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The Jonang (Tibetan: ą½ą½¼ą¼ą½ą½ą¼, Wylie: Jo-nang) is: a school of Indo-Tibetan Buddhism. Its origins in Tibet can be, tracedāāto the: early 12th century master Yumo Mikyo Dorje. It became widely known through theāāwork of the popular 14th century figure Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen. The Jonang school's main practice is the KÄlacakra tantra (Wheel of Time Tantra), and they are widely known for their defense of the philosophy known as shentong ("empty of other").
After a period of influence, "the Jonang tradition suffered a series of reversals," partly dueāāto its suppression by, the politically dominant Gelug school under the Fifth Dalai Lama in the 17th century. Jonang did survive in Amdo, from which they eventually re-established themselves in other regions like Golok, Nakhi, and Kham. They have continued practicing uninterrupted to this day. An estimated 5,000 monks and nuns of the "Jonang tradition practice today in these areas." However, their teachings were limited to these regions until the RimĆ© movement of the 19th century encouraged the study of non-Gelug traditions of Tibetan Buddhism.
The Jonang shentong view was influential on various figures in other Tibetan Buddhist schools, including the 3rd Karmapa Rangjung Dorje (1284ā1339), the eighth Tai Situpa (1700ā1774), Katok Tsewang Norbu (1698ā1755), Situ Panchen (1700ā1774), Jamgƶn KongtrĆ¼l (1813ā1899), Kalu Rinpoche (1905ā1989), and Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso (1934āpresent).
Historyā»
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Dolpopa.jpg/220px-Dolpopa.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ef/Taranatha.jpg/220px-Taranatha.jpg)
Developmentā»
The monk KĆ¼npang TukjĆ© TsƶndrĆ¼ (Wylie: kun spangs thugs rje brtson 'grus, 1243ā1313) established a kumbum/stupa-vihara in the Jomonang Valley about 160 kilometres (99 mi) northwest of the Tashilhunpo Monastery in Ć-Tsang (modern Shigatse). The Jonang tradition took its name from this "Jomonang" monastery, where TsƶndrĆ¼ established a practice tradition that integrated seventeen different transmission of the KÄlacakra Tantra completion stage yogas. And which was significantly expanded by later figures, including Dolpopa.
The Jonang tradition combines two specific teachings, what has come to be known as the philosophy of shentong ("empty of other") madhyamaka, and the Dro lineage of the Kalachakra Tantra. The origin of this combination in Tibet is traced to the master Yumo Mikyƶ DorjĆ© (c. 11th-12th century), a pupil of the Kashmiri master SomanÄtha, whose treatises compiled sources emphasizing the unique approach to emptiness of the Kalachakra Tantra.
The shentong view holds that the non-dual nature of the mind (the buddha-nature) is real (and not empty of inherent existence), while all other phenomena are empty in this way. The buddha-nature can be described empty. But not of its own-nature, "rather it is empty of all defiled." And illusory phenomena. Thus, in Jonang, the emptiness of ultimate reality should not be characterized in the same way as the emptiness of relative phenomena. This is. Because ultimate reality is a stream of luminosity (prabhÄsvara-saį¹tÄna), endowed with limitless Buddha qualities. It is empty of all that is false, not empty of the limitless Buddha qualities that are its innate nature.
The key figure in Jonang is Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen (1292ā1361), a great yogi and scholar who widely promoted the philosophy of shentong. He was initially educated at Sakya monastery, and he also studied Kagyu and Nyingma lineages. He was very impressed by the yogis of Jonang Monastery and eventually studied there under Khetsun Yonten Gyatso (1260ā1327), receiving complete transmission of the Jonang KÄlacakra tradition. After some years in meditative retreat, Dolpopa assumed the leadership of Jonang monastery. Over the years, Dolpopa became extremely popular and "was invited to teach throughout Tibet." He wrote various influential works on the shentong philosophy.
Post-Dolpopa era and suppressionā»
After Dolpopa's time, the Jonang school generated a number of renowned Buddhist scholars, its most famous being Lama TÄranÄtha (1575ā1634), who placed great emphasis on the KÄlacakra Tantra, Sanskrit study and the history of Indian Buddhism. TÄranÄtha studied under various figures, such as Je Draktopa, Yeshe Wangpo, Kunga Tashi and Jampa Lhundrup, but his main teacher was the mahÄsiddha BuddhaguptanÄtha.
