Editing Jonang (section)

==History==
[[File:Dolpopa.jpg|thumb|Thangkha of Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen]]
[[File:Taranatha.jpg|thumb|[[Tāranātha]]]]

=== Development ===
The monk Künpang Tukjé Tsöndrü ({{bo|w=kun spangs thugs rje brtson 'grus}}, 1243–1313) established a [[kumbum]] or stupa-vihara in the Jomonang Valley about {{convert|160|km|mi}} northwest of the [[Tashilhunpo Monastery]] in [[Ü-Tsang]] (modern [[Shigatse]]).<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Tukje Tsondru |url=http://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Tukje-Tsondru/11307 |access-date=2024-01-30 |website=The Treasury of Lives |language=en}}</ref> The Jonang tradition took its name from this "Jomonang" monastery, where Tsöndrü established a practice tradition that integrated seventeen different transmission of the Kālacakra Tantra completion stage yogas,<ref name=":2" /> and which was significantly expanded by later figures, including [[Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen|Dolpopa]].<ref>{{cite book|editor1-last=Buswell|editor1-first=Robert E|editor2-last=Lopez|editor2-first=Donald S|title=Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism.|date=2013|publisher=Princeton University Press|location=Princeton, NJ|isbn=9780691157863|page=401}}</ref>

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|Kalachakra Tantra]].'' The origin of this combination in Tibet is traced to the master [[Yumo Mikyo Dorje|Yumo Mikyö Dorjé]] (c. 11th-12th century), a pupil of the [[Kashmir]]i master Somanātha, whose treatises compiled sources emphasizing the unique approach to emptiness of the Kalachakra Tantra.<ref name="Stearns">{{cite book|last1=Stearns|first1=Cyrus|title=The Buddha from Dolpo : a study of the life and thought of the Tibetan master Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen|date=2002|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass|location=Delhi|isbn=978-8120818330}}, p. 19</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Hatchell |first=Christopher |title=Naked Seeing: the great perfection, the wheel of time, and visionary buddhism in Renaissance Tibet |date=2014 |publisher=Oxford university press |isbn=978-0-19-998291-2 |location=New York (N.Y.)}}</ref>

The shentong view holds that the non-dual nature of the mind (the [[buddha-nature]]) is real (and ''not'' [[Śūnyatā|empty]] of [[Svabhava|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 (''[[Luminous mind|prabhāsvara]]-[[mindstream|saṃtāna]]),'' endowed with limitless Buddha qualities.<ref>[http://www.ahs.org.uk/default.asp?action=article&ID=1847 Lama Shenpen, ''Emptiness Teachings''. Buddhism Connect] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903121246/http://www.ahs.org.uk/default.asp?action=article&ID=1847|date=2011-09-03}} (accessed March, 2010)</ref> 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]] (1292–1361), a great yogi and scholar who widely promoted the philosophy of [[shentong]]. He was initially educated at [[Sakya Monastery|Sakya monastery]], and he also studied [[Kagyu]] and [[Nyingma]] lineages.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Dolpopa Sherab Gyeltsen |url=http://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Dolpopa-Sherab-Gyeltsen/2670 |access-date=2023-05-13 |website=The Treasury of Lives |language=en}}</ref> He was very impressed by the yogis of Jonang Monastery and eventually studied there under Khetsun Yonten Gyatso (1260–1327), receiving a complete transmission of the Jonang ''Kālacakra'' tradition.<ref name=":0" /> After some years in meditative retreat, Dolpopa assumed the leadership of Jonang monastery.<ref name=":0" /> Over the years, Dolpopa became extremely popular and was invited to teach throughout Tibet.<ref name=":0" /> He wrote various influential works on the shentong philosophy.

=== Post-Dolpopa era and suppression ===
After Dolpopa's time, the Jonang school generated a number of renowned Buddhist scholars, its most famous being Lama [[Taranatha|Tāranātha]] (1575–1634), who placed great emphasis on the ''[[Kalachakra|Kālacakra Tantra]]'', [[Sanskrit]] study and the [[History of Buddhism in India|history of Indian Buddhism]]. Tāranātha studied under various figures, such as Je Draktopa, Yeshe Wangpo, Kunga Tashi and Jampa Lhundrup, but his main teacher was the [[mahasiddha|mahāsiddha]] [[Buddhaguptanātha]].<ref>{{Citation |title=Buddhaguptanatha: A Late Indian Siddha in Tibet |vauthors=((Templeman, D.)) |work=Proceedings of the 7th Seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies, Graz 1995 |year=1997 |publisher=Verlag der Osterreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften Wien}}.</ref>{{Tibetan Buddhism}}
In the 17th century, the [[Gelug|Gelug school]] became the dominant political force in Tibet, which was now ruled by the [[Dalai Lama]]s. 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 [[Ü-Tsang|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 [[Tüsheet Khan]], Prince of Central Khalkha. Tüsheet 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.{{sfn|Stearns|2010|pp=73–4}}

