H.H. the 4th Panchen Lama. Click on image to enlarge.

One of the things history has taught us is that the rise of the noblest of men and women and the advent of the most epochal and pivotal events that have benefited mankind, have always been preceded or at least accompanied by the presence of the greatest evil. The Buddha was holy and faultless not because there was no evil during his time. In fact, evil was always close by in the form of Devadatta who attempted to kill the Great Sage on a number of occasions.

Forward to another era, the world witnessed the slaying of an innocent and righteous man by the name of Yeshua, at the hands of evil men. And from that calamity arose the Christian tradition of worshipping Jesus Christ as the son of the Abrahamic god.

Similarly in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, one of the greatest blessings for Buddhist practitioners of our time manifested because a great scholar-saint, Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen willingly forfeited his life and suffered a painful death at the hands of Depa Norbu, a man so notoriously evil that his villainous ways were noticed by all, even the Great Fifth Dalai Lama. In His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche’s landmark volume on Dorje Shugden, “Music Delighting the Ocean of Protectors“, he says clearly that Depa Norbu was the murderer of Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen, otherwise known as Zimkhang Gongma Tulku of Drepung Monastery. His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche was the tutor of the 14th Dalai Lama for over 30 years and his scholarship, research and knowledge is beyond dispute.

Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen’s life began illustriously, with the young boy showing such great signs of learning and attainments that he was identified as a potential candidate for the reincarnation of the 4^th Dalai Lama. After another child was recognised and enthroned as the 5^th Dalai Lama, Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen was recognised as the reincarnate lama of Zimkhang Gongma of Drepung Loseling Monastery.

A thangka of the Three Drakpas, namely Panchen Sonam Drakpa (left), Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen (centre) and Duldzin Drakpa Gyaltsen (right). Click on image to enlarge.

Nevertheless, the 5^th Dalai Lama and Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen grew up as Dharma brothers. While the 5^th Dalai Lama was wrestling with various political troubles in Tibet, trying to consolidate power in the office of the Dalai Lama, Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen became known as an erudite scholar and powerful Tantric master. People came from all over Tibet seeking his blessings and teachings. With that came a lot of offerings and every day, streams of people would walk past the Dalai Lama’s Ladrang (residence) on their way to Zimkhang Gongma (Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen’s Ladrang or residence) to seek an audience with him. The residences of high lamas or notable persons have names. Zimkhang Gongma was the name of the residence of Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen in Drepung Monastery. At the same time he was also known as Zimkhang Gongma Tulku or the Tulku of Zimkhang Gongma from Drepung Monastery.

As with any story of success, there always comes with it tales of jealousy and envy. In Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen’s life story, this is represented in the form of Depa Norbu. It was at Depa Norbu’s hand and under his orders that Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen was murdered. While the run-up to the actual murder differs according to varying traditions, the end result is always the same — a hugely popular lama of high repute, erudite scholarship and unstained reputation was found dead with a khata (ritual silk scarf) stuffed down his throat.

H.H. Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche

What happens next is also disputed. Dorje Shugden practitioners such as His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche maintain that Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen manifested as the enlightened Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden after his death. On the other hand, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) and their supporters argue that Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen, someone who was qualified to be a candidate for the 5^th Dalai Lama, took rebirth as an angry, raging spirit. Because of this, the CTA (the Tibetan leadership based in Dharamsala) says they are justified in their ban on the Dorje Shugden practice today.

As proponents on both sides of the Shugden conflict debate over whether Dorje Shugden is a benevolent deity or malicious spirit, more important questions have been sidestepped. It is time for this long overdue inquest and for important questions to be raised — what happened to Depa Norbu, how was he able to escape punishment for killing an innocent monk and most importantly, why was an erudite, well-respected and holy scholar such as Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen murdered?

1. What crime did Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen commit? The Tibetan leadership says he is a lama who made wrong or bad prayers at time of his death that created the cause for him to arise as an evil spirit (Dorje Shugden) but what was his alleged crime that was so horrific, that it justified murdering him, dismantling his Ladrang, banning his incarnation, and throwing his relics into a river? Never mind the alleged wrong prayers he made at his death, but why was he murdered in the first place to cause the death? In historical records, even those kept by people against Dorje Shugden practice, there has never been a single mention of the actual crime that Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen committed that warranted or led to his murder. In truth, his only crime was this — Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen was becoming more popular than the 5^th Dalai Lama and the Dalai Lama’s assistants, masterminded by Depa Norbu, simply could not handle it.
2. How can such a despot like Depa Norbu have been allowed to rise in the ranks? Throughout Depa Norbu’s life, it is very clear that he was highly self-motivated, self-promoting and self-serving. In spite of his multiple political and military failures which adversely affected Tibet on many occasions, he eventually became the Regent of Tibet. However, the 5^th Dalai Lama did not trust him and on one occasion, even vetoed his promotion. So in all historical accounts, there is not a single shred of praise about Depa Norbu’s qualities or abilities; he is universally acknowledged as selfish, evil, harmful and everything he became involved in ended in catastrophe. There is no way that Depa Norbu murdered Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen for some higher, beneficial reasoning.
3. In contrast, look at the kind of life that Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen lived. There is not a single historical record that references Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen in a negative light; every single account that exists about him only praises his qualities and deeds. He starts out in life being considered one of the candidates to become the 5^th Dalai Lama. Historical accounts talk about his unmatched scholarship, his unparalleled skill in debate and his immense popularity with the masses. He was a close student of His Holiness the 4^th Panchen Lama and a Dharma brother of His Holiness the 5^th Dalai Lama. So how could such a being who might have become the 5^th Dalai Lama himself, have become evil after his death? It is just not possible.
4. Why was Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen’s murder and the circumstances leading up to it all covered up? The Tibetan leadership is not giving us the full story. They claim to be a democratic government but they only say negative things about Dorje Shugden. That is not in keeping with democratic principles to offer a balanced presentation of information. They promote Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen’s supposed rebirth as a so-called angry spirit but they say nothing about the circumstances that led him there. What are they trying to hide?

Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen

5. How come someone from the Tibetan leadership was able to murder another person without being brought to justice? There are no recorded apologies from Depa Norbu, or records of the punishments he faced for murdering a high lama. Did Depa Norbu get arrested and did the Tibetan government charge him with any crimes? Or was he allowed to get off scot-free? Everyone focuses on Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen and what happened to him after he was killed, but no one ever questions the fact that Depa Norbu was able to murder someone and get away with it. The wrongs against Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen is immense. To cover his murder, the Tibetan leadership for over 350 years has the audacity to say he made wrong prayers at the time of his death that caused him to arise as an evil spirit, Dorje Shugden, mistaken for a protector. Ask yourself honestly, in the normal scheme of things, how many hauntings or evil spirits seek revenge as they were murdered even though innocent in life? Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen according to numerous high beings after being murdered did not seek vengeance but in fact out of compassion as he practiced in life forgave those who murdered him, and he arose as a powerful dharma protector as foretold by Nechung’s prophecy.
6. Is this what the Tibetan leadership are really like? How many more people have been murdered in Tibetan history and their perpetrators allowed to get away with it thanks to their position? What else has the Tibetan leadership turned a blind eye to, and is this really the behaviour of a democratic government? How come Depa Norbu was never held accountable for his crimes? A posthumous apology is in order. A consistent denigration of Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen’s life, death and afterlife should stop as a way to healing and amendment towards the wrongs done to him to cover his wrongful murder.
7. If you were murdered and your murderer was not charged, would you not be upset as well and manifest signs of unhappiness? Let us say that the CTA’s false claims are true, and Dorje Shugden is the vengeful and harmful ghost of a high lama. The question is, why is he vengeful? No normal person seeks revenge unless something has been done to them. So, what was done to Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen that was so bad that he is now supposedly seeking revenge in the form of Dorje Shugden? I am not saying that Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen became an angry spirit; I am saying that anyone, including Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen, would be entitled to be upset if they had this level of injustice committed against them. So, focus not on what Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen did or did not become; focus on what was done to him, that led him to become what you claim.
8. The CTA themselves confirm a murder took place. Each time the CTA repeats their lie that Dorje Shugden was a murdered lama who took rebirth as an angry spirit, they are in fact confirming in their own words that someone was murdered and another person was literally allowed to get away with murder.

H.H. the 5th Dalai Lama and Emperor Shunzhi in Beijing

Keep this in mind as you read about Depa Norbu and his life. His biography below was gleaned from a scholarly resource known as “Treasury of Lives” which is known for their impartial translations about the lives of Tibet’s great, good and not-so-good. And unlike most other biographies which sing praises about the concerned individual, not a single word of praise is directed at Depa Norbu. He is universally known to have been evil, ruthless and cold; everyone, from the common peasant all the way to the 5^th Dalai Lama, distrusted him and he relied on his brother’s position to ascend through the ranks of Tibetan politics.

So regardless of what you believe Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen became after he died, the fact is that he was a highly respected and beloved lama who lived during the 5^th Dalai Lama’s time. It is also a fact that Depa Norbu’s murder of a high religious personage is recorded in Tibetan history but he was never brought to justice. And in spite of his crimes, and his obvious inadequacies in politics, diplomacy and even military strategy, he was able to rise in the ranks of the Tibetan leadership thanks to others who overlooked his “botched leadership”.

To this day, very little has changed within the Tibetan leadership and the ‘Depa Norbus’ of the Tibetan establishment continue to hold high positions and get away with unspeakable acts they would not get away with if the CTA were a real democratic and fair government that respected its own laws. Nepotism is still alive and well, and the Tibetans are still governed by an administration filled with many people promoted thanks to their family names. The lack of accountability during the time of Depa Norbu remains endemic within the CTA and that is why they had to ban Dorje Shugden, not because he is a demon or evil as the CTA claims but because, starting with Depa Norbu, the CTA do not have a history of taking responsibility for their failures.

Another thangka of the Great Fifth Dalai Lama. Click on image to enlarge.

It is not too late to start, however. Throughout this saga, there is one aspect in which the CTA have failed very miserably – they have failed to hold anyone accountable for the murder, and failed to apologise for the actions of their highest government official. If the CTA were serious about being a democracy, they might wish to consider posthumously vindicating Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen and finally admitting, three and a half centuries later, that one of their own did something grievously wrong.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama has mentioned that this ‘issue’ of the death of Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen and his subsequent arising as Dorje Shugden has been going on for over 350 years and it is still not resolved. Of course it will not resolve unless His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the current Tibetan leadership acknowledge publicly the wrong that has been done to Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen. Make amends. Many governments apologise to individuals and groups for wrongs committed against them by their previous governments, and they do this many decades or even centuries after the wrongful acts were committed. They even posthumously vindicate the ‘wrong-doer’ and admit the government was wrong. If the Tibetan leadership and His Holiness the Dalai Lama wish to resolve the ‘Dorje Shugden issue’ that has been ‘haunting’ them for over 350 years, then they need to acknowledge the wrong that was done to Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen who was an innocent high lama. If Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen after his murder did arise as a vengeful evil spirit, perhaps he will be placated by this official vindication.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama likes to say that Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen made wrong prayers at the time of his death, and this caused him to arise as the so-called evil spirit Dorje Shugden. But His Holiness the Dalai Lama never mentions why Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen was so angry upon his death, which led to his arisal as a so-called angry spirit in the form of Dorje Shugden. So now it is time to acknowledge the wrong that was done to Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen who was innocent. His Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama should acknowledge that the 5^th Dalai Lama’s right-hand man (Depa Norbu) killed Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen who was innocent, and therefore put his ‘spirit’ to rest. Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen the Innocent should be posthumously vindicated then this will begin the healing between Dorje Shugden and the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan leadership in exile. Since His Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama is very compassionate and always speaks about resolving issues and dialogue, he can perhaps resolve now the wrong done to Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen.

