Sanggye Yeshe was a prominent lineage holder of the Ganden Oral tradition. He was a disciple of Gyalwa Wensapa, and served as abbot of Riwo Gempel monastery. He is sometimes referred to as the first Wensa Tulku.

Sanggye Yeshe (sangs rgyas ye shes) was born in the Tsang Valley (gtsang rong) in Tibet in 1525, in a town called Drukgya (drug brgya), the youngest of four sons. His father's name was Lama Rinchen (bla ma rin chen) and his mother was called Choten (chos bstan).

Sanggye Yeshe encountered his future master, Gyalwa Wensapa Lobzang Dondrub (rgyal ba dben sa pa blo bzang don grub), soon after birth, and the latter encouraged his parents to care for him well. But it was with Lama Yonten Sangpo (bla ma yon tan bzang po), of Baso Lhundub Dechen Monastery (bas so lhun grub bde chen) that he took refuge at the age of ten, receiving the name Chokyab Dorje (chos skyabs rdo rje). Soon after he took novice vows with Yonten Sangpo, receiving the name Sanggye Yeshe, and receiving instruction in Guhyasamaja, Akshobhya, Vajrabhairava, and other teachings of the Gelug tradition.

At the age of fifteen, Sanggye Yeshe entered Tashilhunpo Monastery (bkra shis lhun po), studying with Tsondru Gyaltsen (brtson grus rgyal mtshan), the abbot of Tosom Ling college (thos bsam gling). The following year he went with companions to Lekdrub Dratsang (legs grub grwa tshang) in Nyangto (myang stod) to study under Jamyang Gendun Lobzang (jam dbyang dge dun blo bzang) a master teacher of Dharmakirti's Pramanavarttika. After studying Madhyamaka for the next several years, Sanggye Yeshe became a formidable debater at Tashilhunpo. Finally, at the age of twenty-five, he earned his Geshe (dge bshes) degree at Pelkor Chode (dpal khor chos sde) in Gyantse (rgyal rtse). The following year he served as the chief disciplinarian at Tashilhunpo.

Sanggye Yeshe later traveled to Gangchen Chopel (gangs can chos phel) Monastery to study with Panchen Donyo Gyaltsen (paN chen don yod rgyal mtshan) and then finally entered Gyume Tantric College (rgyud smad) in Lhasa to deepen his knowledge and understanding of the tantras. There he studied Guhyasamaja, Cakrasamvara, and Vajrabhairava.

On his way to Lhasa, Sanggye Yeshe had stopped at Wensa (dben sa) Monastery and took refuge in Gyalwa Wensapa himself. Completing extensive study and practice at Gyume, Sanggye Yeshe returned to the home of Wensapa. At this point in his life he received instructions, oral transmissions, initiations, and practices of the lineage. During this time Sanggye Yeshe developed true renunciation, and took the vows of a fully ordained monk at Riwo Gepel (ri bo dge phel), with Chokle Nampar Gyelwa (phyogs las rnam par rgyal ba) serving as abbot. When Wensapa passed away, Sanggye Yeshe took responsibility for his relics and commissioned the creation of a great many holy objects at Wensa.

At Wensa Monastery, Sanggye Yeshe encountered Sonam Gyatso (bsod nam rgya mtsho), who was soon to depart for Mongolia where he would be given the title of Dalai Lama. Sanggye Yeshe accompanied him to Tashilhunpo, acting as his servant, and received numerous teachings from the Lamas in Sonam Gyatso's entourage prior to their leaving for Mongolia, including Langmika (glang mig pa) and Rikpai Sengge (rig pai seng ge).

Sanggye Yeshe served as abbot of Riwo Gempel Monastery twice in his life, and eventually became the teacher of the reincarnation of his own great master Wensapa, Losang Chokyi Gyaltsen (blo bzang chos kyi rgyal mtshan), the first Wensa tulku.

Sanggye Yeshe passed away in 1591 at the age of sixty-seven, at Rong Jamchen (rong byams chen) amidst many miraculous signs. For seven days following his passing, these signs continued in earnest. The numerous relics that remained from the cremation of his body were returned to Wensa Monastery.

Teachers

• dge 'dun blo bzang
• rig pa'i seng+ge
• skyabs mchog dpal bzang
• phyogs las rnam rgyal
• lhun grub bde chen
• dge ba seng+ge
• yon tan bzang po
• brtson 'grus rgyal mtshan
• Wensapa Lobzang Dondrub b.1505 - d.1556 (Name Variants: Lobzang Dondrub)

Students

• Panchen Lama 01 Lobzang Chokyi Gyaltsen b.1570 - d.1662 (Name Variants: Lobzang Chokyi Drakpa; Lobzang Chokyi Gyaltsen; Nangwa Taye Panchen Lobzang Chokyi Gyaltsen)

Source:

Willis, Janice D. 1995. Enlightened Beings: Life Stories from the Ganden Oral Tradition. Boston: Wisdom Publications, pp. 73-82.

Grags pa byung gnas. 1992. Gangs can mkhas grub rim byon ming mdzod. Lanzhou: Kan suu mi rigs dpe skrun khang, pp. 226-228.

Willis, Janice D. 1985. Preliminary Remarks on the Nature of rNam-thar: Early dGe-lugs-pa Siddha Biographies. In Soundings in Tibetan Civilizations. Barbara Aziz and Matthew Kapstein, eds. Delhi: Manohar.

Tshe mchog gling Yongs 'dzin Ye shes rgyal mtshan. 1970. Biographies of Eminent Gurus in the Transmission Lineages of the teachings of the Graduated Path, being the text of: Byang chub Lam gyi Rim pai Bla ma Brgyud pai Rnam par Thar pa Rgyal mtshan Mdzes pai Rgyan Mchog Phul byung Nor bui Phreng ba (1787). New Delhi: Ngawang Gelek Demo, vol 2, pp. 57-88.

Miranda Adams September 2008

http://www.tibetanlineages.org/biographies/view/145/12521