History of Ganden Monastery

Abstract

Introduction. The article summarizes the history of one of the three largest monasteries of the Tibetan Geluk school — Ganden Monastery. The latter tradition of Tibetan Buddhism occupies an exceptional place in the history of Mongolic spiritual cultures. Therefore, the interest in Ganden monastery is determined not only by that it had been founded by Je Tsongkhapa (1357–1419), the patriarch of the Geluk and a greatest Buddhist figure in Tibet, but also by the enormous religious, cultural and political impacts this sect has had on the development and dissemination of Buddhism among Mongolian-speaking peoples. Goals. The article seeks to investigate the history of Ganden Monastery in the context of its basic organizational structure, material culture (relics, shrines), paradigm of scholastic training (texts, educational process), and specific Buddhist rituals. Materials and methods. The work examines original Tibetan texts, analyzes historical sources and special scientific literature. Results. The article shows that the central principles of scholastic training and regulations laid down by Lama Tsongkhapa, as well as the organizational structure of the monastery, have remained virtually unchanged since its foundation in 1409. The phenomenon of Tibetan monasteries is multifaceted, and in order to better understand and appreciate the role they have played over centuries in spiritual life of many peoples it is necessary to achieve a complete understanding — in their own terms — of history, educational system, and organizational structure of the monastery.