Amdo Geshe Jampel Rolpai Lodro
Jampel Rolwai Lodro ('jam dpal rol ba'i blo gros) was born in Nyinlung in the region of Tsongka in Amdo, in 1888, the earth-mouse year. His father, a descendent of the ninth-century Nubchen Sanggye Yeshe (gnubs chen sangs rgyas ye shes), was a tantric practitioner called Khyamru Kuchen ('khyam ru sku chen), and his mother was Treu Nakza (spre'u nag gza').
When Jampel Rolpai Lodro was in his fifth year, his father, who was a local leader (dpon po), held him in his lap and said, "When this son of mine has grown up, by the edict of the emperor of China, he will become lord of Nyinlung with responsibility for all its subjects." Upon hearing this, the young boy was overcome with renunciation, and vowed to devote the rest of his life to the Dharma.
His mother died when he was only two and his father died when he was six. At the age of seven, he accompanied his grandmother to Lhasa and made prayers of aspiration before the famous Jowo statue, resolving never to misuse offerings or adopt unethical practices of any kind.
While in Lhasa, he received several transmissions from the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, Tubten Gyatso (tA la'i bla ma 13 thub bstan rgya mtsho, 1876-1933) including the guru yoga of Tsongkhapa known as The Hundred Deities of Tuṣita (dga’ ldan lha brgya ma).
At the age of eight, he received novice (dge tshul) ordination from the hermit Sonam Gyatso (ri khrod pa bsod nams rgya mtsho, d.u.), and was given the name Lobzang Khetsun Tendzin Gyatso (blo bzang mkhas btsun bstan 'dzin rgya mtsho).
Three years later, disheartened by family disagreements about his future, he decided to enter the great monastery of Kumbum Jampa Ling (sku 'bum byams pa gling). Having done so, he studied the most important texts of the tradition with teachers such as Harchen Yeshe Gyatso (har chen ye shes rgya mtsho, d.u.), and made such an impression that he was likened to Gungtang Tenpai Dronme (gung thang bstan pa’i sgron me, 1762-1823).
Jampel Rolpai Lodro studied the Sphuṭārthā commentary on the Abhisamayālaṅkāra with Pariwa Lobzang Rabsel (dpa' ri ba blo bzang rab gsal, 1840-c.1910), and the Lamrim (lam rim) according to Atisha's tradition with the Fourth Amdo Zhamarpa, Gendun Tendzin Gyatso (a mdo zhwa dmar dge 'dun bstan 'dzin rgya mtsho, 1852-1912), a teacher of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama and the famous iconoclast Amdo Gendun Chopel (a mdo dge 'dun chos 'phel, 1903-1951).
From Alak Ngawang Puntsok (a lags ngag dbang phun tshogs, d.u.), he received full ordination, as well as transmissions such as Guhyasamāja, Cakrasaṃvara and a special lineage for the four empowerments of the ‘Thirteen-deity Vajrabhairava’ practice (‘jigs byed lha bcu gsum).
With Drungchen Jampa Gyatso (drung chen byams pa rgya mtsho, d.u.), he studied the common sciences and secret instructions from the aural lineage.
At twenty-five, he set out for Lhasa, but on the way heard mention of the scholar Drakkar Lobzang Pelden Tendzin Nyendrak (brag dkar blo bzang dpal ldan bstan 'dzin snyan grags, 1866-1928) and instantly felt that there was a connection from previous lives.
Going to meet him, he received instruction on Tsongkhapa's sutra and mantra Lamrim texts, and on Lojong (blo sbyong) and other subjects, while facing such hardship that he lacked anything to eat or drink but flour and water.
It was around this time, while in Kham, that he met Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo ('jam dbyangs mkhyen brtse'i dbang po, 1820-1892), and received teachings on the Guhyagarbha Tantra and many other topics.
He also received the transmission of the Longchen Nyingtik (klong chen snying thig) cycle from the ‘crazy yogin’ and Chod (gcod) practitioner, Khamnyon Darma Sengge (khams smyon dhar+ma seng ge, 1865-1953) also known as Ragang Chopa (ra sgang gcod pa).
