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Mongolia: Bronze image of Tsongkhapa, known and revered by Mongolian Buddhists as Bogd Zonkhov. Tibetan Museum Society (CC BY-SA 2.5 License)

Tsongkhapa (1357–1419) was a famous teacher of Tibetan Buddhism whose activities led to the formation of the Gelug school. He is also known by his ordained name Lobsang Drakpa (blo bzang grags pa) or simply as Je Rinpoche (rje rin po che). Tsongkhapa heard Buddha’s teachings from masters of all Tibetan Buddhist traditions, and received lineages transmitted in the major schools. His main source of inspiration was the Kadampa tradition. Based on Tsongkhapa’s teaching, the two distinguishing characteristics of the Gelug tradition are The Union of Sutra and Tantra, and Emphasis on Vinaya (the moral code of discipline).