Gedun Gyatso

• Name — 2nd Dalai Lama, Gedun Gyatso • Religion — Tibetan Buddhism • Title — 2nd Dalai Lama (posthumous designation) • Predecessor — Gedun Drupa • Successor — Sonam Gyatso • Father — Kunga Gyaltso • Mother — Machik Kunga Pemo • Birth Name — Sangye Phel • Born — 1475 • Birthplace — Tanag Segme, Ü-Tsang, Tibet • Died — 1542 • Place of death — Tibet

Gedun Gyatso was born as Sangye Phel at Shigatse near Tanak, in the Tsang region of central Tibet. His father, Kunga Gyaltsen (1432–1481), was a vow-holding Ngakpa of the Nyingma lineage and a famous Nyingma tantric master. His father and mother, Machik Kunga Pemo, were married and farmed as a family. According to scholar Gene Smith, "the rebirth of the First Dalai Lama as the son of Drubchen Kunga Gyaltsen resulted in the end of a hereditary line of Sangpa Kagyupa lamas." While he was a young boy, he was proclaimed to be the reincarnation of Gendun Drupa, and sources say this occurred when he was either four years of age, or eight years of age. Soon after he learned to speak, he reportedly told his parents his name was Pema Dorje, the birth name of Gendun Drupa (1391–1474) and that his father was Lobsang Drakpa, which was Je Tsongkhapa's ordination name. When he was four, he reportedly told his parents he wished to live in the Tashilhunpo monastery, which is next to Shigatse and founded in 1447 by Gendun Drupa, in order to be with his monks. He received his getsul novice vows from Panchen Lungrig Gyatso in 1486 at the age of ten, and his full bhikshu ordination vows from Ghoje Choekyi Gyaltsen, who gave him the ordination name of Gedun Gyatso. At the age of eleven, he was enthroned as the reincarnation of Gendun Drupa at Tashilhunpo monastery. He remained at Tashilhunpo until he was 16 or 17, but due to "some controversies or jealousy", he had to leave the monastery and then went to Lhasa to study at Drepung Monastery.

The authorities additionally record the headings Gendun Gyatso Palzangpo, 2nd Dalai Lama and Dalai Lama 02 Gendun Gyatso. His recorded confession was Tibetan Buddhism. He was the child of Sek Tön and Machik Kunga Pemo.