Ramjar Lama Tenzin Kinley: A Legacy of Wisdom and Humility

 Ramjar Lama Tenzin Kinley: A Legacy of Wisdom and Humility

Last July, I made a post on Facebook about Ramjar Lama Tenzin Kinley, sparked by the rediscovery of his composition, Kharza Dechen Tsemo, which was being celebrated anew in the Bhutanese movie Dunghin Choelu Enn. For those unfamiliar, Kharza Dechen Tsemo is the name of the retreat center founded by the Lama near Yalang.

Lama Tenzin Kinley (Courtesy:  Youtube video of the Lama)

Hearing the song brought back vivid childhood memories. The first time I heard the song Kharza Dechen Tsemo was from my eldest brother. He, as a young man who did not get the opportunity to go to school, would often visit Ramjar Lama to study reading, writing, and grammar during the lean farming seasons. Back then, Ramjar Lama’s home was much like a gurukul—a sanctuary for learning. Village boys from the nook and corner of Eastern Bhutan, like my brother, eager to pursue knowledge during the quiet farming seasons, would gather there. Under his guidance, many became adept in grammar, astrology, poetry, and composition, even with just a few sporadic years of tutelage.

Here is the link to the original version of the song: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCWXug9wQBQ&t=58s

 

Link below is the new version of the song from the recent movie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19gqKWquM2w

The song, and the Lama's legacy, is not just a piece of music but a bridge connecting us to a time of dedication, learning, and cultural richness. Sharing it was my small way of celebrating that legacy and its timeless resonance.

Yesterday (Sunday, 17 November 2024), by a serendipitous coincidence, I had the incredible privilege of participating in the consecration ceremony of a statue of Lama Tenzin Kinley at Olakha, Thimphu. This beautiful statue, a tribute to his enduring legacy, was beautifully crafted with the generous support of patrons from Yalang. The initiative was spearheaded by Khenpo Pema Jamyang of Bokar Monastery in Yalang, a testament to the deep reverence and love the community holds for the Lama.

Author paying respects to the statue of Lama Tenzin Kinley (Courtesy: Mr Sonam Tshering of Yalang)

Statue of Lama Tenzin Kinley (Courtesy: Mr Sonam Tshering of Yalang)

The ceremony was filled with a sense of sacredness and gratitude, as Bartsham Lama Ugyen Namdrol, who had also studied under Ramjar Lama, offered prayers and rituals to consecrate and bless the statue. Soon, it will embark on its journey to Bokar Lhakhang, where it will be permanently installed. This installation will not only honor Lama Tenzin Kinley's contributions but also inspire future generations to connect with his teachings and the cultural heritage he championed.

Being part of this momentous occasion felt like being woven into the fabric of a living legacy—one that continues to thrive and resonate across time. I am deeply grateful to have witnessed such a heartfelt homage to a visionary whose wisdom and compassion remain a guiding light.

Video of the consecration of the statue by Lama Ugyen Namdrol (Courtesy: Mr Sonam Tshering of Yalang)

Framed picture of Lama Tenzin Kinley (Courtesy: Khenpo Pema Jamyang of Bokar Monastery)

Ramjar Lama Tenzin Kinley (1920–1993), a contemporary of Bartsham Lama Pema Wangchen (1923–1990), was revered as one of the most brilliant and learned figures of his era in Eastern Bhutan. Ramjar was a part of Bartsham Gewog then. Lama Tenzin Kinley distinguished himself with extraordinary intellect, mastering rig gnas (རིག་གནས)—a field encompassing spiritual philosophy, dialectics, logic, and grammar. He also displayed unparalleled expertise in astrology and mathematics, alongside remarkable skills as a teacher and calligrapher.

