406 klaus sagaster
eighteenth century. It most likely only became a dGe-lugs-pa monastery
under the 7th abbot Dag-pa-dar-rgyas (1734–1802).^132
The rst monastery of the Buddhist renaissance in the Qalqa territory
is inseparably associated with the rst Great Lama of the dGe-lugs-pa
in Northern Mongolia: the rJe-btsun-dam-pa Qututu Blo-bzang-bstan-
pa’i-rgyal-mtshan, also called Öndör Gegen (“The High Illustrious”)
and Úanabaúar (from the Sanskrit Jñ navajra) (1635–1723).^133 Like the
fourth Dalai Lama, he was also of noble descent and belonged to a
family that had played an important role in the dGe-lugs-pa missions.
Blo-bzang-bstan-pa’i-rgyal-mtshan was the son of the rst Tüsiyetü
Khan ombodorúi (1594–1655), the leading prince of Western Qalqa
Mongolia, and great-grandson of Abadai Khan. His elder brother
aqundorúi (died 1699), with whose fate he would be closely con-
nected, was the second Tüsiyetü Khan.^134 Completely in line with the
consequent dGe-lugs-pa system of reincarnated Lamas (Tib. sprul-sku,
Mong. qubilan), Blo-bzang-bstan-pa’i-rgyal-mtshan was seen as the
reincarnation of T ran tha Kun-dga’-snying-po (born 1575), a famous
Tibetan clergyman.^135 It is striking that T ran tha belonged to the
Jo-nang-pa, a school with which the dGe-lugs-pa had no particularly
good relations.^136 The Jo-nang-pa were a sub-school of the bKa’-brgyud-
pa. T ran tha was a famous theologian and historian, and was in this
function apparently well suited to serve as former incarnation in the line
of the rJe-btsun-dam-pa. His reincarnation Blo-bzang-bstan-pa’i-rgyal-
mtshan, was, notwithstanding the obvious religio-politically determined
“discovery”, a strong personality who contributed signi cantly to the
spreading of the dGe-lugs-pa school in Qalqa Mongolia. He not only
made himself a name as theologian and politician, but also as an artist.
Even to this day, his bronze sculptures are among the most signi cant
creations of Buddhist art in general.^137
The status of the rst rJe-btsun-dam-pa as highest clergyman of
Qalqa was con rmed by the fact that the princes organised three sepa-
rate ceremonies for him in Erdeni Úoo. In these ceremonies, the religious
teacher, the Lama, was invoked to provide a “Firm Stay” (batu orosil),
(^132) Cendina 1999, pp. 36, 48.
(^133) For his biography, see Bawden 1961, pp. 1, 41–67; Kämpfe 1979/1981.
(^134) Bawden 1989, p. 53; Cendina 1999, p. 46; Veit 1999, p. 53.
(^135) Ferrari 1958, p. 155 n. 561; Bawden 1961, p. 1; Cendina 1999, p. 46.
(^136) Cendina 1999, p. 46; Ferrari 1958, p. 155 n. 561.
(^137) Cultëm 1982.