Chronology of the successive Dalai Lamas and Panchen Erdenis

Author: Chief Editor: Danzhu Angb?n
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1998-02-01
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Excerpt: In the Water Chicken Year (1393, Hongwu 26th Year), at the age of 3, Tsongkhapa and his disciples went to the Trizingphyi Monastery to renovate the bronze statue of Maitreya Buddha. Tsongkhapa composed praises and vow texts for Maitreya. In the Wood Dog Year (1394, Hongwu 27th Year), at the age of 4, Tsongkhapa and his disciples lectured at the Trizingphyi Monastery, gaining popularity among the monks. In the Wood Pig Year (1395, Hongwu 28th Year), at the age of 5, Tsongkhapa accompanied his parents to Kade Tongmen (Mthomg-smon, now within Xietongmen County) to tend sheep for a wealthy farming family. In the Fire Rat Year (1396, Hongwu 29th Year), at the age of 6, Tsongkhapa and his parents went to Narthang Gedeng (Snar-thang-dge-steng, now within Qumei Township of Qazhou County) to work as laborers. In the Fire Ox Year (1397, Hongwu 30th Year), at the age of 7, Tsongkhapa's father passed away. To liberate his father's soul, Tsongkhapa handwritten the "Bodhisattva Sutra." Due to poverty, the mother and son came to Narthang Monastery to beg for food from the monks. Soon after, Tsongkhapa became a monk at Narthang Monastery. At the request of the abbot Je Weziho (1357–1423) of Narthang Monastery, Tsongkhapa received the novice precepts. Later, he took Jatang Tenzhab as his teacher, studying basic Tibetan, "Tibetan Grammar," "Logic," and "The Bodhisattva's Way of Life." In the Fire Dog Year (1406, Yongle 4th Year), at the age of 16, on March 1, Tsongkhapa received the novice monk precepts at the request of the abbot Je Weziho of Narthang Monastery and was given the name Gendün Ch?ba. He also studied "The Mirror of Poetic Devices" and "The Collection of Poetic Terms." Next, he left Narthang Monastery and went to Yangqen Monastery (Byang-chen, now within Angren County) to take Zhouqin Sonam Lhodrung, Wendong Tubaba Besang, and Dongba Gowa Kewa as teachers, studying the empowerments of esoteric Buddhism, lineages, secret transmissions, instructions, midday praises, and mandala drawing. In the Fire Pig Year (1407, Yongle 5th Year), at the age of 17, Tsongkhapa studied esoteric practices at Yangqen Monastery. The Fifth Karmapa, Düsum Khyenpa (1384–1415), was invited by the Yongle Emperor to arrive in Nanjing and was enfeoffed as "The Great Vehicle Dharma King with Ten Thousand Practices, Tenfold Complete Enlightenment, Wondrous Wisdom, Universal Compassion, National Teacher, and Dharma King of the West, Great Self-Existing Buddha of the World, and Leader of the Tibetan Buddhist Teachings" (abbreviated as "Great Treasure Dharma King"). In the Earth Rat Year (1408, Yongle 6th Year), at the age of 18, Tsongkhapa studied esoteric practices at Yangqen Monastery. The Yongle Emperor summoned Tsongkhapa to the capital. Envoys, including the Dharma King Zhabakhen Ts?ndru Nyingpo and the Inner Utsang Abbot Namkha Sangbo, met Tsongkhapa at the top of Sera Chosdings. Tsongkhapa submitted a letter of refusal (this letter is preserved in the "Collected Works of Tsongkhapa," Volume 2). Sakyashe (1352–1435) represented Tsongkhapa in the capital and was granted an audience by the Yongle Emperor, where he extensively preached the Dharma. In the Earth Ox Year (1409, Yongle 7th Year), at the age of 19, Tsongkhapa returned to Narthang Monastery and took Jiangqin Lodan as his teacher, studying the original text of "The Explanation of the Prasangika" and "The Explanation of the Prasangika" by Ny?lo Gongdawa. Tsongkhapa held the first Great Prayers Assembly at the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, attended by tens of thousands of monks and laypeople. The main sponsor of the assembly was the Dharma King Zhabakhen Ts?ndru Nyingpo. After the assembly, Tsongkhapa decided to build Ganden