The 7th Dalai Lama – Gesang Gyatso

Gesang Gyatso was born in Litang Region of Sichuan Province in AD 1708 and died in AD 1757, highly respected as the 7th Dalai Lama of Tibet Buddhism. He was also the great master of Gelug Sect – Yellow Sect. He became a Lama when he was 8 years old and moved to Kumbum Monastery in Qinghai Province for study when he was 9 years old. In AD 1719 during the period of Qing Dynasty, he was officially acknowledged as the 7th Dalai Lama by Qing Dynasty. Next year, the special religious ceremony was held for him in sacred Potala Palace. He once took the 5th Panchen Lama as his teacher and then learned the Buddhist scriptures in Drepung Monastery. Due to protect him when Dzungaria army invaded, he was moved to Litang of Sichuan Province and then migrated to Taining Huiyuan Temple by Qing Dynasty in AD 1727. In AD 1735, he got back to Lhasa City finally. In AD 1751 during the period of Qing Dynasty, he was approved to govern the local regime and Tibet affairs by Emperor Kangxi. Since then on, Gelug Sect – Yellow Sect lead the unification of the state and the church of Tibet, which was widely known in Tibet history.

The 7th Dalai Lama – Gesang Gyatso

After the death of Dipa Sangye Gyatso and the ouster of Tsangyang Gyatso, Yixi Gyatso was elected to be the 6th Dalai Lama by Lhabzang Khan – the king of Mongolian, which was terribly objected by all the Tibetan lamas, especially the great masters of Dreung Monastery, Potala Palace and Sera Monastery. They claimed that they only believed in the truth of Tsangyang Gyatso. They insisted that Tsangyang Gyatso was the real 6th Dalai Lama. After the death of Tsangyang Gyatso, they prefer to find the reincarnated soul boy of his. Finally, Sangye Gyatso was found and regarded as the reincarnation of Tsangyang Gyatso in Litang of Sichuan Province. Due to prevent him from the hurt of Lhabzang Khan, Sangye Gyatso was moved to Dege in AD 1714. And then, he was sent to Kumbum Monastery of Qinghai Province by Emperor Kangxi of Qing Dynasty. After the chaos caused by Dzungaria army, he was officially conferred as the 6th Dalai Lama by Qing Dynasty in AD 1719. But Gesang Gyatso was thought to be the reincarnation of Tsangyang Gyatso, so that he should be the 7th Dalai Lama. Qing Dynasty insisted that Gesang Gyatso was approved to take place of Tsangyang Gyatso instead of the reincarnated soul boy. Even if Gesang Gyatso was considered as the 6th Dalai Lama according to the record on the stone stele in Lhasa so far, he was still thought to be the 7th Dalai Lama by Tibetan people. But actually, Qing Dynasty acquiesced in the fact of Tsangyang Gyatso when the Emperor conferred the 8th Dalai Lama later on.

In AD 1720, Gesang Gyatso went to Lhasa and took Losang Yixi – the 5th Panchen Lama as his teacher. Afterwards, he went for study in Drepung Monastery.