The 11th Panchen Erdeni

In 1645, Gushri Khan (leader of the Mongol Hoshod which ruled U-Tsang) revered Lobsang Qoigyi Gyaincain (the fourth-generation disciple of Zongkapa, the 16th abbot of Tashilhungpo Monastery in Xigaze), as the Panchen Bokedo (Bokedo being a Mongolian word meaning wise and heroic person), and decided that the Xigaze area be put under the rule of the Tashilhungpo Monastery. This is the source of the title of Panchen.

The Panchen Erdeni is one of the two major Living Buddha reincarnation systems of the Gelug Sect, meaning incarnation of Amitayus. "Panchen" means "great scholar," with "Pan" being the literary translation of "Pandit" (scholar) in Sanskrit, and "Chen" "great" in Tibetan.

In 1713, the Panchen Lobsang Yexei was honored as the Panchen Erdeni, with "Erdeni" meaning "treasure" in Manchurian language, and given golden sheets of approval and golden seal of authority. He was the 2nd Living Buddha of the Gelug Sect honored by the Central Government after the 5th Dalai Lama. From then on, the Panchen Erdeni system was introduced and its role in the Gelug Sect established.

In the Tibetan history, the first three Panchens were posthumously honored, while Lobsang Qoigyi was officially honored as the 4th Panchen and Lobsang Yexei the 5th Panchen. The following is a list of various generations of Panchens.

The 1st Panchen Kezhugyi (The 1st Panchen Erdeni)

The 1st Panchen Kezshugyi Geleg Balsang, known as Kezshugyi, was born on the 8th day of the 4th Tibetan month of 1385 in Cho wo Village, Dorxung of Ongren County in the Xigaze area. In 1432, when the 2nd Abbot Gyiachagyi of the Gandain Monastery died, all monks with the monastery decided Kezshugyi be the 3rd abbot. He was in charge of the affairs of the Gelug Sect for eight years running.

While on duty, he had the golden top of the memorial hall containing the holy stupa of the remains of Zongkapa rebuilt, and Biography of Zongkapa compiled.

He died aged 53, on the 21st day of the second Tibetan month of 1438 in the Gandain Monastery.

He and Gyiachagyi worked as assistants to Zongkapa, and hence the three were mentioned as "Farther and Two Sons", and their statues are worshipped still in the Gelug Sect monastery. Monks with the Gandain Monastery built a holy stupa for him, and Tibetologists honored him as the 1st Panchen.


The 2nd Panchen Soinam Qoinam

The 2nd Panchen was born on the 10th day of the first Tibetan month of 1439 in Ensha of the Xigaze area (present-day Gyangdang District of Xigaze County). He studied Buddhism in the Gandain Monastery for years. As required, he took part in debate on Buddhism and defeated some 3,000 monks in this regard. No one in Lhasa was his match, hence honored as Kezhugyi's "reincarnated soul boy."

When he reached middle age, he returned to his hometown and accepted students in the Angong Monastery, then known as the Ensha Gongba monastery, where the lectured on tenets of the Gelug Sect and honored as the Living Buddha Angang. He died in the monastery on the 25th day of the third Tibetan month in 1504, at the age of 65. His remains were contained in the monastery's holy stupa. Tibetologists honored him as the 2nd Panchen.


The 3rd Panchen Lobsang Dainzhub

The 3rd Panchen was born in Ensha in 1507. At 8, he climbed to the top of the mountain behind the Angang Monastery in a moon-lit night to lecture on Buddhist doctrines. Draped in a white cloth, he wielded a bell, and monks with the monastery were astonished to find this. Hence they determined him as the incarnation of the Living Buddha of the monastery. At 11, he entered the Lharenze Monastery and then studied in the Tashilhungpo Monastery.

At 17, he was contracted to smallpox. He was saved thanks to a prescription an eminent monk gave him. With the prescription, he succeeded in treating more, and hence won the honor as the Living Buddha Ansha. He died in the Angang Monastery on the 23rd day of the second Tibetan month of 1566. During his later period, he was honored by monks with the Angang Monastery as incarnation of Soinam Qoinam, and Tibetologists honored him as the 3rd Panchen.

