Sonam Gyatso, a monk of the Gelug (Yellow Hat) school of Tibetan Buddhism, was in a position of finding a foreign patron for the Gelug school. He established a
cho-yon or priest and patron relationship with
Altan Khan, ruler of numerous Mongol tribes However, Sonam Gyatso was against shamanism and its idols. Altan Khan first invited Sonam Gyatso to
Tümed in 1569, but apparently the Dalai Lama refused to go and sent a disciple, who reported back to the Dalai Lama about the great opportunity to spread Buddhist teachings throughout
Mongolia. In 1573 Altan Khan took some Tibetan Buddhist monks prisoner. Altan Khan invited Sonam Gyatso to Mongolia again and embraced
Tibetan Buddhism. After some hesitation, with followers begging him not to go, Sonam Gyatso's party set out and was met at Ahrik Karpatang in Mongolia where a specially prepared camp had been set up to receive them. Thousands of animals were given to him as offerings and five hundred horsemen had been sent to escort him to Altan Khan's court. When they arrived there, they were greeted by over ten thousand people, including Altan Khan dressed in a white robe to symbolize his devotion to the
Dharma. Some sources say this first meeting between Sonam Gyatso and Altan Khan took place in
Amdo near
Lake Kokonor, which was heavily populated by Mongolian peoples. While Altan Khan bestowed the title
Dalai on Sonam Gyatso, the latter gave the title of
Brahma, the king of religion, to Altan Khan. Altan Khan had
Thegchen Chonkhor, Mongolia's first monastery, built, and a massive program of translating Tibetan texts into Mongolian was commenced. Within 50 years most Mongolians had become Buddhist, with tens of thousands of monks who were members of the Gelug school, loyal to the Dalai Lama. Sonam Gyatso's message was that the time had come for Mongolia to embrace Buddhism, that from that time on there should be no more animal sacrifices, the images of the old gods were to be destroyed, there must be no taking of life, animal or human, military action must be given up and the immolation of women on the funeral pyres of their husbands must be abolished. He also secured an edict abolishing the Mongolian custom of blood-sacrifices. "These and many other such laws were set forth by Gyalwa Sonam Gyatso and were instituted by Altan Khan." The 3rd Dalai Lama publicly announced that he was a reincarnation of
Drogön Chögyal Phagpa, while Altan Khan was a reincarnation of Kublai Khan, and that they had come together again to cooperate in propagating Buddhism. The alliance with the Mongolians would later prove instrumental in establishing the Gelug school as the spiritual and political leaders of
Tibet during the reign of the
Great Fifth Dalai Lama. Altan Khan died in 1582, only four years after meeting with the 3rd Dalai Lama. Altan Khan was succeeded by his son
Sengge Düüreng who continued to diligently support Buddhism, and two years later the 3rd Dalai Lama made another visit to Mongolia. On his way, he founded the monastery of
Kumbum at the birthplace of the great teacher and reformer,
Je Tsongkhapa. Gyalwa Sonam Gyatso had also founded
Lithang monastery in Eastern Tibet, as well as the small monastery
Phende Lekshe Ling in either 1564 or 1565, which became known as
Namgyal Monastery in 1571, the personal monastery of all the subsequent Dalai Lamas. By 1585, he was back in Mongolia and converted more Mongolian princes and their tribes. The Dalai Lama was again invited to meet the Ming emperor, and this time he accepted but fell ill and died in 1588, at the age of 45, Altan Khan's great-grandson,
Yonten Gyatso, was identified as the
4th Dalai Lama. "
To others give the victory and the spoils; The loss and defeat, take upon oneself" — Sonam Gyatso. ==References==