His Holiness the 10th Panchen Lama His Holiness the 10th Panchen Lama
The 10th Panchen Lama Lobsang Trinley Lhündrub Chökyi Gyaltsen was a great patron of Tibetan language, arts, culture, history, religion, scripture, ancient texts, traditions... His Holiness the 10th Panchen Lama

His Holiness the 10th Panchen Lama of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism was Lobsang Trinley Lhündrub Chökyi Gyaltsen. He was often referred to as Choekyi Gyaltsen, although this is also the name of several other notable figures in Tibetan history.

H.H. the 10th Panchen Lama Choekyi Gyaltsen

H.H. the 10th Panchen Lama Choekyi Gyaltsen

The Panchen Lama is the highest ranking reincarnated Lama after the Dalai Lama in the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, the lineage which controlled western Tibet from the 16th Century until the Battle of Chamdo and the subsequent 1959 Tibetan uprising.

The recognition of the Panchen Lamas has always been a matter involving the Dalai Lama. Choekyi Gyaltsen, 10th Panchen Lama, himself declared, as cited by an official Chinese review that,

…according to Tibetan tradition, the confirmation of either the Dalai or Panchen must be mutually recognised.

Popular Tibetan opinion commonly refers to the 14th Dalai Lama and the 10th Panchen Lama as the “sun and moon” of the Tibetan Buddhist firmament. They are the centre of Tibet’s Buddhist civilisation which draws in its sphere millions of non-Tibetans.

A large Dorje Shugden statue in the Panchen Lama's monastery, Tashi Lhunpo

A large Dorje Shugden statue in the Panchen Lama’s monastery, Tashi Lhunpo

The 10th Panchen Lama’s Tashi Lhunpo Monastery has a special temple and chapel dedicated to the Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden. Special pujas, rites and rituals are performed daily to Dorje Shugden in this chapel by senior monks. The Panchen Lama in his great omniscience held Dorje Shugden as a principal Dharma Protector of his lineage and personally propitiated Dorje Shugden together with the other Protectors of Tashi Lhunpo. The 10th Panchen Lama also personally wrote extensive prayers and rites to Dorje Shugden, which appear in his collected written works.

The 9th Panchen Lama Thubten Choekyi Nyima

The 9th Panchen Lama Thubten Choekyi Nyima

The 10th Panchen Lama was born as Gonpo Tseten on 19 February 1938 in today’s Xunhua Salar Autonomous County of Qinghai, to Gonpo Tseten and Sonam Drolma.

When the 9th Panchen Lama entered clear light in 1937, two simultaneous searches for the 10th Panchen Lama produced two competing candidates. The government in Lhasa had selected a boy from Xikang while the 9th Panchen Lama’s officials had picked Gonpo Tseten.

The Chinese government, then embroiled in the Chinese Civil War, declared its support for Gonpo Tseten on 3 June 1949. Guan Jiyu, the head of the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission, joined the Kuomintang Governor of Qinghai Ma Bufang in presiding over Gonpo Tseten’s enthronement on 11 June as Choekyi Gyaltsen at Kumbum Monastery.

The 10th Panchen Lama was a great patron of Tibetan language, arts, culture, history, religion, scripture, ancient texts, traditions and a scholar of Buddhism himself. He was constantly requested to give transmissions, teachings, initiations and advice all over Tibet. When the 10th Panchen Lama gave public discourses, hundreds of thousands would attend.

His teachings were based on Lama Tsongkhapa’s writings and would attract scholars, teachers, masters and lineage holders of all traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. The Panchen Lama would teach everyone, from government ministers, both Tibetan and Chinese, to the humblest farmer.

One of the greatest legacies of the 10th Panchen Lama is said to be a piece of advice he gave Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok, a charismatic Buddhist leader who was keen to revive Tibetan Buddhism in the relative freedom and liberalisation of China under Deng Xiaoping, China’s statesman from 1978 until his retirement in 1992. Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok wished to establish a monastery in Tibet which taught the spiritual teachings of all four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The Panchen Lama encouraged Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok in this initiative, but advised him that in order to circumvent the party’s ban on new monasteries, Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok should call his school a “hermitage.”

Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok set up the Serthar Buddhist Academy in 1980 in Larung Valley in the predominantly ethnic Tibetan area of Kandze in the Sichuan province. Soon the academy attracted students not only from all over Tibet but from Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and the mainland itself.