The 4th Panchen Lobsang Qoigyi

The 4th Panchen was born on the 15th day of the 4th Tibetan month of 1570 into a Tibetan medicine practitioner's family in Lanlunribo Manor in Xigaze. He was tonsured to the Angang Monastery when he was 13, and determined as the reincarnated soul boy of the Living Buddha Angang. Later on, he studied Buddhism in the Tashilhungpo Monastery and the Gandain Monastery, and emerged as a lama who beat others in debate on Buddhism. He became the 16th abbot of the Tashilhungpo Monastery in 1600. Thanks to efforts he made to consolidate monastery rules, improve life of the monks, and rebuild the Open School Hall, build Ngaba Zhacang, the Tashilhungpo Monastery enhanced its fame and he himself emerged as the leader of the Gelug Sect in the Xigaze area.

In 1603 when the reincarnated soul boy of the 3rd Dalai was greeted from Mongolia to Tibet by monks of the three major monasteries in Lhasa, Lobsang Qoigyi was invited to perform rituals for him. This ushered in a period in which the Dalai and the Panchen gained teacher-student and student-teacher relations. Unfortunately the 4th Dalai died young in 1616. With invitation from the Zhaibung and Sera Monasteries, Lobsang Qoigyi worked in the place of the 4th Dalai as the 14th and 16th abbot of the two monasteries respectively.

He managed to make Zangpa Khan who banned the reincarnation of the 4th Dalai agree with his request and he himself presided over the sitting-in-the-bed ceremony of the soul boy and other rituals, thus making it possible for the Dalai system to continue. Meanwhile, he presided over the Grand Summons Ceremony in Lhasa and strengthened ties with Gushri Khan who was influential in Qinghai and Mogolia, making the later to be his student and vow to be loyal to the Gelug Sect. When Gushri Khan wiped out the Zangpa Khan regime and controlled Tibet, he followed the toe of Antar Khan who granted Soinam Gyamco the title of "Dalai Lama" to make Lobsang Qoigyi "the Panchen Bokedo", and, in the meantime, donated dozens of manors to the Tashilhungpo Monastery. In the late years of the 4th Panchen, he stayed mainly in the Tashilhungpo Monastery to study Buddhism and work on monastic rules. This made it possible for the Tashilhungpo Monastery to grow into one with some 4,000 monks and one of the four major monasteries in Tibet which are complete with Open and Secret Schools. He died on the 13th day of the second Tibetan month in 1662, at the age of 93. Qing Emperor Kangxi and kings of Bhuttan and Nepal all sent envoys to attend his mourning ceremony. A memorial hall, complete with the stupa containing his remains, was built in the Tashilhungpo Monastery.

The 5th Panchen Lobsang Yexei

The 5th Panchen was born in Chucang Village, Namling County, on the 15th day of the seventh Tibetan month of 1663. He was confirmed as the soul boy of the 4th Panchen by the Tashilhungpo Monastery, and, with the approval of the the 5th Dalai Lama, was enthroned as the 5th Panchen on the third day of the first lunar month of 1668. The enthronement ceremony was held in the Tashilhungpo Monastery. Qing Emperor Kangxi sent envoys to attend the enthronement ceremony and other rituals held for the 5th Panchen. He served as the sutra teacher for the 6th and 7th Dalai Lamas. His works included Lineage of Noted Monks, and taught some 30,000 Buddhist students. When the Qing troops entered Tibet for restoration of peace and stability later, he produced some 2.6 million kg of qingke barley for their consumption and as donations to other monasteries. Qing Emperor Kangxi invited him to Beijing on five occasions, but he was not able to go for many reasons. In 1713 the emperor sent envoy to the Tashilhungpo Monastery where he was officially given the honorific title of the 5th Panchen. He was also bestowed the gold sheets of confirmation and gold seal of authority. Thus his role as a religious and government leader in Tibet was established.

In 1728 Qing Emperor Yongzheng sent his envoy to Lhasa where he met the 7th Dalai, the 5th Panchen and major monks in the Potala Palace, and read out the imperial edict announcing that area west of Gambarla Mountain, east of Gangdese Mountain and the Xigaze area, which formerly belonged to the Dalai Lama, be put under rule by the Panchen. The 5th Panchen declined by thanks but in the end he agreed to take over five counties (Lharze, Ongren, Puncoling, Zonggar and Gyilung) of the Xigaze area and Ngari. Before long, he used Zonggar, Gyilung and Ngari for exchange of the few small manors in the Xigaze area, thus having under his rule Lharze, Ongren and Puncoling counties. This showed his unity with the Dalai. He died on the 5th day of the seven Tibetan month in 1737, at the age of 75, in the Tashilhungpo Monastery. The Qing court, Dalai and Gashag government, and neighboring countries all sent envoys to mourn his death. A holy stupa was built in the monastery to contain his remains.

