1st Gyaltsab Paljor Döndrub

Lifetime uncertain

Paljor Döndrub , the 1st Gyaltsab Rinpoche, received a comprehensive Buddhist education as a child under the guidance of great meditation masters, particularly the 6th Karmapa, his root teacher, and then took over the leadership of Tsurphu Monastery at the age of 14 at his (Karmapa’s) request. 

The Gyaltsab Rinpoches are part of the activity of the Bodhisattva Vajrapani. In the past, Rinpoche had incarnated as Ananda, the disciple of Buddha Shakyamuni who had perfect memory and was responsible for reciting all of the teachings of Buddha to the practitioners. 
Often their names were additionally termed with the Chinese title, Goshir or Gushri (lit.: state teacher.)

Paljor Döndrub was born at Nyemo Yakteng in Central Tibet. He received transmissions of the Kanjur, Tenjur and others already by the age of five and was fully trained in Buddhist philosophy and meditation by Karmapa, as well as by Jampäl Zangpo, the 3rd Shamarpa. Later, he was appointed as the general secretary of the Karmapa.

He offered his service in the activity of Karmapa and the lineage. When Karmapa went into retreat, knowing that he (Karmapa) would pass away soon, he bestowed the title Gyaltsab upon him which means regent.

The complete lineage transmission, which he had received from the 6th Karmapa, he later passed on to the 7th Karmapa, Chödrag Gyamtso.

When Paljor Dhöndrup passed into parinirvana there were many wondrous signs of accomplishments. The 7th Karmapa was then 25 years old.

 

STORY

In his mid-thirties, the 6th Karmapa went into a retreat where he clearly recognized that he did not have to live long. Karmapa decided to appoint Tashi Paljor Döndrub as his regent (= Gyaltsabpa) at the age of 14. The 1st Gyaltsab Rinpoche thus became one of the lineage holders of the Karma Kagyü lineage, (by hierarchical ranks: first, Shamar Rinpoche, second, Situ Rinpoche, third, Gyaltsab Rinpoche, and fourth, [since the late 19th century] Jamgön Kongtrul Rinpoche). They must ensure the continuity of the Kagyü transmission in the interim between the Karmapas’ incarnations.

He built his own monastery, Chogar Gong, directly behind the Tsurphu Monastery.

Key Transmissions

Received Transmissions (an excerpt)

As for all future lineage holders the following four are the core transmissions of the Kagyü and later the Karma Kagyü Lineage:

  • Mahamudra
  • Six Teachings of Naropa (including Father, Mother and Non-Dual Tantras)
  • Path of Insight > Shinay/Lhaktong
  • Secret Path > Guru Yoga
  • He received the full Kagyü transmissions already at the age of four.
  • Buddhist philosophy
  • Buddha of Highest Bliss
  • Mahamaya
  • Kalachakra
  • Khandro Gyatso
  • Vajravarahi
  • Hayagriva

 

Additional Given Transmissions (an excerpt)

  • The 1st Gyaltsab was an exceedingly sophisticated and intellectual scholar who composed many works, such as “The Lamp of the Three Worlds”, which is a commentary on the “Ornament of Realization” (skt.: Abhisamayalamkara), a Mahayana commentary that Maitreya revealed to Asangha. His most famous treatise is a commentary on reasoning and logic, “The Ocean of Reasoning”.

 

Additional Special Abilities

  • He established the Karma Dratsan Shedra, Tsurphu’s monastic university.

  • Key-instructions how to conquer death
  • Fundamental Verses of the Middle Way (Mūlamādhyamakakārikā or Madhyamaka)
  • Mahamudra-Transmission in meditation/in a vision from Ratnamati in Southern India (where Ratnamati had lived)
  • Tripitaka-texts (Triple Basket)
  • Seventy Verses on Emptiness (Shunyatasapati)
  • Two Truths Doctrine - about relative and absolute level (= level with delusion and level without delusion)“
  • Six Collections on Reasoning (text)
  • Root Verses on the Middle Way, called "Discriminating Awareness"
  • Precious Garland
  • Refutation of Objections
  • Seventy Verses on Emptiness
  • Sutra Called “Finely Woven”
  • Sixty Verses of Reasoning
  • Collections of Praises (text)
  • Praise to the Sphere of Reality
  • Praise to the Deepest Truth
  • Praise to the Supramundane (Buddha)
  • Collections of Didactic Explanations (text)
  • A Commentary on (the Two) Bodhichittas
  • Selected text-collection of Sutras
  • Letter to a Friend
  • all Mahakali and Mahakala-Tantras
  • Guyhasamaja-Tantras

