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FirstArjiaRinpoche(16thcentury)
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ItisunclearastowhethertheFirstArjia
RinpochewasTsultrimJongniorChuedon
Banjorashistoricaldocumentsdiffer.Hewas
borninthe16thcentury,the11thRabchungand
mayhavecomefromtheCentralTibetarea,
accompanyingtheThirdDalaiLamawho
establishedKumbumMonasteryin1560,the
YearoftheIronMonkey.PrevioustotheThird
DalaiLamasvisit,Kumbumwasasmalltemple
withonly7monksdoingpracticethere.
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SecondArjiaRinpoche:ArjiaSherapSangbo(16331707 )
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ArjiaSherapSangbowasbornintheYearofthe
WoodRoosteranddiedtheYearoftheFireDog
(11thto12
thR).HisbirthplacewastheSina
TribalAreainthevillageofLiShu.Hebecame
the16thAbbotofKumbum.Besidesbeinga
sutraandtantramaster,hewasagifted
administratorwhoformulatedrulesand
regulationsforthemonasteryandsetupa
curriculumforlearningandpracticingthe
dharma.Inaddition,heinitiatedtheSummer
DebatingProgramatKumbum.Duringhistime
asAbbotofKumbum,herenovatedthetemples,builtabigcommunitykitchen,and
enlargedtheCongregationHall,increasingittoaSixtyPillarHall.
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ThirdArjiaRinpoche:ArjiaLobsangTenbeGyaltsen(17081768)
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ArjiaLobsangTenbeGyaltsenwasbornanddied
intheYearoftheEarthRat,(12thR).His
birthplaceisnotknown.HecametoKumbumat
ayoungageandfinishedtheFiveMajorStudies.
Hebecameanotedscholarwhowrotemany
importantbooksandarticlesaboutcosmology,
themetaphysicalstudyoftheoriginandnature
oftheuniversethatplaysanimportantrolein
Buddhism.Inaddition,hewroteabookaboutthe
correctmeasurementsandproperproportionsan
artistshouldemployinmakingathangka
painting.Healsocomposedamanualonhowto
writeTibetanpoetry.Hewashonoredby
EmperorQianLongoftheQingDynastywho
invitedhimtoBeijing.
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FourthArjiaRinpoche:ArjiaLobsangJamyangGyatso(17681816 )
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"48
ArjiaLobsangJamyangGyatsowasbornintheYear
oftheEarthRatanddiedintheYearoftheFire
Bird(13thto14
thR).HewasfromGomeeHorja
VillageinAmdowherehisfamilyservedasthe
villagesTribalChief.ArjiaRinpochebecamea
monkat7yearsoldinKumbum.Whenhewas12,
thePanchen,BaldenYeshi,cametoKumbumand
hebecamehisnovicemonk.Later,hestudiedwith
ArjiaYungtsenNgawangNyima,hismainteacher.
Whenhewas18,hewenttoChinatomeetthe
Emperor.UponhisreturntoTibet,hetraveledto
LhasawherehemetwiththeEighthDalaiLama
JamphelGyatso,andthePanchenLama.TheDalai
LamagavehimhisfullMonasticOrdinationandbestoweduponhimthehonorarytitle,
ErdenePandita.Whenhewas20,hewenttoSeraMonasteryandstudiedwithLungdo
LamaRinpoche,afamousteacherofcosmology.HereturnedtoKumbumwhenhewas25,
butthentraveledagaintoChinawherehestayeduntilhewas36yearsold.
HereturnedtoKumbumandwasappointeditsAbbotwhenhewas40yearsold.Duringthis
time,hewroteascholarlybook,didmonasteryrenovations,beganastudyprogram,andgave
teachings.WhenJetsunDhanba,Mongoliasspiritualleader,invitedhimtoMongoliatobe
histutor,hewenttoUlaanbaatarwherehestayedfor4years,givingoraltransmissions,
initiationsandteachings,includingtheKalachakra.JetsunDhanbabestoweduponhimthe
MongoliantitleofPunditoftheThreeJewels.ThenattheChineseEmperorsrequest,he
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returnedtoChinawhereEmperorgavehimthetitleVirtuousandTalentedMasterArjia,the
HutukKhtu.Additionally,hewasawardedaveryhighpositioninthegovernmentthat
includedofficialdocumentsandstamps.Whenhewas47,ArjiaRinpochereturnedto
KumbumanddidrenovationstotheGoldenTileTempleSerdongChenmo-LamaTsong
Khapasbirthplace.Hediedattheageof49.HisrelicsarehonoredintheGoldenTile
Temple.
