ཨ་མོ་རི་མོ་ཆོས་རྗེ་། AMRIMO CHOEJE: WELCOME TO BHUTAN

Amrimo Family

A brief back ground history of the ’Obs-mtsho lineage and its Amorimu successorsuntil the era of the Zhabs-drung, ’Obs-mtsho and its chos-rje families seem to have persisted quietly in the background of regional affairs, with little hint of the fame that still lay in their future. Ngag-dbang rNam-rgyal (1594-1651) and His ’Obs-mtsho Followers, the rise of the ’Obs-mtsho lineage and its Amorimu successors to political prominence was tied directly to their support for the founder of the Bhutanese state, Zhabs-drung Ngag-dbang rNam-rgyal (1594-1651). Exactly how this came about is not described in the oldest source, the biography of the Zhabs-drung by gTsang mkhan-chen. Surprisingly, the rnam-thar of Se’u-la Byams-mgon based on family records is also silent. But by the time the first “standard” history of Bhutan was published in 1759, the Lho’i chos ’byung of bsTan-’dzin Chos-rgyal (1700-1767), the details had been laid out in the form followed by subsequent writers.According to this author, when the Zhabs-drung fled from Rwa-lung in 1616, an invitation reached him from an unnamed lama of ’Obs-mtsho. The Zhabs-drung accepted his offer and the ’Obs-mtsho lama provided an escort into the country, offering him donatory estates (mchod gzhis) if he would remain as ruler (dpon-po), which the country at that time was said to lack.The main ’Obs-mtsho figure of this period was a famous individual in Bhutanese history, a contemporary of the Zhabs-drung named bsTan-’dzin ’Brug-rgyas (1591-1656) who entered Rwa-lung monastery in 1601 where, in 1610, he was conferred the joint positions of dbu-mdzad (chant master) and phyag-mdzod (treasurer). Later, in Bhutan, these two functions evolved into the office of civil head of state known as sDe-srid Phyag-mdzod (“Druk Desi” or Deb Raja of British colonial sources), of which he was the first incumbent.Whether it was he or a relative who was the unspecified ’Obs-mtsho lama, it is clearly a result of bsTan-’dzin ’Brug-rgyas’s personal relationship with the Zhabs-drung that this family’s political fortunes suddenly began to flourish. From 1616 until his death forty years later, bsTan-’dzin ’Brug-rgyas held responsibility for public administration within Ngag-dbang rNam-rgyal’s ecclesiastic establishment.When the Zhabs-drung reached his decision in 1625 to expand this into a “state”(gzhung) on the model of Sa-skya, his role expanded accordingly. Construction of the great monastic fortresses of Punakha, Tashichhodzong and Wangdi Phodrang was carried out under his direction. He is further credited with planning the successful military defense against invasions from Tibet, against the coalition of long-entrenched lamas from opposing sects, and against independent district chieftains in central and eastern Bhutan. But he was also an educated monk, and his skill in sorcery based on intense study of the Kalacakra system with the Zhabs-drung ’s own teacher Lha-dbang Blo-gros was reputedly responsible for much of Bhutan’s success in the wars against Tibet before 1651.At the time of his entry into final retreat (and death), the Zhabs-drung assigned to him the role of administering the state in his absence. As master of “external affairs” during this period he promulgated a famous code of conduct for the clergy and the lay administrative elite that became the model for future Bhutanese law codes.In perhaps his most delicate political role, as one of the Zhabs-drung’s two closest attendants he was responsible for concealing Ngag-dbang rNam-rgyal’s death until a suitable successor could be found.The sensitivity and complexity of the task to expand the authority of the ’Brug gzhung in Bhutan no doubt demanded a cadre of close supporters of unquestioned loyalty. It is interesting that most of those assigned key positions during the early decades were either relatives, or other Tibetans and Bhutanese who had served with theZhabs-drung in the monk body at Rwa-lung. The long, personal relationship between him and sDe-srid