Dharmakirti’s Compilation of Prime Cognition, Vinaya Monastic Discipline and Gyaltsab Je's commentary on the Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life under the guidance of this great master.

In 1946, at the age of twenty, the 94th Gaden Throne-holder assuming the role of both abbot and preceptor, he received the bhikshu ordination, the vows of a fully ordained monk.

Likewise, during these years, from the reincarnation of Ngulchu he also received many oral transmissions such as the collected works of Lama Tsongkhpa and his two main disciples: Gyaltsab Je and Khedrup Je.

When the Gaden throne-holder, Jetsun Lhundup Tsundue, passed away in 1946, he joined the Loseling College of the Drepung Monastic University in Tibet and sought the ex-abbot of the college, Gyalpa Lobsang Jungne Pelsangpo, as the main tutor and he listened to the entire Prajnaparamita (Perfection of Wisdom) text starting with the Collected Topics.

After the demise of this great master, he listened to many religious discourses on sutra and tantra including the major texts such as the Vinaya and Abhidharma) from these great masters: Tehor Geshe Sonam Gonpo, Shagkor Khenrinpoche Nyima Gyaltsen, Gyepa Khenpo Toetsham Lama Rinpoche Jampel Trinley Yonten Gyatso, Jetsun Pema Gyaltsen—the abbot of Loseling College, Khunu Geshe Rigzin Tenpa and Jetsun Jampel Samphel—the ex-abbot of Gyalrong.

During his stay at the Drepung monastic college, he spent two years studying the Collected Topics, the study of basic Buddhist philosophy, Mind and Awareness, the study of consciousness and Signs and Reasonings, the study of Buddhist logics. He then studied the Perfection of Wisdom for five years and the Middle Way Philosophy for two years. During that time, he also participated as a standing debater or as a answer of the debate in many religious ceremonies. Then, he spent more than a year to study the Vinaya. During all these years at the monastic college, he studied with conscientiousness, calmness and discipline without failing to attend even a single session of mass gathering for prayer and debate.

When many scholars of the Three Great Seats of the Gelug school were assembled at Dalhousie, a hill station in Himachal Pradesh, India, on the frequent urge by his teacher, Gyalrong Khensur Rinpoche, the ex-abbot of Gyalrong, he went there and stayed there for one year learning and debating on the Vinaya and Abhidharma. There he got the highest Geshe Lharampa degree in 1972.
 
Then he took admission in the Gyume Tantric College and under the guidance of the abbot of the Gyume Tantric College, he spent two years studying Lama Tsongkhapa’s  Four Interwoven Annotations on Candrakirti's Guhyasamaja Tantra: Brilliant Lamp and many other tantric texts.

In 1974, he became the disciplinarian of the Gyume Tantric College. Then after receiving a decree from H.H. the Dalai Lama, he assumed the role of Lama Umze (the sovereign of discipline) of same college for one year. Later during his three-year abbotship of the same college he ensured the discipline, conduct, teaching and learning of the college were carried out parallel to the exemplary standard set by the ancient forerunners, and made it a source of pride and inspiration. Then in keeping with the great view of the Dalai Lama, he introduced the practice of debating to facilitate in-depth study of Buddhist philosophy among the new students of the monastery, and the later office bearers kept the momentum going and made effort in the same direction. As a result, there was a marked improvement in the studies of the new students. His Holiness the Dalai Lama was very pleased with this and complimented him that during his administration of the college it had achieved a great height.
 
In 1984, again he received a decree from His Holiness the Dalai Lama that he should be the abbot of the Loselling Monastic College of the Drepung Monastic University. In spite of his request for pardon His Holiness the Dalai Lama insisted that he hold the office for at least two years. When the two-year tenure elapsed, the college submitted frequent applications to the His Holiness Dalai Lama to let him hold the office for the full term of a normal abbot. For this His Holiness the Dalai Lama gave his consent. Thus, he held the responsibility of the abbot for more than six years.

During his tenure, he closely monitored the discipline of the college and study assessment of the students with a view to improve and motivate the students to put in extra efforts into their  studies. When the effort he put into this resulted in the improvement in the studies of the students, there were many who held the view that it would be good if there was a set of formulated rules and regulations governing the examinations of the college. Thus, in keeping with the views of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and on the foundation of the ancient traditional study of the college, a new set of rules and regulations were formulated after consulting Prof. Samdong Rinpoche, the principal of the Centre Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Varanasi by importing some positive features of modern ways of conducting examinations. Once the rules and regulations were formulated, the examination committee published it in a book form. When the first copy was presented to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, he was very impressed by the undertaking and observed with joy that it was great that they were able to formulate the rules and regulations. He commented that he would personally oversee its implementation and expressed a wish that the other monastic colleges had similar sets of rules.
 
