The Gelug is the newest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It was founded by Je Tsongkhapa (1357–1419),a Tibetan philosopher,tantric yogi and lama and further expanded and developed by his disciples.
Mahāmudrā literally means "great seal" or "great imprint" and refers to the fact that "all phenomena inevitably are stamped by the fact of wisdom and emptiness inseparable". Mahāmudrāis a multivalent term of great importance in later Indian Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism which "also occurs occasionally in Hindu and East Asian Buddhist esotericism."
The Panchen Lama is a tulku of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The Panchen Lama is one of the most important figures in the Gelug tradition,with its spiritual authority second only to the Dalai Lama. Along with the council of high lamas,he is in charge of seeking out the next Dalai Lama. Panchen is a portmanteau of Pandita and Chenpo,meaning "great scholar".
A tulku is a distinctive and significant aspect of Tibetan Buddhism,embodying the concept of enlightened beings taking corporeal forms to continue the lineage of specific teachings. The term "tulku" has its origins in the Tibetan word "sprul sku",which originally referred to an emperor or ruler taking human form on Earth,signifying a divine incarnation. Over time,this term evolved within Tibetan Buddhism to denote the corporeal existence of highly accomplished Buddhist masters whose purpose is to ensure the preservation and transmission of a particular lineage.
The Jonang is a school of Indo-Tibetan Buddhism. Its origins in Tibet can be traced to the early 12th century master Yumo Mikyo Dorje. It became widely known through the work of the popular 14th century figure Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen. The Jonang school's main practice is the Kālacakra tantra,and they are widely known for their defense of the philosophy known as shentong.
The Shamarpa,also known as Shamar Rinpoche,or more formally Künzig Shamar Rinpoche,is the second oldest lineage of tulkus. He is one of the highest lineage holders of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism and is regarded as the mind manifestation of Amitābha. He is traditionally associated with Yangpachen Monastery near Lhasa.
The Dorje Shugden controversy is a controversy over Dorje Shugden,also known as Dolgyal,whom some consider to be one of several protectors of the Gelug school,the school of Tibetan Buddhism to which the Dalai Lamas belong. Dorje Shugden has become the symbolic focal point of a conflict over the "purity" of the Gelug school and the inclusion of non-Gelug teachings,especially Nyingma ones.
Lobsang Trinley Lhündrub Chökyi Gyaltsen was the tenth Panchen Lama,officially the 10th Panchen Erdeni,of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. According to Tibetan Buddhism,Panchen Lamas are living emanations of the buddha Amitabha. He was often referred to simply as Choekyi Gyaltsen.
Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo,also known by his tertön title,Pema Ösel Dongak Lingpa,was a teacher,scholar and tertön of 19th-century Tibet. He was a leading figure in the Rimémovement.
The 5th Dalai Lama,Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso was recognized as the 5th Dalai Lama,and he became the first Dalai Lama to hold both Tibet's political and spiritual leadership roles. He is often referred to simply as the Great Fifth,being the key religious and temporal leader of Tibetan Buddhism and Tibet. He is credited with unifying all of Tibet under the Ganden Phodrang,after Gushri Khan's successful military interventions. As an independent head of state,he established priest and patron relations with both Mongolia and the Qing dynasty simultaneously,and had positive relations with other neighboring countries. He began the custom of meeting early European explorers. The 5th Dalai Lama built the Potala Palace,and also wrote 24 volumes' worth of scholarly and religious works on a wide range of subjects.
The New Kadampa Tradition –International Kadampa Buddhist Union (NKT—IKBU) is a global Buddhist new religious movement founded by Kelsang Gyatso in England in 1991. In 2003 the words "International Kadampa Buddhist Union" (IKBU) were added to the original name "New Kadampa Tradition". The NKT-IKBU is an international organisation registered in England as a charitable,or non-profit,company. It currently lists more than 200 centres and around 900 branch classes/study groups in 40 countries. founded by the Tibetan-born Geshe Kelsang Gyatso,the BBC describes the New Kadampa Tradition as "one of the major Buddhist schools in the UK".
Lhalu Tsewang Dorje commonly known as Lhalu,Lhalu Se,or Lhalu Shape,was a Tibetan aristocrat and politician who held a variety of positions in various Tibetan governments before and after 1951.
Robert Webster Ford CBE was a British radio officer who worked in Tibet in the late 1940s. He was one of the few Westerners to be appointed by the Government of Tibet in the period of de facto independence between 1912 and the year 1950 when the Chinese army marched on Chamdo. He was arrested and jailed for five years by the Chinese. In 1994,he declared that he "had the opportunity to witness and experience at first hand the reality of Tibetan independence." In 1956 he was appointed at the British Diplomatic Service and served in the Foreign Office.
Orgyen Kusum Lingpa (1934-2009) was a Tibetan terton and Nyingma lineage holder within Tibetan Buddhism. His name means "Holder of the Sanctuary of the Trikaya of Oddiyana Padmasambhava."
Manjushri Institute was a large Buddhist college situated at Conishead Priory in Cumbria,England from 1976 until its dissolution in 1991. In 1991 its assets,including Conishead Priory,were transferred to a new centre on the same premises,Manjushri Mahayana Buddhist Centre,which was later renamed Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre.
Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari Rinpoche,Kasur Lodi Gyari or "as he is universally known to the Tibetan-speaking world,Gyari Rinpoche" was a Tibetan politician,and journalist who served as the 14th Dalai Lama's special envoy to the United States. Exiled to India in 1959,he was also the executive chairman of the International Campaign for Tibet.
The Third Trijang Rinpoche,Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso (1901–1981) was a Gelugpa Lama and a direct disciple of Pabongkhapa Déchen Nyingpo. He succeeded Ling Rinpoche as the junior tutor of the 14th Dalai Lama when the Dalai Lama was nineteen years old. He was also a lama of many Gelug lamas who taught in the West including Zong Rinpoche,Geshe Rabten,Lama Yeshe,Kelsang Gyatso,and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Trijang Rinpoche's oral teachings were recorded by Zimey Rinpoche in a book called the Yellow Book.