bsTan-’dzin ’Brug-rgyas was a case in point, boosting his family’s opportunities for other assignments. For example the brother of the first sDe-srid, ’Brug rNam-rgyal was appointed in 1623 to remain in Tibet as caretaker of theZhabs-drung ’s interests at Rwa-lung.When the Fifth Dalai Lama’s commanders expelled him from Tibet in 1647 he returned to Bhutan where he was appointed to the post of government steward (gzhung mgron-gnyer). Then in 1650 ’Brug rNam-rgyal was chosen to coordinate the military offensive against Dagana in the south of Bhutan, which led to its incorporation into the emerging state.During this era other members of the family also gained powerful positions in service to the new government. Notable examples include dPal-ldan ’Brug-rgyas, the first phyag-mdzod at the newly-constructed capital fortress of Punakha, and the first sDe-srid’s nephew Ngag-dbang-rab-brtan (1630-1680?). The latter became an officer and minister of state under the third sDe-srid Mi-’gyur brTan-pa (1613-1681, r.1667-1680), famous in Bhutanese history for his deeds to expand the reach of the ’Brug-pa state. Rivals of the ’Obs-mtsho The favored position of men from ’Obs-mtsho in the emerging state hierarchy became a source of jealousy and opposition from other landed gentry families. The most powerful rival was a family from the dKar-sbis district along the west bank of the Mo-chu river north of Punakha. Dkar-sbis was one of the “eight communities of the Wang people” (wang tsho chen brgyad) , a population stratum highly respected in western Bhutan for its antiquity and their early support for the Zhabs-drung. Nevertheless, no men from dKar-sbis are recorded to have served in the monk body at Rwa-lung in the decades before 1616. And in spite of their initial support for his cause, no dKar-sbis monks or headmen became as close to the Zhabs-drung as bsTan-’dzin ’Brug-rgyas and his relatives from ’Obs-mtsho.The rivalry between the two families came to its first significant crisis during the war with Tibet of 1676, during which ’Obs-mtsho-pa Ngag-dbang Rab-brtan’s superior generalship is said to have reversed a near defeat caused by the incompetence of dKar-sbis dGe-’dun Chos-’phel, the Punakha rDzong-dpon at that time.Dge-’dun Chos-’phel’s resentment soon led him to assassinate one of Ngag-dbang Rab-brtan’s brothers, an attendant upon the son of the deceased Zhabs-drung.Meanwhile, their military successes in this war earned for the ’Obs-mtsho additional rewards from the third sDe-srid , whereas he severely scolded the Punakha Dzongpon dGe-’dun Chos-’phel for his jealous behavior. Consequently, in 1680 dGe-’dun Chos-’phel organized a coup d’état against the sDe-srid at Punakha.The rabble crowd accused him and his other Tibetan expatriates of bringing nothing but hardships and warfare to Bhutan. The Bhutanese had been forced against their will to quarry stones to build the great fortress rDzongs, countless stupas and mani walls. ThesDe-srid defended himself and the Zhabs-drung as having brought prosperity and religion to the country, but in disgust at what he saw as ignorance and ingratitude he resigned from office, warning his assailants of the bad karma which their actions would surely bring. With the sDe-srid out of the way, the rebels next turned with vengeance against his allies from ’Obs-mtso. The state minister Ngag-dbang Rab-brtan was imprisoned at Wangdue Phodrang, publicly humiliated and shortly thereafter assassinated. His wife and two of their sons were driven into exile. It was only the intercession of the pious fourth sDe-srid bsTan-’dzin Rab-rgyas (r. 1680-1694) that stemmed the worst abuses, and temporarily restored the widow and her sons to their homes and property.Then, in 1688, dGe-’dun Chos-’phel requested permission to retire from his post asrDzong-dpon of Punakha. bsTan-’dzin Rab-rgyas assented only when dGe-’dun Chos-’phel agreed to retire to the fortress-monastery of Wangdue Phodrang, several miles south of Punakha, instead of to his ancestral estate near his enemies at Amorimu.Although