Material: Embroidery. Cloth. Brocade (Tsongkhapa Dharma Image)

Size: 155 X 100 cm (approximate size)

Description:

Tsongkhapa (Tibetan: Tsongkhapa, 1357-1419) is the founder of the Gelugpa (Yellow Sect) of Tibetan Buddhism and one of the most influential religious leaders in Tibetan Buddhism. He is known for his scholarship, practice and sectarian reforms and is revered as the "Second Buddha". The following is an overview of Tsongkhapa's significance and origin in Tibetan Buddhism:

**Significance**

1. **Founder of the Gelugpa**:

- Tsongkhapa founded the Gelugpa (Tibetan: dGe-lugs, meaning "good rules"), one of the four major sects of Tibetan Buddhism, known for its strict precepts, academic research and practice.

- The Gelugpa emphasizes the combination of exoteric and esoteric practices, combining the study of exoteric classics with the practice methods of esoteric Buddhism, becoming one of the most organized and influential sects in Tibetan Buddhism.

2. **Integration of academics and practice**:

- Tsongkhapa is known as the "Great Theorist". Through systematic academic research and writings, he organized and explained the sutras and theories of Indian Buddhism, especially the Madhyamika and Vijnanavada thoughts of Nagarjuna and Asaṅga.

- His major works such as Lamrim Chenmo and Ngakrim Chenmo provide practitioners with a clear path from beginners to Buddhahood, covering the teachings of both exoteric and esoteric Buddhism.

- He emphasized the "Three Vehicles" (the lower vehicle, the middle vehicle, and the upper vehicle), providing step-by-step practice guidance for practitioners of different roots.

3. **Vinaya and Sangha Reform**:

- Tsongkhapa advocated strict observance of the precepts, especially the bhikkhu precepts, and reformed some of the loose disciplines in the Tibetan Buddhist monastic community at that time. His reforms made the Gelugpa monastic community famous for its rigorous academics and pure precepts.

- He founded Ganden Monastery (1409), the mother monastery of the Gelugpa sect, which later became a center of learning and practice for Tibetan Buddhism.

4. **Religious and political influence**:

- Tsongkhapa's teachings established the dominant position of the Gelugpa sect in Tibetan religion and politics. His disciples later established the reincarnation system of the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama, further consolidating the influence of the Gelugpa sect.

- The Gelugpa sect became the mainstream sect in Tibet in the 17th century, and its ties with Mongolia and the Qing Dynasty also strengthened its political position.

5. **Cultural and spiritual symbols**:

- Tsongkhapa is regarded as the embodiment of wisdom (Manjushri), compassion (Avalokitesvara) and power (Vajrapani), symbolizing the perfect combination of the three.

- His image often appears in thangkas and statues in Gelugpa monasteries, usually wearing a yellow monk's hat, a cassock, holding scriptures and prayer beads, symbolizing learning and practice.

- The "Ganden Great Dharma Assembly" (Tibetan: Mönlam Chenmo) founded by Tsongkhapa is an important festival of Tibetan Buddhism and is still an important religious activity in Lhasa.

**Origin**

1. **Life and Background**:

- Tsongkhapa was born in 1357 in Tsongkha Village in the Amdo region of Qinghai (now Huangzhong County, Qinghai Province), hence the name "Tsongkhapa" (meaning "Tsongkha people").

- He became a monk at a young age and studied under many Tibetan Buddhist masters, learning the doctrines of the Nyingma, Sakya, Kadam and other sects, and extensively reading the classics of the exoteric and esoteric teachings.

- At the age of 16, he went to central Tibet and studied under the Kadam master Redawa and others, and studied in depth the Madhyamika, Pramana and Tantra.

2. **Religious Reform and the Founding of the Gelug Sect**:

- At that time, Tibetan Buddhism had many sects and the precepts were relaxed. Tsongkhapa believed that it was necessary to systematize the doctrines and restore the purity of the precepts. He integrated the teachings of the Kadam Sect (originating from Atisha) with the Tantric tradition and founded the Gelug Sect.

- Tsongkhapa emphasized the "harmony of exoteric and esoteric Buddhism" and advocated that practitioners must be proficient in exoteric teachings and strictly abide by the precepts before practicing esoteric Buddhism, which was different from some practices of other sects.

- He founded Ganden Monastery in 1409, and Drepung Monastery and Sera Monastery in 1415 and 1419 respectively. These three monasteries became the academic and practice centers of the Gelug Sect.

3. **Thoughts and Contributions**:

- Tsongkhapa's thoughts were deeply influenced by the Indian Madhyamika School (especially Chandrakirti's Prasangika Madhyamika). He emphasized the unity of emptiness and dependent origination, and put forward the view that "emptiness is inseparable from dependent origination, and dependent origination is inseparable from emptiness."

- His Lamrim Path to Enlightenment systematically expounds the practice sequence from aspiration to Buddhahood, becoming the core guide for Gelugpa practice.

- In terms of esoteric Buddhism, he compiled tantras such as Kalachakra and Guhyasamaja, and emphasized that the practice of esoteric Buddhism must be based on exoteric Buddhism.

4. **Inheritance and influence**:

- Tsongkhapa's disciples such as Gyaltsogye (the prototype of the first Dalai Lama) and Kezhujie (the prototype of the first Panchen Lama) continued his teachings and established the reincarnation system of the Gelugpa.

- The Gelugpa expanded rapidly after the 16th century and became the mainstream sect in Tibet, influencing Mongolia, mainland China and the Himalayas.

**Symbols and image**

- **Appearance**:

- Tsongkhapa is usually depicted as a monk in a cassock, wearing a yellow pointed hat (the symbol of the Gelugpa), holding a sutra (symbolizing wisdom) and a rosary (symbolizing practice).

- In thangkas, he is often depicted sitting on a throne, flanked by his main disciples, Gyaltsogye and Kezhujie, or accompanied by instruments of the Bodhisattva Manjusri (such as a sword).

- **Festivals and Commemorations**:

- The day of Tsongkhapa's death (the 25th day of the 10th month of the Tibetan calendar, approximately December of the Gregorian calendar) is designated as the "Tsongkhapa Festival" (Tibetan: Ganden Ngamchö), and Tibetan Buddhists light butter lamps to commemorate him.

- **Mantras and Practice**:

- Tsongkhapa's mantra "Om Ah Hum Benza Guru Padma Siddhi Hum" (Migtsema) is widely chanted to pray for wisdom, compassion and blessings.

- His practice methods (such as "Guru Yoga") are an important part of the Gelugpa practice, emphasizing Tsongkhapa as the incarnation of the guru and Buddha.

**Summary**

Tsongkhapa is the founder and spiritual leader of the Gelugpa sect in Tibetan Buddhism, representing a model of scholarship, precepts and practice. His reforms made Tibetan Buddhism more systematic and standardized, and provided practitioners with a clear path to Buddhahood through the teachings of both exoteric and esoteric Buddhism. His thoughts and traditions have profoundly influenced the development of Buddhism in Tibet, Mongolia and other regions, and he is regarded as the embodiment of wisdom and compassion. The three major monasteries of the Gelugpa sect, the reincarnation system of the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama, and works such as the Lamrim are all important legacies left by him.