The 10th Panchen Lama and the 14th Dalai Lama withMao Zedong, 1956

The 10th Panchen Lama and the 14th Dalai Lama with Mao Zedong, 1956

The 10th Panchen Lama supported China’s claim of sovereignty over Tibet, including its reform policies for Tibet. Radio Beijing broadcast the religious leader’s call for Tibet to be “liberated” into China, which created pressure on the Lhasa government to negotiate with the People’s Republic. In 1951, the 10th Panchen Lama was invited to Beijing as the Tibetan delegation was signing the 17-Point Agreement and telegramming the Dalai Lama to implement the Agreement. He was recognised by the 14th Dalai Lama when they met in 1952.

In September 1954, the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama went to Beijing to attend the opening session of the first National People’s Congress, meeting Mao Zedong and other leaders. The Panchen Lama was soon elected a member of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and in December 1954, he became the Deputy Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. In 1956, the Panchen Lama went to India on a pilgrimage together with the Dalai Lama. When the Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959, the Panchen Lama decided to stay in Tibet. It is said his intention to stay was in order to look after the Tibetan people.

The Panchen Lama and the 14th Dalai Lama with India's Prime Minister Nehru

The Panchen Lama and the 14th Dalai Lama with India’s Prime Minister Nehru

After a tour through Tibet, in May 1962, the 10th Panchen Lama met Zhou Enlai to discuss a petition he had written criticising the situation in Tibet. The petition was a 70,000 character document that dealt with the brutal suppression of the Tibetan people during and after the Chinese invasion of Tibet. The initial reaction was positive, but in October 1962, the authorities of the People’s Republic of China criticised the petition.

In 1964, the 10th Panchen Lama was publicly humiliated at Politburo meetings, dismissed from all posts of authority, declared ‘an enemy of the Tibetan people’, had his dream journal confiscated and used against him, and then imprisoned. He was 26 years old at the time.

The Panchen Lama’s situation worsened when the Cultural Revolution began. The Chinese dissident and former Red Guard Wei Jingsheng published in March 1979 a letter under his name but written by another anonymous author, denouncing the conditions at Qincheng Prison where the 10th Panchen Lama was imprisoned. In October 1977, he was released but held under house arrest in Beijing until 1982. After his release, he was considered by the authorities of the People’s Republic of China to be politically rehabilitated and he then rose to important positions. He served as Vice Chairman of the National People’s Congress.

The 10th Panchen Lama with his wife and daughter

The 10th Panchen Lama with his wife and daughter

In 1978, after giving up his vows of an ordained monk, the 10th Panchen Lama traveled around China, looking for a wife to start a family. He began courting Li Jie, a soldier and medical student at Fourth Military Medical University in Xi’an.

At the time, the Panchen Lama had no money and was still blacklisted by the party, but the wife of Deng Xiaoping and widow of Zhou Enlai saw the symbolic value of a marriage between a Tibetan Lama and a Han woman. They personally intervened to wed the couple in a large ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in 1979. One year later, the Panchen Lama was given the Vice Chairmanship of the National People’s Congress and other political posts, and he was said to have been politically rehabilitated by 1982.

The 10th Panchen Lama’s wife, Li Jie gave birth to a daughter in 1983 and named her Yabshi Pan Rinzinwangmo. Popularly known as the “Princess of Tibet”, she is considered important in Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan-Chinese politics, as she is the only offspring in over 600 years of history of either the Panchen Lama or Dalai Lama reincarnation lineages.

While the 10th Panchen Lama commanded less reverence than the Dalai Lama, he was nonetheless deeply respected by Tibetans. In 1982, on his first trip back to Tibet in more than 15 years, he was mobbed by tens of thousands of friendly Tibetans.

The 10th Panchen Lama was reported to have died from a heart attack in Shigatse at the age of 51, on 28 January 1989.

H.H. the 11th Panchen Lama Gyaincain Norbu

H.H. the 11th Panchen Lama Gyaincain Norbu

His Holiness the 11th Panchen Lama Gyaincain Norbu was born on 13 February 1990. Recognised through the Golden Urn method, which had also been used in the recognition of His Holiness the 11th Dalai Lama and His Holiness the 8th Panchen Lama, he was enthroned as the 11th Panchen Lama at his home monastery of Tashi Lhunpo in Shigatse. He has studied the traditional subjects of learning such as Sutra, Tantra and logic. He is fluent in both Chinese and Tibetan.

