First

Arjia Rinpoche (16th century)

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It is unclear as to whether the First Arjia Rinpoche was Tsultrim Jongni or Chuedon Banjor as historical documents differ. He was born in the 16th century, the 11th Rabchung and may have come from the Central Tibet area, accompanying the Third Dalai Lama who established Kumbum Monastery in 1560, the Year of the Iron Monkey. Previous to the Third Dalai Lamas visit, Kumbum was a small temple with only 7 monks doing practice there.

Second Arjia Rinpoche: Arjia Sherap Sangbo (1633 1707)

$& % ! # # $& $ ! # " 74 Arjia Sherap Sangbo was born in the Year of the Wood Rooster and died the Year of the Fire Dog (11th to 12th R). His birthplace was the Sina Tribal Area in the village of Li Shu. He became the 16th Abbot of Kumbum. Besides being a sutra and tantra master, he was a gifted administrator who formulated rules and regulations for the monastery and set up a curriculum for learning and practicing the dharma. In addition, he initiated the Summer Debating Program at Kumbum. During his time as Abbot of Kumbum, he renovated the temples, built a big community kitchen, and enlarged the Congregation Hall, increasing it to a Sixty Pillar Hall.

Third Arjia Rinpoche: Arjia Lobsang Tenbe Gyaltsen (1708 1768)

$& # ! #$).2 $&( # ! #$). " 60 Arjia Lobsang Tenbe Gyaltsen was born and died in the Year of the Earth Rat, (12th R). His birthplace is not known. He came to Kumbum at a young age and finished the Five Major Studies. He became a noted scholar who wrote many important books and articles about cosmology, the metaphysical study of the origin and nature of the universe that plays an important role in Buddhism. In addition, he wrote a book about the correct measurements and proper proportions an artist should employ in making a thangka painting. He also composed a manual on how to write Tibetan poetry. He was honored by Emperor Qian Long of the Qing Dynasty who invited him to Beijing.

Fourth Arjia Rinpoche: Arjia Lobsang Jamyang Gyatso (1768 1816)

$&( # ! #$-/12 $& $ ! #$-/1 " 48 Arjia Lobsang Jamyang Gyatso was born in the Year of the Earth Rat and died in the Year of the Fire Bird (13th to 14th R). He was from Gomee Horja Village in Amdo where his family served as the villages Tribal Chief. Arjia Rinpoche became a monk at 7 years old in Kumbum. When he was 12, the Panchen, Balden Yeshi, came to Kumbum and he became his novice monk. Later, he studied with Arjia Yungtsen Ngawang Nyima, his main teacher. When he was 18, he went to China to meet the Emperor. Upon his return to Tibet, he traveled to Lhasa where he met with the Eighth Dalai Lama Jamphel Gyatso, and the Panchen Lama. The Dalai Lama gave him his full Monastic Ordination and bestowed upon him the honorary title, Erdene Pandita. When he was 20, he went to Sera Monastery and studied with Lungdo Lama Rinpoche, a famous teacher of cosmology. He returned to Kumbum when he was 25, but then traveled again to China where he stayed until he was 36 years old. He returned to Kumbum and was appointed its Abbot when he was 40 years old. During this time, he wrote a scholarly book, did monastery renovations, began a study program, and gave teachings. When Jetsun Dhanba, Mongolias spiritual leader, invited him to Mongolia to be his tutor, he went to Ulaanbaatar where he stayed for 4 years, giving oral transmissions, initiations and teachings, including the Kalachakra. Jetsun Dhanba bestowed upon him the Mongolian title of Pundit of the Three Jewels. Then at the Chinese Emperors request, he

returned to China where Emperor gave him the title Virtuous and Talented Master Arjia, the Hutuk Khtu. Additionally, he was awarded a very high position in the government that included official documents and stamps. When he was 47, Arjia Rinpoche returned to Kumbum and did renovations to the Golden Tile Temple Serdong Chenmo - Lama Tsong Khapas birthplace. He died at the age of 49. His relics are honored in the Golden Tile Temple.

Fifth Arjia Rinpoche: Arjia Yeshe Kalsang Kedrup Gyatso (1817 1869)
$& $ ! # (/024 $( # ! # (/02 " 52 Arjia Yeshe Kalsang Kedrup Gyatso was born in the Year of the Fire Cow and died in the Year of the Earth Snake (14th R). He was born in Gomee Horja Village and was recognized as the Fifth Arjia Rinpoche by Kumbums Nechung Oracle. When he was 7 years old, he came to Kumbum where he received high positions and great honor. At Kumbum, he was known as a very diligent student. At the invitation of the Emperor, he went to China several times. When he returned from China at the age of 37, he made many offerings for the monks. When high lamas at Kumbum, requested that he renovate the Golden Tile Temple, he went to Mongolia and China to raise funds for the project. He was 46 when he returned. At that time a war had started with the Muslims and Chinese. Arjia Rinpoche had protect the monastery so he became a military leader, working in the military service day and night. When he requested aid from the Qing Government, he was told that although they were very concerned about this matter, it preferred that Arjia Rinpoche solve the problem through peaceful means. Of course the Fifth Arjia Rinpoche agreed that cultivating loving kindness was the best solution in the long run, but in the short run, the situation was dire. Monks and villagers were forced to take up arms and fight for their families, homes, and temples.

