A Glimpse into the life of His Eminence Khensur Jampa Yeshe Rinpoche. (Part 1 of 3)

(A former abbot of Gaden Shartse Monastery and Acharya degree holder of higher buddhist studies from Central Tibetan Institute of Higher Studies in Varanasi, India)

Rinpoche's Childhood

Khensur Jampa Yeshe Rinpoche was born in 1929, the cherished son of father, Kelsang Tsering, and mother, Tsering Yangzom, in the province of Kham, far to the east of the Tibetan capital of Lhasa. Tibetans customarily place high regard in the name, social status and qualities of the parents to whom an extraordinary child is born. The name, Kelsang Tsering, means good fortune and longevity, while Tsering Yangzom means longevity and collection of goodwill. Both parents had a deep inclination towards spiritual values. They were naturally warm-hearted, and were loved and respected by the people of their village

Recalling his early childhood, Rinpoche said, "When I was little, I wanted to pierce my ears because local myth held that someone with holes in their ears, would not take an unpleasant rebirth in their next lifetime! I was convinced and got my ears pierced! How silly ! Without proper knowledge of Dharma, we act ignorantly and fool ourselves!" This shows that, Rinpoche instinctively dreaded taking unfavorable rebirth in samsara even at a young age.

Education as a monk

When Rinpoche was twelve, he joined the Tsem Monastery, a local monastery that had been established by the great master, Jamyang Gaway Lodrö. Not long after, he was bestowed the precepts of a novice monk byVenerable Bakong Rinpoche who was a well-known lama at the time from Kham’s Nangsang region. At Tsem Monastery, he trained for five years, in ritual performance and memorized all the prayer books of the monastic curriculum.

In 1944, at the age of sixteen, the young lama made the bold decision to seek further education. With that goal in mind, he bid farewell to his beloved parents and family members and has never had the opportunity to return home to see them, since. In Tibet in those days, vehicles and modern roads were rare, traveling on foot from his home to Gaden Monastery in Central Tibet took about two months. The journey was difficult and dangerous because of the numerous robbers who were known to inhabit the route, but with a caravan of merchants and donkeys loaded with provisions, he set forth filled with enthusiasm. The greatGaden Monastery was established in the 14th century by Je Tsongkhapa who was prophesied to be an emanation of Manjushri. The monastery stands majestically on a hilltop, from all the vantage points at the base of the hill one can get a clear view of the monastery. It consists of twin colleges, Gaden Shartse and Gaden Jangtse. Each of the colleges has thousands of monks and shares the same curriculum although the syllabuses are different.

Joining Gaden Shartse Monastery

Rinpoche arrived at Gaden Monastery between the spring and summer of 1944. The following year, he participated in the great prayer festival of Mönlam Chenmo in Lhasa with all the monks from Sera, Drepung and Gaden monasteries. Two weeks later, when the festival was over, Rinpoche went before the precious statue of Buddha Shakyamuni in Lhasa, and made fervent prayers for success in his spiritual quest.

The statue, otherwise known as the Lhasa Jowo, is revered as the most holy object in Tibet. In the 7th century A.D., Princess Kong Jo of China married Chögyal Songtsen Gampo, the king of Tibet, and brought the statue with her as part of her dowry. The statue is said to have been created in India, and was once a holy shrine at the Bodhgaya temple. Later, an Indian king sent it as a gift to the Chinese emperor and now it is a principle shrine of worship in Tibet. Once Rinpoche was satisfied with the prayers he had made in the Lhasa Jowo's presence, he then went to Gaden Monastery, another two-day journey on foot.

The young lama was admitted to Gaden Shartse Monastery. The college of Gaden Shartse itself, consists of eleven different 'khangtsen' or houses. All of these are set up to provide shelter and guidance for newly arrived students. Each individual is enrolled in a particular house depending upon the region from which they come. Having been born in the Yara region of Kham, Rinpoche was taken in at Gaden’s

Phukhang Khangtsen.