supposedly now settled into a life of meditation, dGe-’dun Chos-’phel in fact continued to involve himself in politics. In 1694 he emerged from retirement and led a faction demanding that bsTan-’dzin Rab-rgyas resign as sDe-srid and remain only in a spiritual capacity. But bsTan-’dzin Rab-rgyas, suffering from failing eyesight and other illnesses, decided to retire altogether, whereupon dGe-’dun Chos-’phel got himself appointed as sDe-srid .Soon the feud resumed with vigor. On New Year’s day of 1700, a dispute over a broken marriage commitment resulted in sDe-srid dGe-’dun Chos-’phel imprisoning the ’Obs-mtsho chos-rje Phun-tshogs on trumped up charges. This was followed by an aborted act of revenge to dethrone the sDe-srid.When that coup attempt failed another purge of the ’Obs-mtsho people took place, the family estate was burned, and the aged widow and her sons were again driven into exile near India while other family members were imprisoned or assassinated.The dispute finally went into remission only when dGe-’dun Chos-’phel died, in 1701. From ’Obs-mtsho to Amorimu In the course of these events (or perhaps because of them) the family abandoned once and for all the monastery and estates at ’Obs-mtsho and re-established themselves at Amorimu, where they continue to this day.The new government again restored the widow and remaining sons from exile, and even rebuilt their home by way of apology and in honor of the family’s relationship to the respected first sDe-srid of Bhutan.But the ’Obs-mtsho chos-rje (hereafter of Amorimu) went on to regenerate themselves in subsequent decades, in a way that illustrates an important aspect of the adaptive interplay between religion and politics characteristic of Bhutanese society. Over the next three hundred years, the family refocused its energies on achieving prominence primarily within the religious sphere, where one may speculate that it felt less exposed to the direct heat of political competition. The seminal figures in this transformation were offspring of the assassinated chief minister Ngag-dbang Rab- brtan, namely his eldest son Byams-gonNgag-dbang rGyal-mtshan (1647-1732) and his grandson chos-rje Ngag-dbang ’Phrin-las (1712-1770). Both led active religious lives, and contributed immensely to the status and scale of Se’u-la monastery. Each gave rise to a lineage of hitherto unrecognized reincarnations who, by tradition, have taken birth as scions of the former ’Obs-mtsho chos-rje , now of Amorimu. Although in the modern era Se’u-la has become a property within the state monastic system, by convention it remains the seat of these two incarnation lineages and thus closely linked to its founding family. In effect, what seems to have happened is that this ancient family of hereditary chos-rje transformed that role and title into one passed down through reincarnation and spiritual authority at Se’u-la.The Career of Se’u-la Byams-mgon Ngag-dbang rGyal-mtshan (1647-1732) Byams-mgon Ngag-dbang rGyal-mtshan was born at Amorimu. As a boy he witnessed at Cheri the funeral of his great-uncle, the illustrious first sDe-srid.He entered the state of ’Brug-pa establishment through the workings of the monk tax, and in 1662 was among the last recorded novices to receive initiation at the hand of whomever was posing behind the screen as the now deceased Zhabs-drung Rin-po-che(whose death was still being concealed).A natural talent for learning and for the arts quickly brought him to the attention ofrJe mKhan-po bSod-nams ’Od-zer and of the 4th sDe-srid bsTan-’dzin Rab-rgyas, whom he served as an attendant. As a monk in the state monastery he helplessly witnessed his family’s sufferings at the hands of political enemies, commanding no means to prevent them. But whereas lay members of his family served as generals and ministers, Ngag-dbang rGyal-mtshan pioneered a unique diplomatic role in service to the Bhutanese state, namely that of ‘monk ambassador.’ Appointed by bsTan-’dzin Rab-rgyas, his mission to king Sangs-rgyas brTan-pa of Derge in eastern Tibet took place over the years 1688-1695, in response to repeated requests from that king who had heard of the mystery of the Zhabs-drung’s long ‘retreat’ and wished to meet his personal representative.The equally fascinating account of his subsequent mission to the court of king Nyi-ma rNam-rgyal of Ladakh, his pilgrimage to Lahore in search of Buddhist artifacts, and of his imprisonment on return through Tibet provides important insight into the challenges attending Bhutan’s attempt to formulate intimate religio-political ties with the states of western Tibet.In between these missions Ngag-dbang rGyal-mtshan served as tutor to three of the young incarnations being groomed as spiritual successors of Zhabs-drungNgag-dbang-rnam-rgyal as well as his own future biographer, the historian Shakya Rin-chen. Late in life he was also appointed to serve as Paro Penlop, though he resigned after only one year out of strong distaste for politics. In 1715 he founded the monastic residence of Chos-’khor rDo-rje-gdan at Se’u-la, where he retired and began the religious instruction of his nephew Chos-rje Ngag-dbang ’Phrin-las (1712-1770), who later succeeded him as monastic head. In his last years he completed the paintings and sculptures for his new monastery and constructed the magnificent memorial mchod-rten for the remains of his deceased teacher bSod-nams ’Od-zer which still stands near the entryway of Se’u-la.Successors of the ’Obs-mtsho Byams-mgon and Amorimu Chos-rje The line of incarnations of Byams-mgon Ngag-dbang rGyal-mtshan remains to this day one of the most respected in Bhutan. They and the rebirths of his nephew chos-rje Ngag-dbang ’Phrin-las have periodically filled elite roles in the service of the Bhutan government, including one sDe-srid and no fewer than five abbots of the state monk body. Except for the 5th incarnation who died in his youth, each of the Amorimu chos-rje incarnations had risen from their monastic seat at Se’u-la to be elected to the high religious office of rJe mKhan-po. Similar honor has been extended to the rebirths of Byams-mgon Rin-po- che, whose last reincarnation died in 1991/2. Given the destruction and family vicissitudes of the 17th century, we may never have a detailed early genealogy such as that which Lam gSang-sngags has prepared for the gNyos lineage.For now, we are dependent on the unpublished booklet about Se’u-la by the present Khenpo Karma Tshering, and on Lopon dGe-’dun Rin-chen’s outline of the two incarnation lines in his supplement to the 17th century history of Bhutan called Lho’i chos ’byung.In the balance of this paper I shall briefly summarize these two lineages.1. The Byams-mgon Rin-po-che of Se’u-la Chos-’khor rDo-rje-gdan1.1 Ngag-dbang rGyal-mtshan (1647-1732) Discussed above. 1.2 Ye-shes rDo-rje (1757-1805)He was born at Ba-lang-nang in the district of Goenshari. It was not until he was 25 years old that chos-rje Ngag dbang ’phrin las (1712-1770), nephew of Ngag dbang rgyal mtshan, recognized him as his uncle’s rebirth.He served as the 17th rJe mKhan-po for 6 years (1791-1797). After retirement, he continued to teach until his death. 1.3 ’Jam-dbyangs bsTan-’dzin, alias bDud-’joms rGyal-mtshan (1831-1855)He was born into the family lineage of Amorimu. The monastic faction installed him at age 24 (1854) as the 42nd ’Brug sDe-srid, following the strife-filled years of the previoussDe-srid Dam-chos Lhun-grub. However, the Dzongpon of Thimphu, Umadeva, forced the reinstatement of the previous sDe-srid , Dam-chos Lhun-grub, and so for a time there were two men in this position. During his shared reign a dispute arose with the British over alleged Bhutanese depredations along the southern Duars, committed by the servants of the Dewangiri Dzongpon. It seems that he attempted to play an honest role in settling these disputes, but the emerging power at this time was the Tongsa Penlop ’Jigs-med rNam-rgyal (1825-1881), father of the first king Ugyen Wangchuk. This Byams-mgonsprul-sku died in office in 1855.1.4 rGyal-mtshanDied young, before he could be installed at the monastic