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FifthArjiaRinpoche:ArjiaYesheKalsangKedrupGyatso(18171869)
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ArjiaYesheKalsangKedrupGyatsowasbornin
theYearoftheFireCowanddiedintheYearof
theEarthSnake(14thR).HewasborninGomee
HorjaVillageandwasrecognizedastheFifth
ArjiaRinpochebyKumbumsNechungOracle.
Whenhewas7yearsold,hecametoKumbum
wherehereceivedhighpositionsandgreat
honor.AtKumbum,hewasknownasavery
diligentstudent.
At the invitation of the Emperor, he went to
China several times. When he returned from
Chinaattheageof37,hemademanyofferingsforthemonks.WhenhighlamasatKumbum,
requestedthatherenovatetheGoldenTileTemple,hewenttoMongoliaandChinatoraise
fundsfortheproject.Hewas46whenhereturned.
AtthattimeawarhadstartedwiththeMuslimsandChinese.ArjiaRinpochehadprotectthe
monasterysohebecameamilitaryleader,workinginthemilitaryservicedayandnight.
WhenherequestedaidfromtheQingGovernment,hewastoldthatalthoughtheywerevery
concernedaboutthismatter,itpreferredthatArjiaRinpochesolvetheproblemthrough
peacefulmeans.OfcoursetheFifthArjiaRinpocheagreedthatcultivatinglovingkindnesswas
thebestsolutioninthelongrun,butintheshortrun,thesituationwasdire.Monksand
villagerswereforcedtotakeuparmsandfightfortheirfamilies,homes,andtemples.
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Eventually,theQinggovernmentdispatchedtroopstoaidthem,andsuppressedthe
rebellion.ArjiaRinpochepassedawayinDongKorFortresswhenhewas53.
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SixthArjiaRinpoche:ArjiaLobsangTenbeWanshukSonamGyatso
(1871-1909)
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ArjiaLobsangTenbeWanshukSonamGyatsowasborn
intheYearoftheIronSheep.HediedintheYearofthe
EarthRooster(15thR).HewasborninGomeeHorja
Village.HeenteredKumbumMonasterywhenhewas9
yearsoldandwasreveredasanexcellentstudent.Like
hispredecessor,hewasalsoamilitarymonk.Adept
withswordandspear,he,too,wascalledupontofight
whentheMuslimrebellionresumedin1895.In1900,
theQingEmperorGuangXu,sentArjiaRinpocheto
JapanasaBuddhistdelegatetoasktheJapanese
EmperortostopthewarbetweenChinaandJapan.
Whilethere,hewasinvitedtoaswordmatchinKyototo
demonstratehisskill.Hewonadmirationfromthe
JapaneseEmperor,whohonoredtheSixthArjia
Rinpochewithgifts,includingastatueoftheBuddha
andaprecioussword.Whilehewasthere,oneofthe
secretariestooknotesandmadesketchesoftheevents.
Thisbook,alongwithsomeofthegiftsfromthe
JapaneseEmperor,werekeptinBeijinginArjia
RinpochesresidenceinYongheKongTemple(now
calledtheBeijingTibetanBuddhistLamasary).
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AlloftheseitemsdisappearedduringtheCulturalRevolution.ThestatueoftheBuddhaand
aprecioussword,aswellasphotographsofthevisittoJapan,werekeptintheresidenceat
Kumbum,wheretheywouldbetakenoutandputondisplayonNewYearsDay.Sadly,they
wereconficatedbytheChineseGovroenmentin1958,duringaviolentpoliticalpurgeat
KumbumMonastery.
