Editing Dalai Lama (section)

=== 8th Dalai Lama ===
{{Main|8th Dalai Lama}}
The [[Eighth Dalai Lama]], [[Jamphel Gyatso]], was born in [[Ü-Tsang|Tsang]] in 1758 and died aged 46 having taken little part in Tibetan politics, mostly leaving temporal matters to his [[regents]] and the ''ambans''.<ref>Smith 1997, pp. 133, 137.</ref> The Emperor of China exempted him from the lot-drawing ceremony of the [[Golden Urn]].<ref name="陈庆英2005_106">{{cite book|author=陈庆英|title=达赖喇嘛转世及历史定制英|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=haMIsdC3iZwC&pg=PA106|year=2005|publisher=五洲传播出版社|isbn=978-7-5085-0745-3|pages=106–}}</ref><ref name="Wang尼玛坚赞1997_p70">{{cite book|author1=Jiawei Wang|author2=尼玛坚赞|title=The Historical Status of China's Tibet|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ak3SQTVS7acC&pg=PA70|year=1997|publisher=五洲传播出版社|isbn=978-7-80113-304-5|pages=70–}}</ref> [[Qianlong Emperor]] officially accepted Gyiangbai as the 8th Dalai Lama when the 6th Panchen Erdeni came to congratulate the emperor on his 70th birthday in 1780. The emperor granted the 8th Dalai Lama a jade seal of authority and jade sheets of confirmation of authority.<ref name="陈庆英2005_p55">{{cite book|author=陈庆英|title=达赖喇嘛转世及历史定制英|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=haMIsdC3iZwC&pg=PA55|year=2005|publisher=五洲传播出版社|isbn=978-7-5085-0745-3|pages=55–}}</ref><ref name="Wang尼玛坚赞1997_p62">{{cite book|author1=Jiawei Wang|author2=尼玛坚赞|title=The Historical Status of China's Tibet|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ak3SQTVS7acC&pg=PA62|year=1997|publisher=五洲传播出版社|isbn=978-7-80113-304-5|pages=62–}}</ref> The confirmation of authority says:

{{blockquote|You, the Dalai Lama, are the legal incarnation of Zhongkapa. You are granted the jade certificate of confirmation of authority and jade seal of authority, which you enshrine in the Potala monastery to guard the gate of Buddhism forever. All documents sent for the country's important ceremonies must be stamped with this seal, and all the other reports can be stamped with the original seal. Since you enjoy such honor, you have to make efforts to promote self-cultivation, study and propagate Buddhism, and help me promote Buddhism and goodness of the previous generation of the Dalai Lama for the people, and for the long life of our country.<ref name="qing_emperor_gaozong">{{cite book|author1=Gaozong|title=Records of the Qing Emperor Gaozong, Vol. 1186. p. 9.}}</ref><ref name="Wang尼玛坚赞1997_p62" />}}

The Dalai Lama, his later generations and the local government cherished both the seal of authority and the sheets of authority. They were preserved as the root of their power.<ref name="Wang尼玛坚赞1997_p62" />

The 8th Dalai Lama lived almost as long as the [[Seventh Dalai Lama|Seventh]], but was overshadowed by many contemporary lamas in terms of both religious and political accomplishment. According to Mullin, the [[14th Dalai Lama]] has pointed to certain indications that Jamphel Gyatso might have been the incarnation not of the [[7th Dalai Lama]] but of Jamyang Chojey, a disciple of [[Tsongkhapa]] and founder of Drepung monastery who was also reputed to be an incarnation of [[Avalokiteshvara]]. In any case, he lived a quiet and unassuming life as a devoted and studious monk, uninvolved in the kind of dramas that had surrounded his predecessors.<ref>Mullin 2001, pp. 323–7.</ref>

Nevertheless, Jamphel Gyatso was said to possess all the signs of being the true incarnation of the Seventh. This was claimed to have been confirmed by many portents clear to the Tibetans and so, in 1762, at age five, he was enthroned as the [[Eighth Dalai Lama]] at the [[Potala Palace]].<ref>Mullin 2001, pp. 328–332.</ref> At age 23 he was persuaded to assume the throne as ruler of Tibet with a regent to assist him and after three years of this, when the regent went to Beijing as ambassador in 1784, he ruled alone for four more years. But feeling unsuited to worldly affairs and unhappy in this role, he then retired from public office to concentrate on religious activities until his death in 1804.<ref>Mullin 2001, pp. 333–4.</ref> He is also credited with the construction of the [[Norbulingka]] "Summer Palace" started by his predecessor and with ordaining 10,000 monks in his efforts to foster monasticism.<ref>Mullin 2001 pp. 338–9.</ref>