Under Mount Gengpei Wuzi in the western suburbs of Lhasa, candlelight flickered in the main hall of Drepung Monastery, the holy land of the Gelug Sect, and the air was filled with the scent of sesame oil.
The Fourth Losang Chökyi Gyaltsen of Shigatse, the Fifth Awang Luosang Jiacuo of Lhasa, and the Ganden Tripa, three Great Masters, sat at the head, while below sat Reting Hutuktu, Tsemoling Hutuktu, Jilong Hutuktu, Demu Hutuktu, and a host of other Masters, all solemn and silent.
Drepung, meaning "Rice Heap Monastery" or "Accumulated Rice Monastery" in Tibetan, with its full Tibetan name being "Glorious Accumulation of Rice, Victorious Continent in Ten Directions," was named Drepung because the monastery's dense white buildings covered the hillside like a huge pile of rice when viewed from afar.
Since its founding over two hundred years ago by Jamyang Chökyi-Tashi Palden, a disciple of Gelug ancestor Tsongkhapa, this place has been the highest-status monastery in the Gelug Sect, and also the political center of Lhasa, together with Ganden Monastery and Sera Monastery, known as the Three Great Monasteries of Lhasa.
The situation for the Gelug Sect was now unfavorable.
The Xin Xiaba family clan, who believed in the Karma Kagyu sect, established the Desi Tsangpa regime in Later Tibet, and the current Tsangpa Khan, Karma Danjing Wangbo, held extreme hatred towards the Gelug Sect.
To oppose the Gelug Sect, he appointed Kagyu Master Qu Yin Dorje as the Dharma King of all Tibet, and formed an alliance with Qietu Khan of Qinghai Province and Baili Tusi Don Yue Duoji of Kang District, vowing to destroy the Three Great Monasteries and eliminate the Gelug Sect.
There was news that even the Mongol Khan Lindan Khan had joined this alliance, and the Qietu Khan who was rampant in Qinghai Province was sent by him.
In fact, this was not the first time the Gelug Sect had faced a crisis.
In 1616, the Tsangpa Khan, who believed in the Karma Kagyu sect, ordered the cessation of the reincarnation of Lhasa Masters; he defeated the Khalkha troops who supported the Gelug Sect, occupied Drepung Monastery and Sera Monastery, and killed over five thousand Gelug monks and laypeople, creating mountains of corpses and rivers of blood, putting the situation in dire peril.
In 1618, the troops supporting the Gelug Sect launched a counterattack against the Tsangpa Khan, but were defeated, and the sect's land was confiscated.
It was not until 1621 that the Tumed Mongol army from Qinghai Province routed the Tsangpa Khan's forces in Lhasa, allowing the Gelug Sect's status to be restored.
The current Tsangpa Khan Danjing Wangbo was an enlightened ruler; he vigorously reformed the internal structure, enacted laws, and unified weights and measures, making the regime stable, while also actively contacting anti-Gelug forces in various places to establish a grand anti-Gelug alliance.
That Khalkha Choktu Khong Tayiji, who called himself "Qietu Khan," even shouted the slogan "Destroy the Yellow Sect."
Signs of an impending storm!
The situation faced by the Gelug Sect had never been as perilous as it was now; they had to seek support from forces friendly to the Gelug Sect.
Against this backdrop, the three Great Masters thought of Namuka Jemecuo, the adopted son of Baibagas, the former Great Khan of Oirat; they wanted him to go to Oirat, Khalkha, and other regions that supported the Gelug Sect to preach.
Ostensibly, it was preaching, but in reality, they wanted to establish a grand alliance of Yellow Sect forces.
Namuka Jemecuo was not only the adopted son of Baibagas Khan but also came from a great noble family of Khoshut in Qinghai Province; having him go to Oirat and Khalkha to spread the Dharma was perfect!
Namuka Jemecuo walked into the main hall, his demeanor calm and his appearance solemn and dignified.