The 6th Panchen Badain Yexei

The 6th Panchen was born in Zhaxize Village of Namling County on the 11th day of the 10th Tibetan month in 1738. He was confirmed as the soul boy of the 5th Panchen in 1740. Qing Emperor Qianlong issued an edict allowing him to be the 6th Panchen in the 10th Tibetan month. The enthronement ceremony was held in the Tashilhungpo Monastery on the second day of the 6th Tibetan month of 1741. When the 7th Dalai died, the 6th Panchen joined hands with the Qing-sent State Tutor Zamgyia to find the direction as to the soul boy of the late Dalai. And the soul boy was later found in Namling. In 1765 and 1777, he performed rituals for the new Dalai. In 1774, when the British Indian government invaded Bhuttan, upon request by the royal family of the invaded, the 6th Panchen sent a letter to the Indian governor stating that Bhuttan belonged to Tibet; if the British India continued the invasion, both the Qing court and the Gashag would intervene.

With approval of the Qing court, the 6th Panchen went to Chengde where he congratulated on the birthday of Emperor Qianlong in 1780. While staying in the summer resort of the Qing court, he had talks with the emperor who bestowed him a jade seal of authority. On the first day of the 9th lunar month, the 6th Panchen went to Beijing where he was put up in the Xihungsi Monastery. He suffered from smallpox and eventually died in the monastery on the first day of the 11th lunar month. His remains were sent back to the Tashilhungpo Monastery and contained in a holy stupa. Qing Emperor Qianlong had a dagoba built for his robes in the Xihuangsi Monastery.

The 7th Panchen Dainbai Nyima

The 7th Panchen was born in Gyixiong Township of Bainam county on the 8th day of the fourth Tibetan month in 1782. With the approval of the Qing Emperor Qianlong, on the 20th day of the 12th month of the same year, the boy was approved to be the 7th Panchen. And the enthronement ceremony was held on the 13th day of the 8th lunar month of 1785 (which was also the birthday of the Qing emperor) in the Tashilhungpo Monastery under the supervision of Qing High Commissioner Fu Qing'e. The young Panchen received required rituals in 1789 and 1801, rituals both performed by the Dalai Lama.

The 7th Panchen experienced two invasions by Korgas, with the result that the Tashilhungpo Monastery was looted. Thanks to the Qing troops sent by Emperor Qianlong and led by Fukang'an, the Korgas were forced to surrender and returned what they had looted from the Tashilhungpo Monastery. When the Qing court promulgated the 29-Article Ordinance for the Governing of Tibet, the 7th Panchen expressed his full support.

The 8th Dalai Lama died in 1804, and the ensuing 9th, 10th and 11th Dalai Lama all died young. All of them received Buddhist rituals from the 7th Panchen and studied Buddhist doctrines from him. The 7th Panchen remained as abbot of the Tashilhungpo Monastery for some 30 years and his efforts helped strengthen the leading role of the monastery in the Gelug Sect. In 1826, with the approval of Qing Emperor Daoguang, the 7th Panchen built a summer palace by the Nyang Qu River and the emperor presented an imperial horizontal board inscribed with words he had written. When the horizontal board reached Xigaze, the 7th Panchen and others went to greet it.

Given the fact that two generations of the Dalai had died young for abnormal reasons, Emperor Daoguang ordered the 7th Panchen to be the regent of Tibet. Considering the fact there were two kinds of forces within the Gelug Sect, the 7th Panchen applied not to be the regent. As the Qing court insisted, he took over the power for the time being, and, at the same time, recommended Living Buddha Razheng to be the regent. He was the regent for 260 days and the Qing court granted him gold sheets of approval and gold seal of authority. The 7th Panchen died in 1853, at the age of 72. The Qing court sent envoys to mourn his death in the Tashilhungpo Monastery.

