Trichen Ngawang Chokdhen (1677-1751)
From page
67 of the biography of Trichen Ngawang Chokdhen (1677-1751) composed by
Changkya Rolpai Dorje (1717-1786):
Previously,
a very vicious and evil spirit (it is not specifically stated that the spirit
is Dholgyal, but it is clear from Changkya's biography that the spirit referred
to is Dholgyal. It also refers to the time when Trichen Ngawang Chokdhen was
the Ganden Throne-holder,) possessed a man at Draksep. Some unstable lamas, former abbots, and
monastic hostels (khangtsens) did
practice in relation to it simply by invoking and propitiating it. A cairn for invoking spirits had also been
erected on top of the Jangtse mountain.
Considering how inappropriate was this turn of events he issued an edict
to the assembly of monks that as there had been no tradition of propitiating
worldly spirits and protectors within the premises of this seat of learning
since the time of Je Tsongkhapa, henceforth, nobody would be allowed to engage
in such activities. The cairn was
demolished (this is very clearly stated in the biography of Changkya) and the
stones and earth were returned to the places from which they had been
taken. The spirit was invoked through a
medium in trance and was then ordered not to come through such trances
henceforth. Dholgyal replied, "If this
is the order of Tri Rinpoche, I have no choice but to leave." Then, the ghostly spirit fled to Taktse
Shol. Je (Trichen Ngawang Chokdhen)
himself went into retreat. He made it a
rule that the prayer to Dharmaraja composed by the Omniscient Gendun Gyatso
(the second Dalai Lama), should be said in the Main Hall of Ganden. Due to Dharmaraja's wrath, the Lamas and
former abbots who had been propitiating the spirit were killed and the monastic
hostels also suffered many misfortunes.
Consequently, such misdeeds entirely ceased and the action that had been
taken became an excellent cause for maintaining the purity of the monastery.