Whether you believe Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen became a vengeful spirit or an enlightened Dharma Protector, the fact is that a murder was committed and no one was held accountable. So it would not be about vindicating a so-called spirit, but about taking the first steps to right a murderous wrong that, by the CTA’s own admission, was committed 400 years ago. It may be 400 years since Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen was unfairly killed but it is never too late for justice to be meted, and never too late for justice for Dorje Shugden.

Pastor Khong Jean Ai

(Note: The exact same article has been published under a different title, Murder in Drepung Monastery: Depa Norbu, so that this news might spread further)

Depa Norbu སྡེ་པ་ནོར་བུ།

Depa Norbu. Click to view the full thangka (top row, rightmost figure)

b.1595? – d.mid 17th cent.

Tradition: Geluk དགེ་ལུགས།
Geography: U དབུས།
Historical Period: 17^th Century ༡༧ དུས་རབས།
Institution: Government Officers གཞུང་ཞབས།
Name Variants: Gekha; Gekhasa; Gekhasa Norbu; Gekhasapa; Nangso Norbu མིང་གི་རྣམ་གྲངས།: གད་ཁ་ས་ནོར་བུ༎; ནང་སོ་ནོར་བུ༎; ནོར་བུ༎; སྡེ་སྲིད་ནོར་བུ༎

Norbu (nor bu) was born in the village of Gyale (rgyal le) in the Tolung Valley (stod lung), northwest of Lhasa. As younger brother of Desi Sonam Chopel (sde srid bsod nams chos phel, 1595-1658) he was born sometime after 1595. His early title of Nangso (nang so), literally meaning ‘internal spy’ or ‘border protector,’ indicates an official with military and religious power, or a manager, and is often applied to the younger sibling of a ruling house.

As a young man Norbu was retained as an aide by his brother who was already Treasurer and Chagdzo (phyag mdzod) — the personal manager and principal attendant — of Lobzang Gyatso, the young Fifth Dalai Lama Lobzang Gyatso (tA la’i bla ma 05 blo bzang rgya mtsho, 1617-1682). Only a few histories covering this period even mention Depa Norbu in passing, and the best source that we have for his life and activities is the autobiography of Lobzang Gyatso, who is not sympathetic to him.

Lobzang Gyatso first mentions Norbu as attending a tea party in 1626, invited by the young Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen (sprul sku grags pa rgyal mtshan, 1619-1656), their neighbor at Drepung Monastery (‘bras spungs dgon); the Dalai Lama’s residence was then at Drepung. Drakpa Gyeltsen offered Norbu a ceremonial scarf with a sacred knot but Norbu later undid the knot and exchanged the scarf for some baubles from Kongpo. A monk attendant observed: ‘Norbu has no faith in the Tulku.’ Norbu is alleged by some, including the Third Trijang Lobzang Yeshe Tendzin Gyatso (khri byang 03 blo bzang ye shes bstan ‘dzin rgya mtsho, 1901-1981), to have suffocated the same Tulku thirty years later with a similar scarf.

A little later when Lobzang Gyatso caught the measles and cats were brought to keep him awake, apparently as an antidote, Norbu beat these cats and even stabbed one with a knife. Lobzang Gyatso’s comment on this cruelty was that “it was the first crowing of a man who would eat man if he had power.”

Early in 1638, acting as Drepung’s Treasurer in a project to construct new sets of the Eight Classical Stupa (mchod rten cha brgyad), Norbu insisted on changing the proportions of the Drepung set, which had been designed by master Zur Choying Rangdrol (zur chos dbyings rang grol, 1604-1669). This resulted in their shape being the worst among the Geluk monasteries.

Drepung Monastery in Lhasa, Tibet.

Shortly afterwards Sonam Chopel was displeased with his chief assistant Jaisang Depa (ja’i sang sde pa) who eventually became the Fifth Dalai Lama’s third Regent in 1660; he wanted to appoint Norbu in his place, but Lobzang Gyatso was not happy about it. He objected and vetoed Norbu’s promotion.

In the summer of 1638, Norbu married Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen’s sister, whose name is not recorded, at Gekhasa (gad kha sa) village in Tolung (stod lung), probably modern-day ‘Gyekhar’ between Yangpachen (yangs pa can) and Tsurpu (mtshur phu). The heirs to the Gekhasa family had been killed by Mongols and they needed a bridegroom but Lobzang Gyatso felt that Norbu was a poor choice, commenting that the family accepted him “as if it wished to be punished.” According to another history, Drakpa Gyeltsen’s sister, his only surviving sibling, felt obliged to marry the ambitious Norbu, who was proud of being Sonam Chopel’s brother. After the marriage, Norbu was also called Gekhasa or Gekhasapa Norbu. Norbu was not personally well-off but the marriage increased his wealth and status, enabling him to enter politics; he then became notorious for the violent and unscrupulous ways in which he later dealt with certain practical issues on the regent’s behalf that were embarrassing for a high-ranking religious dignitary like Sonam Chopel.

Military Commander & Governor of Shigatse 1641-1644

In 1641, during the Tibetan civil war between U (dbus) and Tsang (gtsang), Norbu was deputed as military commander to lead a body of troops west from Shun (shun), six miles west of Lhasa, via upper Tolung to reinforce Gushri Khan’s Mongol army besieging the fort at Shigatse (gzhis ka rtse). Avoiding Kagyu resistance en route he progressed at a snail’s pace, finally reaching Chushur (chu shur) on the north bank of the Tsangpo (gtsang po) after dawdling along and losing time. His men eventually engaged in battle in Tsang under Gopa Tashi of Drungme (grong smad dgo pa bkra shis). Some were assigned to operate cannons, others to take positions on hilltops. However, Norbu refused to do anything and when the cannon station was lost to the enemy he was the first man to leave his post and run away.