 

In his 2004 paper titled "Development of Cursive Bhutanese Writing", Khenpo Phutshok Tashi writes, "Among many people in the 20th century, who came to write Joyig combining the three qualities of speed, style and clarity, some of the most well-known were Lam Norbu Wangchuk from Tshangkha, Trongsa, Lopen Gonpo Tenzin from Chumey, Bumthang, Lam Pema Tshewang, Dasho Tenzin Dorji from Galing, Tashigang, Lam Tenzin from Ramjar, Trashi Yangtse and Lam Kuenzang Wangdue from Bartsham, Trashigang."

Dasho Shingkhar Lam, in the book Hero with Thousand Eyes by Dasho Karma Ura, recounts his brilliance at the court of His Majesty the Second King of Bhutan (1905 - 1952). As a young man, Lama Tenzin Kinley was celebrated for his impeccable calligraphy, expertise in geomancy, astrological forecasting, and ritualistic prowess. Even the King recognized his talents, presenting him with a sword sheathed in silver. However, he had no worldly ambition for power or position. He just wanted to pursue spiritual practice as Dasho Shingkhar Lam notes:

“Tenzin had the fastest hand and sparkled in the group. Given the same time limit, he could write four copies; I managed to do three, whereas others struggled to finish only one. Within a week of starting the work, His Majesty presented him with a sword sheathed in a silver scabbard. Still, Tenzin hoped to revert to his former monk's life. Indeed his aim was fulfilled after he put a few years of work or so into tax reform; he took leave and never returned. He became a Lama.”

Before his royal court appointment, Lama Tenzin Kinley had served as a scribe under Dzongpon Thinley Tobgye (Sey Dopola) (1891 - 1952), the last Dzongpon of Trashigang. 

As far as his ancestry is concerned, Lama Tenzin Kinley hailed from a long line of Buddhist practitioners, and he was said to be the 15th generation to uphold the tradition. His position as a Lama was not officially appointed but earned through his profound knowledge, achievements, and contributions to society. Today, his accomplished son, Lama Khenpo Tenzin Norgay, a learned celibate monk, carries on his father’s legacy in the same spirit of compassion and humility.

A Shared Legacy with Bartsham Lama Pema Wangchen

Both Ramjar Lama Tenzin Kinley and Bartsham Lama Pema Wangchen began their spiritual journeys at a young age as monks at Trashigang Dzong, with Ramjar Lama being the elder. Ramjar Lama not only excelled in the study of rig gnas (philosophy, logic, and grammar), but he was also an accomplished Dharma practitioner and teacher choosing to lead a simple life in the village. Bartsham Lama Pema Wangchen had spent many of his formative years in Tibet (after he chose to leave Trashigang Dzong at a young age) focused on studying the practice of nyam len (ཉམས་ལེན) - meditation and tantric practices, thus becoming a revered yogi.

Lama Tenzin Kinley was so impressed by the teachings he received from Bartsham Lama Pema Wangchen that he composed a prayer in his honor on behalf of all his disciples. This prayer (see below) encapsulates the reverence and devotion of the disciples to the Lama, and remains a testament to the two Lamas’ mutual respect and shared commitment to the dharma.

 

མཚོ་སྐྱེས་རྒྱལ་བའི་རྒྱལ་ཚབ་སྤྱི་བོར་བསྙེན། །གསུང་གསང་གདམས་པའི་ བདུད་རྩི་སྙིང་ལ་སིམ། །བསྐྱེད་རྫོགས་ལམ་ཞུགས་དོན་གཉིས་དཔལ་འབར་ བ། །པདྨ་དབང་ཆེན་ཞབས་ལ་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས། །ཞེས་པའང་གང་གི་དད་སློབ་ཡོངས་ ནས་རེ་བསྐུལ་བཞིན་བླ་མིང་འཛིན་པ་བསྟན་འཛིན་ཀུན་ལེགས་ནས་གསོལ་བ་བཏབ་པ་དགེའོ།། །།

 

Lama Tenzin Kinley’s life and legacy continue to inspire. His profound knowledge, dedication to education, and humility have left an indelible mark on Bhutanese culture. As his statue prepares to find its home in Bokar Lhakhang, it serves as a reminder of the timeless wisdom he embodied and the deep respect he garnered from all who had the fortune to know or learn from him.

