4th Dalai Lama facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yonten |
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| Religion | Tibetan Buddhism | ||||||
| Personal | |||||||
| Born | 1589 Mongolia |
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| Died | 1617 (aged 27–28) Tibet |
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| Senior posting | |||||||
| Title | 4th Dalai Lama | ||||||
| Period in office | 1601–1617 | ||||||
| Predecessor | Sonam Gyatso | ||||||
| Successor | Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso | ||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||
| Chinese | 雲丹嘉措 | ||||||
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| Tibetan name | |||||||
| Tibetan | ཡོན་ཏན་རྒྱ་མཚོ་ | ||||||
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Yonten Gyatso (1589–1617) was a special leader in Tibetan Buddhism. He was the 4th Dalai Lama. He was born in Mongolia. This makes him the only Dalai Lama who was not from Tibet.
Early Life and Recognition
Yonten Gyatso was born in 1589. His father was a leader of the Chokur tribe. His great-grandfather was Altan Khan, a famous Mongol ruler. This family connection was very important.
Before Yonten Gyatso was born, two important Tibetan oracles had a prediction. An oracle is a person who gives advice or predictions from a spiritual source. They both said the next Dalai Lama would be born in Mongolia.
The chief helper of the 3rd Dalai Lama also sent a letter. He told the leaders in Tibet that the new Dalai Lama had been born. He also shared amazing stories about his birth.
In 1601, a group from the Drepung monastery in Tibet went to Mongolia. They officially recognized Yonten Gyatso as the new Dalai Lama.
Journey to Tibet and Studies
Yonten Gyatso began his journey to Tibet in 1599. He was ten years old at the time. His father, many Tibetan monks, and a thousand Mongol soldiers traveled with him.
They visited many important monasteries along the way. They finally arrived in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, in 1603.
When he reached Lhasa, Yonten Gyatso was officially made the 4th Dalai Lama. A respected monk named Sangen Rinchen helped him. Sangen Rinchen was a former abbot of Ganden Monastery. An abbot is the head of a monastery.
Yonten Gyatso started his studies at Drepung Monastery. He learned from the Fourth Panchen Lama, Lobsang Chökyi Gyaltsen. The Panchen Lama is another very important leader in Tibetan Buddhism.
In 1614, Yonten Gyatso became a fully ordained monk. This means he took all the vows to become a monk. His teacher, the Panchen Lama, led this special ceremony.
Later, Yonten Gyatso became the abbot of Drepung Monastery. He also became the abbot of Sera Monastery.
Challenges and Passing
Not all Tibetans accepted Yonten Gyatso as the Dalai Lama. Some groups tried to take power from him. These groups were supported by the Kagyu religious order.
In 1605, a prince who supported the Kagyu order attacked Lhasa. He forced the Mongol soldiers to leave. When Yonten Gyatso was 21, warriors attacked Drepung monastery. He had to escape for his safety.
In 1616, he spent time in caves above Sangyib Hot Springs. These caves are famous because Padmasambhava, an important Buddhist master, left a footprint there long ago.
Yonten Gyatso passed away in January 1617. He was 27 years old. His death was unexpected.
His main helper was Sonam Rapten. Sonam Rapten later found the boy who became the 5th Dalai Lama. He also served as the regent for the 5th Dalai Lama. A regent is someone who rules when the main leader is too young or unable to.
See also
In Spanish: Yonten Gyatso para niños