seat.1.5 rGya-mtsho (d. 1991/92)Dge-’dun Rin-chen writes, “this man has not proven of any value for the religion, since his disciples, out of bad karma, have turned away from him.”2. The Incarnation Lineage of the A-mo-ri-mu Chos-rje2.1 Chos-rje Ngag-dbang ’Phrin-las (1712-1770) He was born at Amorimu and took religious vows from his uncle Ngag-dbang rGyal-mtshan and from his own father. He became an accomplished yogin. He served as a teacher in Nepal for a time, then returned to Bhutan and assumed the abbatial see at his uncle’s monastery as byams-mgon bla ma’i gdan tshab.Upon the death of Ngag-dbang rGyal-mtshan, he enlarged the monastery and built a new temple building at Se’u-la known as the Byams-pa’i lha-khang. Following a stint asrDo-rje-slob-dpon in the state monk body, he was appointed as the 11th rJe mKhan-poin 1762. He retired in 1769 and died the following year. He sponsored the writing ofByams-mgon Ngag-dbang rGyal-mtshan’s biography by Shakya-rin-chen.2.2 Chos-rje Shakya rGyal-mtshan (1790-1836) He was born into the Amorimu family line, and studied with Byams-mgon Ye-shes rDo-rje, mKhan-chen ’Jam-dbyangs rGyal-mtshan and others. He was nominated as the 24th rJe mKhan-po in 1831 and served for 5 years. He died in office at the age of 47 (1836).2.3 Chos-rje ’Phrin-las rGyal-mtshan (1839-1898) He was born into the Amorimu family line. He studied with Tshul-khrims rGyal mtshan and others. He was appointed as the 42nd rJe mKhan-po in 1886, serving for two years, and served a second term as the 44th rJe mKhan-po from 1889 to 1891. He constructed and performed the artwork for the third major temple building at Se'u-la, known as the sKu-’bag Lha-khang. He died there in 1898.2.4 Chos-rje Ngag-dbang ’Phrin-las phyi-ma (1916-1950) He was also born into the Amorimu family line, and was a student of sLob-dpon dPal ’byor and Yongs-’dzin mTshan-slob dNgos-grub, and also of rigs-bdag Srid-zhi rNam-rgyal. He became a fully ordained monk at the age of25, and was appointed as the 60th rJe mKhan-po in 1940. He served for 6 years, then retired in 1946. He died at the early age of 35. He was a teacher of the author of LCB2.2.5 Ye-shes dNgos-grub (1951-1983)He was the son of Tshering Zangmo of Amorimu and Sangay of Kabjisa. He studied with sLob-dpon mKha’-gro of sTod-pa’i-sa (Punakha valley), rJe mKhan ’Phrin-las Lhun-grub, rJe mKhan dGe-’dun Rin-chen, rJe mKhan bsTan-’dzin Don-grub, and Grub-dbang bSod-nams bZang-po. He took full ordination and is said to have achieved complete meditative accomplishment.2.6 Mi-pham Chos-kyi-nyin-byed (b. 1983) He was born at Amorimu to Namgay Zangpo and Wangmo, younger sister of Gup Bangay. His teachers have included his cousin Karma Tshering, Khenpo of Se’u-la, and slob-dpon Jagith (ex dBu-mdzad of the central monk body of Bhutan). He received special teachings (gdams-sngags) from rJe mKhan dGe-’dun Rin-chen and from sprul-sku ’Jigs-med Chos-grags. He presently resides at Se’u-la monastery where his teaching continues.In 2008, when Bhutan first moves in to the democracy world, people are given the full right to choose their good political leaders. In the interests of people Mr. Namgye Penjore, son of late gup Bangay, from Amrimo contested for the National Council member from Punakha District. He was elected as a member for the National Council by the people of Punakha district with double the votes higher to his other two contestants.Later, on 1st of May,2008, Namgay Penjore has also been elected as the first Chairman of the Himalayan Country’s National Council or upper house of the parliament by the 20 district national council members including 5 other appointed members of his majesty, the king.The above mentioned brief back ground history of A-mo-ri-mu Chos-rje, is compiled based on the rnam-thas, Lho’i chos ’byung, media news, facts observed and a research done by John A Ardussi.The place of ’Obs-mtsho is located in Gasa Dzongkhag, two hours drive and half hour walk from Amorimu.

ཨ་མོ་རི་མོ་ཆོས་རྗེ་། AMRIMO CHOEJE

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