2nd Dalai Lama facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gedun Gyatso
Religion	Tibetan Buddhism
Personal
Born	Sangye Phel 1475 Tanag Segme, Ü-Tsang, Tibet
Died	1542 (aged 66–67) Tibet
Parents	Kunga Gyaltso (father) Machik Kunga Pemo (mother)
Senior posting
Title	2nd Dalai Lama
Period in office	1486–1576
Predecessor	Gedun Drupa
Successor	Sonam Gyatso
Chinese name
Chinese	根敦嘉措
Transcriptions
Tibetan name
Tibetan	དགེ་འདུན་རྒྱ་མཚོ།
Transcriptions Wylie dge-'dun rgya-mtsho Tibetan Pinyin Gêdün Gyaco

Gedun Gyatso (born Sangye Phel, 1475–1542) was a very important leader in Tibetan Buddhism. He is known as the second Dalai Lama. The name "Gedun Gyatso" means "Sublimely Glorious Ocean of Spiritual Aspirants."

Life of Gedun Gyatso

Gedun Gyatso was born in 1475 near Shigatse in a place called Tanak, in Central Tibet. His birth name was Sangye Phel. His father, Kunga Gyaltsen, was a special kind of religious teacher called a ngakpa. This means he was a married tantric practitioner. His mother was Machik Kunga Pemo. They were a farming family.

Early Life and Recognition

Even when he was very young, people believed Gedun Gyatso was special. Legend says that as a toddler, he claimed his name was Pema Dorje. This was the birth name of the First Dalai Lama, Gendun Drup. He also said his father was Lobsang Drakpa, which was the ordination name of Je Tsongkhapa, a very important Buddhist teacher.

When he was four years old, he reportedly told his parents he wanted to live at the Tashilhunpo monastery. This monastery was founded by the First Dalai Lama.

He was officially recognized as the reincarnation (a reborn spirit) of the First Dalai Lama. Some sources say this happened when he was four, others say when he was eight.

Becoming a Monk and Scholar

At age ten, in 1486, he took his first vows to become a monk. He received his full monk vows from Ghoje Choekyi Gyaltsen, who gave him the name Gedun Gyatso. When he was eleven, he was formally placed on the throne as the reincarnation of Gendun Drup at Tashilhunpo monastery.

He stayed at Tashilhunpo until he was about 16 or 17. Then, because of some disagreements, he moved to Lhasa. There, he continued his studies at Drepung Monastery, which is one of the largest monasteries.

Gedun Gyatso became a very respected scholar. He wrote many mystical poems. He traveled widely to spread the teachings of the Gelug school of Buddhism. He became the abbot (head) of Drepung Monastery. This monastery then became very important for the line of leaders who would later be called the Dalai Lamas. He also studied some teachings from the Nyingma school of Buddhism.

Sacred Lake and Monasteries

There is a story that Palden Lhamo, a female guardian spirit, promised the First Dalai Lama she would protect the Dalai Lamas' lineage. Since Gedun Gyatso's time, monks have visited a sacred lake called Lhamo La-tso. They meditate there to receive visions that help them find the next reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. Gedun Gyatso is believed to be the first to discover how sacred this lake was.

In 1509, he founded the Chokorgyel Monastery near Lake Lhamo La-tso. This monastery is located high in the mountains, about 115 kilometers northeast of Tsetang.

Leadership Roles

Gedun Gyatso became the abbot of Tashilhunpo monastery in 1512, when he was 36 years old. In 1517, he became the abbot of Drepung monastery. He also brought back the 'Great Prayer Festival' (Monlam Chenmo) in 1518. He led this festival with monks from the three main Gelug monasteries: Sera, Drepung, and Ganden. Later, in 1525, he became the abbot of Sera monastery as well.

His main base was Drepung Monastery.

Gedun Gyatso passed away peacefully in 1542, at the age of 67, while deep in meditation.

Images for kids

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  Statue of Lobsang Gyatso, the Fifth Dalai Lama.

See also

• Dalai Lama
• Tibetan Buddhism