GELUG TRADITION: Introduction

JE TSONGKAPA
THE GELUG TRADITION: INTRODUCTION
The Gelug (dge lugs) tradition, also known as the Ganden (dga' ldan)
tradition follows the teachings of the fifteenth-century scholar monk Je
Tsongkapa Lobsang Dragpa (rje tsong kha pa blo bzang grags pa,
1357-1419), who was trained in Sakya, Kagyu, and Kadam traditions.
Tsongkapa, who was born in the far eastern Amdo region of Tsongkha,
founded several monasteries in the Lhasa region, chief among them
Ganden Namgyaling (dga' ldan rnam rgyal gling), in 1409, which
became his primary seat. His main disciples also founded monasteries
in both U and Tsang, creating an institutional foundation for the rapid
growth of the tradition in the later part of the 15th century: in 1418
Khedrubje Geleg Palzang (mkhas grub rje dge legs dpal bzang, 1385-
1438) established Palkor Chode (dpal 'khor chos sde) in Gyantse
(rgyal rtse); in 1419 Jamchen Choje Shakya Yeshe (byams chen chos
rje shAkya ye shes, 1355-1435) established Sera Tegchenling (se ra
theg chen gling) outside of Lhasa; in 1416 Jamyang Choje Tashi
Palden (1397-1449) established Drepung Monastery ('bras spungs dgon) outside of Lhasa, and in
1445 Gendun Drub (dge 'dun grub, 1391-1474) established Tashi Lhunpo (bkra shis lhun po) in
Shigatse (gzhis ka rtse).

Like the Kadam tradition which the Gelug supplanted, the Gelug place an emphasis on monastic
discipline and scholarship. The Gelug pride themselves on their scholarship of the philosophical
texts and on their understanding and explication of the view of the Madhyamaka Prasangika
philosophical school. They also maintain a strong, if somewhat less public, tradition of tantric
transmission, scholarship, and practice. The Gelugpa practice an extensive system of lamrim (lam
rim) and lojong (blo ljong), both of which have their origins with Atisha and the Kadampa tradition.

The Gelugpa also have a living tradition and lineage of Mahamudra teachings, which are said to
have been transmitted to Tsongkapa via visionary experience of
Manjushri. The primary teachings of the Tantrayana studied and
practiced in the Gelug are the tantric cycles of Vajrabhairava,
Chakrasamvara, and Guhyasamaja. The Kalachakra Tantra is also
commonly practiced among many Gelug practitioners.

Around the year 1530 Gendun Gyatso (dge 'dun rgya mtsho, 1476-1542),
the rebirth of Gendun Drub built a personal estate, Ganden Podrang
(dga' ldan pho brang) in Drepung Monastery, and moved there from
Tashi Lhunpo. In 1577 his reincarnation, Sonam Gyatso (bsod nams
rgya mtsho, 1543-1588), who was the head of Drepung Monastery, was
invited to Mongolia by Altan Khan, leader of the Tumet Mongols. There
Altan gave him the title 'Dalai Lama' which was retroactively bestowed
upon his previous incarnation, making Sonam Gyatso the 3rd. The full
title is ghaikhamsigh vcir-a dar-a say-in cogh-tu buyan-tu dalai, meaning
'wonderful Vajradhara, good, brilliant, commendable ocean.' Altan and Sonam Gyatso entered into a
'patron-priest' relationship (yon mchod) modeled on that of Chogyal Pagpa and Khubilai in the 13th
century. For Altan, patronage of the growing Gelug tradition was a way to recreate his forebears'
influence in Tibet; for Sonam Gyatso, the opportunity for Mongol support for his missionary work
both inside and outside of Tibet (he had earlier spent time on the Amdo borderlands spreading the
Gelug teachings) was surely extremely attractive.
Meanwhile, in Lhasa, the Gelug tradition gained the backing of the ruling families, putting them in
clear competition with the Kagyu tradition that was supported by the Ringpung (ring pung) family
in Tsang. To counter the stronger Ringpung, in the 17th century the 5th Dalai Lama, Ngawang
Lobzang Gyatso (ngag dbang blo bzang rgya mtsho, 1617-1682) and his treasurer, Sonam Chopel
(bsod nams chos' phel), who was actively manipulating events, invited the Mongolian leader,
Gushri Khan, to bring an army into Tibet and wipe out his rivals. Gushri Khan began his invasion in
1639, overrunning Kham from top to bottom Gushri laid siege to Shigatse for roughly a year,
ultimately crushing all resistance and taking control of Tsang. The 5th Dalai Lama also established
relations with the nascent Qing Dynasty in China, accepting titles from the Emperor that have been
held up as evidence of his acceptance of Tibetan inclusion in the Qing Empire. Despite Chinese
claims to the contrary, the the presence of Qing representatives in Lhasa, the Ganden Podrang, the
seat of the Dalai Lamas, has been the nominal seat of political power in Tibet, even if for most of
the last 400 years real power shifted among a number of players.

