Gendun Gyatso, 2nd Dalai Lama
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Gendun Gyatso Palzangpo also Gendun Gyatso ("Sublimely Glorious Ocean of Spiritual Aspirants", layname: Yonten Phuntsok) (1475–1542) was the second Dalai Lama
.
He was born near Shigatse
at Tanak, in the Tsang region of central Tibet. His father, Kunga Gyaltsen (1432–1481) , was a ngakpa (married tantric practitioner) of the Nyingma lineage, a famous Nyingma
tantric
master. His mother was Machik Kunga Pemo, they were a farming family.
Legend has it that soon after he learned to speak, he told his parents his name was Pema Dorje, the birth name of Gendun Drup (1391–1474) and that his father was Lobsang Drakpa, which was Tsongkapa's ordination name. When he was four, he reportedly told his parents he wished to live in the Tashilhunpo
monastery (next to Shigatse and founded in 1447 by Gendun Drup) to be with his monks.
He was proclaimed the reincarnation
of Gendun Drup
as a young boy - according to some sources at four years old, and to others at eight.
He received his novice vows from Panchen Lungrig Gyatso in 1486, at the age of ten, and his vows of an ordained monk from Ghoje Choekyi Gyaltsen who gave him his ordination name of Gedun Gyatso. At the age of eleven, he was enthroned as the reincarnation of Gendun Drubpa at Tashilhunpo monastery. He received his novice and then full ordination vows.
He remained at Tashilhunpo until he was 16 or 17 but, then, due to "some controversies or jealousy" he had to leave the monastery and went to Lhasa to study at Drepung Monastery
.
When the high priests came looking for the incarnation of Gendun Drup, they found him when he was 17 years old. Apparently, he told the priests that he had been waiting for them.
He was a renowned scholar and composer of mystical poetry, who traveled widely to extend Gelugpa influence, and became abbot
of the largest Gelugpa monastery, Drepung, which from this time on was closely associated with the Dalai Lamas. According to Sumpa Khenpo, the great Gelug
scholar, he also studied some Nyingma
-pa tantric
doctrines.
It is said that Palden Lhamo, the female guardian spirit of the sacred lake, Lhamo La-tso
, promised the First Dalai Lama in one of his visions "that she would protect the reincarnation lineage of the Dalai Lamas." Since the time of Gendun Gyatso, who formalised the system, monks have gone to the lake to seek guidance on choosing the next reincarnation through visions while meditating there. Gendun Gyatso is said to have been the first to discover the sacredness of Lake Lhamoi Latso.
In 1509 he went to southern Tibet and founded the monastery of Chokorgyel Monastery
(Chokhor-gyal) close to lake Lhamo La-tso, about 115 km northeast of Tsetang
and at an altitude of 4,500 m (14,764 ft), while the lake itself is at an altitude of about 5,000 m. (16,404 ft).
Gedun Gyatso became abbot of Tashilhunpo in 1512 at the age of thirty-six. In 1517 he became abbot of Drepung monastery -both monasteries had been founded by Pema Dorje/Gendun Drup - and he revived the 'Great Prayer Festival' or Monlam Chenmo in 1518, presiding over the celebration with monks from the three large Gelug monasteries of Sera
, Drepung and Gaden
(Ganden was the original monastery of the Geluk order, founded by Je Tsongkhapa himself in 1409). He then became abbot of Sera monastery
in 1525; Sera had been founded in 1419, by Jamchen Chojey (Sakya Yeshe), a disciple of Tsong Khapa.
His Seat has been Drepung.
Gedun Gyatso died deep in meditation at the age of 67 in 1542.
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
.
He was born near Shigatse
Shigatse
Shigatse is a county-level city and the second largest city in Tibet Autonomous Region , People's Republic of China, with a population of 92000, about southwest of Lhasa and northwest of Gyantse...
at Tanak, in the Tsang region of central Tibet. His father, Kunga Gyaltsen (1432–1481) , was a ngakpa (married tantric practitioner) of the Nyingma lineage, a famous Nyingma
Nyingma
The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism . "Nyingma" literally means "ancient," and is often referred to as Nga'gyur or the "old school" because it is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan, in the eighth century...
tantric
Tantra
Tantra , anglicised tantricism or tantrism or tantram, is the name scholars give to an inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, expressed in scriptures ....
master. His mother was Machik Kunga Pemo, they were a farming family.
Legend has it that soon after he learned to speak, he told his parents his name was Pema Dorje, the birth name of Gendun Drup (1391–1474) and that his father was Lobsang Drakpa, which was Tsongkapa's ordination name. When he was four, he reportedly told his parents he wished to live in the Tashilhunpo
Tashilhunpo
Tashilhunpo Monastery , founded in 1447 by Gendun Drup, the First Dalai Lama, is a historic and culturally important monastery next to Shigatse, the second-largest city in Tibet....
monastery (next to Shigatse and founded in 1447 by Gendun Drup) to be with his monks.
He was proclaimed the reincarnation
Reincarnation
Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
of Gendun Drup
Gendun Drup, 1st Dalai Lama
Gendun Drup , also known as Gendun Drub and Kundun Drup, is considered retrospectively to be the first of the Dalai Lamas of Tibet, who are believed to be reincarnations of Chenresig , the Bodhisattva of Compassion.Gendun Drup was born in a cowshed in Gyurmey Rupa, near Sakya in the Tsang region of...
as a young boy - according to some sources at four years old, and to others at eight.