In the summer of 1642 during the first uprising in Tsang after the war he was charged with holding Gyantse fort (rgyal rtse rdzong) but when a small group of rebels attacked he abandoned it and fled.

Regent Sonam Chopel appointed Norbu as Governor of Shigatse in 1644. Lobzang Gyatso wrote that most people now began to call Norbu ‘Desi’ (sde srid) or ‘Depa’ (sde pa) and he put on airs of being the Regent’s brother. ‘Depa’ (‘Governor’ or ‘Commissioner’) and ‘Desi’ were both in current use. Norbu retained the post of governor until 1659.

A statue of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel

In the same year, 1644, Sonam Chopel and Gushri Khan, thinking that their victorious, combined Tibetan/Mongolian forces were invincible, sent an invasion force into Bhutan while they were busy looking for rebels in Lhodrak near the Bhutan border. Western Bhutan had only recently been unified under Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel (zhabs drung ngag dbang rnam rgyal, 1594-1651), and its defense forces dealt the joint Tibetan and Mongolian forces their first defeat; the expedition was crushed and twenty five of its leaders were captured. This surprise defeat became a popular topic for mockery of Tibet’s new Geluk regime in Lhasa. In 1646 Norbu was sent south to the Bhutan border to investigate the humiliating rout. Norbu returned to report that the Bhutanese had indeed captured the army officers and all its weapons, armor and equipment.

A satirical song then became popular using word-play to mock Norbu for acting as a common spy (Tibetan: ‘so pa’), playing on his earlier title Nangso (‘border protector’), on his name Norbu (‘jewel’), on the Zhabdrung’s renown as a magician as the lama in the south and finally on Bhutan’s precious vertebrae relic of the First Drukchen Tsangpa Gyare Yeshe Dorje (gtsang pa rgya ras ye shes rdo rje, 1161-1211), brought from Tibet by the Zhabdrung:

The lama must be residing in the south,
For all offerings were made to the south.
The Drukpas have captured Ngodrub;
Norbu has worked as a spy.

Here the “offerings” refers to armor and weapons, and “Ngodrub” (dngos grub), the name of one of the commanders means “yogic powers.”

Army commander, 1648-1649

Sonam Chopel negotiated a post-1644 invasion peace treaty with Bhutan, obtaining release of the hostages, but then broke it in 1648 by sending in a much bigger, three-pronged invasion force. He appointed Norbu as commander of the main army, marching east from Shigatse via Phari (phag ri) to Paro in western Bhutan where he tried to attack the fort. When the Bhutanese counter-attacked, Norbu retreated to Tibet with his men following after him, abandoning all their arms, weapons and equipment. Hearing of this, the other two columns retreated from Punakha and headed home, making a fiasco of the attempted invasion. Due to Norbu’s mistakes, the army had great difficulty retreating and the other commanders made endless complaints about his behavior. This shameful defeat went down as disgraceful in the history of Tibet. People rebuked Norbu for his cowardice and made a mockery of his flight, as Lobzang Gyatso later noted. Despite all this, under his brother’s protection he retained his position as Governor of Shigatse.

Norbu was even accused of betrayal, indulging in secret dealings with the Bhutanese enemy, but despite his incompetence, cowardice and duplicity Lobzang Gyatso tried to come to terms with him, hoping that he might yet turn out to be a good leader.

In 1652 Lobzang Gyatso, invited by the Qing Shunzhi Emperor (1638-1661), left for Beijing. Amongst others Norbu accompanied his party as far as the foot of the Nyuklai Lanying pass (snyug la’i la snying). Everyone going to China was apprehensive about the diseases and other dangers of the perilous journey, wrote Lobzang Gyatso, but Norbu, who was to remain in Lhasa, and seemingly convinced that nobody would be returning, was delighted that he did not have to go and he did not hide his pleasure.

Qing Shunzhi Emperor

In 1654 Lobzang Gyatso proposed to offer a public long-life empowerment, a major personal blessing, to all his followers, aware that it would be very popular. The Desi agreed but Norbu started drawing up a tariff of fees to charge everyone for attending the event, according to their status. The Dalai Lama recorded that he felt embarrassed by this, but rather than rebuking Norbu he simply gave up the idea, not wishing to appear greedy by charging people to attend his teachings.

In 1656 Lobzang Gyatso was busy organizing various religious projects, creating murals, statues, multiple copies of the Buddha’s teachings and so forth. A sculptor called Dol Nesarwa (dol gnas gsar ba) had neatly carved a complete set of ritual kila daggers from teakwood for him and was working on other themes when Norbu suddenly had him transferred to the south of Tibet to help construct military catapults. Lobzang Gyatso lamented that Norbu made this artist, incapable of doing anything harmful, suddenly disappear from his project staff.

A little later in 1656 Norbu gets a positive mention, the only one he earns in Lobzang Gyatso’s autobiography. Diplomatic tensions with Nepal necessitated the rescue of the famous Aryawati Avalokitesvara statue from Kyirong temple near the Nepal border. Norbu and Dronnyer Drungpa (mgron gnyer drung pa) were deputed to go there and retrieve it and they actually succeeded in doing so. Lobzang Gyatso noted this success as an auspicious occasion. However, he refers to a prophecy warning that the relocation of the statue to central Tibet could portend the death of an important personage. Next mentioned in the autobiography is the illness and death of Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen who was thirty-six years old. His spirit is then said to have manifested as the spirit Shugden (shugs ldan), and some, including Trijang Rinpoche, allege that he was murdered by suffocation at the hands of Depa Norbu.