Prayer to Lama Pema Wangchen composed by Lama Tenzin Kinley

Restoring the only surviving photograph of Trashigang Lama Neten Sonam Dorji from Bartsham (circa 1901 - 1968)

 During the early to mid-twentieth century, when Bhutan was under the reign of the First King and the Second King, just before the country opened up to the world outside and adopted the path to modern development, both government and monastic officials held great power. And to hold the position of Lama Neten (abbot) of Trashigang must have been a big achievement for someone from Bartsham, a rather remote corner of Bhutan.

I heard a lot about the story of Meme Lama Neten Sonam Dorji from Bartsham as a child. So, recently, when I got hold of an old and totally faded photograph through my uncle Wangchuk Dorji and Bartsham Umze Drepa Tshampa Sonam Dorji, I immediately got to work trying to get it restored to get a glimpse of the Lama Neten. Umze Drepa Sonam Dorji got the picture from his uncle Kencho, one of the men in the picture.

I took professional help from my friend Dr Naren Dubey, CEO of ScanCafe Inc., a company that specialises in photo book design and photo restoration. With his help, what I got is the picture given below. The man in the middle is the Lama Neten himself, while the the one on his left is Mr. Tshering, father of Mrs. Yeshi Wangmo and Mr Tenzin Phuntsho. On his right is Mr Kencho, brother of Umze Drepa Sonam Dorji’s mother Wangmo. Both of them are relatives of the Lama Neten – Kencho being direct denscendant of Lama Neten’s paternal aunt Damchoe, and Tshering being descendant of his paternal uncle Ugyenla.

Umze Drepa Sonam Dorji recalls being told that this picture was taken in Gudama (present day Samdrup Jongkhar and neighbouring Indian town) probably around 1966 or 1967. By then, the road between Trashigang and Samdrup Jongkhar had been completed though it must been rough and rudimentary. As per Umze Drepa Sonam Dorji, he heard that the Lama Neten made this journey by a truck which used to serve as a public transport then.

My mother, who is now 80, recalls going to Samdrup Jongkhar once by bus, but walked on the return leg of the journey as they did not have enough money to pay for the fare. This might have been in the late 1960s too. The journey used to take around seven days one way on foot.

Above is a picture of Lama Neten Sonam Dorji alone, extracted from the original picture at the request of Umze Drepa Sonam Dorji since he wanted to frame it and keep it on his altar. He started his religious studies as a kid under him after his resignation from the post of Lama Neten and has very fond memories. He recalls that the Lama Neten and the first Bartsham Lama Pema Wangchen, though the latter was much younger than him, shared a great camaraderie. On one occasion, he was accompanying the Lama Neten and passing by Lama Pema Wangchen’s residence when they were invited to come in and offered food and drinks. As the attendant, Umze Drepa, then a kid, sat on the next high seat next to the Lama Neten while Lama Pema Wangchen himself, as the host, sat on much lower seat. Later, the Lama Neten teased Umze Drepa saying that he sat on a seat higher than Lama Pema Wangchen’s.

From these stories, it also seems clear that Lama Pema Wangchen always held other Lamas in high respect unlike some who try to project themselves to be better and higher than others.

Lama Neten must have loved teaching. My mother and her friends, then as kids, also learnt how to read religious texts from the Lama Neten. However, after she got married and became a full time farmer, she had never read any books. That was until 2006 when she came to Thimphu to live with my sister after the passing away of my father. Then, at the age of 62, she started to relearn what little she had learnt before. But amazingly, what she had learnt as a child proved still useful. She was able to pick up reading the texts quite fast, and now, she reads the prayer books quite easily.

People say that the Lama Neten was a respected and powerful figure in the Trashigang Dzong. While the bells of all riding horses of officials had to be silenced after reaching a certain point on approaching the Dzong, the Lama Neten usually rode his horse with its bell ringing right until the Dzong. Another story goes that the sound of his pestle crushing the doma (betelnut) for his consumption used to break the silence of the sanctum of the Dzong while all others tried their best to maintain silence.