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  • jerry_sito

    Posted on July 13, 2016 #1 Author

    在格鲁传承上,在西藏佛教上,除了达赖喇嘛的转世体系,其实大家都忘了一个与达赖喇嘛一样的活佛转世体系,那就是伟大的班禅喇嘛转世体系,班禅喇嘛又称班禅额尔德尼(为清朝康熙帝所赐予的封号)(满语:ᡝᡵᡩᡝᠨᡳ,穆麟德:erdeni,太清:erdeni)是满语的蒙古语借词,意为“珍宝”。

    藏传佛教相信班禅是“月巴墨佛”即阿弥陀佛的化身,而达赖喇嘛为观音菩萨的化身,那么无论尊贵的班禅与达赖喇嘛,他们都是佛菩萨乘愿再来佛菩萨的化身,竟然这样,他们是同等而且并没有高低之分的,那么在他们选择的护法上,班禅喇嘛所驻跸地为日喀则的扎什伦布寺每一天都会进行庄严的多杰雄登护法法会,而当今班禅喇嘛(阿弥陀佛)也同样给予大众多杰雄登护法的修持法门,那么也就证明了修持多杰雄登护法法门一定会让我们在修行上有所成就的。

    谢谢
    Jerry Sito

    Reply

    • jerry_sito

      Posted on July 13, 2016 #2 Author

      尊贵的第11世班禅喇嘛

      11thpanchenlama

      Reply

  • KarenC

    Posted on July 13, 2016 #3 Author

    It can be seen 10th Panchen Lama suffered a lot during his lifetime just for the revival of Tibetan Buddhism in China and also preparation for the current 11th Panchen Lama who gains high position in Chinese political parties, which is very important for the growth of Tibetan buddhism in that region. From the petition incident one can tell 10th Panchen Lama loves Tibetans, As we know, China is very controlling in almost everything including religion. Having someone who has political influence from the Buddhist world is beneficial for many aspects. For example, the development and management of monasteries and other related matters.

    Panchen Lama is extremely well respected by the Chinese and Tibetans in China. His photos can be seen everywhere as an indication of respect and worship.

    Reply

  • William Chua

    Posted on July 13, 2016 #4 Author

    The illustrious life of the 10th Panchen Lama is described very well here and the pictures depicts that the Panchen Lama plays a very important role in Tibetan Buddhism in China. Because of the Panchen Lama, Buddhism in China is revived after the Cultural Revolution. In my opinion, the Panchen Lama decided to stay back in China in 1959 is because the Dalai Lama has already fled Tibet, hence a Buddhist leader is needed to lead the Buddhist community. And Because of him staying back in China, he has to endure the hardship of being prisoned for 13 years and house arrest for 4 years. This is how compassionate the Panche Lama is as he emanation of Amithaba.

    I am also sure that with the Panchen Lama in the Chinese Government in the National Peoples’ Congress, he is the influence that made the Chinese government repair and restore the monasteries around China. The 11th Panchen Lama is now continuing the good works of the previous Panchen Lama.

    Reply

  • Wylfred Ng

    Posted on July 13, 2016 #5 Author

    谢谢 dorjeshugden.org 分享了关于至尊班禅喇嘛的故事。

    班禅喇嘛的慈悲心是不容置疑的。 在50-60 年代西藏局势动荡的时候他还是选择留在西藏, 更因此被软禁了很多年。不过非常惋惜的是那个时代因为政治因素班禅喇嘛并无法完全把佛法宣扬到极致。

    不过班禅喇嘛备受世人所知的是他也是多杰雄登的修持者。 他的寺院甚至还有多杰雄登特别的法坛。

    Reply

  • Carmen

    Posted on July 16, 2016 #6 Author

    The fact that the 11th Panchen Lama was recognised illustrates the great deeds performed by the 10th Panchen Lama. He practiced Dorje Shugden amongst other practices, and held Dorje Shugden close to his heart, even writing a praise to Dorje Shugden, which shows the importance of the practice.

    The 10th Panchen Lama used his life and body to single handedly protect the BuddhaDharma in Tibet, while many fled to take exile in India. Perhaps because of all that the 10th Panchen Lama went through, returning his vows to protect the BuddhaDharma in that way was the best way to go. Otherwise, his incarnation would not be amongst us today, continuing the excellent works of his predecessors.

    Thank you for this article, I personally did not know what the 10th Panchen Lama had to go through for the Dharma. It is a blessing to read this article. .

    Reply

  • Sock Wan

    Posted on July 21, 2016 #7 Author

    Many Lamas or highly attained beings experience suffers in their lives, but never once we hear them saying how hard their lives are and use the hardship they have been through as an excuse to commit negative actions. Instead, they excel from their hardship, bringing benefits to countless people.