Commander-in-Chief, 1656-57

After Gushri Khan’s death in 1655 Sonam Chopel organized one last attempt at capturing Bhutan to obliterate the memory of his earlier defeats and suppress Kagyu resistance against the Geluk, which was a constant threat to internal stability. He appointed Norbu as overall commander of four large invading armies but Norbu asked Lobzang Gyatso to have the invasion postponed. Seeing no purpose in this and knowing Sonam Chopel and other leaders would not agree, he refused; there was also no indication from divinations or oracles of a need to delay.

Norbu advanced in the summer of 1656, but too slowly and cautiously and his tactics were inept. The Nechung Oracle had predicted success but later blamed the failure on Norbu’s incompetence; Lobzang Gyatso also criticized him for not sticking to the agreed plan. As he continued to employ delaying tactics his army gradually wasted away through illness. The Bhutanese used guerrilla tactics to sap morale and after an entire year of ineffective campaigning in the inhospitable climate and the dense jungles Norbu retreated to Tibet and camped near the border at Phari.

Pehar or also known as Nechung. Click on image to enlarge.

Internal divisions arose due to Norbu’s poor leadership. The two Mongol princes with their own troops, Dalai Batur (da la’i bA thur) and Machik Taiji (ma gcig tha’i ji), quarreled with Norbu about his cowardly strategy. In fact, Norbu is said to have poisoned Machik Taiji after the latter severely criticized his policy. One of Norbu’s men, Taklung Mendrongpa (stag lung sman grong pa), wrote to Sonam Chopel to defend Norbu and blame the Mongols, claiming they would not care if everyone in Tibet died. Lobzang Gyatso, however, disagreed and defended the Mongols and their good character; they were simply too ashamed to have to retreat from battle under Norbu’s orders.

Norbu’s behavior was dubious; he let himself be defeated and his army retreated from Phari in disgrace after the disastrous campaign. These Tibet-Bhutan wars highlight the difficulty the Tibetans faced in trying to invade Bhutan; warfare was still conducted seasonally, and in the hot Bhutanese summers the invaders generally found themselves retreating back to the Tibetan plateau. Eventually, a peace treaty was negotiated by the Fourth Panchen Lama, Lobzang Chokyi Gyeltsen (blo bzang chos kyi rgyal mtshan, 1570-1662) and others, allowing for the release of prisoners by the Bhutanese. Thus ended the third Bhutan war involving Norbu.

There had been many instances of Norbu’s botched leadership but he was never held to account and his brother Sonam Chopel pretended not to hear about it. In the end, however, the proliferation of negative reports from his stint in Shigatse and his dishonest activities became so notorious that he was publicly censured.

Appointed as Regent, 1659

Sonam Chopel died in the spring of 1658 but Lobzang Gyatso kept it a secret to hold off political instability while he arranged the succession by Norbu, heir apparent as he was Sonam Chopel’s next of kin. The Dalai Lama wanted to ensure that Norbu would be unable to dominate him. For thirteen months this pretense was maintained while prayers and rituals were carried out, ostensibly dedicated to Sonam Chopel’s return to health, until the spring of 1659 when the death was announced and funeral rites were carried out.

Gushri Khan and H.H. the 5th Dalai Lama

Soon Lobzang Gyatso nominated Depa Sepo (sde pa sras po), a friend and associate of Norbu, to replace Norbu as Governor of Shigatse; he then spent eight days negotiating discreetly with the Mongol successors of Gushri Khan, Tendzin Dayan Gyelpo (bstan ‘dzin da yan rgyal po) and Tendzin Dalai Han (bstan ‘dzin da la’i han rgyal po), to ensure and arrange their support in case of need, probably making contingency plans in case Norbu got too out of control after his promotion. The Mongols left Lhasa to stand by at their pastures in Dam (‘dam) to the north, just before Norbu arrived from Shigatse.

Two weeks later, on the sixteenth day of the sixth month of the earth-pig year (i.e. August 3rd, 1659), Lobzang Gyatso told his chamberlain to go and inform Norbu that he was to be appointed as Regent to succeed the late Sonam Chopel. The surprised chamberlain hesitated, saying that if this was simply a tactful gesture he risked it being accepted by Norbu which would not have been appropriate. But the Dalai Lama insisted that he was serious, the message was delivered, and Norbu accepted. Next day, Lobzang Gyatso sent a second message to Norbu, scolding him for having failed in the past to do his duty well. He restricted Norbu’s powers regarding the Regent’s official residence, preventing him from using it for personal ends. All this would have been hard to bear for Norbu who was used to doing as he liked with impunity under his now deceased brother’s protection.

There was no inauguration ceremony apart from a gathering of important teachers and monks at the Potala to pay respects to Norbu. It was apparently expected there would be exchanges of gifts, but Norbu, he wrote, was as selfish as the Taklung treasurer: they merely exchanged vases of water.

Reign as Regent and Rebellion of 1659-1660

There is no account of Norbu’s activities in office as regent. In the ninth month of the earth-pig year (October-November, 1659) however, Lobzang Gyatso consulted Nojin Chenpo (gnod sbyin chen po), the wrathful spirit which had been oath-bound and installed at Samye Monastery by Padmasambhava (padma ‘byung nas) eight hundred years before. The spirit warned him: “If you are not careful about Norbu, it will be as if you fail to act when the goat is in its enclosure; you will not catch it, [he will be] like a musk deer running away on the rocks.”

Samye Monastery, Tibet

In the tenth month, Norbu made his move. Norbu’s relatives and close associates, his nephew Ngodrub (dngos grub) and family asked permission to visit the hot springs in Tsang. Lobzang Gyatso allowed it, although he was suspicious of their motives. Then, with the connivance of the new Shigatse governor Depa Sepo, they and other accomplices such as Tegangpa Tsering (bkras sgang pa tshe ring) seized and occupied Shigatse fort in an open act of rebellion against the Ganden Podrang government. Eventually Norbu himself deserted his post to join his co-conspirators in Tsang.

