Zamling Rinpoche with Buddha Maitreya

Kelsang Gyatso, the 7th Dalai Lama (1708-1757) was prophesied in a poem by his predecessor, Tsangyang Gyatso:
"White Crane!
Lend me your wings
I will not fly far
I will return near Lithang"
Soon after Tsangyang Gyatso's disappearance, Kelsang Gyatso, the child believed to be the true reincarnation of the Sixth Dalai Lama was discovered in Lithang, as foreshadowed in Tsangyang Gyatso's poem.

The 7th Dalai Lama was both a scholar and a poet, who left the affairs of Tibet to his ministers. He was in close contact with the common folk, and it is said that he would even leave the Potala at times to travel incognito as a wandering monk"

Taken from The 14 Dalai Lamas of Tibet by Celeste Heiter

Geshe Thupten Nyima, the first incarnation of Zamling Rinpoche, was born to Shab Tsang family, in a village near Tse-thang monastery in Lhoka province, Lhasa. After coming to Lhasa at a tender age, he learned the five treatises of the Buddhist philosophy - the perfection of wisdom, the middle way, the valid cognition, the monastic discipline, and the treasure of knowledge and perfected it all at the age of 28 at Sera monastery. Giving the required examination of the five treatises, he was honored the doctorate degree of the highest class. He, then, went on to assume the responsibility of Sera Thekchen Ling's abbot.

The second incarnation, Gelek Pasang, was born in Tsawa Zokhang, Lhasa. He studied at Sera-Me monastery in Central Tibet, and went on to accept the rank of an emanated soul offered to him during a grand feast offering ceremony.

The third incarnation, Samten Gyatso, was born to Jang-tsong Tsang family in Lhoka province, Lhasa. He started studying the five treatises of Buddhist philosophy from a young age. After having perfected it, he received transmissions of numerous secret initiations of tantra. Proving his mastery on both fields, he was enthroned on the precious seat of Sera Thekchen Ling and given the title: Samten Gyatso.

In 1751, when the Emperor of China, Chen Lung, reached the age of 16, he made offerings to the Emperor as the representative of the seventh Dalai Lama, Kalsang Gyatso. He stayed there for a few years as the spiritual root teacher of the Emperor.

On his return back home, Chen Lung presented him many gifts including a jade-stamp, a base-elongated porcelain, and a vase made of bell-metal. Upon his arrival at Geden Jamchen Choekhor Ling in Lithang, Kham, the monastic authorities requested His Holiness Kalsang Gyatso to appoint Samten Gyatso as their monastery's abbot.

During his ten years tenure as the abbot, he restored the deteriorating Yartoe Kagon monastery in Tsosum Jangbar, and adopted the customs of the Gyumae monastery after having it turned to the Yellow Sect. It has been robustly imprinted in his biography about the restoration of the Lithang Press and the restoration of Buddha Maitreya's statue inside the Press, all under his governance.

His brother, Yungdrung Tsephel, has been a leader of both Jangbar and Chu-ngi-sab provinces for one full lifetime.

Samten Gyatso made his perception of bodily form simmer in a meditative posture at Yartoe monastery, and then passed away into nirvana.

The fourth incarnation, Gedun Phuntsok, was born to Tangpo Tsang in Zona village, Tso-sum Jangbar province. He studied in Central Tibet at Sera-me monastery, and assumed the post of an incarnated being on one of the grand feast offering ceremony of Sera Thekchen Ling. The people from all walks of life used to call him by the name Tangpo Tulku.

Later, he was requested to be the abbot of Geden Jamchen Choekor Ling in Lithang, and enthroned

As per the pre-discoursed reading transmission of the great yogi, Shawa Ripa, who lived near Thupchen Jampa Choekhor Ling in Lithang, the heart place of Dotoe, the fifth incarnation His Holiness Dorje Chang Jetsun Trinley Khetsun Gedun Jungne was born in Dasha village to Tse-'zung family in the seventh month of the fire-ox year, 17th century. He was born as the son of Gonpo Tsering and Sonam Lhamo on a night when flowers fully bloomed, when every matter around prospered, when the moonbeams illuminated the whole planet as an auspicious sign.