There used to be an elegant and imposing three storeyed traditional Bhutanese house in Majawoong which was built by the Lama Neten. It is said that it was built at the height of his power with labour contribution by the monks of Trashigang. As per Umze Drepa Sonam Dorji (the one who had saved the Lama Neten's photograph), Lama Neten was a Dorji Puen (Spiritual sibling) of Sey Dopola, the Dzongpon of Trashigang, and Sey Dopola had approved labour contribution from the public to help build the house. He resided in this house after he had resigned from the post of the Lama Neten. This must have been in the early 1960s it is said that he served as the Lama Neten for a long time, right from the days of Sey Dopola and even after his death in 1953.

As per accounts of the elders, he must have probably died in 1968, which is soon after the above picture was taken.

Since he was a celibate monk, he did not have any children. Therefore, this house was inherited by his siblings. When I was a kid, this house was occupied by four families, who were all descendants of Lama Neten’s siblings. These families demolished the house in the late 1980s or early 1990s when they all began constructing their own houses. The house is vividly in my mind, but I could not get hold of a picture of the same.

Lama Neten Sonam Dorji had a first cousin (son of his mother’s sister Wangchuk and her husband Wangdi from Thumling, Bartsham) who served as the Umze (precentor) in Trashigang Dzong. The post of Umze is a respected one since he is the one who leads the ritual ceremonies, and sits right next to the presiding Lama.  His name was Umze Dorji Wangdi (nicknamed Umze Merkong – as he had a small burn mark on his neck). He was the eldest son of Lama Neten’s mother’s sister Wangchuk. He was younger than Lama Neten by a few years. People believe he might have risen to the post of Lama Neten too, but he died suddenly while he was still serving as the Umze. 

Umze Dorji Wangdi was the elder brother of my maternal grandfather. According to my mother, he died suddenly during a feast organized by the villagers in his honour. In those days, and as recently as the early 2000s, it was customary for the village folks to slaughter a pig and organise a feast in honour of someone successful from the village when he comes home to visit his relatives. It was during such a feast that Umze Dorji Wangdi suddenly fell sick and died. Most probably, he had suffered a stroke. Few years later, a little boy born after his death, recounted the story of his past life that exactly matched the life of Umze Dorji Wangdi, and he was recognized as his reincarnation. He received modern education and currently works in a corporation in Thimphu, but he is also a true Buddhist practitioner at the same time following Drukpa Kargyu tradition under His Eminence Gyalwa Dokhampa. He must be in his 50s now. 

By then, the Lama Neten had resigned and was residing in his house in Majawaoong. His house was just about 150 metres below that of the Umze’s.  Elders recall that the Umze had a fine Phurpa (Kilaya) believed to have been given by some high Lama, probably Dudjom Jigdrel Yeshe Dorje. The Lama Neten liked it and wanted to have it. So, after Umze’s death, the Phurpa was given to the Lama Neten. Today, some believe that this Phurpa has been offered to the main statue of the protecting deity of the Nagtshang temple in Bartsham. 

Umze Dorji Wangdi had also helped in the construction of a two storeyed traditional house for his parents. It was not as elegant and imposing as the house of the Lama Neten, but it was a nice house with a overhanging roofed verandah (built in the architectural style of Western Bhutan) above a pig sty down below. This house, in its renovated and refurbished form, stands to this day. 

So, let us now turn back to the life and ancestry of the Lama Neten.  

Lama Neten Sonam Dorji was born in the village of Majawoong in Bartsham. Majawoong is located on a gentle slope next to the famours Barstsham Chador Lhakhang in Trashigang.  According to Umze Drepa Sonam Dorji, the Lama Neten was born in the year of ox, the same year as his paternal grandfather Meme Chadola.  From this, it can be surmised that the year was 1901.