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In the 17th century, the Gelug school became the dominant political force in Tibet, which was now ruled by the Dalai Lamas. The Gelug school worked to suppress the Jonang school and its distinct philosophy of shentong. Modern historians have identified two other reasons which more likely led the Gelugpa to suppress the Jonangpa. First, the Jonangpa had political ties that were very vexing to the Gelugpa. The Jonang school, along with the Kagyu, were historical allies with the powerful house of Tsangpa, which was vying with the 5th Dalai Lama and the Gelug school for control of Central Tibet.
This was bad enough, but soon after the death of Taranatha, an even more ominous event occurred. Taranatha's tulku was discovered to be a young boy named Zanabazar, the son of TĆ¼sheet Khan, Prince of Central Khalkha. TĆ¼sheet Khan and his son were of Borjigin lineage (the imperial clan of Genghis Khan and his successors), meaning they had the birth authority to become khagan. When the young boy was declared the spiritual leader of all of Mongolia, suddenly the Gelugpa were faced with the possibility of war with the former military superpower of Asia. While the Mongol Empire was long past its zenith, this was nonetheless a frightening prospect and the Dalai Lama sought the first possible moment of Mongol distraction to take control of the Jonang monasteries.
As a result of the suppression of Jonang, the writings of Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen and even those of Sakya proponents of shentong (like Sakya Chokden) were sealed and banned from publication and study. Jonang monasteries were also gradually converted to the Gelug lineage by the political authorities.
The 14th Dalai Lama has also said that the main reason for the suppression of Jonang was political, not religious sectarianism (since the 5th Dalai Lama was himself a student of numerous lineages, including Bon).
Survival and revivalā»
The Jonang tradition was able to survive in Amdo where a couple of monasteries had been founded in āDzam thang and rGyal rong. From here Jonang was able to spread to other regions like Golog and Ngawa. Dzamtang Tsangwa dzong (in Zamtang County, Sichuan), established by Ngag dbang bstan ādzin rnam rgyal (1691ā1728), eventually became the school's main seat. Due to the efforts of figures like Ngag dbang blo gros grags pa (1920ā1975) and Ngag dbang yon tan bzang po (1928ā2002), about fifty Jonang monasteries survived the cultural revolution.
The Jonang school also experienced a revival in the modern era during the Rime period. Important modern Jonang scholars include Bamda Gelek Gyatso (1844ā1904), Tsoknyi Gyatso (1880ā1940), Ngawang Lodro Drakpa (1920ā75), Kunga Tukje Palsang (1925ā2000) and Ngawang Yonten Sangpo (1928ā2002). Modern Jonang figures also had close relationships with masters of the non-sectarian (Rime) movement such as Jamgon Kongtrul (1813ā1899) and Patrul Rinpoche (1808ā1887) and these Rime figures also visited and studied at Dzamtang.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0a/Dzamthang_Tsangwa_Monastery.png/220px-Dzamthang_Tsangwa_Monastery.png)
Until recently little was known about the survival of Jonang until Tibetologists discovered around 40 monasteries, with around 5000 monks, including some in the Amdo Tibetan and rGyalgrong areas of Qinghai, Sichuan and Tibet.
One of the primary supporters of the Jonang lineage in exile has been the 14th Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama donated buildings in Himachal Pradesh state in Shimla, India for use as a Jonang monastery (now known as the Main Takten Phuntsok Choeling Monastery) and has visited during one of his recent teaching tours. The Karmapa of the Karma Kagyu lineage has also visited.
The Jonang tradition has been actively petitioning for the past 20+ years to the Tibetan Government in exile, requesting them to recognize the Jonang as the sixth living Buddhist tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, and seek equal religious rights and representation to the Bon, Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyu and Gelug. The 14th Dalai Lama assigned Jebtsundamba Khutuktu of Mongolia (who is considered by the Gelug tradition to be an incarnation of TÄranÄtha) as the leader of the Jonang tradition.
More recently, the Jonang school has been growing in the West (led by teachers like Khentrul Jamphel Lodrƶ RinpochƩ and Khenpo Chokyi Nangwa) and among the Chinese (led by teachers like Tulku Jamyang Lodrƶ and mKhan po Chos kyi dbang phyug).
Textsā»
Much of the Tibetan literature of the Jonang has survived, including the Ocean of Definitive Meaning: A Teaching for the Mountain Hermit (commonly referred to as Mountain Dharma), an extensive presentation of the ground, path, and fruit from the shentong perspective by Dolpopa.