Eventually, the Qing government dispatched troops to aid them, and suppressed the rebellion. Arjia Rinpoche passed away in Dong Kor Fortress when he was 53.

Sixth Arjia Rinpoche: Arjia Lobsang Tenbe Wanshuk Sonam Gyatso (1871 - 1909)
$( !% ! #$)/356 $( # ! #$)!*, " 38 Arjia Lobsang Tenbe Wanshuk Sonam Gyatso was born in the Year of the Iron Sheep. He died in the Year of the Earth Rooster (15th R). He was born in Gomee Horja Village. He entered Kumbum Monastery when he was 9 years old and was revered as an excellent student. Like his predecessor, he was also a military monk. Adept with sword and spear, he, too, was called upon to fight when the Muslim rebellion resumed in 1895. In 1900, the Qing Emperor Guang Xu, sent Arjia Rinpoche to Japan as a Buddhist delegate to ask the Japanese Emperor to stop the war between China and Japan. While there, he was invited to a sword match in Kyoto to demonstrate his skill. He won admiration from the Japanese Emperor, who honored the Sixth Arjia Rinpoche with gifts, including a statue of the Buddha and a precious sword. While he was there, one of the secretaries took notes and made sketches of the events. This book, along with some of the gifts from the Japanese Emperor, were kept in Beijing in Arjia Rinpoches residence in Yonghe Kong Temple (now called the Beijing Tibetan Buddhist Lamasary).

All of these items disappeared during the Cultural Revolution. The statue of the Buddha and a precious sword, as well as photographs of the visit to Japan, were kept in the residence at Kumbum, where they would be taken out and put on display on New Years Day. Sadly, they were conficated by the Chinese Govroenment in 1958, during a violent political purge at Kumbum Monastery.

Seventh Arjia Rinpoche: Arjia Lobsang Lunak Jigme Tanbe Gyaltsen (1910 1948)
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Arjia Lobsang Lunak Jigme Tanbe Gyaltsen was born in the Year of the Iron Dog and died in the Year of the Fire Pig ( 15th to 16th ). Like three of his predecessors, he was born in Gomee Horja village. The Seventh Arjia Rinpoche devoted his life to Buddhist teachings and was a great scholar, publishing 4 books in his lifetime. As abbot he ran the Monastery according to strict rules and regulations, but despite his efforts he presided over the monasterys moral decline, at a time when the Qing Dynasty collapsed, replaced by the Republic of China, and a sense of Western modernism swept the land, further undermining discipline among some monks. When a monk stole an iconographic painting (a thangka) from the monastery and put it in the private altar of his own familys home, somehow the Seventh Arjia Rinpoche found out, and although he was a very gentle person, he became so angry that he struck the monk. The following day Arjia Rinpoches hand swelled, never to truly heal. Shortly thereafter the Rinpoches hand that had resorted to violence swelled up, and he was never well again. The Seventh Arjia Rinpoche died one year later, in 1948, when he was only 38 years old. His cremation took place in the courtyard of his resident.

Eighth Arjia Rinpoche: Lobsang Tubten Jigme Gyatso (1950 - )

$&' !% ! #$"$.01 Arjia Lobsang Tubten Jigme Gyatso was born in the Year of the Iron Tiger (16th R) in Kokonor, Amdo. His parents were Mongolian who lived as nomad on the Tibetan Plateau. He was recognized as Arjia Rinpoche and the Abbot of Kumbum when he was two years old by the 10th Panchen Lama. He lived in Kumbum until 1958 at which time during the Religious Reform Movement the Communists took over the monastery. Young Arjia Rinpoche was forced to wear civilian clothes and attend a Chinese School. In 1962 , he was able to study under the Panchen Lama for 4 years atTashi Lhumpo Monastery. but during the Cultural Revolution had to work in a forced labor camp. After the passing of Mao Tse Tung, he was restored to his former position and slowly rose to positions of power and eminence in the Buddhist hierarchy in Tibet and China. In 1998, because he was going to be required to become the tutor of the Chinese elected 11th Panchen Lama, he fled from Tibet and went into exile in the United States. He established the Tibetan Center for Compassion & Wisdom in Mill Valley, California. In 2005, His Holiness the Dalai Lama requested that he become the Director of the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center in Bloomingto, Indiana. Presently, he directs both TCCW and TMBCC. Both centers

are dedicated to the preservation of Buddhist teachings, art and culture within and outside of Tibet and Mongolia. Arjia Rinpoche is engaged in Charity Projects involving Mongolians in Mongolia and Tibetan refugees in India. Among these are the Multi Education Editing Center (MEEC) to provide Tibetan texts for refugees in India, sponsoring Libraries for Tibetan Refugees in Dharamsala, India, spearheading the Tofu project to encourage a vegetarian diet for monks and Monasteries in India, conducting medical research to improve the health of monks at Tashi Lhumpo Monastery in South India, and constructing a Cancer Care Treatment Center for Mongolian Children. This treatment center is scheduled to be opened in September 2013. In 2010 the Eighth Arjia Rinpoche published his memoirs, Surviving the Dragon published by Rodale Book Company