The 8th Panchen Dainbai Wangsho

The 8th Panchen was born in Chucang Village of Namling County on the 8th day of the 8th Tibetan month in 1855. He was confirmed as the soul boy of the 7th Panchen in the Potala Palace in 1857. Regent Living Buddha Razheng performed required ritual for him in 1860. In 1877, when the 13th Dalai was enthroned, the 8th Panchen shaved his hair and performed required ritual for him. He did so with the approval of the Qing court. In 1879, when the Xigaze area suffered from a severe drought, the 8th Panchen inspected both banks of the Nyang Qu River and directed the locals in construction of irrigation canals.

At that time, the Qing court became emaciated, and the three generations of the Dalai died young for strange reasons. The 8th Panchen ventured to study doctrines of the Nyingma Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, and this touched off objection from within the Tashilhungpo Monastery. The overburdened 8th Panchen fell ill and had to receive medical treatment. In 1881, when the Qing troops stationed in Xigaze suffered from internal fighting, he had to come back from where he was given medical treatment to talk to them. Eventually, he died on the 15th day of the 7th Tibetan month of 1882, at the age of only 28. When his remains were shipped back to the Tashilhungpo Monastery, the Dalai, Qing High Commissioners and the Gashag government all sent envoys to mourn his death. A stupa was built for his remains in the monastery.

The 9th Panchen Qoigyi Nyima

The 9th Panchen was born in Gashag Village of the Lhasa area on the 12th day of the first Tibetan month in 1883. He was determined as the soul boy of the 8th panchen through the method of drawing lot from the golden urn in the Potala Palace in 1888, and the 13th Dalai Lama shaved his hair. The enthronement ceremony was presided over by new Qing High Commissioner Sheng Tai on the third day of the first lunar month in 1892.

The British launched its second invasion of Tibet in 1903 and both the 9th Panchen and the 13th Dalai led the Tibetan struggle against the invaders. They failed because of poor equipment, and the Dalai left Lhasa for Outer Mongolia before the fall of Lhasa, and hence was deprived of the honorific title of the Dalai Lama by the Qing court. The 9th Panchen was ordered to take over the power but he refused to agree. When the Dalai returned to Nagqu in 1909, the 9th Panchen went to greet him. As the British had sowed bad blood between the two, the Dalai gave the Panchen a cold shoulder. The following year, the Dalai fled to India where he sought refuge from the British, and the Qing court asked the Panchen to take over his rule. But the Panchen still refused to do so.

The Revolution of 1911 broke out in 1911, and in October the next year, Yuan Shi-Kai restored the honorific title of the Dalai who, then, returned to Lhasa at the end of December with hatred for the Panchen.

In winter of 1914, the Gashag government forcibly took over manors of the Tashilhungpo Monastery and, in 1921, forced the monastery to shoulder 21 percent of needs of the Tibetan army. When major officials with the Tashilhungpo Monastery went to talk to the Gashag, they were put into jail. Perceiving danger from all these, the Panchen left for the hinterland on the evening of November 15. The 13th Dalai sent troops to run after them and failed to bring them back. With the absence of the Panchen, the Dalai took over rule over the Xigaze area. From then on, the Xigaze area was put under the direct rule of the Gashag government.

When the Panchen reached China's hiterland, he was given a rousing welcome. On February 2, 1925, he went to Beijing and was put up in Zhongnanhai. In the following years, he set up his offices in Qinghai, Sichuan, Shenyang, Huhot and even in India. In 1928 the Government of Republic of China in Nanjing sent officials to ask after the Panchen and seek his opinion for rule over Tibet, and the Panchen had his Nanjing Office set up. In November 1932 the Panchen went to Nanjing and was granted the official position known as "Western Border Pacification Commissioner" in December. In March the following year, the Panchen proposed "16-point opinion" and "three pre-requisites" with regard to rule over Tibet. In January 1934, the Panchen was elected a member of the National Assembly and in March the following year, the Panchen put forward his plan to return to Tibet. Under the escort by people sent by the Central Government, the Panchen and his party reached Yushu in Qinghai on June 15, 1936. Given the fact that China suffered from the Japanese invasion, the Central Government decided the Panchen postpone his return to Tibet. The Panchen then made public his open letter to the Tibetans, calling on them to join hands with people in the hinterland to resist the Japanese invaders. He also donated 50,000 silver dollars to the Chinese army.