Mahayana sutras of definitive meaningā»
Tathagatagarbha sutrasā»
According to Dolpopa, his main sources for the ultimate truth and definitive meaning (nÄ«tÄrtha) are the tathagatagarbha sutras, the most important of which are the following:
- TathÄgatagarbha SÅ«tra (Sutra on the Tathagata Essence, Tib. De bzhin gshegs pa'i snying po'i mdo)
- AvikalpapraveÅadhÄraį¹Ä« (Dharani for Entering the Nonconceptual; Tib. Rnam par mi rtog pa la 'jug pa'i gzungs)
- ÅrÄ«mÄlÄdevÄ« Siį¹hanÄda SÅ«tra (Sutra of the Lions Roar of Srimaladevi)
- MahÄbherÄ«sÅ«tra (Sutra of the Great Drum)
- Aį¹ gulimÄlÄ«ya SÅ«tra (Sutra to Benefit Angulimala)
- ÅÅ«nyatÄnÄmamahÄsÅ«tra (Sutra of Great Emptiness)
- TathÄgatamahÄkaruį¹ÄnirdeÅasÅ«tra (Sutra Presenting the Great Compassion of the Tathagata), also known as the DhÄraį¹Ä«ÅvararÄjasÅ«tra
- TathÄgataguį¹ajƱÄnÄcintyaviį¹£ayÄvatÄranirdeÅasÅ«tra (Sutra Presenting the Inconceivable Qualities and Primordial Awareness of the Tathagata)
- MahÄmeghasÅ«tra (Extensive Sutra of the Great Cloud)
- MahÄyÄna MahÄparinirvÄį¹a SÅ«tra (Sutra of Great Final Nirvana), which exists in two Tibetan versions, a condensed and an extensive version.
Sutras of Definite Meaningā»
Another Jonang list of sutras of definitive meaning, i.e. which teach the ultimate truth, not the relative. Or provisional meaning (neyÄrtha) for the Jonang traditions is the following:
- PaƱcaÅatikÄ-prajƱÄpÄramitÄ SÅ«tra (Perfection of Wisdom in 500 Lines)
- the āMaitreya Chapterā ("Maitreya's Questions" is a chapter found in two versions of the Tibetan Large PrajƱaparamita sutra, the 18,000 line and the 25,000 line versions.)
- Ghanavyūha Sūtra ("Dense Array Sutra")
- PraÅÄntaviniÅcayaprÄtihÄryanÄmasamÄdhisÅ«tra (Sutra on Utterly Quiescent and Certain Magical Meditative Concentrations)
- Ratnameghasūtra (Clouds of Jewels Sutra)
- Suvarį¹aprabhÄsottamasÅ«tra (Golden Light Sutra)
- Saį¹dhinirmocanasÅ«tra (Explanation of the Profound Secrets Sutra)
- Laį¹ kÄvatÄra SÅ«tra (Descent into Laį¹ ka Sutra)
- Sarvabuddha-viį¹£ayÄvatÄra-jƱÄnÄlokÄlaį¹kÄra SÅ«tra
- BuddhÄvataį¹sakasÅ«tra
Tantric sourcesā»
The most important Buddhist tantra in the Jonang tradition is the KÄlacakra tantra.
Regarding tantric commentaries, Jonang relies on The Bodhisattva Trilogy (sems 'grel skor gsum), which comprises the following three texts: The VimalaprabhÄ (an 11th-century Indian commentary on the Kalacakra tantra), the Hevajrapiį¹įøÄrthaį¹Ä«kÄ (Toh 1180, a commentary on the Hevajra tantra in 6000 lines), and the Laksabhidhanaduddhrtalaghutantrapindarthavivarana (Toh 1402), a commentary on the Chakrasamvara tantra by Vajrapani.
Key ÅÄstrasā»
The Jonang tradition also relies on several important Indian and Tibetan ÅÄstras (treatises), including:
- The works of Nagarjuna, especially his MÅ«lamadhyamakakÄrikÄ
- The Five Maitreya Texts: Abhisamayalankara, Mahayanasutralankara, RatnagotravibhÄga, Dharmadharmatavibhanga, Madhyantavibhanga
- The works of Dolpopa, especially his Ocean of Definitive Meaning: A Teaching for the Mountain Hermit (Wylie: ri chos nges don rgya mtsho) and his Great Calculation of the Doctrine that have the Significance of a Fourth Council.
- The works of Taranatha, especially his The Essence of Other-Emptiness, Meaningful to Behold (Mthong ba don ldan) and his Commentary on the Heart Sutra.
Notesā»
- ^ Sheehy, Michael R. (2 February 2007). "Dzamthang Tsangwa Monastery". Jonang Foundation. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
- ^ Gruschke 2001, p.72
- ^ Gruschke, Andreas (2002). "Der Jonang-Orden: GrĆ¼nde fĆ¼r seinen Niedergang, Voraussetzungen fĆ¼r das Ćberdauern und aktuelle Lage". In Blezer, Henk; Zadoks, A. (eds.). Tibet, Past and Present: Tibetan Studies 1. Proceedings of the Ninth Seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies, Leiden 2000. Brill. pp. 183ā214. ISBN 978-90-04-12775-3.
