Gelug
Youngest major school of Tibetan Buddhism, founded by Je Tsongkhapa.
The Gelug, meaning “virtuous,” is the youngest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, founded by the philosopher and yogi Je Tsongkhapa (1357–1419) and expanded by his disciples, including Khedrup Je, Gyaltsap Je, and Gendün Drubpa. Also called the New Kadam school, it considers itself a continuation of the earlier Kadam tradition of Atisha. Its first monastery, Ganden, established by Tsongkhapa in 1409, gives the school its alternative name, the Ganden school, and its official head is the Ganden Tripa, though the Dalai Lama is its most influential political figure. The Gelug emerged as the dominant religious and political power in Tibet and Mongolia from the late 16th century, having allied with Mongol Khans. Doctrinally, the school promotes a distinctive form of Prasangika Madhyamaka based on Tsongkhapa’s works, which integrate sutra and tantra, analytical reasoning, and yogic meditation. Tsongkhapa studied under teachers from the Kadam, Sakya, Drikung Kagyu, Jonang, and Nyingma traditions, merging Kadam mind training and stages of the path with Vajrayana teachings from other schools. He emphasized strict monastic discipline and wrote extensively on Madhyamaka, epistemology, and practice. After his death, his disciples founded Drepung (1416) and Sera (1419) monasteries, which, with Ganden, formed the “great three” Gelug centers that dominated Central Tibetan religious and political life. Other important monasteries included Tashilhunpo, founded by Gendün Drup, and the tantric colleges of Gyümé and Gyütö. The collected works of Tsongkhapa, along with those of his main disciples, became the school’s unique canonical collection. By the end of the 15th century, the Gelug tradition had spread across the entire Tibetan cultural region, from western Tibet to Kham and Amdo in the east.
- founded
- 1409 (Ganden monastery)
- founder
- Je Tsongkhapa (1357–1419)
- field
- Tibetan Buddhism
- known_for
- Dominant school in Tibet and Mongolia; unique prasangika Madhyamaka; strict monastic discipline; Dalai Lama as influential political figure
- head
- Ganden Tripa (official head); Dalai Lama (most influential political figure)
- major_monasteries
- Ganden, Drepung, Sera (the 'great three')
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.
More in Buddhist Traditions 1-21
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