Tulku Drags-pa Gyeltsen

Tulku Drags-pa Gyeltsen had a special birth. At 5 and 6 years of age, he saw many yidams and wrathful offerings for him. At the age of thirteen he was very learned and well versed in Lam Rim. The First Panchen Lama Lobsang Chokyi Gyaltsen (1567-1662) was his guru and also the guru of the Fifth Dalai Lama. One day Tulku Draga-pa went to visit Na-chung the protector.

While Tulku Drags-pa Gyeltsen was visiting Na-chung, he asked Tulku Drags-pa if he remembered the promise that was made to him. He answered that he could not remember. Na-chung told Tulku Drags-pa Gyeltsen to return and to meditate to recalll his past life. He went home and did this and remembered the history. At this time Na-chung showed his Dharmapala form to Tulku Drags-pa and Dorje Leg-pa, another protector, said that Tulku Drags-pa's Dharma is pure like gold. Dorje Leg-pa said if he becomes a protector he will be the best one for Tsong Khapa's Dharma. Na-chung said, in order for you to have a wrathful form, you will need a cause. The cause would be if someone hurt or kill you. Na-chung told him to stay in Lhasa and that he would create a cause for him. While he was staying in Lhasa many people saw him. He received much praise and respect equal to the

Dalai Lama, because he was very famous and learned. The Dalai Lama's regent, Sönam Rabten, and others were jealous of him and made accusations about him. Later his life was put to an end by these people. Tulku Drags-pa told his chief disciple that he would be killed. First, he said that they would try to kill him by stabbing him with a knife and that wherever the knife struck the skin, eyes would appear. Tulku Drags-pa also told his disciple that since the stabbing would not kill him, that he would then be suffocated by a Kata (being stuffed down his throat?). One day the Fifth Dalai Lama, being a good friend of Tulku Drags-pa, wanted to go and visit him. He had no knowledge of his death. The Dalai Lama's was told that Tulku Drags-pa was sick with a contagious disease and it would be unsafe for him to visit.

As the servant of Tulku Drags-pa was cremating his body, smoke and rainbows rose like pillars into the sky. His servant was very sad by his demise. Tulku Drags-pa did not think this way as he was going to a Buddha realm.Tulku Drags-pa's servant begged him not to leave because you've made a promise to remain as a protector of the teachings of Lord Tsong Khapa. As the funeral bier was fanned, the base of the pillars of smoke spread out and covered the ground like a thick blanket of mist while still towering into the heavens. At the same time strong winds blew all around Lhasa and throughout the city.

The remains of his body which consisted of his lower limbs were thrown in to Ya-zong-po River. These remains ended up at a place some thirty miles south of Lhasa, called Döchi-Chömey in Yalung Loka. This place became the site where a Dorje Shugden temple (with a mandala and so on) was established. It is here that the Protector and his emanations resided. People began to come to this place to offer praise and seek advice. Sometimes from this place, Dorje Shugden and all would go to Lhasa in a parade of grand style.

After cremation, Tulku Drags-pa was seen in Lhasa. He asked his doctor friend to come and see him because he was feeling ill. The doctor didn't know what had taken place. His friend examined his pulse, and gave him some pills. In return Tulku Drags-pa gave silver coins to his doctor friend. The doctor returned the next day and the house was gone. He exclaimed, What is it !

Soon after this event in the fields of Lhasa, there appeared a very large caravan. It looked as it belonged to a high Lama. There were many servants. There was a large yellow tent in the middle of the compound, and many smaller ones around it. The whole area looked like a mandala. On inquiring, it was said they were on route to Tsang.

From there the protector Dorje Shugden went to Tashilhumpo but the local protectors around the monastery prevented him from entering. Due to this minor inauspicious occurrence, he went to U-Tsang where a Sakya College was located. Sakya Daychen Lodro Gyeltsen was the guru there. When Dorje Shugden was arriving many signs of his power were occurring. Daychen Rimpoche asked him who he was and Dorje Shugden related the story to him and recalled his past life as Sakya Pandita. Daychen Rinpoche accepted him and made him the Dharma protector of the Sakya Gompa, the main Monastery. Here Dorje Shugden is depicted riding a black horse; he is called Dorje Shugden rta nag can. From there he went to another place called Moncho which was another part of the Sakya sect. Dorje Shugden continued to wandered around, but he wanted to fulfill the commitment he had made to Na-chung. During this time, his strength and power as a protector became more manifest.

When Dorje Shugden returned to Lhasa it was at a time when the area was being plagued by a series of minor calamities and misfortunes. These unfortunate occurrences had affected the Tibetan Government and even the environment around the Great Fifth Dalai Lama was troubled. Some people in Lhasa placed the blame for these misfortunes on a ghost and others blamed Dorje Shugden. Many Lamas and magicians tried to destroy or to at least avert this harmful influence, but all their efforts failed. Even the Fifth Dalai Lama tried to subjugate him.

During the ceremony to subjugate Dorje Shugden, the Fifth Dalai Lama's mind became distracted by an illusion of falling flowers and his concentration was destroyed. The Fifth Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government requested the help of learned and experienced Nying-ma lamas. Even the efforts of these experienced lamas failed. One of the lamas, died while doing the Fire Puja of Control (sByin sreg), when a great cracking sound was heard coming from within the pillar which he was leaning against. Lama Khenpo Garo of Mindoling monastery also tried to catch and subjugate Dorje Shugden by using the sByin sreg ceremony. The lama was seated in front of the Potala and managed to attract the spirit into the ladle and was about to subjugate him when he was distracted by illusions. In his vision the Dalai Lama's residence began to shake and the lama's attention was distracted which provided the opportunity for the imprisoned Dorje Shugden to escape.

Lama Khenpo Garo became sad and started to cry because he failed. Dorje Shugden seeing him crying, talked to him. Dorje Shugden told Lama Garo to go to the Tibetan government and tell them to do a puja to consecrate him as a protector. Dorje Shugden said, a mandala, an image and a temple, should be made in one day. The temple was called Pro-de Khang-sar (grass and mud to make in one day). Due to the injustice that had been done to Tulku Drags-pa Gyeltsen, the fifth Dalai Lama Lobsang Gyatso (1617-1682) composed an apologetic sadhana (this point of the sadhana is stated in the writings of Je Pabongkha).

This completes the incarnations lineage of Dorje Shugden.