Ganden Tripa

Ganden Tripa (Tib. དགའ་ལྡན་ཁྲི་པ་, Wyl. dga' ldan khri pa) — The holder of the throne of Ganden Monastery, the Ganden Tripa, is the seniormost scholar and head of the Gelugpa School, and the direct successor Je Tsongkhapa. The route to the position of Ganden Tripa is a democratic one, as expressed in the Tibetan proverb: “if a mother's son has the right qualifications, then the Ganden throne is open to him”.

The present Ganden Tripa is Thubten Nyima Lungtok Tenzin Norbu (Wyl. thub bstan nyi ma lung rtogs bstan 'dzin nor bu), aka Rizong Rinpoche, the 102nd Ganden Tripa.