22 Sarat Chandra Das — Contributions on Tibet. [No. 1, 
occasion Tsoh khapa had remarked of Geleg-pal-ssan that he (the young 
and intelligent novice) would one day prove a great promoter of Buddhism. 
From the twenty-second year of his age for a period of thirteen years he 
studied under the great Reformer and mastered the Sutras and the Mantras. 
He read the excellent and most learned aphorisms, and embraced the reformed 
doctrines of Tsoh khapa with unbounded faith. He was invited by Rabtan 
Kunssan, King of Gyal-tse, 29 to hold a disputation with the venerable 
Chho-je-Rin-Chhen. The controversy, however, did not take place on 
account of the latter withdrawing from the contest. Aided by the patronage 
of Rabtan he succeeded in founding the great monastery of Gyal-tse, which 
with its eighteen Tvasan (schools) still exists. At the age of forty-six he 
was exalted to the golden throne of Gahdan vacated by the death of the 
immediate successor of Tsonkhapa. He met with great success in ex¬ 
tending the Gelugpa system and thus promoting the work of reformation. 
In the fifty-fourth year of his age, in the year 1439 A. B., he passed away 
from mortal existence, to rest in the mansion of purity. 
IX. 
SONAH-CHHO KYI-LANPO. 
This scholar was born in the year 1439 A. D. of humble parentage on 
the boundary of Tsan-ron. His complexion during childhood being very 
pale, his parents used to call him Pahu (calf). When he'grew up he 
was taken to the presence of Gahdan Thipa (the great abbot of the 
Gahdan monastery)and other professors of religion. When the abbot demand¬ 
ed his name, he said that it was Pahu. The abbot smilingly said, “from 
this day your name will be Sonam-chhyog-kyi-Lanpo (the bull of Fortune) 
as one day you will grow to be a Lari or bull”. He then admitted him into 
his monastery. At Gahdan, Sonam learnt the different branches of Buddhism, 
such as Abhisheka, Vyakarana, Sutra, Tantra, Meditation, Criticism and 
Upadesa. He then returned to Tsan where he got many pupils. By ex¬ 
plaining to them the Dharma S'astras he obtained the title of “ the Lamp of 
religion.” Consulting his tutelary deities he came to know that he would 
be required to construct a bell-metal image of Buddha full one cubit high. 
He constructed many images and also built the Udin Gonpa. Convinced 
that moral discipline and purity of conduct are the basis of all religion, 
he enforced the greatest strictness in the behaviour of his pupils. In 
the latter part of his life, he sent sixteen of his pupils to Tasi-lhunpo and 
Gephel monasteries. With a view to accomplish the object of his life 
he retired into solitude, where, free from the confusion and clamour 
29 Vulgarly called Gyah-tse. At this time Tibet was ruled by many petty kings 
most of whom were called Dharma Rajas. 
