DULDZIN DRAKPA GYALTSEN (1374 -1434)

Name Variants: Drakpa Gyaltsen Duldzin Drakpa Gyaltsen (dul dzin grags pa rgyal mtshan) was born in Drangyul (sbrang yul), in U. A Kadampa monk, he was a main disciple of Tsongkhapa Lobzang Drakpa (tsong kha pa blo...

KHEDRUBJE GELEK PELZANG (1385 - 1438)

Name Variants: Gelek Pelzang Khedrupje Gelek Pelzang was one of the primary disciples of Tsongkhapa. A native of Tsang, he was involved in the establishment of the great monastery in Gyantse, Pelkor Chode, before...

GENDUN DRUP - 1ST DALAI LAMA (1391 - 1474)

Gendun Drup was a close disciple of Tsongkhapa, after ordaining and training first in the great Kadam monastery of Nartang. He was posthumously identified as the First Dalai Lama, a previous incarnation of the Third...

GENDUN GYATSO - 2ND DALAI LAMA (1476 - 1542)

Name Variants: Gendun Gyatso Gendun Gyatso was the reincarnation of Gendun Drup, the First Dalai Lama. He served as abbot of three of the most powerful Gelug monasteries in both U and Tsang, significantly...

PANCHEN SONAM DRAKPA

The Fifteenth Ganden Tripa, Trichen Sonam Drakpa was born into the family of Nangpa Ralampa that was based near the Tsetang Monastery in Lhoka in 1478, the earth-dog year. At a young age, Sonam Drakpa received the...

SONAM GYATSO - 3RD DALAI LAMA (1543 - 1588)

Name Variants: Sicho Pelzang; Sonam Gyatso Sonam Gyatso was born in 1543 in the Kyisho region of U to a family with strong ties to the Sakya tradition and the Pagmodru rulers of Tsang. His father, Namgyal Dragpa,...

PANCHEN LAMA LOBZANG CHOKYI GYALTSEN (1570 - 1662)

Name Variants: Lobzang Chokyi Drakpa; Lobzang Chokyi Gyaltsen; Nangwa Taye Panchen Lobzang Chokyi Gyaltsen Lobzang Chokyi Gyaltsen was born in a village called Drukgya in the Lhan valley, in Tsang, in either 1567...

YONTAN GYATSO - 4TH DALAI LAMA (1589 - 1616)

Following the unexpected death of the Third Dalai Lama Sonam Gyatso in Mongolia in 1588, his patrons there, the leaders of the Tumed Mongols, decided to identify his reincarnation among their own people. No doubt...

THE GREAT FIFTH DALAI LAMA NGAWANG LOBSANG GYATSO (1617 - 1682)

In 1617, a promising boy amidst auspicious signs was born in Taktse in Southern Tibet to a family of Nyingmapa practitioners who were the descendants of the imperial line of the Yarlung Dynasty of kings. His...

DRUNGCHEN KACHOPA NAMKHA GYALTSEN (1370 1433)

Name Variants: Drungchen Kachopa; Khachopa Namkha Gyaltsen; Namkha Gyaltsen Drungchen Kachopa Namkha Gyaltsen was born in 1370 in Chamdo Ngomyul. His father was Gyalwa Zangpo and his mother was Genja...

TSAKO NGAWANG DRAKPA

Ngawang Drakpa was one of the closest disciples of the incomparable Je Tsongkhapa. He met and learnt from the master just after the master’s Gelong ordination and well before the first contact of Je Tsongkhapa...

JAMPEL GYATSO (1356 - 1428)

Jampel Gyatso, a native of Tsongkha, was a close disciple of Tsongkhapa, from whom he received the Ganden Mahamudra transmission. He accompanied Tsongkhapa during the retreat at Olka, after which he set out on his...

BASO CHOKYI GYALTSEN (1402 - 1473)

Name Variants: Chokyi Gyaltsen; Ganden Tri 06 Chokyi Gyaltsen; Lhanwa Sowa Chokyi Gyaltsen; Tatsang 01 Chokyi Gyaltsen Baso Chokyi Gyaltsen was born in 1402 in Lato, the younger brother of Tsongkhapa's disciple...

SHERAB ZANGPO

(1395 – 1457) Name Variants: Jangsem Sherab Zangpo Jangsem Sherab Zangpo, a disciple of Tsongkhapa, founded the great Gelug monastery of Chokhor Jampaling in 1437. According to a recent biography, Sherab Zangpo...

SANGGYE YESHE (1525 - 1591)

Sanggye Yeshe was a prominent lineage holder of the Ganden Oral tradition. He was a disciple of Gyalwa Wensapa, and served as abbot of Riwo Gempel monastery. He is sometimes referred to as the first Wensa...

KANGXI EMPEROR

The Kangxi Emperor was the third emperor of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, from 1661 to 1722. His reign of 61 years makes him the longest-reigning Chinese emperor...