On his father’s side, he descended from Lopen Tshering who came to Bartsham from Kurtoe Tsankhar and settled here and founded a small temple which later was replaced by the present day Chador Lhakhang. His mother had her roots in Tsamang, Mongar. 

As his name indicates, he was a learned Buddhist Master though not much is known about him now. His wife was Ani Konyermo (Ani is a respectful title used for the spouses of Lamas). 

Lopen Tshering and Ani Konyermo had eight children – 6 sons and 2 daughters. In the order of their birth, they were Dorjilia, Tenzinla, Ugyenla, Pemala, Changila, Jangchub (daughter), Damchoema (daughter) and Sinchungla (Source: Meme Lobzang Yeshi from Bartsham, 93 years old as of 2024). Their children then had many offsprings of their own. Hence, almost all Bartshampas are in one way or the other descendents of Lopen Tshering. (see the Family tree of the descendants of Lopen Tshering here https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Q5vU6UMp2BzouXH2ETwyrlV6jedGyMAd/view?usp=sharing). 

Sinchungla, the youngest son of Lopen Tshering, married Pema Sangja from Majawoong, and they had the following children: 1. Jamu (daughter), 2. Lama Neten Sonam Dorji (son), 3.  Cheten(daughter) 4. Garpa Kezang (son) 5. Pemchoe 6. Dorji Dema (daughter), 7. Kunzang Lhamo (daughter) and 8. Phuntsho Dema (daughter). 

So, as you can see, Lama Neten Sonam Dorji was born as the eldest son of Sinchungla and Pema Sangja. He grew up during the rule of the first king and Second King of Bhutan. When he was a child, Trashigang Dzong must have been under the governorship of Dzongpon Sonam Tshering, father of Dzongpon Thinley Tobgyel (aka Sey Dopola). 

From the 16^th century onwards, one of the dominant sects of Buddhism that had made inroads into the villages of central and eastern Bhutan was the Peling sub-sect of the Nyingmapa founded by Terton Pema Lingpa who was born in Bumthang. However, as it is now, the monastic order inside the Dzongs which housed the administrative centres of the different regions or districts was the Drukpa Kargyu sect set up by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, the founder of the state of Bhutan. The Dzongs had a vibrant monastic community, and children from the locality were encouraged to enrol as novice monks.

And so it was that little Sonam Dorji, the eldest son of Sinchungla and Pema Sangja from Bartsham Majawoong was enrolled as a novice monk in Trashigang. The exact year that he was enrolled is not known. But suffice it to say that he was sent there when he was quite small, may be before turning 10.

He turned out to be gifted with superior intelligence, and he excelled in his studies. He not only was able to memorise and understand the scriptures much faster than the others, but he also excelled in picking up all aspects of performing the different rituals. And as a result, it is said that he rose up the ranks of the monastic centre within the Dzong steadily until he became the Lama Neten, the head of the monastic order within the Dzong.

It is said that he served as Lama Neten for a long time during the time of Dzongpon Thinley Tobgyel alias Sey Dopola and even after Sey Dopola passed away in 1953.

Acknowledgement:

The above accounts have been written based on information from many people, especially the following.

Meme Lobzang Yeshey (b. 1931) with my Japanese friend Yoshiki Ishiuchi doing research on Bartsham  Meme Lobzang Yeshi is my father's maternal first cousin. He has a photographic memory of past events, and he is especially good with family history of not only the Bartshampas, but of most prominent families of Bhutan. At 93, he is now losing some grasp of those memories.

Umze Drepa Sonam Dorji (middle). He is the one who took care of the only photograph of Lama Neten Sonam Dorji. Though faded, he believed that technology should be able to restore it. That is when I came in and took help from my friend Dr Naren Dubey, CEO of ScanCafe. 

My uncle Wangchuk Dorji (b. 1956), my mother's paternal cousin, is another person who has good memories of the history of Bartsham.

My mother (Mrs Kunzang, b. 1944) is a born hard worker and not so much into small talk and story telling, but with age, she has become better at recalling and narrating past stories to me.