As he renounced all actions that lack conscientiousness and took up Dharmic conducts from childhood onwards, every people spoke in general about the birth of a holy being. At the age of seven, on the full moon day of the fourth month of the Tibetan calendar, he went to the spacious dharma place — Thupchen Jampa Ling in Lithang. In the first Tibetan month of the same year, he took the vows of a novice monk from the holy abbot Trinley Tharchin and received the name Khetsun Gedun Jungne. Rendering the holy abbot Trinley Nyendak as his root teacher, he listened to and learned the monastery's chanting book, making copious religious services to the tutelary deities, comprehending clearly the vehicles of the Buddha, the middle way, the Compendium of the Greater Vehicle. Having done so, he debated on the subjects learnt, with practitioners of Tso-sum house as per the monastic rules.

At the age of 8, he listened to the prime practices of holy yoga tantra: the time wheel initiation and the kindness initiation.

At the age of 9, he studied the infinite knowledge of the ways to Buddhahood from the great tantric master Jetsun Lobsang Tenzin Yargye of Ke-wu Tsang clan.

At the age of ten, he went to U-Tsang, the religious abode that had produced millions of scholars and realized beings. He debated at the great monastic school of Sera Thekchen Ling. He confided in the great teacher Lobsang Gelek, a man of unlimited knowledge, and learned from him the middle way, the perfection of wisdom, the monastic discipline, the treasure of knowledge, and the valid cognition.

He learned in depth the oceanic wisdom of the studies of the tantra and the sutra from many other great scholars including Lama Ngawang Lobsang Jhorden, and became a great scholar in his own right.

At the age of 17, he went to Thupchen Jampa Ling in Lithang, the dwelling place of Domae's Buddhist studies.

At the age of 21, from His Holiness Shog Drug Kyabgon Dorje Chang Jetsun Ngawang Yeshe Tenpa Gyaltsen, he received in all sincerity the precepts of a fully ordained monk (a monk observing two hundred and fifty-three vows according to Tibetan monastic discipline) amidst five masters (master who bestows novice vows, master who is one's confidant, master who gives ritual guidance, master who teaches basics, resident-master) and six ordained monks, and became the master of all teachings of the Buddha in Domae. In the same year, he was enthroned as the tantric master of the monastery after a unanimous request put forth time and again by the abbot and the monks. During his two years term as the tantric master, he improved the standards of the prevalent customs of the monastery, such as the art of mandala making, recitation and practices of the monastery, and the daily errands carried out in the monastic circle. Those existed were preserved and the ones lost were recovered back most successfully.

At the age of 23, he was put on the reserved throne of the eighth Dalai Lama in his monastery. He ruled as per Buddhist beliefs for two years.

At the age of 25, on the third month of the buffalo year, he retired from being the abbot and stayed on in his residence.

From 27 to 29, he meditated on the entire graded path teaching traditions of tantrayana and in particular on the tantra yoga at the best possible site Yartoe monastery. He had a real vision of the deity even went on to heard her speech. People staying in around the monastery campus saw and felt bewildering signs like the formation of an arch rainbow, rain of flowers, and hearing of instrumental notes on the auspicious day of 10th and 25th as per Tibetan calendar.

At the age of 31, on a certain month of the sheep year, he constructed a beautifully crafted Bodhi stupa made of copper and gold, jeweled with numerous precious stones, filled in of Dharma texts for accumulating merit for the people of Domae. The blessing representation of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha was done through a consecration, and the stupa was hence transformed into a most sacred site. Virtuous deeds as such were carried out time and again for accumulating merit for all the sentient beings.

On a month of the tiger year, at the age of 38, he went to meet two leaders in the west of Domae, and became the head of a nomadic province for the well-being of his followers.

