The monastic education system in the Gelug monasteries covers five major topics, based on five great Indian scriptural texts studied through the medium of logic and debate: Prajnaparamita, Madhyamaka, Pramana, Abhidharma and Vinaya.

Svatantrika and Prasangika are two divisions of the Madhyamaka tenet system, but according to the Gelugpa presentation, Svatantrika asserts self-established (inherent) existence, while Prasangika refutes it.

Introduction  Concerning the life of Tsongkhapa, one of the most important points is what a great revolutionary Tsongkhapa was. Through all his tremendous efforts in meditation and preliminary practices building up positive force and so on, he gained a newer and deeper...

This bibliography was originally published as an appendix to H. H. the Dalai Lama and Berzin, Alexander. The Gelug/Kagyü Tradition of Mahamudra. Ithaca, Snow Lion, 1997, and published here in the preceding items on this website in individual parts.  Tibetan and...

The Ghaznavid Campaign in Gandhara and Northwestern India After Mahmud of Ghazni was repulsed in 1008 in his attack on the Qarakhanid Empire to his north, he enlisted the Seljuq Turks in southern Sogdia and Khwarazm to defend his kingdom from Qarakhanid retribution. The...

In the previous part of this series, we saw that: Unlike revealing forms, nonrevealing forms are not made of particles and so do not depend for their existence on themselves having subparticles of the four types of great elements as their components.  Being nonmaterial,...

Then the great goddess Shri said this to the Tathagata: “Venerable Transcendent Victor, I the great goddess Shri will also give delight and well-being to that bhikshu who expounds the Dharma. I will offer garments, food, bedding, medicine to treat illness and many excellent...

The “Guru Puja” – “Lama Chopa” in Tibetan – is a tantric practice, in the Gelug tradition, of making offerings to the spiritual master and includes a review of all the points of the combined sutra and tantra path to enlightenment

Basis, Pathway, and Resultant Viewpoints Most Tibetan texts that discuss tantric masters' being Buddhas explain the topic of impure and pure appearances from a specific viewpoint. Often, however, the texts neglect to state their point of view. This may cause confusion. In...

This short text on prajnaparamita (the perfection of wisdom) presents the essence of the far-reaching discriminating awareness of voidness (emptiness). It is recited and meditated upon throughout the Mahayana Buddhist world.