Throne-holders of Ganden (dga' ldan khri pa) are the nominal heads of the Gelug tradition. After
Tsongkapa, the first holder of the golden throne, was his disciple Gyaltsab Darma Rinchen (rgyal
tshab rje dar ma rin chen, 1364-1432), followed by Kedrubje.

Often portrayed as quite conservative both doctrinally and

politically, there survives in the Gelug tradition a serious tension
between the inclusion of officially proscribed teachings. The 5th
Dalai Lama famously repressed the Jonang tradition and forcibly
converted a number of Jonang, Kagyu, and Nyingma monasteries.
Nevertheless many Dalai Lamas and other prominent Gelug
hierarchs have engaged in non-Gelug teachings and practices.
This has led to a backlash from more conservative members of
the tradition, most visibly in the controversy over the deity Dorje
Shugden (rdo rje shugs ldan). This Gelug protector deity is
embraced by many Gelug followers, said to be charged with
keeping the tradition pure (that is, purging the Gelug of those
who embrace other, primarily Nyingma, teachings). Seen by
many as an attack on the Dalai Lamas from within the tradition,
worship of this deity is discouraged by the current Dalai Lama,
who, since going into exile and taking on the role of leader of the Tibetan people, has embraced an
ecumenical position unacceptable to more conservative-minded Gelugpa hierarchs.

Miranda Adams, 2009

[Extracted from the Treasury of Lives, Tibetan lineages website. Edited and formatted for inclusion
on the Himalayan Art Resources website. November 2009].

"Manjushri Tsongkapa (founder of the Gelug Tradition), sometimes called the new Kadampa)
firmly established himself in the old Kadampa and propagated the teachings of the Vinaya, Sutra,
Madhyamika, Prajnaparamita, Secret Tantra, etc. His vast Tradition came to cover the entire earth.
He explained his view of the meanings of the Sutras and Tantras with the aid of his special Deity
and his own analytical wisdom, which came from the treasure chest of very deep wisdom. Many of
the unique qualities of his teachings can be clearly seen in his excellent explanations."

(Excerpt from the Opening of the Dharma, A Brief Explanation of the Essence of the Limitless
Vehicles of the Buddha. Written by Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro. Translated by
Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Gyatso, Malaysia, October 1984).
The images below are selected examples representing each of the main subject categories that the
Gelugpa artworks have been divided into, accompanied by a written explanation.

Teacher (Lama) Vajrabhairava Chakrasamvara (Buddhist

Tsongkapa (Buddhist Deity) Deity)
Founder Solitary (Ekavira) Mandala
Meditational Deity

Yama Dharmaraja Shri Devi (Buddhist Teacher (Lama)

(Buddhist Protector) Protector) Panchen Lama 1, Lobzang
Outer Magzor Gyalmo Chokyi Gyaltsen
Enlightened Protector

Teacher (Lama) Vaishravana (Buddhist Mahakala (Buddhist

Dalai Lama V, Ngagwang Protector) Protector)
Lobzang Gyatso Riding a Lion Shadbhuja (Six-hands)
Worldly Protector
Refuge Field (Buddhist)
Gelug Lineage

Eight Wrathful Ones of the Gelug School

Gelug Main Page | Gelug Number Sets | Gelug Protector Deities Outline Page

In the past these Eight Wrathful Ones have often been mistakenly confused and conflated with
Protector Deities (Dharmapala). They are however not a group of protectors but rather a group of
wrathful deities special for the Gelug School of Tibetan Buddhism. The title - Eight Wrathful Ones -
is only a Gelug designation and not shared by other traditions.

