The name itself was officially first bestowed by Altan Khan on Sonam in 1578, even though he became known as the third one.
The name itself was officially first bestowed by Altan Khan on Sonam in 1578, even though he became known as the third one. While not the oldest example of a tulku, as the Karmapas date to the twelfth century, the first one, Gedun Drub, lived during the late fifteenth century and founded the Tashilhumpo monastery. There have been a total of thirteen of these Gelugs who are officially lower in rank than the Ganden Tripa and reside in Potala Palace, although the present one is in exile. Believed to be the incarnation of the bodhisattva of compassion, FTP, Tenzin Gyatso is the current incarnation of what spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism?
The name itself was officially first bestowed by Altan Khan on Sonam in 1578, even though he became known as the third one.
{Dalai Lama}