Gelug

Lore & Background

The Gelug school was founded by Je Tsongkhapa, an eclectic Buddhist monk and yogi who studied under Kadam, Sakya, Drikung Kagyu, Jonang and Nyingma teachers. A great admirer of the Kadam school, Tsongkhapa merged Kadam teachings of lojong (mind training) and lamrim (stages of the path) with Vajrayana teachings of other schools. He emphasized monasticism and strict adherence to vinaya, and produced extensive writings on madhyamaka, Buddhist epistemology, and practice. Tsongkhapa and his disciples founded Ganden monastery in 1409, followed by Drepung (1416) and Sera (1419), which became the 'great three' Gelug monasteries.

Reader's Guide

The Gelug school's significance lies in its rapid growth after Tsongkhapa's death, driven by his disciples who founded numerous monasteries and spread the doctrine throughout Tibet. It developed a reputation for strict monastic discipline and rigorous scholarship. The school's political dominance began with the alliance between Sönam Gyatso (3rd Dalai Lama) and Mongol leader Altan Khan in 1577, leading to the Gelug becoming the main religion of the Mongols. With military help from Mongol Güshri Khan in 1642, the Gelug emerged as the dominant school in Tibet. The school's unique prasangika Madhyamaka philosophy, based on Tsongkhapa's works, integrates sutra and tantra, analytical reasoning, and yogic meditation. The collected works of Tsongkhapa and his principal disciples form the main canonical collection of the Gelug school, known as the 'Father and Sons Collected Works.'

Did You Know?

• The Gelug school is also called the Yellow Hat school.
• Ganden is the Tibetan rendition of the Sanskrit name Tushita, the Pure Land of Maitreya Buddha.
• The school's name 'Gelug' is an abbreviation of 'gan den chö luk', meaning 'the Spiritual Lineage of Ganden'.
• The Gelug school sees itself as a continuation of the Kadam tradition of Atisha.