Gelugpa

Gelugpa, also Gelukpa and popularly known as the Yellow Hat school, is one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It arose in 14th-century Tibet as a reform movement within the Kadampa tradition, led by Je Tsongkhapa (1357–1419). Tsongkhapa founded Ganden Monastery near Lhasa and, with his followers, emphasized strict monastic discipline, Vinaya ethics, and extensive scholastic study. He organized a comprehensive program of study and practice that culminated in works such as Lamrim Chenmo (The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path), shaping Gelug doctrinal identity.

The Gelug school is known for its emphasis on Prasangika-Madhyamaka philosophy, rigorous logic and debate, and a systematic monastic education. Its religious administration historically centers on a hierarchical scholastic structure, headed by the Ganden Tripa, the traditional leader of the school. The three great Gelug monasteries—Ganden, Sera, and Drepung—became focal points of study and monastic life and played a central role in Tibetan religious and political affairs.

Politically, Gelugpaprofoundly influenced Tibetan governance, especially from the 17th century onward, when the fifth Dalai Lama established a theocratic state under the Ganden Phodrang government and consolidated power from the Potala Palace. The Dalai Lamas and the Panchen Lamas are prominent Gelug lineages, with the Dalai Lama traditionally serving as both spiritual and political leader in Tibetan history.

Today, Gelug remains a major current within Tibetan Buddhism, with monasteries and communities across Tibet, the Himalayas, and in exile, continuing its tradition of monastic scholarship, debate, and practice.