THE INSTITUTION OF THE DALAI LAMA 1 THE DALAI LAMAS 1st Dalai Lama: Gendun Drub 8th Dalai Lama: Jampel Gyatso b. 1391 – d. 1474 b. 1758 – d. 1804 Enthroned: 1762 f. Gonpo Dorje – m. Jomo Namkyi f. Sonam Dargye - m. Phuntsok Wangmo Birth Place: Sakya, Tsang, Tibet Birth Place: Lhari Gang, Tsang 2nd Dalai Lama: Gendun Gyatso 9th Dalai Lama: Lungtok Gyatso b. 1476 – d. 1542 b. 1805 – d. 1815 Enthroned: 1487 Enthroned: 1810 f. Kunga Gyaltsen - m. Kunga Palmo f. Tenzin Choekyong Birth Place: Tsang Tanak, Tibet m. Dhondup Dolma Birth Place: Dan Chokhor, Kham 3rd Dalai Lama: Sonam Gyatso b. 1543 – d. 1588 10th Dalai Lama: Tsultrim Gyatso Enthroned: 1546 b. 1816 – d. 1837 f. Namgyal Drakpa – m. Pelzom Bhuti Enthroned: 1822 Birth Place: Tolung, Central Tibet f. Lobsang Drakpa – m. Namgyal Bhuti Birth Place: Lithang, Kham 4th Dalai Lama: Yonten Gyatso b. 1589 – d. 1617 11th Dalai Lama: Khedrub Gyatso Enthroned: 1601 b. 1838– d. 1855 f. Sumbur Secen Cugukur Enthroned 1842 m. Bighcogh Bikiji f. Tseten Dhondup – m. Yungdrung Bhuti Birth Place: Mongolia Birth Place: Gathar, Kham 5th Dalai Lama: 12th Dalai Lama: Trinley Gyatso Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso b. 1856 – d. 1875 b. 1617 – d. 1682 Enthroned: 1860 Enthroned: 1638 f. Phuntsok Tsewang – m. Tsering Yudon f. Dudul Rapten – m. Kunga Lhadze Birth Place: Lhoka Birth Place: Lhoka, Central Tibet 13th Dalai Lama: Thupten Gyatso 6th Dalai Lama: Tseyang Gyatso b. 1876 – d. 1933 b. 1683 – d. 1706 Enthroned: 1879 Enthroned: 1697 f. Kunga Rinchen – m. Lobsang Dolma f. Tashi Tenzin – m. Tsewang Lhamo Birth Place: Langdun, Central Tibet Birth Place: Mon Tawang, India 14th Dalai Lama: Tenzin Gyatso 7th Dalai Lama: Kalsang Gyatso b. 1935 b. 1708 – d. 1757 Enthroned: 1940 Enthroned: 1720 f. Choekyong Tsering f. Sonam Dargye – m. Sonam Chotso m. Dickey Tsering Birth Place: Lithang, Kham Birth Place: Taktser, Amdo 2 INSTITUTION OF THE DALAI LAMA: AN OVERVIEW His Holiness the 14th Dalai ruler during the subsequent 400 Lama represents a highly revered years. Throughout that time, institution that provides spiritual Buddhist scholars of various leadership for the people of Tibet orders built monasteries to and for followers of Buddhism spread Buddha’s teachings across around the world. It is a spiritual the Tibetan plateau and beyond. institution that emerged and When the Mongols expanded evolved through centuries of into Tibet in the 13th century, history during which the lineage they facilitated a special bond of successive Dalai Lamas between Mongol Khans and presided over Tibet’s transition Tibetan Buddhist hierarchs, to the modern era. The 14th thereby elevating the prestige and Dalai Lama himself has played a power of Buddhist institutions. defining role, becoming a global Over the next two centuries, symbol of human wisdom and even though several lay Mongol grace for leading the Tibetan and Tibetan rulers assumed people through the political crisis authority over the kingdom, they of the twentieth century. It is patronized different orders of on this global stage of moral the Tibetan Buddhism. leadership that the modern Tibetan Buddhists believe in institution of the Dalai Lama the concept of Bodhisattva, a now sits, and from which it will realized being who has resolved continue to provide a spiritual to attain the highest spiritual compass for those of faith around enlightenment or Buddhahood the world. for the benefit of all sentient Tibetans first embraced beings. Defining compassion as Buddhism, which originated a state of mind that genuinely in India, under the Yarlung aspires to see all sentient beings Dynasty between the 7th and finding freedom from suffering, 9th centuries. As the official pain and dissatisfaction, Tibetans religion of the nation, Buddhism generally extol compassion continued to flourish even after as the highest of all virtues. different empires collapsed and Concurrently, both Buddhist disintegrated without a central canons and teachings hail Lord 3 Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva tree nearby, watching over him embodiment of compassion, as vigilantly to ward off attacks from the sole guardian of the Tibetan wild vultures and animals. kingdom, and the Dalai Lama, Even though Gendun Drub the manifestation of the exalted was raised as a shepherd, he Bodhisattva. demonstrated an extraordinary talent for Buddhist practices THE FIRST DALAI LAMA at an early age. He was said to The spiritual lineage of the Dalai have spent hours carving sacred Lama can be traced back to 1391, syllables and prayers into stones in with the birth of Gendun Drub, the Tibetan tradition. At the age of seven, when he lost his father, he was sent to a monastery, where at the age of 20 he became an ordained monk. While pursuing his Buddhist studies, Gendun Drub studied under Je Tsongkhapa, a philosopher and an eclectic Buddhist master, and the founder of the Geluk School of Buddhism