Years of Buddhist practice had made his heart as calm as water by the time he was over thirty.
After entering the hall, he bowed to the Masters and then stood motionless, awaiting instructions.
This serene composure moved the three Great Masters on the Dharma seats; they unanimously agreed that this was the person they needed!
The Fourth Losang Chökyi Gyaltsen of Shigatse stepped down from the Dharma seat, bestowed upon him the prayer beads he wore, and warmly encouraged him, saying, "You are an extraordinary disciple!"
The young Fifth Awang Luosang Jiacuo of Lhasa also loudly encouraged him, "You will represent me and go to the Mongol-speaking regions to propagate the Dharma to monks and sentient beings."
Whether it was propagating the Dharma or seeking the support of the Mongol tribes, especially the Oirat Mongol, was mutually understood.
Thus, Namuka Jemecuo set off with the expectations of the Masters, traveling tirelessly from Qinghai Province in the east to the Zhai River (Ural River) in the west, from Yule Duosi in the south to the Irtysh River in the north, his footprints covering all of Oirat, and he even went to Khalkha for a time, spreading the Dharma for over twenty years.
"Great Taiji, Master Namuka Jemecuo has arrived in Urumqi," Hada, the trusted Thousand-household of the Black Robe Guard, reported to Sultan, who was reviewing memorials.
The Black Robe Guard was a department he established, imitating the Great Ming's Embroidered Uniform Guard, specializing in intelligence work.
Hada had been his personal slave and was extremely loyal.
"Namuka Jemecuo?"
Sultan knew that this Namuka Jemecuo was the later Zaya Pandit; when he went to Khalkha to spread the Dharma, he was respectfully called Zaya Pandit by the Khalkha tribes.
"Quick, take my personal letter and invite the Master to Huit Tribe as a guest," he quickly decided; this was a golden opportunity that must be seized!
Namuka Jemecuo arrived, bringing several cartloads of various books.
"It is an honor for all Khoshut that the Master has graced Yingsuo River with his presence!" Sultan clasped his hands together in greeting.
"Great Taiji, you are too kind. This humble monk must also thank the Great Taiji for his righteousness?"
"The Master is thanking me? Why is that?" Sultan was taken aback.
"Has the Great Taiji forgotten? A few years ago, during the Oirat civil war, rogue troops plundered the markets in the areas of Tugurik and Hong Guoer Oleng; it was you who led troops to drive away the bandits and protected the property of the Yellow Sect. You also donated a thousand sheep to Tugurik Monastery."
Sultan suddenly realized; back then, he had been the thief crying "stop thief," sending his subordinates disguised as rogue troops to plunder the markets in the areas of Tugurik and Hong Guoer Oleng, making a huge ill-gotten fortune, but unexpectedly forging a good connection.
He immediately said humbly, "You must not thank me; it is the honor of my Huit Tribe to have the opportunity to protect the Yellow Sect!"
The more the two chatted, the more congenial they found each other; Namuka Jemecuo gifted Sultan a Buddhist scripture.
He opened it and saw writing he had never seen before. "Master, what script is this?"
"Great Taiji, this is Torgut Mongol script that this humble monk created based on the Khutuktu Mongol script; it is clearer in expressing meaning than the original Mongol script and easier to use."
"Oh, Master, this is a priceless treasure! I will immediately order its promotion throughout Huit Tribe!"
In his great joy, Sultan donated five thousand sheep.
This eminent monk traveled throughout the lands of the Four Oirat: Khoshut Tribe, Dzungar, Dörbet, Torghut, and Huit Tribe, his virtuous reputation spreading far and wide.
Then, he went to Khalkha Mongol, and the Taijis of Torgut, Jasaktu Tribe, Tusheet Tribe, and Chechen came one after another to pay homage to this eminent monk, who was proficient in the five branches of knowledge; they respectfully called him Zaya Pandit.