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THE GELUG TRADITION
The Gelug Tradition emerged from the Kadampa tradition, and was founded by Je Tsongkhapa (1357-
1419). This lineage is a continuation of the Kadampa system, but is strongly based on Tsongkhapa’s
new formulations of Tibetan Buddhism. The followers of this lineage call themselves the Virtuous Ones
(Ge-lug).
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The Kadampa School’s patriarch was Atisha (982-1054), whose teachings
stressed the need for austere monastic discipline and devotion to a teacher
prior to the start of tantric practice. The Mahayana sutras were given a
prominent role and the tantras were relegated to a secondary position.
Drom Tönpa was Atisha’s main student, and he codified the Kadampa
(Bound by Precept) system. Other renowned masters include Sharawa,
Chekawa, Potowa, Puchungwa. Students of these masters observed four
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fundamental rules: celibacy, abstinence from intoxicants, prohibition of travel and of money-handling.
The central practice was purification of the mind, the purging of all intellectual and moral shortcomings,
a process that leads to a clear perception of emptiness. In the 15th century, Je Tsongkhapa and the
upcoming Gelugpa tradition absorbed the Kadampa School.
Je Tsongkhapa was born in Amdo (1357), the northeastern region of Tibet. The great monastery of
Kumbum is now built on the place of his birth. Tsongkhapa showed a strong inclination for a spiritual life
at an early age, received the vows of a novice monk when he was only seven, and was given the name
Lobsang Drakpa. At this young age he had already received many teachings and initiations, and could
recite by heart texts like Expression of the Names of Manjushri.
Tsongkhapa traveled extensively in search of knowledge and studied with masters of all the existing
traditions. He received teachings on topics such as Dzogchen and Mahamudra , was taught the medical
treatises in Drikung, studied the Ornament of Clear Realization and the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras,
and became famous for his erudition and skills in debate. He also traveled to Sakya where he studied
monastic discipline, Pram_na, M_dhyamika, and the Guhyasamaja Tantra with lamas such as Rendawa.
He received transmissions of the Six Yogas of Naropa, the Kalachakra, LamDre, Chakrasamvara and
numerous others, and transmitted them widely to his students. In addition to his studies, he engaged
in extensive meditation retreats. He is reputed to have performed millions of prostrations, mandala
offerings and other forms of purification practice. Tsongkhapa had often visions of meditational deities
and especially of Manjushri, with whom he could communicate directly to clarify difficult points of the
scriptures.
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He wrote extensively too. His collected works comprise eighteen big volumes, and are the prime source
for the studies of the Gelugpas. They relate to all aspects of the Buddhist path, and clarify some of the
most difficult topics of the teachings. Major works among them are: the Great Exposition of the Stages
of the Path (Lamrim Chenmo) which is inspired by Atisha’s text A Lamp on the Path of Enlightenment,
the Great Stages of Tantra (Ngagrim Chenmo), the Golden Garland (Ser-treng), Praises on
Interdependent Arising (Tendrel Töpa), and many more.
Tsongkhapa founded the monastery of Ganden in 1409, and it became his main seat. He had many
students, among whom Gyaltsab Dharma Rinchen (1364-1431), Khedrub Geleg Pälsang (1385-1438)
and Gyalwa Gendün Drup (1391-1474) were the most outstanding.
After the death of Tsongkhapa, his throne in Ganden was entrusted to Gyaltsab; thus began the tradition
of the Ganden Throne Holder (Ganden Tripa) that continues to the present day. Initially the followers of
Tsongkhapa’s order were called Gandenpas (after his monastery), but later were renamed the Gelugpa
(Virtuous Ones).
Tsongkhapa’s new doctrine was partially a reaction against the laxity and religious deviations of the era.
Tsongkhapa imposed rigorous devotion to the traditional monastic rules of conduct (Vinaya), and
students had to master the scriptures and logic as a means to Buddhahood. Monasticism was
emphasized, and intensive study of texts and methodological practice according to the Lamrim Chenmo
were mandatory. In the years following the founding of Ganden Monastery, many other important
monasteries were founded by close students of Tsongkhapa: around Lhasa there were Drepung
Monastery (1416), Sera Monastery (1419), the lower Tantric College (Gyumed) in 1440, the Upper
Tantric College (Gyutö) in 1474, and in Shigatse Tashi Lhünpo Monastery (1447), the future seat of the
Panchen Lamas. At certain times these monasteries had several thousand monks. The monasteries
became the main source for education within the Gelug tradition, and monks from all regions of Tibet
would be sent by affiliated monasteries to these large institutions to study the traditional curriculum.
During the centuries after Ganden monastery was established, Gelug became the largest Tibetan
Buddhist tradition. This is largely attributed to both the educational system as well as the political
influence they started to exert. In the sixteenth century the great master Sonam Gyatso (1543-88),
the second reincarnation of Gyalwa Gendün Drup - who was the founder of Tashi Lhünpo Monastery and
a student of Tsongkhapa - brought the Mongols back to Buddhism. He then received the Mongolian title
of ‘Dalai Lama’, and subsequently a lineage of incarnations was established. In the seventeenth century,
the Great Fifth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso (1617-1682) became Tibet’s ruler. He
institutionalized the Ganden Phodrang government and also began the construction of the Potala, the
Dalai Lama’s winter residence. Since then, the succeeding incarnations of the Dalai Lamas have officially
'combined the spiritual and temporal leadership of Tibet.
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In the times of the Dalai Lama’s minority, a regent was appointed to oversee the different tasks of
political and spiritual activities, while the Gelug lineage was headed and overseen by the Ganden Tripa.
Traditionally, the head of the Gelug School is the Ganden Tripa. He is always a highly educated Geshe
(Lharampa) who has performed the different tasks of being a teacher, has been an abbot at one of the
three major monasteries, and at either one of the tantric colleges. Accordingly, as the retired abbot of
Gyumed he is given the rank of Jangtse Chöje, and as the retired abbot of Gyutö Tantric college, the title
of Shartse Chöje. In turn, one of these two later becomes the Ganden Tripa, the head of the Gelug
tradition, a function and position normally held for seven years.
Another important Gelug lama with a lineage of incarnations is the Panchen Lama. This lineage is based
on the successive teacher-pupil relationship with the Dalai Lama. In the 17th century, the 5th Dalai Lama
chose Lobsang Chökyi Gyaltsen (1570-1662), the abbot of Tashilhünpo monastery, as his spiritual
master and established that the successive abbots of Tashilhünpo held in perpetuity the ownership of
the monastery and the title of Panchen Lama .
Besides being institutions for learning, the monasteries additionally have responsibilities in regards to
rituals of tantric deities. Each monastery has a set of tantric rituals performed on specific months within
the year. All three major monasteries follow the early summer retreat tradition (mid sixth Tibetan month
until end of seventh month), while the Tantric colleges observe the later summer retreat (mid seventh
month until end of eighth month).
After coming to exile, the major Gelugpa monasteries (Drepung, Sera, Ganden, Tashilhünpo and the
two tantric Colleges) have been re-established in India, and due to that the tradition remains energetic.
In Tibet, large monasteries like Ganden, Drepung and Sera, had several colleges, but in exile most of
them have only two.
The Namgyal Monastery, whose monks assist the Dalai Lama during the Kalachakra Initiation, is the
personal monastery of His Holiness, and is responsible to perform the rituals related to the Dalai
Lama. Basically a Gelug monastery, it also performs rituals of non-Gelug origin.
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