Jebtsundamba

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Part of a series on Buddhism
History
Dharmic religions Timeline of Buddhism Buddhist councils
Foundations
Four Noble Truths Noble Eightfold Path The Five Precepts Nirvāṇa · Three Jewels
Key Concepts
Three marks of existence Skandha · Cosmology · Dharma Saṃsāra · Rebirth · Shunyata Pratitya-samutpada · Karma
Major Figures
Gautama Buddha Disciples · Later Buddhists
Practices and Attainment
Buddhahood · Bodhisattva Four Stages of Enlightenment Paramis · Meditation · Laity
Regions
Southeast Asia · East Asia India · Sri Lanka · Tibet Western Countries
Schools
Theravāda · Mahāyāna Vajrayāna · Early schools
Texts
Pali Canon · Mahayana Sutras Tibetan Canon
Comparative Studies Culture · List of Topics Portal: Buddhism
This box: view • talk • edit

The Khalkha Jebtsundamba Khutughtu (standard Mongolian: Javzandamba Hutagt; Tibetan: རྗེ་བཙུན་དམ་པ་ Jetsun Dampa; literally, "Holy Venerable Lord") is the spiritual head of the Gelug lineage of Tibetan Buddhism in Mongolia. He also holds the title of Bogd Gegeen, making him the top-ranked lama in Mongolia.

The first Jebtsundamba, also known as Bogdo Zanabazar (1635-1723), was identified as the reincarnation of the scholar Taranatha of the Jonang school of Tibetan Buddhism. Zanabazar was the son of Prince Tosiyetu Khan, ruler of the Khan Uula district of Mongolia, and himself became the head of the Khalkha Mongols and the spiritual leader of northern Mongolia.

The first two Jebtsundambas were direct descendants of Genghis Khan. On the intervation of the Qing Dynasty, which was afraid of Mongol reunification, the rest were chosen from among the population of Tibet.

When northern Mongolia began its independence movement, the eighth Jebtsundamba (1869-1924) assumed the title of Emperor of Mongolia, calling himself Bogd Khan. He was the head of state until his death in 1924. The Communist government declared the end of his reincarnation.

The present Jebtsundamba Khutughtu's original name is Jampal Namdol Chokye Gyaltsen, born in Lhasa, Tibet. At the age of four, he was recognized as the reincarnation of the 8th Jebtsundamba. In 1959 he fled to Dharamsala in India where he now lives in exile.

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has appointed the present Jebtsundamba as representative of the Jonang tradion of Tibetan Buddhism. It should be noted that Jebtsundamba is considered a reincarnation of Tarantha, an important master of the Jonang tradition.