Chapter 8 - Tangpoche (Monastery)

[Full title: Tangpoche (Monastery) (thang po che’i skabs. Chandra 82; Chengdu 122; Roerich 93).]

Khu ston brtson 'grus gyung drung was born in the year Iron-Female-Hog (lcags mo phag—ion A. D.). He journeyed to khams with rngog legs pa'i shes rab and ‘bre chen po, and conducted extensive studies under jo bo se btsun. Having completed their studies, they proceeded to dbus in the year which followed ‘brom ston pa’s journey to mnga' ris. Khu ston took up residence at thang po che, and taught there the Prajñāpāramitā, and the number of monks increased. Dags po dbang rgyal also studied the Prajñāpāramitā under him. Proud of his learning, dags po did not study the Doctrine with Atīśa. Later he and one named khyung po grags pa, who was famous for his knowledge of the "Old" School of Logic (tshad ma rnying ma), taught in competition on the Mount po ta (i.e. Po ta la of lha sa), and the dmar po ri. Khu died in the year Wood-Female-Hare (shing mo yos—1075 A.D.) at the age of sixty-five. In this year khu ser brtson was born, and dbon po 'byung gnas rgyal mtshan became abbot. Khu ser brtson was a disciple of ‘bre chen po. He composed three large and abridged commentaries (ṭīkā) on the Prajñāpāramitā. Numerous disciples were fostered by his teaching.

The great scholar zhang gye ba was also a disciple of his and of gzhon nu tshul khrims of dkar chung. Khu ser brtson died at the age of sixty nine. Rgyal tsha was the last abbot of the Lineage of Abbots at thang po che after gru mer. With him the Lineage of Abbots became extinct. The houses and property, which were left behind (by him), were taken over by bzang po dpal, a bla brang pa. The present branches of the bla brang pas of thang po che, gser khang pas and khu pas were considered as outsiders, which had appeared during the later period (because they did not belong to the Spiritual Lineage of gru mer).

Now the khu pas: they belonged to the Lineage of khu mdo sde 'bar. He taught the Mādhyamika system. Mdo sde 'bar was a contemporary of pa tshab nyi ma grags.

The gser khang pas: sangs rgyas jo bo of lo proceeded to mdo mkhar. From him originated the gser khang pa Lineage.

The bla brang pas: gzhon nu rgyal mtshan, a disciple of chag lo tsā ba. Then gcung po blo gros dpal. Then dbon po bzang po dpal. His nephew nyi ma rgyal mtshan. These two acted in turn as abbots of rte'u ra of gnyal. Nyi ma rgyal mtshan’s nephew bsod nams dpal 'byor. His nephew the present Dharmasvāmin chos dpal pa. The reason for chag chos rje dpal’s acceptance of thang po che, was that many years previously thang po che was presented to chag dgra bcom pa, who stayed there for awhile, and followed after him. The chapter on thang po che.