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:
“... that there is no other way,
That the history of creation proceeds according to
Stringent laws, and that things
Do get done in this way, but never the things
We set out to accomplish and wanted so desperately
To see come into being.”
—John Ashbery (b. 1927)
“The principal office of history I take to be this: to prevent virtuous actions from being forgotten, and that evil words and deeds should fear an infamous reputation with posterity.”
—Tacitus (c. 55–c. 120)
“The only history is a mere question of one’s struggle inside oneself. But that is the joy of it. One need neither discover Americas nor conquer nations, and yet one has as great a work as Columbus or Alexander, to do.”
—D.H. (David Herbert)