The Second Moktsa, Choying Dorje
The Second Moktsa Jikdrel Choying Dorje (rmog rtsa 02, 'jigs bral chos dbyings rdo rje) was born in the village of Deugotsang in the Terlung valley in Derge (sde dge gter klung de'u mgo tshang) in the late eighteenth century. No details of his parents or childhood are available.
In 1793 Getse Paṇchen Gyurme Tsewang Chokdrub (dge rtse paN chen 'gyur med tshe dbang mchog grub, 1761-1829) identified him as the reincarnation of the First Moktsa, Rigdzin Namkha Chowang (rmog rtsa 01 rig 'dzin nam mkha' chos dbang). The early incarnations of this line are somewhat confused, likely the result of later revisionism, and it is possible that Getse instead identified him as the reincarnation of the treasure revealer Namcho Mingyur Dorje (gnam chos mi gyur rdo rje, 1645-1667), who is also said to have been the pre-incarnation of the First Moktsa. Getse brought him to Katok (kaH thog), enthroning him as the Second Moktsa Tulku.
Jikdrel Choying Dorje was educated at Katok by Getse Paṇchen, the First Chaktsa Kunzang Ngedon Wangpo (phyag tsha 01 kun bzang nges don dbang po, d.u.), and Katok Situ Chokyi Sengge (kaH thog si tu 01 o rgyan bsam grub ’jigs med chos kyi seng ge, 1775-1819), who gave him to full corpus of transmissions and empowerments of the Katok tradition. At some point in his career he served as abbot of the monastery.
Names of his few prominent disciples included Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo ('jam dbyangs mkhyen brtse'i dbang po, 1820-1892); the Second Katok Situ Orgyen Tenpa Namgyel (kaH thog si tu 02 o rgyan bstan pa rnam rgyal, 1820-1879); the First Tsopu Drubchen, Choying Rangdrol (mtsho phu grub chen 01 chos dbyings rang grol d.u.); Rigdzin Sonam Pelden (rig 'dzin bsod nams dpal ldan, d.u.); and the Fourth Dzogchen Tulku, Mingyur Namkhai Dorje (rdzogs chen 04 mi 'gyur nam mkha'i rdo rje 1793-1870).
Details of his later life including year of nirvana are not known. Jikdrel Tutob Dorje ('jigs bral mthu stobs rdo rje, d.u.) was identified as his reincarnation and the Third Moktsa Rinpoche.
Sources
'Jam dbyangs rgyal mtshan. 1996. Rgyal ba kaH thog pa’i lo rgyus mdor bsdus. Chengdu: Si khron mi rigs dpe skrun khang, pp. 91-92.
Helmut Eimer and Pema Tsering. 1981. "A List of Abbots of Kah-thog Monastery According to Handwritten Notes by the Late Katok Ontul." Journal of the Tibet Society, vol. 1, pp. 11-14.
Samten Chhosphel
April 2011