The Panchen died in Yushu on December 1, 1937, at the age of 54. The Nationalist government sent Dai Chuanxian to mourn his demise and his remains were transported back to the Tashilhungpo Monastery and contained in the holy stupa built for him.

The 10th Panchen Qoigyi Gyaincain

The 10th Panchen was born in Machin Village of Wendu Township, Xunhua County in Qinghai Province on the third day of the first lunar month in 1938. He was determined as one of the soul boys of the previous Panchen in August 1943 and was greeted to the Tar Monastery in 1944. On June 3, 1949, Li Zongren, Acting President of the Government of Republic of China decreed recognition of the soul boy and the government decision he be exempt from the ceremony of drawing lot from the gold urn. On August 10, the enthronement ceremony was held in the Tar Monastery in Xining and Guan Jiyu was sent by the Central Government to attend. When the PRC was founded on October 1, 1949, the Panchen cabled Chairman Mao Zedong and PLA Commander-in-Chief Zhu De expressing his support.

On May 23, 1951, the Central Government and the local government of Tibet signed the 17-Article Agreement for the peaceful Liberation of Tibet. On the morning of the 24th, the Panchen and his Kampus Assembly went to solute Chairman Mao. In the evening, Mao held a grand banquet to celebrate the signing of the agreement and the Panchen and Ngapoi Ngawang Jigmei attended. On the 28th, the Panchen Kampus Assembly issued a statement announcing support for the agreement. On the 30th, the Panchen cabled the Dalai congratulating on the signing of the peace agreement and expressing his wish to assist the Dalai to implement the agreement. The Dalai cabled the Panchen on July 1 expressing welcome to his possible return. On December 19, 1951, the Panchen left Xining and reached Lhasa on April 28, 1952. He received a warm welcome there. The Dalai met with the Panchen on the afternoon the same day in the Potala Palace. On September 4, 1954, they went to Beijing together and the Dalai was elected members of the NPC Standing Committee on September 15; the Panchen was elected vice-chairman of the CPPCC National Committee on December 23.

On March 9, 1955, Premier Zhou Enlai held the State Council meeting during which it was decided to set to solve problems between the Dalai and the Panchen and set up the Preparatory Committee for the Founding of the Tibet Autonomous Region, with the Dalai serving as its chairman and the Panchen its first vice-chairman. On November 22 of the same year, the Panchen was invited to attend the 2,500th anniversary of the nirvana of Sakyamuni in India. In 1958 he won the Geshi degree in the Tashilhungpo Monastery.

Those on the upper ruling class in Tibet staged armed rebellion on March 10, 1959, and they were soon suppressed by the PLA. The State Council announced disorganization of the Gashag government on March 28 and the Preparatory Committee took over the rule over Tibet. The Panchen was its acting chairman. The next day, the Panchen cabled Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai expressing his support for the Central Government decision. In June of the same year, the Panchen presided over the second plenary session of the Preparatory Committee during which he put forward his suggestion of bringing the PRC Constitution into the monasteries and the monasteries following the system of democratic management.

In 1985, the Panchen and Ngapoi Ngawang Jigmei, vice-chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, jointed set up the Aid Tibet Foundation. They also proposed the Decision on the Study, Use and Development of Tibetan Language, which passed the TAR People's Congress. At his suggestion, the Tashilhungpo Monastery conducted experimentation of the democratic management system. Two years later, he produced a written report on the pilot project. Based on this report, the TAR enacted the Rules for the Democratic Management in Monasteries (for tial-operation). In 1987, he initiated the China Tibetan Language Higher Institute of Buddhism and he himself served as its president.

On January 9, 1989 the 10th Panchen returned to the Tashilhungpo Monastery where he presided over the ceremony marking completion of the holy stupa for the remains of the 5th-9th Panchens. Overworking, the master suffered from a sudden heart attack in the early morning of January 28, 1989, and died at 20:16 the same day at the age of 51. The Central Government earmarked more than 70 million Yuan, including 60 million Yuan, some 600 kg of gold and 275 kg of silver, to build a holy stupa in the Tashilhungpo Monastery for his remains.

China's Tibet Magazine
ZHOU AIMING