Panchen Sonam Dragpa
Encyclopedia
Panchen Sonam Dragpa, (1478-1554) was the fifteenth Ganden Tripa
or throneholder of Ganden Monastery
. His texts form the core curriculum for most Gelugpa
monasteries. He was taught by the second Dalai Lama
, and in turn later became the teacher of the third Dalai Lama
.
of the three main Gelug monasteries – Ganden
, Sera
and Drepung. According to Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, "He is the only person ever to have received this honour."
In 1526, at the request of the second Dalai Lama, he became Drepung Loseling's abbot and taught there for about six years. From 1529 to 1535, he served as Ganden Monastery's 15th abbot. In 1542, he became abbot of Sera Monastery.
and Amdo
provinces of Tibet
as well as in some monasteries in Mongolia
." The monks at these monasteries "qualify for their Geshe degrees
by relying principally upon the works of this great Teacher."
Dr. Ursula Bernis summarizes Panchen Sonam Dragpa's accomplishments: "a great master, writer, abbot of all monastic
universities in turn, vajrayana
adept, whose textbooks are still today used at Drepung" and "the teacher of two Dalai Lamas." McCune adds that, in regards to his subsequent incarnations, "to be known as the incarnation of Panchen Sonam Drakpa would likely have been considered a great honor."
(the founder of the Gelugpa order), was a previous incarnation of Panchen Sonam Dragpa. It was Duldzin Dragpa Gyaltsen who built Ganden Monastery.
Panchen Sonam Dragpa also became known as an incarnation of the great lama and historian Buton Rinchen Drub.
In 1539, Panchen Sonam Dragpa was enthroned as the first tulku
of the Upper Chamber (Zimkhang Gong) at Drepung Monastery.
This reincarnation lineage is thought to have ended with the violent death of Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen
(1619-1656).
. pp. 38-43.
Ganden Tripa
The Ganden Tripa or Gaden Tripa is the title of the spiritual leader of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, the school which controlled central Tibet from the mid-17th century until 1950s. He is identical with the respective abbot of Ganden Monastery...
or throneholder of Ganden Monastery
Ganden Monastery
Ganden Monastery or Ganden Namgyeling is one of the 'great three' Gelukpa university monasteries of Tibet, located at the top of Wangbur Mountain, Tagtse County, 36 kilometers ENE from the Potala Palace in Lhasa, at an altitude of 4,300m...
. His texts form the core curriculum for most Gelugpa
Gelug
The Gelug or Gelug-pa , also known as the Yellow Hat sect, is a school of Buddhism founded by Je Tsongkhapa , a philosopher and Tibetan religious leader...
monasteries. He was taught by the second Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
, and in turn later became the teacher of the third Dalai Lama
Sonam Gyatso, 3rd Dalai Lama
Sonam Gyatso was the first officially recognized Dalai Lama, although the title was retrospectively given to his two predecessors....
.
Abbotship
Panchen Sonam Dragpa was unique in having served as abbotAbbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of the three main Gelug monasteries – Ganden
Ganden Monastery
Ganden Monastery or Ganden Namgyeling is one of the 'great three' Gelukpa university monasteries of Tibet, located at the top of Wangbur Mountain, Tagtse County, 36 kilometers ENE from the Potala Palace in Lhasa, at an altitude of 4,300m...
, Sera
Sera Monastery
Sera Monastery is one of the 'great three' Gelukpa university monasteries of Tibet, located north of Lhasa. The other two are Ganden Monastery and Drepung Monastery. The origin of the name 'Sera' is attributed to a fact that the site where the monastery was built was surrounded by wild roses in...
and Drepung. According to Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, "He is the only person ever to have received this honour."
In 1526, at the request of the second Dalai Lama, he became Drepung Loseling's abbot and taught there for about six years. From 1529 to 1535, he served as Ganden Monastery's 15th abbot. In 1542, he became abbot of Sera Monastery.
Scholarship
Panchen Sonam Dragpa's collected works spans fourteen volumes, constituting the main textbooks still used today in the educational curriculum for "the Loseling College, the Shartse College of the Gaden Monastic University, in many monasteries of KhamKham
Kham , is a historical region covering a land area largely divided between present-day Tibetan Autonomous Region and Sichuan province, with smaller portions located within Qinghai, Gansu and Yunnan provinces of China. During the Republic of China's rule over mainland China , most of the region was...
and Amdo
Amdo
Amdo is one of the three traditional regions of Tibet, the other two being Ü-Tsang and Kham; it is also the birth place of the 14th Dalai Lama. Amdo encompasses a large area from the Machu River to the Drichu river . While culturally and ethnically a Tibetan area, Amdo has been administered by a...
provinces of Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
as well as in some monasteries in Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
." The monks at these monasteries "qualify for their Geshe degrees
Geshe
Geshe is a Tibetan Buddhist academic degree for monks...
by relying principally upon the works of this great Teacher."
Dr. Ursula Bernis summarizes Panchen Sonam Dragpa's accomplishments: "a great master, writer, abbot of all monastic
universities in turn, vajrayana
Vajrayana
Vajrayāna Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and the Diamond Vehicle...
adept, whose textbooks are still today used at Drepung" and "the teacher of two Dalai Lamas." McCune adds that, in regards to his subsequent incarnations, "to be known as the incarnation of Panchen Sonam Drakpa would likely have been considered a great honor."
Reincarnation lineage
Duldzin Dragpa Gyaltsen (1350-1413), one of the eight main disciples of Je TsongkhapaJe Tsongkhapa
Tsongkhapa , whose name means “The Man from Onion Valley”, was a famous teacher of Tibetan Buddhism whose activities led to the formation of the Geluk school...
(the founder of the Gelugpa order), was a previous incarnation of Panchen Sonam Dragpa. It was Duldzin Dragpa Gyaltsen who built Ganden Monastery.
Panchen Sonam Dragpa also became known as an incarnation of the great lama and historian Buton Rinchen Drub.
In 1539, Panchen Sonam Dragpa was enthroned as the first tulku
Tulku
In Tibetan Buddhism, a tulku is a particular high-ranking lama, of whom the Dalai Lama is one, who can choose the manner of his rebirth. Normally the lama would be reincarnated as a human, and of the same sex as his predecessor. In contrast to a tulku, all other sentient beings including other...
of the Upper Chamber (Zimkhang Gong) at Drepung Monastery.
This reincarnation lineage is thought to have ended with the violent death of Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen
Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen
Tulku Dragpa Gyaltsen was an important Gelugpa lama and a contemporary of the Fifth Dalai Lama . His Seat was the upper residence of Drepung monastery , a famous Gelugpa monastery located near Lhasa.-Incarnation Lineage:Dragpa Gyaltsen is usually considered to be the 4th incarnation of Panchen...
(1619-1656).
Further reading
Music Delighting the Ocean of Protectors (1967) by Kyabje Trijang Dorje ChangTrijang Rinpoche
Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche was a Gelug Lama and a direct disciple of Je Pabongka. He was the junior tutor and spiritual guide of the 14th Dalai Lama for forty years. He is also the root lama of many Gelug Lamas who teach in the West including Zong Rinpoche, Geshe Rabten, Lama Yeshe, Lama Gangchen...
. pp. 38-43.