Editing Dalai Lama (section)

=== 1st Dalai Lama ===
{{Main|1st Dalai Lama}}
Pema Dorje (1391–1474), who would eventually be posthumously declared the 1st Dalai Lama, was born in a cattle pen in Shabtod, [[Ü-Tsang|Tsang]] in 1391.<ref name="norb215">Norbu 1968, p. 215.</ref><ref name="shak91" /> His family were goatherders, but when his father died in 1398, his mother entrusted him to his uncle for education as a Buddhist monk.<ref>Mullin 2001, pp. 52–3.</ref>  Pema Dorje was sent to [[Narthang Monastery|Narthang]], a major Kadampa monastery near Shigatse, which ran the largest printing press in Tibet.<ref>David-Neel 2007, p. 89.</ref> Its celebrated library attracted many scholars, so Pema Dorje received an education beyond the norm at the time as well as exposure to diverse spiritual schools and ideas.<ref name=mull54>Mullin 2001, p. 54.</ref>

He studied Buddhist philosophy extensively. In 1405, ordained by Narthang's abbot, he took the name of Gendun Drup.<ref name=shak91 /> He was recognised as an exceptionally gifted pupil, so the abbot tutored him personally and took special interest in his progress.<ref name=mull54 /> In twelve years he passed the twelve grades of monkhood and took the highest vows.<ref name=norb215 /> After completing his intensive studies at Narthang he left to continue at specialist monasteries in Central Tibet.<ref>Mullin 2001, pp. 54, 56.</ref>

In 1415, Gendun Drup met [[Tsongkhapa]], founder of the [[Gelugpa]] school, and became his student.<ref>Dhondub 1984, p. 3.</ref> After the death of Tsongkhapa's successor, the [[Khedrup Gelek Pelzang, 1st Panchen Lama|Panchen Lama Khedrup Je]], Gendun Drup became the leader of the Gelugpa.<ref name=norb215 /> He rose to become Abbot of Drepung, the greatest Gelugpa monastery outside Lhasa.<ref name=TN1 />

It was mainly due to Gendun Drup that Tsongkhapa's new school grew into an order capable of competing with others on an equal footing.<ref name=snel182>Snellgrove & Richardson 1986, p. 182.</ref> Taking advantage of good relations with the nobility and a lack of determined opposition from rival orders, he founded Tashilhunpo Monastery at Shigatse, on the very edge of Karma Kagyu-dominated territory,<ref name=snel182 /> and would serve as its Abbot until his death.<ref>Richardson 1984, p. 40.</ref> This monastery became the fourth great Gelugpa monastery in Tibet, after [[Ganden]], Drepung, and Sera, all founded in Tsongkhapa's time,<ref name=norb216 /> and would later become the seat of the [[Panchen Lamas]].<ref name=bell33>Bell 1946, p. 33.</ref>
By establishing it at Shigatse in the middle of Tsang, Gendun Drup expanded the Gelugpa sphere of influence, and his own, from the Lhasa region of Ü to this province, which was the stronghold of the [[Karma Kagyu]] school and their patrons, the rising [[Tsangpa]] dynasty.<ref name=norb216 /><ref>Smith 1997, p. 101.</ref> Tashilhunpo eventually become 'Southern Tibet's greatest monastic university'<ref name=mull242>Mullin 1983, p. 242.</ref> with a complement of 3,000 monks.<ref name="shak91" />

Gendun Drup was said to be the greatest scholar-saint ever produced by [[Narthang Monastery]]<ref name=mull242 /> and became 'the single most important lama in Tibet'.<ref>Mullin 2001, p. 52.</ref> Through hard work he became a leading lama, known as 'Perfecter of the Monkhood', 'with a host of disciples'.<ref name=bell33 /> Famed for his Buddhist scholarship, he was also referred to as ''Panchen Gendun Drup'', 'Panchen' being an honorary title designating 'great scholar'.<ref name=shak91 /> By the great [[Jonangpa]] master Bodong Chokley Namgyal<ref>[[:de:Bodong Chogle Namgyel]]{{Circular reference|date=July 2021}}</ref> he was accorded the honorary title ''Tamchey Khyenpa'' meaning "The Omniscient One", an appellation that was later assigned to all Dalai Lama incarnations.<ref>Mullin 2001, pp. 58–9.</ref>

At the age of 50, he entered meditation retreat at [[Narthang Monastery|Narthang]]. As he grew older, [[Karma Kagyu]] adherents, finding their sect was losing too many recruits to the monkhood to burgeoning [[Gelugpa]] monasteries, tried to contain Gelug expansion by launching military expeditions against them.<ref>Mullin 2001, p. 60.</ref> This led to decades of military and political power struggles between [[Tsangpa]] dynasty forces and others across central Tibet.<ref>Dhondup 1984, p. 4.</ref> In an attempt to ameliorate these clashes, Gendun Drup issued a poem of advice to his followers advising restraint from responding to violence with more violence and urged compassion and patience instead. The poem, entitled ''Shar Gang Rima'', "The Song of the Eastern Snow Mountains", became one of his most enduring popular literary works.<ref>Mullin 2001, p. 61.</ref>

Gendun Drup's spiritual accomplishments brought him substantial donations from devotees which he used to build and furnish new monasteries, as well as to print and distribute Buddhist texts and to maintain monks and meditators.<ref>Mullin 2001, p. 6.9</ref> In 1474, at the age of 84, he went on a final teaching tour by foot to visit [[Narthang Monastery]]. Returning to Tashilhunpo<ref>Mullin 2001, p. 69–70.</ref> he died 'in a blaze of glory, recognised as having attained Buddhahood'.<ref name=bell33 />

His remains were interred in a bejewelled silver [[stupa]] at [[Tashi Lhunpo Monastery]], which survived the [[Cultural Revolution]] and can still be seen.<ref name=mull87 />