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.{{sfn|Stearns|2010|p=76}}<ref name=":1">Brambilla, Filippo. “A Late Proponent of the Jo nang gZhan stong Doctrine: Ngag dbang tshogs gnyis rgya mtsho (1880–1940)”, ''Revue d’Etudes Tibétaines'', no. 45, Avril 2018, pp. 5–50.</ref>

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]]).{{sfn|Mullin|2001|pp=207–8}}

=== Survival and revival ===
The Jonang tradition was able to survive in [[Amdo]] where a couple of monasteries had been founded in ’Dzam thang and rGyal rong. From here Jonang was able to spread to other regions like [[Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture|Golog]] and [[Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture|Ngawa]].<ref name=":1" /> [[Dzamtang Tsangwa]] dzong (in [[Zamthang County|Zamtang County]], [[Sichuan]]), established by Ngag dbang bstan ’dzin rnam rgyal (1691–1728), eventually became the school's main seat.<ref name=":1" /> Due to the efforts of figures like Ngag dbang blo gros grags pa (1920–1975) and Ngag dbang yon tan bzang po (1928–2002), about fifty Jonang monasteries survived the cultural revolution.<ref name=":1" />

The Jonang school also experienced a revival in the modern era during the [[Rimé movement|Rime]] period. Important modern Jonang scholars include Bamda Gelek Gyatso (1844–1904), Tsoknyi Gyatso (1880–1940), Ngawang Lodro Drakpa (1920–75), Kunga Tukje Palsang (1925–2000) and Ngawang Yonten Sangpo (1928–2002).<ref>Stearns, Cyrus (2010). ''The Buddha from Dölpo: A Study of the Life and Thought of the Tibetan Master Dölpopa Sherab Gyaltsen'', pp. 80-81. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publications. <nowiki>ISBN 978-1559393430</nowiki>.</ref> Modern Jonang figures also had close relationships with masters of the non-sectarian (Rime) movement such as [[Jamgon Kongtrul]] (1813–1899) and [[Patrul Rinpoche]] (1808–1887) and these Rime figures also visited and studied at [[Dzamtang Tsangwa|Dzamtang]].<ref name=":1" />  [[File:Dzamthang Tsangwa Monastery.png|thumb|Dzamthang Tsangwa Monastery in [[Sichuan]]. The major monastic seat of the Jonang tradition today in [[Amdo]].]]
Until recently little was known about the survival of Jonang until [[Tibetology|Tibetologists]] discovered around 40 monasteries, with around 5000 monks, including some in the [[Amdo Tibetan]] and [[Qiang people|rGyalgrong]] areas of [[Qinghai]], Sichuan and Tibet.<ref name=Gruschke />

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 [[Central Tibetan Administration|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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Equal Rights for the Jonang Tradition |url=https://dzokden.org/projects-en/equal-rights-for-the-jonang-tradition/ |access-date=2024-02-02 |website=Dzokden |language=en-US}}</ref> The 14th Dalai Lama assigned [[Jebtsundamba Khutuktu]] of Mongolia (who is considered by the Gelug tradition to be an incarnation of Tāranātha) as the leader of the Jonang tradition.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Translations |first=Dakini |date=2023-04-18 |title=Who is Khalkha Jetsun Dampa and why is his recent recognition controversial? |url=https://dakinitranslations.com/2023/04/18/who-is-jetsun-kalkha-dampa-how-the-dalai-lamas-and-gelug-forcefully-took-over-the-recognition-of-the-jonang-and-shangpa-kagyu-lineage-holder-and-master-taranatha/ |access-date=2024-02-02 |website=Dakini Translations and Publications མཁའ་འགྲོ་མའི་ལོ་ཙཱ་བའི་འགྱུར་དང་འགྲེམས་སྤེལ། |language=en-GB}}</ref>

More recently, the Jonang school has been growing in the West (led by teachers like [[Khentrul Jamphel Lodrö Rinpoche|Khentrul Jamphel Lodrö Rinpoché]] and [[Khenpo Chokyi Nangwa]]) and among the Chinese (led by teachers like Tulku Jamyang Lodrö and mKhan po Chos kyi dbang phyug).<ref name=":1" />