The Eight Wrathful Ones are:

1. Vajrabhairava (ishtadevata),
2. Hayagriva (ishtadevata),
3. Shadbhuja Mahakala (Wisdom Protector),
4. Shri Devi Magzor Gyalmo (Wisdom Protector),
5. Begtse Chen (Wisdom Protector),
6. Yama Dharmaraja (Wisdom Protector),
7. Vaishravana Riding a Lion (Worldly Protector),
8. Shangpa (Worldly Protector).
Hayagriva (Buddhist Deity) Vajrabhairava (Buddhist Vaishravana (Buddhist
Red (3 faces, 6 hands. Secret Deity) Protector)
Accomplishment) Solitary (Ekavira) Riding a Lion

Shri Devi (Buddhist Yama Dharmaraja Begtse Chen (Buddhist

Protector) (Buddhist Protector) Protector)
Magzor Gyalmo Outer

Worldly Protector (Buddhist) Mahakala (Buddhist

Shangpa Karpo Protector)
Shadbhuja (Six-hands)

Gelug Number Sets:

Number Sets Main Page | Number Sets Outline Page

Two
Two Protectors, Red & Black (Nechung & Lhamo)

Three
The Three, Guhyasamaja, Chakrasamvara & Vajrabhairava.
The Three Ku, Ngog & Drom (Kuton, Ngogton & Dromton)
Three Great Monasteries: Ganden, Sera, Drepung
Three, Father & Sons (Tsongkapa, Kedrub, Gyaltsab)
Three Lord Manjushri (Sakya Pandita, Longchenpa, Tsongkapa)
Three Omniscient Brothers (Atisha, Dromton and Putowa)
Three Wrathful Ones Combined (Vajrapani, Hayagriva, Garuda)

four
Four Deities of the Kadampa (Akshobhya, Avalokiteshvara, Tara, Achala)
Four Schools of Tibetan Buddhism (Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyu, Gelugpa)

Eight
Eight Panchen Lamas
Eight Wrathful Ones of the Gelugpa School

Fourteen
Fourteen Dalai Lamas

Seventy-five
Seventy-five Lords of Pure Lineage (Shadbhuja Mahakala Retinue)

GELUG PROTECTORS
Protectors - Common Confusions
Common Confusions | Protector Deities Main Page | Protector Deities Traditions Outline
Page | Caution Words & Sensitive Subjects Glossary | Yama, Yamari, Yamantaka, Vajrabhairava
Glossary | Confused Visual Subjects (List)

There are many common misconceptions concerning Protector Deities

both in general and specifically. Look to the GlossaryCaution Words &
Sensitive Subjects.

Protector Deities: a specific category of personalities (deities) found in

Tantric Buddhist literature and art that have a very defined function.
Protector deities are quite often wrathful in appearance but not always.
In the past many Western scholars erroneously believed that wrathful
appearance was synonymous with the function of protection. This is of
course quite mistaken. For example many Anuttarayoga ishtadevata are
wrathful in appearance. There is also confusion amongst some scholars
with the deities that have neither a peaceful nor wrathful classification
appearance and fall in the middle and are described as both semi-peaceful and semi-wrathful at the
same time.

Begtse Chen: Begtse Chen, (English: the Great Coat of Mail. Sanskrit name: Prana Atma), the main
protector for the Hayagriva cycle of practice. For over one hundred years Western scholars have
published the history of Begtse erroneously as beginning with the 3rd Dalai Lama and the
subjugation of a Mongolian war god - referring to the protector deity Begtse. In Tibetan Buddhism
Begtse is believed to have originated in India. The practice entered Tibet with Nyen
Lotsawa. Lineage from India: Vajradhara, Mahadeva, Nyi Od Dragpa, Dawa Nagpo, Shridhara
Krashu, Nyen Lotsawa Dharma Drag, Khau Chokyi Gyaltsen, Sachen Kunga Nyingpo (1092-1158),
(the lineage also went to the translator Marpa Chokyi Lodro), etc.

Chitipati: or more correctly called Shri Shamashana Adhipati - the Glorious Lords of the Charnal
Ground - arise from the Secret Essence Wheel Tantra and are associated with the collection/cycle of
Chakrasamvara Tantras (Anuttarayoga). Primarily employed as a wealth practice, with emphasis on
protecting from thieves, they also serve as the special protector for the Vajrayogini 'Naro Khechari'
practice. Shri Shmashana Adhipati is now common, to a greater or lesser degree, in all the New
(Sarma) Schools of Himalayan and Tibetan influenced Buddhism.