    The 10th Panchen Lama, was imprisoned, due to certain circumstances he had to disrobed and formed a family. However, this did not stop him from benefitting others. His reincarnation the 11th Panchen Lama continues the Panchen Lama lineage legacy by giving Dharma teachings and uphold the Gelug lineage.

    Reply

  • Wan Wai Meng

    Posted on July 26, 2016 #8 Author

    The previous Panchen Lama, the 10th Panchen Lama he stayed behind altruistically to hep Tibetans.

    Reply

  • Alice Tay

    Posted on July 28, 2016 #9 Author

    This is good for us to read through the great lamas’ story.
    From the story, we can see clearly the determination and motivation of the great lamas just to think of benefit others by spreading dharma.
    For instance, The Panchen Lama encouraged Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok to set up monastery for spiritual teachings. However, Panchen Lama also advised Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok call his school a “hermitage” in order to circumvent the party’s ban on new monasteries.
    Besides, when 1959 Tibetan uprising, Panchen Lama chose to stay in Tibet with his intention to look after the Tibetan people. All these happened are showing that Panchen Lama is really compassion and loving kindness which he will try to help and benefits to many others as much as he can.

    Reply

  • Fong

    Posted on October 30, 2016 #10 Author

    Thank you for bringing us the life and times of the 10th Panchen Lama who suffered for Tibetans and Buddhism. But he left a legacy and that is shown by the respect and love shown by multitude of loyal followers who kept his photo on their altars awaiting his return.

    And now, the 11th Panchen Lama has recently given his first Kalachakra initiation at New Palace near Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Xigaze (Shigatse), southwest of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpMC5HxYYf0

    Such is the compassion of enlightened beings that they willingly suffer for the spread of the dharma and they will reincarnate time and again to continue their work.

    Reply

  • Stella Cheang

    Posted on November 8, 2016 #11 Author

    While H.H. Panchen Lama is the highest ranking reincarnated Lama after the Dalai Lama in the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, H.H. Panchen Lama is actually on par with H.H. Dalai Lama in spirituality sense. The 10th Panchen Lama, Lobsang Trinley Lhundrub Chokyi Gyeltsen (19 Feb 1938 – 28 Jan 1989) is believed to be the emanation of Buddha Amitabha. One of H.H. Panchen Lama’s previous incarnation is none other than Khedrub Je, a direct disciple of Lama Tsongkhapa, who is a master of both sutra and tantra. It is with no surprise that when He taught, thousands of people would attend, not only from his own Gelug lineage, but masters and practitioners from all traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. H.H. Panchen Lama never left Tibet after the political troubles of 1959.

    Reply

  • Choong

    Posted on January 31, 2017 #12 Author

    The 10th Panchen Lama, being recognized by the Kuomintang, could very well have left Mao’s China but did not and was eventually incarcerated. But as we know, nothing is permanent.

    Subsequently,” the wife of Deng Xiaoping and widow of Zhou Enlai saw the symbolic value of a marriage between a Tibetan Lama and a Han woman. They personally intervened to wed the couple in a large ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in 1979. One year later, the Panchen Lama was given the Vice Chairmanship of the National People’s Congress and other political posts, and he was said to have been politically rehabilitated by 1982.”

    Reply

  • Lim Han Nee

    Posted on August 13, 2017 #13 Author

    The 10th Panchen Lama, with the aim of protecting the people of Tibet, saw the wisdom of supporting China’s claim to Tibet. With the same concern for the people of Tibet, he stayed back in Tibet, when China invaded it in 1959.

    When he courageously presented a petition against the brutal suppression of Tibetans, he was criticised and stripped of all posts of authority and imprisoned under very oppressive conditions from 1964 to 1977. After that he was put under house arrest for another 5 years.

    Only after that was he considered as having been politically rehabilitated .

    He disrobed under political pressure. and married a soldier and medical student of a military medical university . They had a daughter.

    He continued to speak up for his people even to the end of his life. It is said that he was poisoned to death. He died at a young age of 51. Throughout his entire life he stood up for the people of Tibet and for Tibetan Buddhism. He can be said to have contributed tremendously to Tibetan Buddhism’s survival in Tibet till today.

    Reply

  • Jacinta Goh

    Posted on August 31, 2017 #14 Author

    With a mission or purpose in mind, the 10th Panchen Lama had gone through tremendous hardship to remain in Tibet. He actually brought peace to both parties, the Tibetan and Chinese, skilfully spreading and preserving Dharma through His work and His life as well. Something that we didn’t even realise the significance of His every moves.

    Reply