With his basic needs provided for, Rinpoche started from the first level studying color, form and its functions. Three times a day: morning, daytime, and late evening, he participated in lively debate over perplexing questions drawn from the definitions and categories of colors and shapes. In this class, everything relating to color and shape is brought under detailed investigation. In the second, third, and fourth levels, basic Buddhist ideology is discussed in a similar way. During these years, the young monks debate energetically with one another. Although triumph may be celebrated with jokes over a loser's plight, it is never intended to be demeaning or patronizing. It is, rather, a way of opening new areas of discovery and experience for both debaters.

When Rinpoche was a teenager, many monks fell victim to an outbreak of plague. There was no effective means of treatment. In Phukang Khangtsen alone, more than 40 people lost their lives. Some had to flee to Lhasa or elsewhere, unfortunately, Rinpoche also became infected with this deadly disease. Bedridden, his health quickly deteriorated. His fellow-monks did not expect him to survive. In fact, they believed that he had died, and began to recite the last rites from Lama Chöpa, (Guru Puja). When the monks reached the verse at the middle of the recitation that reads:

"Through the force of having honored and appealed with devotion

To the Venerable Guru, holy, supreme field of merit,

Bless me Protector, root of all good and joy,

To be gladly cared for by you, yourself!"

Rinpoche suddenly arose from his bed. Everyone was spellbound with disbelief. People called him "Delok" meaning “someone who has returned from death”, but whether or not he had returned from the dead, his life was definitely resurrected. He had entered death’s passage and come back to consciousness and survived.

For seven years, from fourth to tenth level classes, Rinpoche memorized the entire root syllabus of the Five Great Fields of Buddhist study. He later took part in verbal examinations with other participants that were presided over by the abbot and elders, with a sea of monks also present to witness the power of his memory. Rinpoche was singled out several times by the abbot, and passed with flying colors along with other competent scholars, receiving awards for his talent and diligence. Many friends and well-wishers congratulated the young Lama. who gradually emerged to become renowned among the other students.

From tenth grade, the monastic curriculum includes three years of training in Madhayamika (Middle Way) philosophy. Following that, Abidharmakosha (Metaphysics) takes another two years and Vinaya (Monastic Code) a further two years after that. As he grew up, Rinpoche sought strict training and education under the great contemporary masters of his time such as Geshe Nawang Samten, Geshe Tsultrim Gyatso, Kheru Rinpoche Lobsang Chopel, Gen Lobsang Palden, Gen Chopel and Venerable Kyabje Lati Rinpoche.

Rinpoche has always been an obedient student, sincerely respectful of all his teachers, and he always showed friendly affection for his colleagues. His friendship is highly valued and a great source of inspiration to the people who have frequent contact with him.

In Tibet before the communist Chinese occupation, he studied up to Abidharmakosha (Metaphysics). As a brilliant student, he shared his knowledge, giving classes and training to junior students with kind words of inspiration. In 1947, at the age of nineteen, he received Bhikshu Vows of full ordination from Thadak Rinpoche who was then the regent of Tibet. In 1958, the earth-dog year, when His Holiness The Dalai Lama took part in the philosophical examinations at Gaden Monastery, there was an auspicious ceremony held with the entire of population of monks. During the ceremony, Rinpoche was fortunate to participate in the debate with His Holiness. The discussion was highly praised by the learned lamas, and His Holiness seemed uplifted by it as well. The following year, during the Great Prayer Festival, His Holiness sat for the actual examination on the Five Fields of Buddhist Studies. Monks from Gaden, Drepung, and Sera congregated together and witnessed the great knowledge that His Holiness had achieved through his training. Here again, Rinpoche had the opportunity to debate with His Holiness on the profound subject of the Middle Way among many learned observers. For Rinpoche, these were blessed moments of his spiritual life.

(..to be continued)

[Colophon: This biography is written by Geshe Lobsang Tsultrim Ngo-nang in the winter of 2004 in Dharamsala, India. Sincere acknowledgment owes to Rebecca Novick from TDL Center for her literary contribution.]

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