Norbu’s rebellion was supported by the Tsang nobility, the Sakya hierarch and the Fourth Drukchen Padma Karpo (‘brug chen 04 pad+ma dkar po, 1527-1592). Shigatse’s close affiliation with the Tsangpa regime, the previous rulers of central Tibet, and with the Karma Kagyu tradition, made it the ideal location from which to instigate a rebellion against the Geluk government. Any disturbance in Tsang was bound to cause alarm. In an additional act of treachery, Norbu sent his co-conspirator Tegangpa south to persuade the Bhutanese to send their army to enter Tibetan territory and join the rebel army against the Lhasa government.

Lobzang Gyatso sent investigators to check on the situation in Shigatse. They reported that Depa Sepo had improperly dismissed and expelled from the fort all officials unwilling to join the revolt, Tegangpa had intimidated Tashilhunpo (bkra shis lhun po) and the revenue collectors and Norbu and Ngodrub had seized control of the Shigatse fort. Hearing this, Lobzang Gyatso summoned his loyal ministers and generals, including Jaisang Depa and Dronnyer Drungpa, for a council of war. They decided to immediately send an expeditionary force to Shigatse. Taiji of Ukhere, a Mongolian prince who had, conveniently, just arrived from the north with a hundred soldiers and gifts of gold, silver, silk and porcelain, agreed to march his men to Shigatse right away. Dronnyer Drungpa was detailed to guide him. Two army commanders were appointed and orders for the rapid mobilization and dispatch of additional forces were issued.

The Potala Palace and the main monuments of Lhasa. This painting shows the major sites of Lhasa including the Jokhang Cathedral, the Potala Palace and the Lukhang. The monasteries of Sera, Drepung and Sangpu Neutog are also pictured. It is possible that the image depicts activities during the Losar festivities. Image credit: treasuryoflives.org. Click on image to enlarge.

Rituals of suppression and liberation targeting the rebels, based on the violent rite of Jampel Leyshin Marmo (‘jam dpal las gshin dmar mo), were carried out, led by the chief officiating prelate Ngakrampa Lobzang Dondrub (sngags ram pa blo bzang don grub), and signs of success occurred. Meanwhile the expelled Shigatse fort officials and Lobzang Gelek (blo bzang dge legs), Treasurer of Tashilhunpo, were keeping Lhasa informed about the goings-on at the fort, and advised that Tashi Tsepa of Shang (shangs bkra shis rtse pa), near Shigatse, was proving very helpful, providing the army with useful advice and information.

Others, however, had defected to the rebels. The eighty-nine-year old Paṇchen Lama, still in Shigatse and trying to negotiate a compromise, corresponded with the Dalai Lama who concluded, after discussion, that the impending conflict with Norbu’s rebels could not be postponed. Meanwhile, more rituals were being carried out to bring Norbu down. Lobzang Gyatso had decided on a two-pronged attack: a show of military force to scare the rebels and a series of magic rituals designed to terrify the more superstitious amongst them.

Meanwhile Taiji of Ukhere had reached Shigatse fort to find Tegangpa had returned from his mission to Bhutan and fortified the areas around the castle. In the clashes that followed, Tegangpa was captured and brought out ‘like a lamb to the slaughter.’ The plan to recapture the fort was put into operation.

The two royal Mongol brothers, Tendzin Dayan Gyelpo and Tendzin Dalai Han, now arrived on the scene in Shigatse with their forces. It would appear that this was not a coincidence. Shortly before Norbu had arrived in Lhasa from Shigatse a few months earlier they had met Lobzang Gyatso for eight days of detailed conversations concerning leadership, history and matters of concern to the Mongols. Considering the incompatibility and animosity between Norbu and the Mongols following the three military debacles in Bhutan it is likely that they were preparing contingency plans in case things went awry with Norbu after his expected promotion to Desi. When Norbu deserted and made Shigatse the base of his rebellion, the Mongols turned up with their armies as if they had been ready and waiting for it and it seems they had been empowered by the government to avoid violence and negotiate with the rebels.

Nyingma master Pema Trinle

The second part of the strategy, magic ritual, was also unfolding. Lobzang Gyatso detailed the government’s chief ritual official, the young Nyingma master Pema Trinle, the Fourth Dorje Drak Rigdzin (rdo rje brag rig ‘dzin 04 pad+ma phrin las), and his team of thirty assistants to go to Gongkar (gong dkar) and perform “the rite of the wind wheel” through suppression and destruction. Lobzang Gyatso then consulted the spirit Gyelpo Tsangpa Dungtochen (rgyal po tshang pa dung thod can), through its oracle, to see what it suggested. To defeat Norbu’s rebellion and promote loyalty to the government the spirit specified the “demon-exorcism” (bdud bzlog) rite to be performed by all members of Geluk establishments that were philosophical in nature and the “torma exorcism” (gtor bzlog) by the rest. In the context of this rebellion the purpose of publicly propitiating, in this way, loyalty to the Tibetan government seems clear: any superstitious members of the Tibetan public who sympathised with the rebels might have second thoughts if the threat of supernatural retribution was brought into the equation. The lamas and stewards of two hundred and fifty monasteries were ordered to carry out these services nonstop and the government funded all the participants’ tea offerings three times a day.