At the age of 43, on the tenth day of the last autumn month of the sheep year, near the holy site Rawa one of the holy sites out of the twenty-one holy sites in Kampo Gang, when he was profoundly teaching the tantra yoga to great scholars with the likes of Acharya Khenchen Chogtrul Rinpoche Ngawang Khenrab Trinley Tenpa Nima Gyaltsen of Yelmo Thang, the ex-abbot Dorje Chang Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Choephel of Mar-Kham, the ex-abbot Dorje Chang Ngawang Tenzin Trinley Gyatso of Trom Thang, and the leaders of the west of Domae, rays of a rainbow surrounding his dwelling residence was seen by all. They were of the opinion that unexplainable things as such were bound to happen.

At the age of 52, on the eighth month of the dragon year, through the sponsorship of the monk community and the lay people, he gave the empowerment of Immobile Vajra Buddha and the Buddha of Compassion. Numerous other teachings were imparted as well.

At the age of 63, on the tenth day of Saka Dawa, rabbit year, for two weeks, he gave teachings and the initiations of the four yoga tantra to his great teachers Lobsang Phelgay and Lobsang Tengye, to Chogtrul Rinpoche Thupten Lungtok and to 47 different students. On the full moon day, everyone witnessed various auspicious signs. They saw seven overlapped layers of rainbow and a clear white light touching the earth from some distance. On the fourth day of the first month of the same year, during the day when Lord Buddha imparted the teachings of the four noble truths to different realms, he journeyed to Tso-sum Dangmo of the Domae province. It was on this day his disciples saw with their own eyes the shining of two suns' radiations spread out in ten different directions. What the people of merit saw is something ordinary people cannot understand. He returned back to his hometown on the seventh day of the same month. On the twenty-fifth day, a day when holy goddesses gather, he empowered the initiation of the yoga tantra to his teacher Lobsang Wangchuk, Ngawang Gelek, and to some blessed students. On the tenth day of the same year, through the sponsoring of the monk community and the lay people of Khashul, he gave the profound initiation of the Buddha of Compassion to the two leaders of the West-Domae, and to some two thousand disciples.

On the twelfth day of the second month, Iron dragon year, he went to Ashig monastery and the neighboring places, and imparted religious teachings to people clogged in of ignorance. On the thirteenth day of the same month, thinking that it was the ripe time to lead the people of Rawa-yum, he went there and imparted them the profound teachings of the Buddha, thus leading them all to a virtuous path.

On the tenth day of the seventh month, Iron dragon year, when he gave the initiation of the four yoga tantra to 300 disciples of the master Karam Gendun of Thupchen Jampa Ling, the disciples lit over two thousand butter-lamps, and made many offerings. They made a grand prayer for the continuation of the existent faith of Buddhism.

For two weeks, from the tenth day of the third month, monkey year, he taught in detail the yoga tantra to a group of over 50 disciples. The teachings were also given to Chogtrul Rinpoche Shepa Dorje and to 15 students on the twenty-fifth day of the fifth month, bird year. For a week, from the tenth day of the fourth month, mouse year, the yoga tantra was taught to some twenty disciples of his own. The initiation of the conquering mantra and the yoga tantra was given for two days. On the eighth month of the same year, out of the twenty-four holy sites of Kalachakra, he gave many empowerments at one of the holy site: Kamaru.

Though everyone accepted that he was already an accomplished vajra yogi, the belief was further strengthened when he passed away into nirvana displaying auspicious signs on the holy twenty-fifth day of the first month, ox-year, at the sacred site Kamaru.

To write a brief biography of the sixth incarnation of Zamling Chogtrul Rinpoche, Jamyang Khetsun Tenzin Trinley Gyaltso Pal Sangpo, the eighty-seventh abbot of Lithang Jamchen Choekor Ling: he was born to Drowa tsang as the son of Samphel Dhondup and Tsepak Lhatso in Mola Jawo village in 1950.

When he reached the age of three, Khentse Lodoe Gyaltsen of the Sakya lineage and many other renowned Lamas decided that the time for the search of Jetsun Trinley Khetsun's reincarnation has come. In 1953, out of the sixty candidates who had the star sign of Iron tiger, the three year old boy was chosen as the reincarnation of Zamling Rinpoche by His Holiness the fourteenth Dalai, Trichang Rinpoche, and Khentse Lodoe Gyaltsen along with many other Lamas. His Holiness the Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso named him Jamyang Khetsun Tenzin Trinley Gyatso.

