The 6th Gangchen Tulku Rinpoche, Jamyang Choephel Jampa Gyaltsen, was formally enthroned at Gangchen Monastery in Sakya County, Xizang Autonomous Region, on September 15, 2026. His recognition and enthronement fulfilled the wishes of his predecessor, the late 5th Gangchen Tulku Rinpoche, Lobsang Thubten Trinley Yarphel, and accorded with those of the monastery’s monks and local Buddhist believers. Eminent Buddhist masters and representatives of monks and nuns across Shigatse attended the ceremony along with pilgrims and other believers.
The late 5th Gangchen Tulku Rinpoche, Lobsang Thubten Trinley Yarphel, was born in Chexü Town, Sakya County, Shigatse, in July 1941. He was recognized in 1945 and enthroned at Gangchen Monastery in Sakya County. From 1952 to 1958, he studied Buddhist scriptures at Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Shigatse and Sera Monastery in Lhasa, where he earned the Kachen degree. From the 1980s, he established Buddhist institutions and organizations abroad, including the Centro de Dharma da Paz Shi De Tchö Tsog in São Paulo, Brazil and the Kunpen Lama Gangchen Institute in Italy. He also founded the Lama Gangchen World Peace Foundation and the Xizang International Friendship Association in Spain. He also served other roles such as lifetime president of the United Nations World Peace Foundation, the initiator and organizer of the United Nations World Peace Religious Forum.
Throughout his life, the late 5th Gangchen Tulku Rinpoche met with the 10th and 11th Panchen Erdenis on several occasions. During his visit back to China in 2011, he met with the 11th Panchen Erdeni Chos-kyi rGyal-po in Beijing and personally entrusted him with overseeing his own reincarnation. Following his passing away in Italy on April 18, 2020, Gangchen Monastery and local Buddhist believers requested that the 11th Panchen Erdeni Chos-kyi rGyal-po undertake this responsibility in accordance with his wishes. The Xizang Branch of the Buddhist Association of China established a steering team to guide the searching and identification of the reincarnated child throughout the process. The team was chaired by the 11th Panchen Erdeni Chos-kyi rGyal-po and comprised eminent masters of Tibetan Buddhism. Shigatse established a search team chaired by Nima Pingcuo, president of the municipal Buddhist Association, and composed of monks from Gangchen Monastery. The search team conducted the search in accordance with religious rituals and historical conventions.
The 11th Panchen Erdeni Chos-kyi rGyal-po provided guidance on the search through prayers, scripture recitation, dream interpretation and divination, including prayers to Palden Lhamo for signs. Led by Nima Pingcuo, the search group then visited Yongze Green Lake in Ringbung County to seek further indications of the child. The search team travelled more than 3,500 kilometers and secretly visited over 200 boys. Three were chosen on the basis of clear auspicious signs, spiritual attributes and intelligence. The 11th Panchen Erdeni Chos-kyi rGyal-po then conducted the ritual of drawing lots from a silver bowl and identified Khyung Drakpa, from Xainza County, Nagqu, as the reincarnation of the late 5th Gangchen Tulku Rinpoche.
The identification was submitted to the authority for religious affairs of the Xizang Autonomous Region and received its approval. Once approval was granted, the 11th Panchen Erdeni Chos-kyi rGyal-po performed the child’s tonsure ceremony, administered the Buddhist precepts and bestowed on him the religious name Jamyang Choephel Jampa Gyaltsen.
On the day of the enthronement, auspicious clouds appeared above the monastery amid sunshine and a gentle breeze. Colourful flags fluttered in the monastery grounds, and Tibetan incense smoke rose from ritual incense offerings. Dressed for the occasion and holding white khata, monks, nuns and lay believers lined up to welcome the reincarnated child, eagerly awaiting their spiritual teacher’s return to his homeland in his new incarnation. At the ceremony, a representative of the Xizang Autonomous Region’s Religious Affairs Bureau read out the official approval of the child’s recognition and succession. The Xizang Branch of the Buddhist Association of China presented him with a living Buddha certificate. Assisted by monks from the monastery, the 6th Gangchen Tulku Rinpoche sit on the Dharma throne at Gangchen Monastery. Representatives of the monastic and lay communities took turns presenting mandala offerings, khatas and gifts, and asking for his blessings through laying his hand on their heads.
The successful completion of the reincarnation process demonstrates that the Communist Party of China’s policy on freedom of religious belief has been fully implemented in Xizang Autonomous Region and enjoys the wholehearted support of religious communities and believers. It also underscores the authority of the Measures on the Management of the Reincarnation of Living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism. The recognition and enthronement of the 6th Gangchen Tulku Rinpoche strictly followed religious rituals and historical conventions. All required procedures were duly completed, including the identification of the reincarnated child by the 11th Panchen Erdeni Chos-kyi rGyal-po through the drawing of lots from a silver bowl and final approval by the authority for religious affairs of the Xizang Autonomous Region.
Editor: Lucy Jiang
