Drepung Monastery

Drepung Monastery is a major Gelug school Tibetan Buddhist monastery near Lhasa, founded in 1416 by Jamyang Chöje Tashi Palden. It became a leading center of monastic learning and the Dalai Lamas’ residence before the Potala Palace.

Jamyang Chöje Tashi Palden: A Tibetan Buddhist scholar and disciple of Tsongkhapa who founded Drepung Monastery in 1416. He established Drepung as a major institution of Tsongkhapa’s reform movement.
Loseling College: One of Drepung Monastery’s principal colleges for advanced Buddhist study. It was the monastery’s largest college and a major center for scholastic training.
Second Dalai Lama: Gedun Gyatso, the second Dalai Lama, who lived from 1475 to 1542. He was educated at Drepung and later became its abbot.
Ganden Palace: A historic residence within Drepung Monastery associated with the Dalai Lamas before the Potala Palace. It preserves the monastery’s role as a residence of Tibetan spiritual and political leaders.
Tibetan Buddhist scholasticism: The systematic study and debate of Buddhist philosophy in Tibetan monastic institutions. Drepung became one of the largest centers for this tradition of advanced study.
Tsongkhapa: A Tibetan Buddhist teacher who founded the Gelug school in the early fifteenth century. His teachings and reform movement shaped Drepung’s identity and curriculum.
Gomang College: A principal college of Drepung Monastery devoted to Buddhist philosophical education. Its curriculum and debate traditions organized a major part of Drepung’s scholarly life.
Third Dalai Lama: Sonam Gyatso, the third Dalai Lama, who lived from 1543 to 1588. His leadership strengthened Gelug influence beyond central Tibet.
Shoton Festival: A Tibetan festival featuring the display of a large thangka and performances of Tibetan opera. Drepung is a principal site for the festival’s annual giant thangka unveiling.
Potala Palace: A palace and religious complex in Lhasa that became the Dalai Lamas’ principal residence. Its rise shifted the Dalai Lamas’ residence and political center away from Drepung.

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