His Holiness the 1st Dalai Lama

The 1^st Dalai Lama: Gedun Drupa (1391–1474)

Title: 1st Dalai Lama (title given posthumously)
Born: 1391, Gyurmey Rupa, near Sakya, in Tsang region of central Tibet
Died: 1474, Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, Shigatse, Tibet

Early Life:

Gedun Drupa was born in 1391 to a nomadic family in central Tibet. His birth name was Péma Dorje. At age seven, he joined Narthang Monastery and took monastic vows, later receiving full ordination from the great reformer Je Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism.

Religious Career:

Gedun Drupa became a close disciple of Je Tsongkhapa and rose to prominence as a scholar and teacher. He was known for his deep understanding of Buddhist philosophy and his strict monastic discipline. He played a key role in solidifying the teachings and practices of the Gelug tradition.

He founded the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Shigatse in 1447, which later became the seat of the Panchen Lamas. This monastery became a major center of learning and spiritual practice.

Gedun Drupa was a prolific writer, and many of his works remain influential in Tibetan Buddhism. His writings include commentaries on Buddhist philosophy, tantric practice, and monastic discipline.

Legacy:

As for the first Dalai Lama after having the title “Dalai Lama” meaning “Ocean of Wisdom” was first bestowed to the third Dalai Lama Sonam Gyatso by the Mongol King Alter Khan in 1578.

Gedun Drupa is remembered as a key figure in Tibetan Buddhism, laying the groundwork for the Dalai Lama lineage and promoting the reformist Gelug tradition.