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Having gone to Golok (mgo log) upon the instructions of Drakkar Rinpoche, he gave teachings and was honored by the local chieftain Wangchen Dode (dbang chen mdo sde). Inspired by a vision of the dharma protectors known as the Five Dharma Kings (chos rgyal lnga), and other visionary experiences, he went to meet the hidden yogin, Tra Gelong Tsultrim Dargye (khra dge slong tshul khrims dar rgyas, d.u.), whom he venerated as an emanation of Cakrasaṃvara, and received instructions from the secret aural lineage.
Tra Gelong and others declared him to be an incarnation of the great Nyingma master Patrul Orgyen Jigme Chokyi Wangpo (dpal sprul o rgyan 'jigs med chos kyi dbang po, 1808-1887). In the earth-sheep year (1919) with Wangchen as his patron, and with the blessing of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, he established Pel Nyenmo Ri Namgyel (dpal snyan mo ri rnam rgyal) monastery in Darlak (dar lag), Golok and made it his main seat.
Also in 1919, he went to meet Terton Sogyel Lerab Lingpa (gter ston bsod rgyal las rab gling pa, 1856-1926) and received transmissions, including the empowerment of Vajrakīlaya. Soon afterwards, he was injured during fighting between Tibetans and the Chinese Ninghai Army in Xining, but his attackers were merciful and spared his life. Travelling to Dzakhok (rdza khog), he taught at the new monastery of Ganden Tashi Choling ([[dga' ldan bkra shis chos gling), and established a teaching center there, to which he returned several times in the following years.
When he went to Derge Lhundrub Teng (sde dge lhun grub steng) he found that some local scholars were campaigning against the Geluk teachings, and, in response, sent out a letter—now preserved in his collected writings—challenging anyone to debate with him the works of Tsongkhapa. Later, with the king of Derge, Aja Dorje Sengge (a ja rdo rje seng ge, 1877-1926) as his patron, he oversaw the printing of Tsongkhapa’s collected writings at the famous Derge printing house.
In 1928 he met the famous Chinese monk and translator Venerable Fazun (1902-1980) for the first time at the monastery of Drakkar Lama in Gandze. Fazun, who had come to see Drakkar but found him ailing and close to death, asked Jampel Rolpai Lodro a series of questions and, being satisfied with the replies, instantly became his disciple. He then accompanied his teacher for the next few years, receiving instruction and transmissions all the while, before going on to study at Drepung Monastery.
At the age of forty-one, he went to Chamdo and visited Kelden Jampa Ling (skal ldan 'jam pa gling), where he taught and made offerings to all the monks. When he met the Tenth Pakpa Lha, Mipam Tsultrim Gyeltsen ('phags pa lha mi pham tshul khrims rgyal mtshan, 1901-1939) they honored one another with mutual respect, and by collecting donations, they restored the scriptural college, which catered for more than a hundred monks. It was here in Jampa Ling that he composed his commentary on the Seven Points of Mind Training, The Radiant Light of the Sun (nyi 'od snang ba).
At the age of forty-four, he returned to U-Tsang and met the Thirteenth Dalai Lama once again. He made offerings at the three monastic seats of Sera, Drepung and Ganden, and also in the upper and lower tantric colleges, and at Gepel (dge 'phel), Purbuchok (phur bu lcog) and other places. Wherever he went, he was treated with respect and, at times, even carried in a sedan chair. During the festival of miracles at the beginning of the monkey year (1932), he visited the Dalai Lama at the palace of Norbulingka.
He went to Drepung Gomang ('bras spungs sgo mang), and, with Kashopa Chogyel Nyima Lhundrub (bka' shod pa chos rgyal nyi ma lhun grub, d.u.) as his patron, made offerings to all the monks.