At the age of five, he was put on the golden throne at Lithang Jamchen Choekor Ling monastery.

At the age of nine, he listened to and learned to perfection the monastery's melodious chanting, making copious religious services to the tutelary deities from the great teacher Drup Khang Kunga.

At the age of twenty-eight, he went to Central Tibet and became a member of the Sera-Me monastery. He took the vows of a novice monk and the vows of an ordained monk from Gyaltsen Shakya. He was transmitted all the tantra and sutra initiations as per the Yellow Sect's philosophy in a most complete manner by his teachers Rinchen Gonpo, Yeshe Wangchuk and Gyaltsen Shakya.

At the age of thirty-one, he went to his homeland Lithang. As per the request of Lithang Kyabgon Rinpoche, he became the head of the monastery. He reconstructed the red temple situated on the top of the monastery. The outer fencing, the inner statues and the texts were all restored and made as before.

In 1985, he assumed the responsibility of the great master at Lithang Jamchen Choekor Ling. He remained as the abbot of Lithang monastery for period of two years, from 1987-1989. During this period, he accomplished many religious aspects; he recovered those that were lost, and the ones existing were further developed. On the eighth and the full moon day, he gave teachings on the thirty-four previous lives of the Buddha and on Lamrim. A detailed teaching on higher Lamrim were made on the full moon day, the first month of the Tibetan calendar.

He transmitted the vows of a novice monk and the vows of an ordained monk to some six hundred monks during his two years term as the abbot of the monastery. He made the farmers and the nomads of Tso-sum and Mola Kha-shue chant over hundred million Mani and imparted teachings on Lamrim. This rendered an unimaginable accumulation of merit for these people. As the work of religion is unlimited and something that cannot be finished, as per the wish of the people, he made the seven groups of Mani chanters in the villages of Lithang chant hundred million Mani twenty-eight times, eighty-two times, fifteen times, even after retiring from the post of the abbot. In all, the ten thousand people comprising of both the Sangha community and the lay people, accumulated thirty-three and thirty-four hundred million Mani in each passing year. From 1987 to 2004 A.D., the people have accumulated some twenty billion Mani.

From 1987 to 1993, he engineered the architecture of the main shrine of Lithang Jamchen Choekor Ling and also built a debating school.

From 20th March, 1998, he engineered the architecture of Lithang's White Stupa, with the responsibility of the building materials all under him. The height of the stupa is 78 feet and the area 44 feet. The lower door made of gold is 16 feet high and 14 feet in breath. A hundred and nineteen small stupas were made around with the main big stupa.

On 10th January, 1999, it was he who alone made the model and the sketch of Lithang monastery tantra school's shrine and monks' dormitory.

He continued his ecclesiastic errand and built Yartoe monastery. He rebuilt Ho-gon monastery and Ne-zum monastery people of the Tso-sum House, Mola House, the nomadic tribe of Khashel considers him the teacher in whom they can take refuge.

In August 2004 in a rare meeting, Zamling Rinpoche left his monastery and traveled to greet H.H. Gylawa Jampa, The Buddha Maitreya in an unprecedented welcoming Ceremony to Lithang. 40 cars led the procession. It was the first time that he had actually been the one offering the greeting rather than waiting to receive one. It was also the first time that he had ever met a westerner...and it was his karma that it should be H.H. Buddha Maitreya.

Several meetings took place, one a dinner at the local Chinese restaurant and another at his tent during the famous Lithang horse races.

Zamling Rinpoche had hoped that H.H. Buddha Maitreya would come and visit the seven monasteries under his care, but due to a shortage of time, H.H. agreed to visit during his next pilgrimage to Lithang. Along with visiting the Monasteries of H. E. Zamling Rinpoche during his 2006 International Dharshan to Lithang, H.H. Buddha Maitreya will be inaugurating His New Buddha Maitreya Dharma Center now in process of being built.