The deities Shmashana Adhipati are unrelated to Yama the Lord of Death, inhabiting the Hell Realm
in Buddhist Wheel of Life paintings. They are also unrelated to the dancing skeletons found in the
Tibetan Cham dances. The skeletons in the dance performances are merely representations of spirits
inhabiting cemeteries, sometimes acting as jester figures in the performances.

Dragpa Sengge: a Bon worldly protector believed to be the subjugated spirit of the 10th
Shamar incarnate lama of the Karma Kagyu (Kamtsangpa) School of Tibetan Buddhism. Although a
Bon Religious belief and part of the living tradition with active liturgies and offering services, this
belief is not however shared with the current Karma Kagyu Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism or the
current Shamar incarnation.

Mahakala: often described incorrectly as a form or emanation of Avalokiteshvara. Only one form of
Mahakala, Shadbhuja, with one face and six hands is associated with Avalokiteshvara, as stated in
the Six Chapter Mahakala Tantra. This form of Mahakala is Avalokiteshvara manifesting, or
emanating, as Mahakala. The interlocutor for the Tantra was Hayagriva.

Magzor Gyalmo, belonging to the category of Shri Devi (Tibetan: pal den lha mo, mag gyi zor le,
gyal mo. English: Glorious Goddess, the Queen who Repels Armies, or the Queen who has the
power to turn back armies. Sanskrit: Shri Devi, Yakshi Remati): belonging to the larger class of
enlightened protector deities known as Shri Devi (palden lhamo). Magzor Gyalmo is regarded as a
wrathful emanation of the peaceful goddess Sarasvati, popular in Hinduism and Buddhism. Within
the Gelug Tradition Magzorma is commonly referred to as Palden Lhamo while in the Sakya,
Kagyu (generally) and the Jonangpa traditions Palden Lhamo would refer to a four armed form of
Shri Devi. In the Shalupa School Palden Lhamo would refer to Dorje Rabtenma - another form of
Shri Devi.

Panjarnata Mahakala: Western scholars, such as Laurence Austine

Waddell and Albert Grunwedel, in the 19th and early 20th century
believed that the meaning of the name was 'tent' and that this Mahakala
was a special protector of the Tibetan and Mongolian nomads who lived
in tents. This academically erroneous belief was however supported by
Mongolian folk belief where they believed that Panjara Mahakala,
originally introduced to Mongolia by Chogyal Pagpa in the 13th century,
was indeed special for them based on the Chogyal Pagpa and Kublai
Khan relationship. Panjara Mahakala was also used by Mongolians as a
war standard during the time of Kublai Khan.

'Vajra Panjara' means the vajra enclosure, egg shaped, created from
vajra scepters large and small - all sizes, completely surrounding a Tantric Buddhist mandala. The
name of the Tantra is Vajra Panjara and the name of the form of Mahakala taught in this Tantra is
also Vajra Panjara. The full name for the protector is Vajra Panjara Nata Mahakala.

Shugden, Dorje Shugden (T.): the name of an indigenous Tibetan Buddhist deity. This is a highly
emotional and volatile subject. The propitiation of this deity has been outlawed/banned by the 14th
Dalai Lama since the 1980s.

The Three Lords: Manjushri, Avalokiteshvara and Vajrapani are not protector deities. In many non-
Tibetan publications it is common to see the Three Lords mistakenly referred to as Protectors. The
confusion is based on the Tibetan word 'gonpo' meaning 'lord' which is also used as a term for the
class of Mahakala deities and others. The confusion also arises from Tibetan and Himalayan folk
culture where a cairn is located at the entrance to a village and referred to as the shrine of the
'Gonpo Sum' - Three Lords (protectors). The village shrines most likely predate Buddhism and were
originally unrelated to the Three Lords of Tantric Buddhism.

For all questions concerning Yama, Yama Dharmaraja, Yamantaka and Vajrabhairava see the
specific Yama Glossary

Ganden Monastery

Map of U-Tsang | Tsongkapa Main Page | Tsongkapa Outline

The monastery of Ganden Namgyal Ling was founded by Je Tsongkapa in 1409. It is the principal
monastery of the Gelug and the throne holder of Ganden is the head of the Gelug School.
Teacher (Lama)
Tsongkapa
Founder