  • Della Santina, Peter: Causality and Emptiness: The Wisdom of Nāgārjuna, Singapore: Buddha Dharma Education Association, 2002
  • Garfield, Jay L. (1995), The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way.Oxford: Oxford University Press
  • Garfield, Jay L. and Graham Priest (2003), “Nāgārjuna and the Limits of Thought”, Philosophy East and West 53 (January 2003): 1-21
  • Hopkins, Jeffrey: Buddhist Advice for Living and Liberation: Nāgārjuna’s Precious Garland, Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion, 199
  • Jones, Richard H. (2014): Nagarjuna: Buddhism's Most Important Philosopher, 2nd ed. New York: Jackson Square Books
  • Kalupahana, David J. (1986): The Philosophy of the Middle Way. Albany: SUNY Press
  • Lindtner, Christian (1982): Nagarjuniana: Studies in the Writings and Philosophy of Nāgārjuna Akademisk forlag
  • Murty, K. Satchidananda (1971), Nagarjuna. National Book Trust, New Delhi. 2nd edition: 1978
  • Ruegg, D. Seyfort (1981): The literature of the Madhyamaka school of philosophy in India (A History of Indian literature), Harrassowitz
  • Siderits, Mark and Shōryū Katsura, 2013: Nāgārjuna’s Middle Way. Mūlamadhyamakakārikā, Boston: Wisdom Publications
  • Tuck, Andrew P. (1990), Comparative Philosophy and the Philosophy of Scholarship: on the Western Interpretation of Nāgārjuna, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  • Walser, Joseph (2005), Nāgārjuna in Context: Mahāyāna Buddhism and Early Indian Culture. New York: Columbia University Press
  • Westerhoff, Jan (2009), Nāgārjuna's Madhyamaka. A Philosophical Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press
https://www.shambala.com/nagarjuna-readers-guide https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/nagarjuna/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbUzz0_Oy1k

Historical events at this time

1430 Tibet entered in a period of internal power struggles. The Rinpung-rulers expanded their power in Central-Tibet; they were close to Karmapa. 

 

1447 Gendün Drub, the 1st Dalai Lama (1391 – 1475), a nephew of Tsongkhapa, founded the famous Tashilünpo-monastery in Shigatse.  He was (posthumously) recognized as the 1st Dalai Lama. 

1470s The Gelugpas had already the force and authority in Lhasa. In many other parts of Central Tibet the Karma Kagyü Lineage was influential. The Rinpung-ruler Dönyo Dorje who had controlled wide parts of Central Tibet since 1479 was a follower of the Karmapas and a close student to the 4th Shamarpa Chökyi Dragpa. Shakabpa p. 87: “The administrative officer who supported the Gelugpa Lineage refused the permission. The monastery was finally erected outside of Lhasa. Monks of the neighboring Gelugpa monasteries raided it one night and tore it down. A Karmapa-lama, Chödrag Gyamtso, was almost killed and escaped to Lhasa”.

1487 Gendün Gyatso (1475 – 1542) became the 2nd Dalai Lama posthumously. 

 

1487 – 1499 The 4th Shamarpa took the role of a king until the deceased king Gong-ma Kunga Legpa’s son could take over. Shamar Rinpoche relegated all worldly matters and remained a spiritual advisor. Many termas (terlungs) were found in which it was predicted that the Yellow Sect (= Gelug) would invite Mongolian warlords to destroy the dharma. Although many tertöns were Nyingmas they often asked Karmapa to confirm the authenticity of the termas.

Early 16th century

The 8th Karmapa’s spiritual activity and knowledge was unparalleled. He helped to heal the rift between the Gelugpas and Kagyüpas. At the same time his influence brought forward a relativ ely peaceful time. The Kagyü lineage became the most powerful sect in Tibet.

Sönam Gyatso became the 3rd Dalai Lama

1546 Sönam Gyatso became the 3rd Dalai Lama. 

 

1578 Sönam Gyatso proselytized the Mongol ruler Altan Khan who became Buddhist. The khan conferred Sönam Gyatso the honoray title Dalai Lama – originally in Mongolian “Tale Lama”. Thus, the Mongols became the patrons of the Gelugpas (there were tribes, hich had aleady become Buddhists before that time).

1601 Enthronement of the 4th Dalai Lama Yöntan Gyatso (1589 – 1617). He was Mongolian (a grandson of Altan Khan. He had left Mongolia in 1601 and arrived in Lhasa in 1602.

1605 Sönam Chopal, the head of the Gelug administration, the duke of Lhasa and some Monogolian troops a ttacked the Tsang government – and lost. Afterwards the Tsang Desi wanted to peacefully unify Tibet where politics and religion should smoothly co-exist (the Tsang Desi’s family had the 8th, 9th 10th Karmapa and the 5th and 6th Shamarpa as their personal gurus).

1605 The 6th Shamarpa wrote a poem on a scarf as a gift for the 4th Dalai Lama. Shamarpa only received a very rude reply from the Gelug administration because of a probably deliberate misinterpretation.

1606 The 4th Dalai Lama’s administration thwarted a meeting between Dalai Lama and Shamarpa although they were in the same region.

1618 Troops from Tsang conquer the Gelug monasteries of Drepung and Sera. As a consequence, an army of Koshot Mongols invaded Tibet in 1620/21.

1622 Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso, the 5th Dalai Lama (1617 – 1682) enthroned.

Further Information

https://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/First-Gyeltsab-Peljor-Dondrub/2661

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