Then for more than three years he lived in the Samtenling monastery in Ladhak for long sadhana retreat of the Solitary Yamantaka deity. There he also imparted oral transmissions of the collected works of Lama Tsongkhapa and his two main disciples to a large group of disciples.
 
On 1st September 1995, as per a decree received from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, he was enthroned as Jangtse Choeje (literally the throne-holder of Gaden Jangtse College). The enthronement ceremonies were conducted in the halls of the Drepung Monastic University, Loselling Monastic College, Lukyil Khangtsen, Jangtse Monastic College of the Gaden Monastic University.
 
In 1997, he imparted the oral transmission of the Panchen Sonam Dakpa’s General Presentation of the Pranjnaparamita, a commentary of Maitreya's Ornament for Clear Realization to a large group of disciples at Drepung Lukyil Khangtsen.

In 1998, he gave teachings on Panchen Lobsang Choekyi Gyaltsen’s Blissful Path to Enlightenment; in 1999, he gave teachings on Panchen Lobsang Yeshe’s Quickt Path to Enlightenment; and in the same year he gave an interwoven teaching on Lama Tsongkhapa’s Golden Garland of Eloquent Explanation and Haribhadra’s Clear Meaning Commentary at Drepung Lukyil Khangtsen. In the same year he gave teachings on Lama Tsongkhapa’s Great Treatise on the Stages of Tantra at Drepung Pethub Khangtsen.

In 2000, he imparted the oral transmissions of Kangyur—all the translated works of Buddha's teachings—to faithful devotees numbering up to a few thousands at the main temple in Dharamshala.
 
In 2002, assuming the role of proxy to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, he gave a teaching on the Thirty Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva to a population of around four hundred thousand of all walks of life from different nationalities in Bodh Gaya.

In 2004, in the Leh Jokhang temple, Ladakh, he gave teachings on Kamalasila’s Three Stages of Meditation. In 2007, in the same place, he gave teachings on the Shantideva’s Engaging in the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life to a few hundred disciples.

Thus, while His Eminence Jangtse Choeje Rizong Rinpoche Thupten Nyima Lungtok Tenzin Norbu carrying out a life story full of outstanding enlightening deeds for the benefit of sentient beings as the throne-holder of the Jangtse Choeje, he accepted to be the 102nd Gaden Throne-holder, the head of the Yellow Hat Buddhist School of Tibetan Buddhism after His Holiness the Dalai Lama bestowed upon him the title on 26th October 2009, the 3rd day of the 9th month, 2136 year of Tibetan calendar.
 
Although recounting his life story is beyond my mental capacity,
A short biography is accounted here.
By the merits I accumulated from this composition,
May I and all sentient attain buddhahood by following his footsteps.

From: http://www.loselingmonastery.org/news.php?id=13

[harrynephew]

The 102nd Gaden Tripa Rizong Rinpoche has practiced Dorje Shugden but of course with the ban, he has to fall in line with Dalai Lama's policy. He hails from Drepung Loseling Monastery.

Here Gaden Tripa is pictured welcoming Dalai Lama  to Drepung Loseling Institute in Atlanta, Georgia, on October 16th, 2010.

The Gaden Tripas are the heads of Gelug School of Buddhism but have no power as everything must be approved by the Dalai Lama.

it is not the case with other sects of Tibetan Buddhism who will not tolerate any interference from Dalai Lama within their own schools.

Sakyas, Kagyus, Nyingmas all have their respective heads that make decisions within their own Schools of Buddhism and they do not consult Dalai Lama nor would tolerate any interference from him.

Gelug is the only school completely dominated by Dalai Lama's control.

Hence many broke away and formed their own Monasteries.

TK

Indeed when you look into the system of electing a leader of any Gelugpa institution is through the office of HHDL. From the abbots of the Three Great Seats to the Gaden Throne Holders, all these matters lies in the hands of HHDL.

As far as I know for an abbot of any of the Yellow Hat monasteries to be elected, a name list of Lharampa Geshes of the monasteries will be submitted to the office of the Dalai Lama for HHDL to elect. From that list of Geshes, HHDL will choose the Geshe of His choice to be the next head of the monastery.

Whereas in the days of old, a list of Geshe Lharams who qualify for the seat of the abbot are given to members of the monastery and a democratic election is done to short list the candidate for the next abbot. At the last stages, the names are presented to the Protector of the monastery will be the one to determine the next abbot. I have heard particularly the story of Gaden Jangtse, the names of these candidates are placed on the abbot's throne and Palden Lhamo pujas will be done and the only name left of the piece of paper will be elected as the new abbot.

I am not sure if this information is accurate, would anyone care to clarify?

Hence, I would think the traditional means of electing a new Gaden Tri Rinpoche is also conducted differently before the advent of Gaden Prodrang.