The eleventh reincarnation of Gyalsey Darmadodey was born to father Dorji and mother Sangay Pelden in the central Bhutan, at a place called Gongkhar under Chhoekhor gewog, Bumthang district on the 3rd of February 1992. He was known as Yeshey Nidup then, the youngest of all nine children born to his parents. At the age of five, in the wood rat year, eleventh day of the tenth lunar month, while travelling towards Sengor in Mongar, Yeshey Nidup had an unfortunate accident that left him unconscious for about an hour at Zhebrang before reaching Sengor. After about an hour, Yeshey Nidup regained his consciousness.
After reaching back to his homeland Gongkhar, while playing with his previous playmates, the children called him Yeshey Nidup to which he replied, “I am not Yeshey Nidup; he left for sukhavati (the blissful realm), I am the truelku of Dorjitse Monastery.” He repeatedly said this and one of the children informed Aum Dema, a neighbor to Yeshey Nidup’s family, which she ignored for some time. Upon telling the same thing time and again, the child again told Aum Dema about the incident who later went to the kids who were playing and asked them who was the one talking about himself being the reincarnation of Dorjitse truelku. One of the children said it was Yeshey Nidup. Then the lady went to Yeshey Nidup’s Mother and told her about what her son was telling. Yeshey Nidup’s mother did not bother saying that an ignorant child will tell anything.
One morning, Yeshey Nidup said that he wanted to go to his monastery. His mother asked, “What is the name of your monastery? Where is it located?” The child then replied, “My monastery is known as Dorjitse monastery. It is located in Tang, above Phomdrong on a mountain that looks like a five-pronged Vajra.” In a mood of curiosity, his mother continued, “Are there a lot of villages at your monastery? Which are they?” Yeshey Nidup responded “There are a lot of lay monks in my monastery, a temple and a small kitchen. There is a peach tree that is like no other. Mother, the stupas you have in your village are all small. There are four big stupas in my monastery. Below my temple is a pond which is the spirit lake of Pelden Duedsoel Lhamo. Inside the spirit lake is the life stones of Pelden Duedsoel Lhamo. There are many prayer flags in my monastery among which stands a long prayer flag.” Such were the things that the child told his mother with great accuracy.
In his dreams, he saw Pelden Duedsoel Lhamo transform herself into a bear and his consort, asking him to come to the monastery which he used to narrate to his family. He also saw wild animals such as Tigers, leopards, reindeers and many more coming to his old parental house to request him to come to the monastery. Sometimes he used to say that he kept a pair of shoes secretly in a box without anyone knowing including his consort. Upon hearing this, the consort looked for the box and found a pair of shoes which she later wore.
Once a lady asked the child, “Do you have a house?” The child replied, “I have a newly built house just above Phomdrong.” Later coinciding with the tenth day of commemoration of Guru Pdamasambhava, the lay monks said, “If this child is the true reincarnation of our truelku, we are going to request him to come to our monastery,” which they later did. While he was on his way to his monetary, in an auspicious conjunction of events, upon reaching the burning lake, the child refused to go towards the monastery saying that he should visit his younger sister’s house once, without anyone saying anything.Then others asked, “Do you have any siblings?” “I have a younger brother and a sister.” The child replied. After having said this, the child went to his younger sisters’ house where he met her. Upon reaching above Phomdrong, where his previous house stood, he said, “My house has been dismantled.” Thus the child said many things that were testimonies to his confirmation as the 11th truelku.
They then reached Dorjitse Monastery. The lay monks asked the child to take a seat on any of the thrones that were higher and lower in height. The child said, “Actually the higher throne is where I sit but today, there is someone else sitting on it. Therefore, I am not sitting on the elevated throne.” The lay monks then brought the cushion of his former incarnation and asked him to take a seat on it. The child sat there looking at the elevated throne showing sad expressions.
On the next day, the lay monks requested the child to sit on the higher throne and displayed four Vajras and four bells that looked similar and asked him, “Which one of these are your vajra and bell?” Without mistake the child held the Vajra and bell of his former incarnation. The lay monks picked up the meditation hat of the former incarnation from the offering seat, to which the child said, “That one is mine, but for now you don’t have to bring it here. Just place it where it has been kept before.” The lay monks mixed his Dharma robes with others and presented them before him. The child picked up the robes that belonged to his former incarnation. The herdsman of his former incarnation, Tekpala from Ura, came to pay his respects and get blessing. The lay monks asked, “How many cattle do you have?”The child said, “There must be seven of them, if you have not sold any to make money.” Thus being certain about his former life, people who witnessed the incident became speechless and started showing great respects with no duality of words and thoughts. The herdsman then offered some milk which the child drank three cups saying that was the milk of his cattle. There were many things the child said in which the lay monks could put their trust on. After that the child was taken back to his parental house.
Even after being certain and proving that the child was the true reincarnation of Gyalsey Darma Dode, coming from a humble family background, the lay monks and the patrons of his former incarnation neglected him.
A few of the lay monks who had great faith and respect in the true reincarnation of Gyalsey Darma Dode went to visit the child at Gongkhar. They were then requested to perform a petition-offering to Pelden Duedsoel Lhamo by the parents for their son. On the 18th day of 7th lunar month, while they were performing the petition-offering to Pelden Duedsoel Lhamo, the child showed two stone slabs and said, “Take care of these two stone slabs. They have my footprint and the footprint of my riding horse and wild animals. Take care of them before other people take them.” Thus they took those two slabs which were seen even today at his parental house in Gongkhar. Everyone in Bumthang heard about the incident where the child printed his footprint on two stone slabs. The lay monks and patrons came before him and offered him their apologies. His Holiness Kabjye Namkhai Nyingpo Rinpoche then name him as Ngakwang Jigme Namgyal(Fearless lord of Victorious Speech.)
On 10th day of 8th lunar month, Truelku Ngakwang Jigme Namgyal was enthroned as the eleventh reincarnation of Gyalsey Darma Dode by a team of lay monks lead by His Holiness Padtsheling Truelku Rinpoche. After that the 70th Chief Abbot of Bhutan, His Holiness Kabjye Truelku Jigme Chhoedrak also accepted him as the true reincarnation of Gyalsey Darma Dode and commanded the central monastic body to offer proper education. Truelku Ngakwang Jigme Namgyal then studied Buddhist literature and grammar from teachers such as Norchuk, Gompo Dorji and Kencho Dorji for six and half years at Dechenphodrang from 1998 till the middle of 2004.
He later studied Buddhist philosophy, Sanskrit and five major and minor sciences from his eminence late Drabi Lopen Kuenley Gyaltshen, Gyalpo Tshering and LampoenTsengoed at Punakha Lekshay Jungney Shedra for five and half years from mid 2004 till 2009. Upon completion of his studies, he took to the 68th Chief Abbot of Bhutan, His Holiness Kabjye Thrizur Tenzin Dendup as his root teacher. He received empowerments and transmissions, especially hearing lineage, from his root teacher and completed his three years retreat at Cheri retreat centre from 2010 to2013.
Currently, Truelku Ngakwang Jigme Namgyal resides in Bumthang mostly devoting his time on renovating his centuries old monastery and propagating dharma activities in the region in particular and in the country in general for the benefit of all sentient beings.
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