At the Mentsikhang (sman rtsis khang) in Lhasa he gave elaborate teachings on Amdo Zhamarpa’s instructions on Lamrim to an audience of several hundred headed by the Dalai Lama’s personal physician, Khyenrab Norbu (mkhyen rab nor bu, 1883-1962). He presented teachings on Kurukullā to the Tibetan government, the Ganden Podrang (dga' ldan pho brang), in order to assist them in their activity.
His final journey, in his forty-eight year, was to Rongwo Monastery, where he died at dawn on the second day of the twelfth month of the wood-pig year (i.e., 1936). His final words, spoken to students gathered around him, were, "Now, take the Three Jewels as your refuge, and maintain your vows and commitments purely!"
Jampa Rolpai Lodro's students included followers of all major Buddhist schools from Amdo, Kham and U-Tsang, but the most important were Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro ('jam dbyangs mkhyen brtse chos kyi blo gros, 1893-1959), to whom he gave teachings and transmissions from the Geluk tradition; the Fourth Dodrubchen, Rigdzin Jalu Dorje (rdo grub rig 'dzin 'ja' lus rdo rje, 1927-1961), whom he had recognized as one of the two incarnations of the Third Dodrubchen; Denang Loter Tenpai Wangchuk (sde nang glo gter bstan pa'i dbang phyug, d.u.); Shichen Ontrul Chodrak (gshi chen 'on sprul chos grags, d.u.); Lobzang Dongak Chokyi Gyatso (blo bzang mdo sngags chos kyi rgya mtsho, 1903-1957), whom he recognized as an incarnation of Alak Dongak Gyatso (a lags mdo sngags rgya mtsho, d.u.) and enthroned at Nyenmo (snyan mo) monastery; Dawa Tulku Lobzang Tutob (mda' ba sprul sku blo bzang mthu stobs, d.u.); and Rewon Tulku Kadak (ras dbon sprul sku ka dag, d.u.).
His writings included a thirteen-chapter treatise on Dzogchen entitled The [[Heart Essence of the Great Perfection of [Mañjuśrī]] ('jam dpal rdzogs pa chen po thugs tig), which was inspired by, and based upon, the writings of Longchen Rabjam (klong chen rab 'byams, 1308-1364); an explanation of the seventy points of the Abhisamayālaṅkāra, entitled The Essence of an Ocean of Fine Explanation; a commentary on the Seven Points of Mind Training; writings on the eight great chariots of the practice lineage; some background to the biographies of the gurus of Tāranāta (tA ra nA tha, 1575-1634); a collection of praises, including a tribute to Longchen Rabjam; a text on the ‘collected topics’ (bsdus grwa) of logic and epistemology; a collection of advice; a collection of official letters; offering liturgies to the guardians of the Nyingtik tradition; Kurukullā texts; pure vision teachings related to the Kīlaya practice of Nubchen Sanggye Yeshe; and a grammatical treatise on Tonmi Sambhota’s Thirty Verses.
Sources
Bde legs rab rgyas. 2004. rtsam pa po mtshams sbyor mdor bsdus in A mdo dge bshes ‘jam dpal rol ba’i blo gros kyi gsung ‘bum. si khron mi rigs dpe skrun khang. W28936 Vol. 1 pp. 1-15
'Jam dbyangs kun khyab. 1991. snyan mo dgon gyi lo rgyus. In mgo log rig gnas lo rgyus (deb gnyis pa). W1GS49554
Sprul sku gsung rab. 1996. snyan dgon sprul sku gsung rab pa’i gsung rtsom gces bsgrigs. mtsho sngon mi rigs dpe skrun khang. W19277
Sullivan, Brenton. 2007. "Venerable Fazun and His Influence on Life and Education at the Sino-Tibetan Buddhist Institute." M.A. Thesis. University of Kansas.
Tshul khrims bzang po. 1974. gter chen dpa’ bo las rab gling pa phrin las mtha’ yas rtsal gyi rnam par thar pa rmad byung ngo mtshar padma dkar po’i phreng ba. New Delhi: Sanje Dorje.
Tuttle, Gray. 2005. Tibetan Buddhists in the Making of Modern China. New York: Columbia University Press.
Adam Pearcey August 2012