More rituals were undertaken, with frequent signs of success: sudden windstorms arising, ritual wheels bursting into flames, torma flashing and the like. In Kyisho, the Lhasa valley, the performance of rituals intensified. Renowned tantric sorcerers such as Jingpa Ngakrampa (bying pa sngags ram pa) were commissioned by Lobzang Gyatso to increase pressure on the rebels. Nyingma artists Agur (a gur) and his brother Ngawang Trinle (ngag dbang ‘phrin las) of Shar estate (gzhis ka shar) in Lhasa drew the wind wheels of Lungmar (rlung dmar), the ‘Red Wind’ deity and Bektse (beg tse) and the rite was performed immaculately. Others were sent to shoot the torma of Lungmar towards Tsang where Norbu was installed and to place the wheel of Bektse at the corner of the Potala’s temple hall. According to the Fifth Dalai Lama, as soon as they began the wheel rite, a powerful windstorm broke out each day. Even where negotiations were being held at Shigatse, the felt tent was nearly overturned by a storm. Others reported having to have their food well before noon since from midday until sunset, due to the gale the only thing they could do was to pull down the lower parts of the tent and hold them down with heavy objects. Similar effects continued to occur, windstorms and so forth being attributed to the presence of wrathful deities and spirits manifesting their power and intent. In support of the tantric rites, the thousands of monks of the three great monasteries and others, recited scriptures. All this must have created a tremendous amount of gossip and speculation amongst the superstitious populace as they wondered about what would happen to Norbu’s rebels under this tremendous onslaught of destructive rituals.

Shigatse Fort in the current day

Superstitious attitudes and spirit-fear may have not only dampened support for the rebels from the people of Tsang and Bhutan but also caused the rebels themselves to lose heart, negotiate and abandon Shigatse fort. Monks led by the Drakna Choje (brag sna chos rje), ritual master of Drepung, performed the rites of protection, aversion, liberating and suppression based on a form of Manjusri known as “Flaming Sword” (‘jam dpal me’i spu gri). The idea of the rebels being bought off with landed property recurred again. Rumors circulated that Norbu would probably be given Khartse (mkhar rtse) fort in Penyul (phen yul) and that of Meldro Gongkar (mal gro gung dkar) would go to Ngodrub. A negotiated settlement seemed to be on the cards, when all of a sudden Norbu and Ngodrub quit the fort, handing it over to the commanders of the government forces, and left for Samdrub Dechen (bsam grub bde chen) in Dam, north of Lhasa. It was about March 1660 and Norbu’s rebellion was over, less than three months after it had begun. The Tibetan soldiers dispersed.

Norbu’s sudden departure is directly linked by Lobzang Gyatso to a rite carried out by the Drakna Choje. The rebels’ departure took place after Lobzang Ngawang (blo bzang ngag dbang), the Drakna Choje, with some monks, practiced the rite of the wheel of expulsion and sent the ritual item representing the rebels away to the northern plain as a ritual gesture of expulsion. Norbu and Ngodrub promptly accepted the offer that was on the table, quit the fort and headed north themselves.

Apparently, following Tegangpa’s mission described above, the Bhutanese army had crossed the border into Tibet and reached Phari. The Tibetans had anticipated this, however, and sent a force to Phari to repel them. No actual fighting was reported and the Bhutanese withdrew. It is also possible that after hearing the news of the Bhutanese army’s withdrawal from Phari, Norbu and Ngodrub gave up hope and surrendered the fort.

In any case the entire rebellion ended without significant violence; in fact, it seems from Lobzang Gyatso’s account as if it was mainly fought by gods and demons on the spiritual plane.

Norbu and Ngodrub, the rebel ringleaders, had been promised forts and land by the Mongol brothers, Tendzin Dayan Gyelpo and Tendzin Dalai Han. Lobzang Gyatso was not at all happy to reward their treachery in this way but out of respect for the Mongols he was grudgingly making arrangements to cede some suitable territories to them. However, while Norbu and Ngodrub were being escorted to Lhasa from Dam, they panicked, escaped and sought sanctuary as fugitives in Taklung Monastery (stag lung dgon).

The Mongols saw this act as a betrayal of trust; their offer of forts and land was now off the table. Norbu and Ngodrub were then held at Taklung Monastery under guarantee and that is the last that is related about Norbu by the Fifth Dalai Lama. Tibetan historian Dungkar Lobsang Trinle (dung-dkar blo bzang ‘phrin las, 1927-1997) writes that Norbu ultimately fled to exile in Bhutan.

Bibliography

• Aris, Michael. 1979. Bhutan: The Early History of a Himalayan Kingdom. Warminster: Aris & Philips, pp. 201-226.
• Bultrini, Raimondo. 2013. The Dalai Lama and the King Demon. Maria Simmons, trans. New York: Tibet House US, part 4.
• Dhondup, K. 1984. The Water-Horse and Other Years. Dharamsala: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives History Series, pg. 32.
• Dungkar Losang Trinle. 2002. Dungkar Tibetological Great Dictionary. Beijing: China Tibetology Publishing House, pg. 1205.
• Karmay, Samten G. 2009. The Arrow and the Spindle: Studies in History, Myths, Rituals and Beliefs in Tibet. Revised edition. Kathmandu: Mandala Book Point, pg. 514.
• Ngawang Lobzang Gyatso, Fifth Dalai Lama. 2014. The Illusive Play: The Autobiography of the Fifth Dalai Lama. Samten G. Karmay, trans. Chicago: Serindia Publications, pp. 3, 5, 6, 66, 68, 135, 158-159, 175, 185, 187, 191, 215, 270, 335-336, 362-365, 368-369, 374-375, 383-406, Chapter 32 pp. 409-425; 430.
• Ngag dbang blo bzang rgya mtsho. 1679. Rtse pho brang po tA la’I gsum skas ‘go’i rtsi tshig phyag rjes ma. In Rang rnam du ku la’i gos bzang, vol 3, pg. 128a. TBRC W175.
• Ngag dbang blo bzang rgya mtsho.1991-1995. Jig rten dbang phyug thams cad mkhyen pa yon tan rgya mtsho dpal bzang po’i rnam par thar pa nor bu’i ‘phreng ba. Gangtok: Sikkim Research Institute of Tibetology. TBRC W294-1813.
• Phuntsho, Karma. 2013. The History of Bhutan. London: Haus Publishing, pp. 207-238, 240-242, 244-247, 261-263.
• Richardson, Hugh E. 1998. High Peaks, Pure Earth; Collected Writings on Tibetan History and Culture. London: Serindia Publications, pp. 444, 448-450.
• Schweiger, Peter.2015. The Dalai Lama and the Emperor of China: A Political History of the Tibetan Institution of Reincarnation. New York: Columbia University Press, pg.39.
• Shakabpa, Tsepon W.D. 1967. Tibet: A Political History. New York: Yale University Press, and 1984, Singapore: Potala Publications, pg. 112.
• Shakabpa, Tsepon W.D. 2010. One Hundred Thousand Moons. An Advanced Political History of Tibet, Vol. 1. Derek F. Maher, trans. (2 volumes). Leiden, Boston: Brill’s Tibetan Studies Library, pp. 348, 350-352, 361.
• Trijang Rinpoche. 1967. Rgyal chen bstod ‘grel.
• Tucci, Giuseppe. 1949. Tibetan Painted Scrolls, Vol. 1. Rome: La Libreria dello Stato, pp. 70-72.

