9th Dalai Lama
The 9th Dalai Lama, Lungtok Gyatso, was recognized as the 9th Dalai Lama of Tibet. He was the first and the youngest Dalai Lama among four successive Dalai Lamas who succumbed to illnesses before reaching 22 years of age.
Early life
Under auspicious signs, Lungtok Gyatso was born near the monastery of Dan Chokhor, on 1 December 1805. Many sources render him as an orphan, but others name his parents as Tendzin Chokyong and Dondrub Dolma. A contestant to be the next Dalai Lama since early infancy, the boy was brought to Gungtang monastery near Lhasa, where he was examined by Tibetan officials, including the Qing representatives, the ambans. He was the favored choice of the Eighth Dalai Lama's attendants. He was ultimately identified by the Seventh Panchen Lama, Gedun Choekyi Nyima, who performed the tonsure ceremony and gave him the name Lobzang Tenpai Wangchuk Lungtok Gyatso in 1808.Life as Dalai Lama
In 1810, he was enthroned at the Potala Palace on the Golden Throne of the Ganden Po-drang Government. This same year the elderly Regent, Ta-task Nga-wang Gon-po died and the De-mo Tul-ku Nga-wang Lo-zang Tub-ten Jig-me Gya-tso was appointed to replace him.The Seventh Panchen Lama gave the boy the vows of novice monk in Lhasa in 1812, on 22 September. Lungtok Gyatso is said to have had a great interest in dharma and sharp intellect, memorizing lengthy prayer texts, root-texts of Abhisamayālaṅkāra, Mādhyamaka and Abhidharmakośa. Ngwang Nyandak, Jangchub Chopel and Yeshe Gyatso were also among his teachers.