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SeventhArjiaRinpoche:ArjiaLobsangLunakJigmeTanbeGyaltsen
(19101948)
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ArjiaLobsangLunakJigmeTanbeGyaltsenwasbornin
theYearoftheIronDoganddiedintheYearoftheFire
Pig(15thto16
th ).Like threeofhis predecessors, he
was born in GomeeHorja village. The Seventh Arjia
Rinpoche devoted his life to Buddhist teachings and
wasagreatscholar,publishing4booksinhislifetime.
AsabbotherantheMonasteryaccordingtostrictrules
and regulations, but despite his efforts he presided
overthemonasterysmoraldecline,atatimewhenthe
Qing Dynasty collapsed, replaced by the Republic of
China, and a senseofWesternmodernismsweptthe
land, further undermining discipline among some
monks.
Whenamonkstoleaniconographicpainting(athangka)
fromthemonasteryandputitintheprivatealtarofhis
ownfamilyshome,somehowtheSeventhArjia
Rinpochefoundout,andalthoughhewasaverygentle
person,hebecamesoangrythathestruckthemonk.
ThefollowingdayArjiaRinpocheshandswelled,never
totrulyheal.ShortlythereaftertheRinpocheshandthat
hadresortedtoviolenceswelledup,andhewasnever
wellagain.TheSeventhArjiaRinpochediedoneyear
later,in1948,whenhewasonly38yearsold.His
cremationtookplaceinthecourtyardofhisresident.
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EighthArjiaRinpoche:LobsangTubtenJigmeGyatso(1950-)
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ArjiaLobsangTubtenJigme
GyatsowasbornintheYearof
theIronTiger(16thR)in
Kokonor,Amdo.Hisparents
wereMongolianwholivedas
nomadontheTibetanPlateau.
HewasrecognizedasArjia
RinpocheandtheAbbotof
Kumbumwhenhewastwo
yearsoldbythe10thPanchen
Lama.HelivedinKumbumuntil1958atwhichtimeduringtheReligiousReformMovement
theCommuniststookoverthemonastery.YoungArjiaRinpochewasforcedtowearcivilian
clothesandattendaChineseSchool.In1962,hewasabletostudyunderthePanchenLama
for4yearsatTashiLhumpoMonastery.butduringtheCulturalRevolutionhadtoworkina
forcedlaborcamp.
AfterthepassingofMaoTseTung,hewasrestoredtohisformerpositionandslowlyroseto
positionsofpowerandeminenceintheBuddhisthierarchyinTibetandChina.In1998,
becausehewasgoingtoberequiredtobecomethetutoroftheChineseelected11thPanchen
Lama,hefledfromTibetandwentintoexileintheUnitedStates.HeestablishedtheTibetanCenterforCompassion&WisdominMillValley,California.In2005,HisHolinesstheDalai
LamarequestedthathebecometheDirectoroftheTibetanMongolianBuddhistCultural
CenterinBloomingto,Indiana.Presently,hedirectsbothTCCWandTMBCC.Bothcenters
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arededicatedtothepreservationofBuddhistteachings,artandculturewithinandoutsideof
TibetandMongolia.
ArjiaRinpocheisengagedinCharityProjectsinvolvingMongoliansinMongoliaandTibetan
refugeesinIndia.AmongthesearetheMultiEducationEditingCenter(MEEC)toprovide
TibetantextsforrefugeesinIndia,sponsoringLibrariesforTibetanRefugeesinDharamsala,
India,spearheadingtheTofuprojecttoencourageavegetariandietformonksand
MonasteriesinIndia,conductingmedicalresearchtoimprovethehealthofmonksatTashi
LhumpoMonasteryinSouthIndia,andconstructingaCancerCareTreatmentCenterfor
MongolianChildren.ThistreatmentcenterisscheduledtobeopenedinSeptember2013.
In2010theEighthArjiaRinpochepublishedhismemoirs,SurvivingtheDragonpublishedby
RodaleBookCompany