1st Dalai Lama facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gendün Drubpa |
|
|---|---|
| དགེ་འདུན་གྲུབ་པ། | |
དགེ་འདུན་གྲུབ་པ།
|
|
| Religion | Tibetan Buddhism |
| Personal | |
| Born | Péma Dorjee 1391 Shabtod, Ü-Tsang, Tibet |
| Died | 1474 (aged 82–83) Ü-Tsang, Tibet |
| Parents |
|
| Senior posting | |
| Title | 1st Dalai Lama (posthumous designation) |
| Successor | Gedun Gyatso |
Gendün Drubpa (Tibetan: དགེ་འདུན་གྲུབ་པ།; 1391–1474) is known as the first Dalai Lama. This title was given to him after his death.
Contents
The Life of Gendün Drubpa
Gendün Drubpa was born in 1391 in a cow-shed in central Tibet. His parents, Gonpo Dorjee and Jomo Namkha Kyi, were nomadic people. This means they moved around a lot.
He worked as a shepherd, looking after sheep, until he was seven years old. His birth name was Péma Dorjee, which means "Vajra Lotus."
Becoming a Monk
When he was young, Péma Dorjee went to Narthang Monastery. In 1405, he took his first vows to become a monk. He was just 14 years old.
Around 1411, when he was 20, he took more important vows and received the name Gedun Drupa. This made him a full monk, called a bhikṣu.
Learning from a Great Teacher
At this time, Gedun Drupa became a student of a very famous teacher named Je Tsongkhapa. Tsongkhapa was a great scholar and helped to reform, or improve, Tibetan Buddhism. Some people say Tsongkhapa was Gedun Drupa's uncle.
Gedun Drupa also became the first leader, or abbot, of Ganden Monastery. Tsongkhapa himself had started this monastery in 1409. As he grew older, Gedun Drupa became one of the most respected scholar-saints in Tibet.
Founding Tashi Lhunpo Monastery
Gedun Drupa founded a very important monastery called Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in a place called Shigatse. This monastery later became the main home for the Panchen Lamas, who are also very important leaders in Tibetan Buddhism.
Visions and Protectors
Tibetan tradition says that Palden Lhamo, a special guardian spirit, promised Gedun Drupa that she would protect the future Dalai Lamas. This promise came to him in a vision.
Later, the second Dalai Lama made it a tradition for monks to visit a sacred lake called Lhamo La-tso. They would meditate there to get guidance on finding the next reincarnation of the Dalai Lama.
His Role and Writings
Gedun Drupa did not have political power during his life. That power was held by other leaders, like princes and Mongolian rulers. The Dalai Lamas only started to have political power much later, with the 5th Dalai Lama.
Gedun Drupa stayed as the abbot of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery until he passed away in 1474. He was meditating when he died, at the age of 83 or 84.
He wrote several famous texts, including:
- Sunlight on the Path to Freedom, which explains Buddhist teachings.
- Crushing the Forces of Evil to Dust, a long poem about the life of Gautama Buddha.
- Song of the Eastern Snow Mountain, a poem for his teacher, Je Tsongkhapa.
- Praise of the Venerable Lady Khadiravani Tara, a tribute to Tara, a Buddhist goddess.
See also
In Spanish: Gendun Drup para niños