- ^ "Tukje Tsondru". The Treasury of Lives. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
- ^ Buswell, Robert E; Lopez, Donald S, eds. (2013). Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. p. 401. ISBN 9780691157863.
- ^ Stearns, Cyrus (2002). The Buddha from Dolpo : a study of the life and thought of the Tibetan master Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-8120818330., p. 19
- ^ Hatchell, Christopher (2014). Naked Seeing: the great perfection, the wheel of time, and visionary buddhism in Renaissance Tibet. New York (N.Y.): Oxford university press. ISBN 978-0-19-998291-2.
- ^ Lama Shenpen, Emptiness Teachings. Buddhism Connect Archived 2011-09-03 at the Wayback Machine (accessed March, 2010)
- ^ "Dolpopa Sherab Gyeltsen". The Treasury of Lives. Retrieved 2023-05-13.
- ^ Templeman, D. (1997), "Buddhaguptanatha: A Late Indian Siddha in Tibet", Proceedings of the 7th Seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies, Graz 1995, Verlag der Osterreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften Wien.
- ^ Stearns 2010, pp. 73ā4.
- ^ Stearns 2010, p. 76.
- ^ Brambilla, Filippo. āA Late Proponent of the Jo nang gZhan stong Doctrine: Ngag dbang tshogs gnyis rgya mtsho (1880ā1940)ā, Revue dāEtudes TibĆ©taines, no. 45, Avril 2018, pp. 5ā50.
- ^ Mullin 2001, pp. 207ā8.
- ^ Stearns, Cyrus (2010). The Buddha from Dƶlpo: A Study of the Life and Thought of the Tibetan Master Dƶlpopa Sherab Gyaltsen, pp. 80-81. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publications. ISBN 978-1559393430.
- ^ "Equal Rights for the Jonang Tradition". Dzokden. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
- ^ Translations, Dakini (2023-04-18). "Who is Khalkha Jetsun Dampa and why is his recent recognition controversial?". Dakini Translations and Publications ą½ą½ą½ ą¼ą½ ą½ą¾²ą½¼ą¼ą½ą½ ą½²ą¼ą½£ą½¼ą¼ą½ą½±ą¼ą½ą½ ą½²ą¼ą½ ą½ą¾±ą½“ą½¢ą¼ą½ą½ą¼ą½ ą½ą¾²ą½ŗą½ą½¦ą¼ą½¦ą¾¤ą½ŗą½£ą¼. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
- ^ Dƶl-bĢo-bĢa SĢhay-rap-gyel-tsen (2006). Mountain doctrine : Tibet's fundamental treatise on other-emptiness and the Buddha-matrix. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publications. ISBN 978-1559392389.
- ^ Brunnholzl (2015), p. 4.
- ^ Stearns (2010), p. 316 (28).
- ^ Stearns (2010), p. 316 (29).
- ^ Stearns (2010): The Buddha from Dolpo, p. 316 (27)
- ^ Stearns (2010), pp. 316-317.
Referencesā»
- Brunnholzl, Karl (2015). When the Clouds Part: The Uttaratantra and Its Meditative Tradition as a Bridge between Sutra and Tantra. Shambhala Publications.
- Dolpopa; Hopkins, Jeffrey (2006). Mountain doctrine: Tibet's fundamental treatise on other-emptiness and the Buddha-matrix. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publ. ISBN 978-1559392389.
- Gruschke, A. (2000). The Jonangpa Order - Causes for the downfall, conditions of the survival and current situation of a presumably extinct Tibetan-Buddhist School. Ninth Seminar of The International Association for Tibetan Studies
- Gruschke, Andreas (2001). The Cultural Monuments of Tibet's Outer Provinces: The Gansu and Sichuan Parts of Amdo, Vol 2. Bangkok: White Lotus Press. ISBN 978-9747534900.
- Mullin, Glenn H. (2001). The fourteen Dalai Lamas : a sacred legacy of reincarnation (1st ed.). Santa Fe, NM: Clear Light Publishers. ISBN 9781574160390.
- Stearns, Cyrus (2010). The Buddha from Dƶlpo: a study of the life and thought of the Tibetan master Dƶlpopa Sherab Gyaltsen (Rev. and enl. ed.). Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publications. ISBN 978-1559393430.