Je Tsongkhapa

Who was Je Tsongkhapa?

Tsongkhapa, whose name means “The Man from Onion Valley”, was a famous teacher of Tibetan Buddhism whose activities led to the formation of the Geluk school. He is also known by his ordained name Lobsang Drakpa or simply as Je Rinpoche.

Tsongkhapa heard Buddha’s teachings from masters of all Tibetan Buddhist traditions, and received lineages transmitted in the major schools.

His main source of inspiration was the Kadampa tradition, the legacy of Atiśa. Based on Tsongkhapa’s teaching, the two distinguishing characteristics of the Gelug tradition are:

⁕The union of Sutra and Tantra, and

⁕The emphasis on the step by step graduated way to enlightenment along the three principal aspects of the path

In his two main treatises Tsongkhapa meticulously sets forth this graduated way and how one establishes oneself in the sutric and tantric paths.