Monastery, with the main sponsors being the great nobles Rinchenpa and Rinchen Lumbum, led by the Dharma King's subjects. In the Iron Tiger Year (1410, Yongle 8th Year), at the age of 20, on February 11, Tsongkhapa received the full precepts at the request of the abbot Je Weziho of Narthang Monastery. He took Jiangqin Lodan as his teacher, studying "The Six Books of Gádang" and "The Entrance to the Bodhisattva's Way." In the Iron Rabbit Year (1411, Yongle 9th Year), at the age of 21, Tsongkhapa received the nine empowerments of the "Chakrasamvara" at the request of Ny?lo Chenpo of Narthang Monastery. That year, Tsongkhapa wrote "The Explanation of the Five Stages." In the Water Dragon Year (1412, Yongle 10th Year), at the age of 22, Tsongkhapa established his views and based on "The Explanation of the Prasangika" at Narthang Monastery. In the Water Snake Year (1413, Yongle 11th Year), at the age of 23, Tsongkhapa studied other works of logic at Narthang Monastery. The Sakya Lama Gongdawa Zashi (1349–1425) was invited by the Yongle Emperor to arrive in Nanjing. During his two years in the capital, he preached the Dharma without stopping, earning the favor of the Yongle Emperor and being enfeoffed as "Great Vehicle Dharma King." In the Wood Horse Year (1414, Yongle 12th Year), at the age of 24, Tsongkhapa studied the works of logic "The Determination of Valid Cognition" at Narthang Monastery. That year, Tsongkhapa wrote "The Combined Annotations of the Four Schools" (Vgrel-ba-bzhi-sbrags). In the Wood Goat Year (1415, Yongle 13th Year), at the age of 25, in the spring, Tsongkhapa left Narthang Monastery for the second time and went to Changzhu Monastery (Khra-vbrug, now within Changzhu Township of Naidong County) to take Sembapa Chenpo Kunsang as his teacher, studying "The Collection of Valid Cognition" and "The Entrance to the Middle Way." In June, he went to Tongboqie (now within Qiongjie County) to take Rongston Shakya Rigyalmtshan (1367–1449) as his teacher, studying the five works of Maitreya, including "The Stages of Meditation" and "The Entrance to the Middle Way." In August, at the invitation of the Dharma King Zhabakhen Ts?ndru Nyingpo, Tsongkhapa came to Zhaixikaka (now within Naidong County). This was the first time Gendün Ch?ba visited Zhaixikaka and met Tsongkhapa, studying from him "The Explanation of the Determination of Valid Cognition," "The Explanation of the Inconceivable," "The Summary of the Middle Way," "The Extended Treatise on the Fifty Practices of the Teacher," and "The Fourteen Fundamental Precepts of Esoteric Buddhism." In September, he returned to Tongboqie, where Master Nyima Rigyalmtshan taught him the empowerments, transmissions, secret instructions, guidance, midday praises, and mandala drawing of "The Unshakable Path and Fruit of Esoteric Buddhism," "The Thirteen Great Wrathful Deities," "The Thirteen Yama Kings," and "The Thirteen Yama Deities." In October, he went from Tongboqie to Ganden Monastery and stayed for more than 20 days.
Postscript:
Postscript 1. This book is a key project of the Institute of Tibetan Studies at Minzu University of China under the "Eighth Five-Year Plan."
2. This book is mainly written using Tibetan handwritten materials. The chronological tables of the Dalai Lamas and Panchen Erdenis in the Tibetan, Chinese, and Gregorian calendars are compiled by the chief editor based on relevant materials.
3. During the writing process of this book, the authors and compilers received support and assistance from experts at the Social Sciences Academy of Qinghai Province, the Research Center of Tibetan Studies, and Minzu University of China Press. We hereby express our gratitude.
4. Due to the limited ability of the compilers and authors, errors are inevitable, especially in the conversion of Tibetan and Gregorian dates after the use of the Gregorian calendar. We sincerely ask the readers to correct any mistakes.
Chief Editor, November 23, 1993