1st Dalai Lama

Gendun Drup (1391–1474) was a Tibetan Buddhist monk, scholar, and founder of Tashilhunpo Monastery, later recognized as the first Dalai Lama.

Tsongkhapa: A Tibetan Buddhist reformer who founded the Gelug school in the early fifteenth century. Gendun Drup was among Tsongkhapa’s foremost disciples and helped establish the emerging Gelug tradition.
Tsang: A historical region of central Tibet centered on Shigatse. Gendun Drup’s monastery and much of his religious activity were rooted in this region.
Tulku: A Tibetan Buddhist teacher recognized as the rebirth of a previously deceased religious master. Gendun Drup was identified as the first predecessor in the Dalai Lama tulku lineage after his death.
Panchen Lama: A senior Tibetan Buddhist lineage associated with Tashilhunpo Monastery and the Gelug school. Tashilhunpo later became the principal seat of the Panchen Lama lineage Gendun Drup helped make possible.
Gendun Gyatso: The second Dalai Lama, a Tibetan Buddhist leader who lived from 1475 to 1542. His recognition as Gendun Drup’s reincarnation established the lineage’s succession by reincarnation.
Shigatse: A city in central Tibet, historically a major political and religious center. Tashilhunpo Monastery, founded by Gendun Drup, stands near the city.
Reincarnation in Tibetan Buddhism: The belief and practices through which Tibetan Buddhist communities identify successive rebirths of religious teachers. This institution connected Gendun Drup’s memory to later Dalai Lamas.
Tibetan Buddhist scholasticism: The systematic study and debate of Buddhist philosophy in Tibetan monastic institutions. His scholarly example and institutional work contributed to the Gelug school’s scholastic culture.
Sonam Gyatso: The third Dalai Lama, whose title was later applied retrospectively to his two predecessors. The title “Dalai Lama” was first given to him, then counted backward to Gendun Drup.
Tibetan Buddhism: The forms of Buddhism that developed in Tibet, incorporating Indian Buddhist teachings and distinct Tibetan institutions. Its scholastic, tantric, and monastic traditions provide the broader setting for his life.

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