in Tibet. Deeply inspired by Tsongkhapa’s teachings, the young Gendun Drub became the whose parents were semi-nomadic master’s last disciple, and one of farmers in central Tibet. On the the most revered masters of the night he was born, legend has it Geluk School. that bandits raided the family’s camp. Before fleeing for her life, THE REINCARNATION OF his mother wrapped the newborn THE DALAI LAMA in blankets and hid him inside a Following Gendun Drub’s crevice nearby. Upon returning death, no immediate efforts were the next morning, the family was made to identify his incarnation. surprised to find the baby sleeping Then, Gendun Drub’s disciples undisturbed amid the rocks; a at Tashilhunpo monastery heard large black raven perched on a about a boy. Born as Sangye 4 Gendun Gyatso and installed as Gendun Drub’s incarnation. Since then, a tradition was established in the Geluk tradition of Tibetan Buddhism to search and recognize the successive reincarnations of the Dalai Lamas. The practice of recognizing who is who by identifying someone’s previous life occurred even when Buddha himself was alive. However, the present tradition of formally recognizing the reincarnation of Choephel in a village called Tsang masters first began in the early Tanak, the boy repeatedly shared 13th century with the recognition with adults stories of his previous of Karmapa Rangjung Dorjee life as a lama. From the age of as the reincarnation of Karmapa two, he expressed his wish to Pagshi by his disciples in return to Tashilhunpo, which accordance with his prediction. he referred to as his monastery. Gendun Gyatso trained at So, the Tashilhunpo monastery various monasteries became dispatched a delegation to the a great teacher and scholar. village to investigate the claims. Even before his studies were Upon their arrival, the boy was completed, he began teaching, said to have greeted each member and quickly developed a large by name, with accuracy and following. In his early years, he extreme delight. Confronted with served as abbot of Tashilhunpo compelling evidence, Gendun and subsequently of Drepung Drub’s disciples recognized that and Sera, the two largest Tibetan the child could indeed be the monasteries in 1517. Gendun incarnation of their deceased Gyatso passed away in 1542, master. leaving behind many volumes of Thus, in 1485, when the boy verse, composition, and practice had turned 10, he was renamed instructions. 5 THE TITLE OF the Drepung Monastery. THE DALAI LAMA In his later years, Sonam Gyatso Upon Gendun Gyatso’s death, cultivated relationships with high lamas at the Drepung members of ruling houses across Monastery quickly identified Tibet. His greatest missionary triumph involved forging a close friendship with the Mongol leader, Altan Khan, who was a descendent of Kublai Khan. To follow the path of his ancestors and revive Buddhism in Mongolia, Altan Khan invited Sonam Gyatso to visit Mongolia in 1577. When the two met, they agreed to enter into a traditional patron-priest relationship. For Altan Khan, the patronage of the growing Geluk (Yellow Hat) a successor near the capital tradition was a way to re-establish city of Lhasa. Even though his forebear’s influence in Tibet. he was only two years old, he Sonam Gyatso saw the alliance as coherently recounted to his an opportunity to secure Mongol parents and those around him support for his missionary work, how Buddhas and Bodhisattvas both inside and outside of Tibet. appeared to him on a regular A year later, Altan Khan basis. Meanwhile, a senior monk bestowed upon him the title near his village also received of the Dalai Lama. “Dalai” is a a vision in which the young Mongolian term meaning “ocean” child was prophesied to be and Dalai Lama is popularly the reincarnation of Gendun translated as “Ocean of Wisdom.” Gyatso. After giving the boy a His predecessors, Gendun series of tests, the search team Drub and Gendun Gyatso, were officially confirmed him as their posthumously given the titles of future leader. Thus, the boy the first and second Dalai Lama. became Sonam Gyatso, and was Thus, the Dalai Lama institution enthroned the following year at was created. 6 In 1588, Sonam Gyatso passed and indications about the next away in Mongolia, and his remains reincarnation. At the same time, were interred in a reliquary stupa a team of high lamas also seek there. His successor, the 4th Dalai predictions from Nechung, Lama, Yonten Gyatso was born the state oracle of Tibet, while in Mongolia and was chosen spending days observing visions in according to the reincarnation the sacred lake of Palden Lhamo, tradition. It so happened that he which yield significant clues to was the great-grandson of the the location of the reincarnation. Mongol leader Altan Khan. These steps help build the case for the potential candidate. THE REINCARNATION However, the most crucial factor DOCTRINE rests upon the candidate himself.