He received his novice vows from Panchen Lungrig Gyatso in 1486, at the age of ten, and his vows of an ordained monk from Ghoje Choekyi Gyaltsen who gave him his ordination name of Gedun Gyatso. At the age of eleven, he was enthroned as the reincarnation of Gendun Drubpa at Tashilhunpo monastery. He received his novice and then full ordination vows.
He remained at Tashilhunpo until he was 16 or 17 but, then, due to "some controversies or jealousy" he had to leave the monastery and went to Lhasa to study at Drepung Monastery
Drepung Monastery
Drepung Monastery ,, located at the foot of Mount Gephel, is one of the "great three" Gelukpa university monasteries of Tibet...
.
When the high priests came looking for the incarnation of Gendun Drup, they found him when he was 17 years old. Apparently, he told the priests that he had been waiting for them.
He was a renowned scholar and composer of mystical poetry, who traveled widely to extend Gelugpa influence, and became abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of the largest Gelugpa monastery, Drepung, which from this time on was closely associated with the Dalai Lamas. According to Sumpa Khenpo, the great Gelug
Gelug
The Gelug or Gelug-pa , also known as the Yellow Hat sect, is a school of Buddhism founded by Je Tsongkhapa , a philosopher and Tibetan religious leader...
scholar, he also studied some Nyingma
Nyingma
The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism . "Nyingma" literally means "ancient," and is often referred to as Nga'gyur or the "old school" because it is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan, in the eighth century...
-pa tantric
Tantra
Tantra , anglicised tantricism or tantrism or tantram, is the name scholars give to an inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, expressed in scriptures ....
doctrines.
It is said that Palden Lhamo, the female guardian spirit of the sacred lake, Lhamo La-tso
Lhamo La-tso
Lhamo La-tso or Lhamo Latso , the small oval 'Oracle Lake', is where senior Tibetan monks go for visions to assist in the discovery of reincarnations of the Dalai Lamas. Other pilgrims also come to seek visions...
, promised the First Dalai Lama in one of his visions "that she would protect the reincarnation lineage of the Dalai Lamas." Since the time of Gendun Gyatso, who formalised the system, monks have gone to the lake to seek guidance on choosing the next reincarnation through visions while meditating there. Gendun Gyatso is said to have been the first to discover the sacredness of Lake Lhamoi Latso.
In 1509 he went to southern Tibet and founded the monastery of Chokorgyel Monastery
Chokorgyel Monastery
Chokorgyel Monastery is a Buddhist monastery in Gyatsa County in Tibet.-History:In 1509 Gedun Gyatso, the 2nd Dalai Lama, had a meditation cave and founded a hermitage here...
(Chokhor-gyal) close to lake Lhamo La-tso, about 115 km northeast of Tsetang
Tsetang
Zêtang is one of the largest cities in Tibet and is located in the Yarlung Valley, 183 km southeast of Lhasa in Nedong County of Lhoka Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region of China...
and at an altitude of 4,500 m (14,764 ft), while the lake itself is at an altitude of about 5,000 m. (16,404 ft).
Gedun Gyatso became abbot of Tashilhunpo in 1512 at the age of thirty-six. In 1517 he became abbot of Drepung monastery -both monasteries had been founded by Pema Dorje/Gendun Drup - and he revived the 'Great Prayer Festival' or Monlam Chenmo in 1518, presiding over the celebration with monks from the three large Gelug monasteries of Sera
Sera
Sera may refer to:- Music :* Sera, a Symphonic rock/electronica singer/composer/producer* Sera, the well known bass player in Greece- Places :* Sera, Hiroshima, a town in Japan* Sera District, Hiroshima, a district located in Hiroshima, Japan...
, Drepung and Gaden
Gaden
Gaden may refer to:*Gaden Relief Projects, a registered charity*Alexander Gaden , Canadian silent film actor*Ganden Monastery, a Tibetan monastery, sometimes referred to as Gaden...
(Ganden was the original monastery of the Geluk order, founded by Je Tsongkhapa himself in 1409). He then became abbot of Sera monastery
Sera Monastery
Sera Monastery is one of the 'great three' Gelukpa university monasteries of Tibet, located north of Lhasa. The other two are Ganden Monastery and Drepung Monastery. The origin of the name 'Sera' is attributed to a fact that the site where the monastery was built was surrounded by wild roses in...
in 1525; Sera had been founded in 1419, by Jamchen Chojey (Sakya Yeshe), a disciple of Tsong Khapa.
His Seat has been Drepung.
Gedun Gyatso died deep in meditation at the age of 67 in 1542.
Further reading
- Mullin, Glenn H. (2001). The Fourteen Dalai Lamas: A Sacred Legacy of Reincarnation, pp. 86–129. Clear Light Publishers. Santa Fe, New Mexico. ISBN 1-57416-092-3.
- Mullin, Glenn H. (2005). Second Dalai Lama His Life and Teachings, Snow Lion Publications, ISBN 1559392339, EAN 9781559392334
- 2nd Dalai Lama. Tantric Yogas of Sister Niguma, Snow Lion Publications, 1st ed. U. edition (May 1985), ISBN 0937938289 (10), ISBN 978-0937938287 (13)