‘Ol khar chos lung during the winter of 1392 to 1393.
There he underwent several tantric retreats and re-
ceived important visions, particularly that of Manjus ́r,
his tutelary deity. This progression was particularly sig-
nificant for Tsong kha pa, who saw his entire life ac-
cordingly.
As his practice makes clear, Tsong kha pa’s work is
not limited to the exoteric domains. In fact, the ma-
jority of his famous eighteen volumes of collected
works are devoted to the study of tantras. For Tsong
kha pa, the most important tantra is the Guhya-
samajacycle, which provides the key to the interpre-
tation of the entire tantric corpus. Together with the
Yamantakaand Cakrasamvara, this tantra provides a
map of the entire tantric practice, thus completing the
vast synthesis of the tradition, from the most basic
practices of monasticism to the highest yogic practices.
For Tsong kha pa, tantric practice is central, but it is
essential that it be undertaken gradually, as advocated
by Atisha, after extensive preliminaries involving the
study and assimilation of the entire exoteric path.
See also:Dalai Lama; Dge Lugs (Geluk); Panchen
Lama; Tantra; Tibet
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