Source: Sean Jones, “Depa Norbu,” Treasury of Lives, accessed June 19, 2018, http://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Depa-Norbu/13614.

Sean Jones left school in England in the 1960s to travel overland to India and lived in the Himalayan regions for a decade, before returning to London to establish a successful travel business. From 1985 he travelled all over Tibet and in the UK he co-founded a number of Tibet-related organizations. An autodidact, he has written and published various articles on Tibet, its people and its history, including in Wikipedia.

Published April 2018.

Disclaimer: All rights are reserved by the author. The article is reproduced here for educational purposes only.

Source: https://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Depa-Norbu/13614
Click on image to enlarge.

Addendum

Drepung Monastery འབྲས་སྤུངས་།

Drepung is one of the three major Geluk monasteries of Lhasa. It was founded in 1416 by Jamyang Choje Tashi Pelden, a disciple of Tsongkhapa. It contains the Ganden Podrang residence which served as the seat of the Dalai Lamas until the seventeenth century. The entire monastery was initially administered from the office of the Drepung Throne holder; since the time of the Fifth Dalai Lama the custom has been that the senior abbot of the two principle colleges, Gomang or Loseling, has served as head of Drepung. Of the seven colleges that were once part of the monastery, only four survive, the two others being the Ngakpa Dratsang and Deyang.

Source: https://treasuryoflives.org/en/institution/Drepung-Monastery.
Click on image to enlarge.

Tashilhunpo བཀྲ་ཤིས་ལྷུན་པོ།

Tashilhunpo, one of Tibet’s most important monasteries, is a Geluk monastery in Shigatse that was founded in 1447 by the First Dalai Lama Gendun Drub, whose remains are interred at the site. The location of the monastery is west of the great fortress and above a pre-existing sky-burial site. The monastery serves as the seat of the Panchen Lama incarnation line. The remains of the Second, Third, and Fourth Panchen Lama, who was tutor to the Fifth Dalai Lama, are also preserved in a stupa at Tashilhunpo. Reliquaries for the Fifth through Ninth Panchen Lamas were destroyed in the 1960s. The Tenth Panchen Lama was responsible for the construction of a new mausoleum, Dungten Tashi Namgyel, where the remains of his previous incarnations were re-interred. The Jamkhang Chenmo, which was added during the tenure of the Ninth Panchen Lama, contains the world’s largest gilded copper image that stands 26 meters tall. At its height, Tashilunpo housed close to 5,000 monks.

Source: https://treasuryoflives.org/en/institution/Tashilhunpo.
Click on image to enlarge.

Taklung Monastery སྟག་ལུང་དགོན།

Taklung Monastery is the main seat of the Taklung Kagyu tradition. It was founded by Taklungtangpa Tashi Pel in 1180 on a site where Lama Potowa had practiced with disciples in the eleventh century.

Source: https://treasuryoflives.org/en/institution/Taklung-Monastery
Click on image to enlarge.

Click here to see more beautiful and updated photographs of Trode Khangsar, the Dorje Shugden chapel in Lhasa, Tibet which was built by His Holiness the 5th Dalai Lama: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/?p=92148

For more interesting information:

• Who is Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen?
• Glenn Mullin on Tulku Drakpa Gyeltsen
• Becoming Dulzin Drakpa Gyaltsen
• Dorje Shugden Illustrated Story & Graphic Novel
• The 14th Dalai Lama’s Prayer to Dorje Shugden
• A short prayer to Dorje Shugden
• Dorje Shugden Retreat: a powerful practice to fulfill wishes
• Magadha Sangmo (须摩提女)
• Dharma Protectors of Tibetan Buddhism
• Drashi Lhamo: The Protectress with the Rolled Out Tongue
• Music Delighting the Ocean of Protectors – A Definitive Guide to Dorje Shugden by Trijang Rinpoche
• Paranormal Protection
• How My Protector Healed Me | 我的护法神如何让我从病中痊愈
• Dorje Shugden – The Protector of Our Time
• What He Can Do For Us | 祂能为我们做些什么？
• Dalai Lama’s Controversial Thoughts About Four-Faced Mahakala and Setrap
• 10 Holy Dorje Shugden Statues around the World
• The Phenomena of Oracles
• Dorje Shugden Taking Trance in Peaceful Form | 多杰雄登护法寂静尊降神
• 700 Meet A Buddha (七百人幸睹佛现)
• Who is Kache Marpo
• Namkar Barzin
• Lightning-Fast Yumar Gyalchen
• Methar of Tengyeling Monastery
• The Spirit Nyatrul: Magic, Mischief and Misery
• Nechung – The Retiring Devil of Tibet
• Achi Chokyi Drolma – Chief Protectress of the Drikung Kagyu

Please support us so that we can continue to bring you more Dharma:

If you are in the United States, please note that your offerings and contributions are tax deductible. ~ the tsemrinpoche.com blog team