Buddhism: What's Hot Now: Dalai Lamas

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Dalai Lamas Jan 18th 2013, 11:04 In 1578 the Mongol ruler Altan Khan gave the title Dalai Lama to Sonyam Gyatso, third in a line of reborn lamas of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The title means "ocean of wisdom" and was given posthumously to Sonyam Gyatso's predecessors. In 1642 the 5th Dalai Lama, Lobsang Gyatso, became the spiritual and political leader of all of Tibet, an authority passed on to his successors. Since that time the succession of Dalai Lamas has been at the center of both Tibetan Buddhism and the history of the Tibetan people. 1. Gedun Drupa, the 1st Dalai Lama Public Domain Gendun Drupa was born to a nomadic family in 1391 and died in 1474. His original name was Pema Dorjee. He took novic monk's vows in 1405 at Narthang monastery and received full monk's ordination in 1411. In 1416 he became a disciple of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelugpa School, and eventually became Tsongkhapa's principle disciple. Gendun Drupa is remembered as a great scholar who wrote a number of books and who founded a major monastic university, Tashi Lhunpo. Gendun Drupa was not called "Dalai Lama" during his lifetime, because the title did not yet exist. He was identified as the first Dalai Lama several years after his death. 2. Gendun Gyatso, the 2nd Dalai Lama Public Opinion Gendun Gyatso was born in 1475 and died in 1542. His father, a well-known tantric practitioner of the Nyingma school, named him Sangye Phel and gave the boy a Buddhist education. When he was 11 years old he was recognized as an incarnation of Gedun Drupa and enthroned at Tashi Lhunpo monastery. He received the name Gendun Gyatso at his monk's ordination. Like Gedun Drupa, Gendun Gyatso would not receive the title Dalai Lama until after his death. Gedun Gyatso served as abbot of Drepung and Sera monasteries. He is also remembered for reviving the great prayer festival, the Monlam Chenmo. 3. Sonam Gyatso, the 3rd Dalai Lama Public Domain Sonam Gyatso was born in 1543 to a wealthy family living near Lhasa. He died in 1588. His given name was Ranu Sicho. At the age of 3 he was recognized to be the reincarnation of Gendun Gyatso, and he was taken to Drepung Monastery for training. He received novice ordination at the age of 7 and full ordination at 22.H Sonam Gyatso received the title Dalai Lama, meaning "ocean of wisdom," from the Mongolian king Altan Khan. He was the first Dalai Lama to be called by that title in his lifetime. Sonam Gyatso served as abbot of Drepung and Sera monsteries. He founded Namgyal and Kumbum monasteries. He died while teaching in Mongolia. 4. Yonten Gyatso, the 4th Dalai Lama Public Domain Yonten Gyatso was born in 1589 in Mongolia. His father was a Mongol tribal chief and a grandson of Altan Khan. He died in 1617. Although Yonten Gyatso was recognized to be the reborn Dalai Lama as a small child, his parents did not allow him to leave Mongolia until he was 12. He received his early Buddhist education from lamas visiting from Tibet. Yonten Gyatso finally came to Tibet in 1601 and soon after took novice monk's ordination. He received full ordination at the age of 26 and was abbot of Drepung and Sera monasteries. He died at Drepung monastery only a year later. 5. Lobsang Gyatso, the 5th Dalai Lama Public Domain Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso was born in 1617 to a noble family. His given name was Künga Nyingpo. He died in 1682. Military victories by the Mongol Prince Gushi Kahn gave control of Tibet to the Dalai Lama. When Lobsang Gyatso was enthroned in 1642 he became the spiritual and political leader of Tibet. He is remembered in Tibetan history as the Great Fifth. The Great Fifth establishd Lhasa as the capital of Tibet and began construction of Potala Palace. He appointed a regent, or desi, to handle the administrative duties of governing. Before his death, he advised the Desi Sangya Gyatso to keep his death a secret, possibly to prevent a power struggle before a new Dalai Lama was prepared to assume authority. 6. Tsangyang Gyatso, the 6th Dalai Lama Public Domain Tsangyang Gyatso was born in 1683 and died in 1706. His given name was Sanje Tenzin. In 1688 the boy was brought to Nankartse, near Lhasa, and educated by teachers appointed by the Desi Sangya Gyatso. His identity as the Dalai Lama was kept secret until 1697, when the death of the 5th Dalai Lama finally was announced, and Tsangyang Gyatso was enthroned. The 6th Dalai Lama is most remembered for renouncing monastic life and spending time in taverns and with women. He also composed songs and poems. In 1701 a desendant of Gushi Khan named Lhasang Khan killed Sangya Gyatso. Then in 1706 Lhasang Khan abducted Tsangyang Gyatso and declared that another lama was the real 6th Dalai Lama. Tsangyang Gyatso died in Lhasang Khan's custody. 7. Kelzang Gyatso, the 7th Dalai Lama Public Domain Kelzang Gyatso was born in 1708. He died in 1757. The lama who had replaced Tsangyang Gyatso as Sixth Dalai Lama was still enthroned in Lhasa, so Kelzang Gyatso's identification as 7th Dalai Lama was kept secret for a time. A tribe of Mongol warriors called the Dzungars invaded Lhasa in 1717. The Dzungars killed Lhasang Kahn and deposed the pretender 6th Dalai Lama. However, the Dzungars were lawless and destructive. Tibetans appealed to the Emperor Kangxi of China to help rid Tibet of the Dzungars. Chinese and Tibetan forces together expelled the Dzungars in 1720. Then they brought Kelzang Gyatso to Lhasa to be enthroned. Kelzang Gyatso abolished the position of desi and replaced it with a council of ministers. 8. Jamphel Gyatso, the 8th Dalai Lama Public Domain Jamphel Gyatso was born in 1758, enthroned at Potala Palace in 1762, and died in 1804 at the age of 47. Jamphel Gyatso was the first Dalai Lama to be represented by a regent while he was a minor. He completed the building of Norbulingka Park and Summer Palace.  As was true of the 7th Dalai Lama, the 8th Dalai Lama played only a modest role in the government of Tibet. This was true of the 9th through 12th Dalai Lamas as well. The next Dalai Lama to be a genuine head of state would be the 13th. 9. Lungtok Gyatso, the 9th Dalai Lama Lungtok Gyatso, the 9th Dalai Lama Lungtok Gyatso was born in 1805 and died in 1815 before his tenth birthday. 10. Tsultrim Gyatso, the 10th Dalai Lama Public Domain Tsultrim Gyatso was born in 1816 and died in 1837 at the age of 21.

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