I have a question and i wonder if anyone can shed some light. As I understand it, Lord Duldzin was one of Lama Tsongkhapa's closest disciples, if not the closest, having built Gaden monastery for Lama Tsongkhapa. So would it have been considered that Tsongkhapa had three heart sons instead of the two that is traditionally depicted?
I read somewhere or someone told me that Duldzin became persona non grata because of the link with Dorje Shugden, but surely, before the ban on Dorje Shugden by HH 14th Dalai Lama, wouldn't Duldzin have been edified? And Tulku Dragpa Gyeltsen?
Dear Wisdom Being,
You asked a very good question and one can only speculate. The fact is Duldzin Drakpa Gyaltsen did feature prominently as one of two heart sons of Je Tsongkhapa. Earlier thangkas of Tsongkhapa featured the hearts sons as Duldzin Drakpa and Gyaltsab Je. it was only later that Khedrub Je came into the picture seemingly to displace Duldzin.[see pic below] It would have been difficult to ignore Duldzin's presence and prominence in the life of Tsongkhapa who himself described Duldzin has having had a masterly grasp of the monastic codes which Tsongkhapa held to be all important. In addition, Duldzin's works in the Vinaya was also highly praised by all including Tsongkhapa. Not only did Duldzin Drakpa build Ganden but also other monasteries including Tsunmo Tsal in Tagtse Dzong. In addition, around the time the prominence of Duldzin Drakpa would have been similar to the prominence of Kyabje Trijang Dorjechang during his, in that most of the significant lamas and scholars were in fact students of Duldzin, including Jamyang Choje Tashi Palden who founded Drepung Monastery.
Je Tsongkhapa featured with Duldzin and Gyaltsab Je as his two hearts sons (source: Himalayan Art)Later, records of Duldzin's significance and in fact much of his scholarly works disappeared and for such a thing to happen, it would take effort from quarters who had the means, power and motivation to do such a thing.
I would say that from the time of the Fifth Dalai Lama, there were attempts to erase posthumously all of Tulku Drakpa's lineage. If anyone in history had anything to benefit from trying to remove all traces and history of Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen, it would have been his political enemies eg the regent of the Fifth Dalai Lama. Although the Fifth Dalai Lama did make spiritual appeasement to Tulku Drakpa's lineage and wrote a praise to Dorje Shugden (as arising out of Tulku Drakpa), I believe that politically there were vigorous efforts to wipe out his line. Recall that upon hearing strange sounds from the the mausoleum of Tulku Drakpa, the Regent of the Fifth Dalai Lama removed the remains of Tulku Drakpa and cast it into the river. Such an audacious move is evidence that the inclination of the powers that be then, was to erase all signs of Tulku Drakpa Gyaltsen as his memory was still perceived to be a threat to the reign of the 5th Dalai Lama even in death. And indeed efforts to totally erase Tulku Drakpa's lineage did have support.
As to why such efforts failed to erase Panchen Sonam Drakpa along with it, I imagine it would been due to the fact that it was too hard to render persona non granta, the lama was was also the Abbot of all the three great Gelug Monasteries and whose works was already in use by the monastic universities of the time.
