History
Sanga Monastery together with Ganden Monastery belong to the Geluk (Gelug-pa) order (also known as Yellow Hat Sect, lit. 'Virtuous'). The Yellow Sect rose and prospered primarily because of the personal prestige of its founder Tsongkhapa (Tsong Khapa or Lobsang Drakpa, also known as Jé Rinpoché, 1357–1419) who is identified as the manifestation of Mañjushri, bodhisattva of Wisdom. He earned a high reputation as a writer and teacher, and was later warmly received in the Lhasa region. He was strongly scholastic in orientation, and encouraged the study of the great Indian masters of philosophy and logic: Nagarjuna, Asanga, Dignaga, et al.. In 1409 Tsongkhapa founded his first monastery, Ganden Monastery. The two other great monasteries were later founded, Drepung in 1416 and Sera in 1419. Several of his disciples were able to evolve in distinct school separate from Geluk. From those disciples also came the line of Dalai Lamas such as the 2nd Dalai Lama Gendun Gyatso (see the statue of His Holiness The Fifth Dalai Lama Lobsang Gyatso in Sanga Monastery on your left).
In the 16th century the Geluk-school begun its rise to political preeminence when it came to enjoy the favor of a new generation of Mongol khans. In 1642, Gursi Khan installed Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso (1617–1682), the Fifth Dalai Lama, as virtual leader of Tibet under overall Mongol protection.
Read more about this topic: Sanga Monastery
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“Regarding History as the slaughter-bench at which the happiness of peoples, the wisdom of States, and the virtue of individuals have been victimized—the question involuntarily arises—to what principle, to what final aim these enormous sacrifices have been offered.”
—Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831)
“It may be well to remember that the highest level of moral aspiration recorded in history was reached by a few ancient Jews—Micah, Isaiah, and the rest—who took no count whatever of what might not happen to them after death. It is not obvious to me why the same point should not by and by be reached by the Gentiles.”
—Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–95)
“If you look at the 150 years of modern China’s history since the Opium Wars, then you can’t avoid the conclusion that the last 15 years are the best 15 years in China’s modern history.”
—J. Stapleton Roy (b. 1935)