Buddha Shakyamuni is the founder of Buddhism who lived in the 6th century BC in Northern India. Buddha explained that all our problems and suffering arise from confused and negative states of mind and all our happiness and good fortune arise from peaceful and positive states mind. He taught methods for gradually overcoming minds such as anger, jealousy and ignorance and developing positive states of minds such as love, compassion and wisdom. Through this we will come to experience the lasting peace and happiness of full enlightenment.

Manjushri is the Buddha of Wisdom, whose wisdom sword held aloft cuts through the darkness of ignorance for all living beings. The same wisdom sword is held by peaceful Manjushri (Je Tsongkhapa) and wrathful Manjushri (Dorje Shugden).

Je Tsongkhapa (1357-1419) was a great Buddhist Master from Tibet who promoted and developed the Kadampa Buddhism that the Indian Buddhist master Atisha (982-1054) had introduced three centuries earlier. Je Tsongkhapa was an emanation of Manjushri and he showed a very good example of how to build the foundation for the spiritual path, how to progress on that path, and how to complete it. Since then, thousands of practitioners have attained the ultimate happiness of Buddhahood within one life.

Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden is also an emanation of Manjushri, who appeared in this world as a Dharma Protector to help preserve and protect Je Tsongkhapa’s doctrine. Through relying upon an enlightened Dharma Protector we can swiftly overcome all obstacles to our spiritual practice and create favorable conditions for developing and increasing pure Dharma realizations.

Je Pabongkha (1878-1941) was the most influential Gelugpa Lama of the last century. He held all the important lineages of Sutra and Tanta and passed them on to most of the important Gelugpa Lamas of the next two generations. He was widely renowned for promoting the practice of Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden. He was the root Guru or Spiritual Guide of Trijang Rinpoche and many other highly respected teachers.

Biographical information on Je Phabongkhapa can be found here.

His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche (1901-1981) was a Tibetan Buddhist master and heart disciple of Je Pabongkhapa. He was also the most highly regarded Gelugpa teacher of generation and showed a perfect example of how to practice the Buddhist path. He was the Junior Tutor of the present Dalai Lama and the root Guru or Spiritual Guide of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, and was the lineage holder of all of Buddha’s teachings during his life. Geshe Kelsang has likened Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche to a vast reservoir from which all Gelugpa practitioners of the present day receive ‘waters’ of blessings and instructions. Trijang Rinpoche also widely disseminated the practice of Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden until the day of his death.

A brief biography of Trijang Rinpoche can be found here.

1. A Short Biography of Trijang Rinpoche by Lobsang Palden Tenzin Yargye
2. Watch video of HH Trijang Rinpoche
3. Hear HH Trijang Rinpoche reciting prayers to Dorje Shugden
4. Trijang Rinpoche’s extensive explanation and praise of Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden: Music Delighting the Ocean of Protectors
5. Trijang Rinpoche’s advice on the practice of Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden.

His Holiness Kyabje Song Rinpoche (1904-1984) was born in Kham, Tibet, studied at Ganden Monastery, gained renown as a learned Geshe and great debater and served as abbot for nine years. He left Tibet for India in 1959 and later served as principal of the Institute for Higher Tibetan Studies in Sarnath. Like his dear friend Trijang Rinpoche, he was a great teacher and exponent of the benefits of Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden practice, and the end of his life held a week of pujas (chanted prayers) in which he stated very clearly and publicly that his whole life’s work was accomplished through his sincere reliance on Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden. Here he is pictured with one of his students, Lama Yeshe.

Watch a video of Kyabje Song Rinpoche reciting prayers to Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden (Melodious Drum)

Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso (born 1931) is a fully accomplished meditation master and internationally renowned teacher of Buddhism. From the age of eight Geshe-la studied extensively in the great monastic universities of Tibet. Under the guidance of Trijang Rinpoche, his Spiritual Guide, he then spent the next eighteen years in meditation retreat in the Himalayas. In his teachings Geshe Kelsang emphasizes the importance of meditation and how to apply it in daily life, the need to be truly happy and how to cultivate a good heart to help others – and he demonstrates these qualities in his own life. As all Buddhists know, the root of the Buddhist spiritual path is sincere reliance upon one’s Spiritual Guide, and accordingly Geshe Kelsang has faithfully relied upon Trijang Rinpoche’s guidance and widely taught the practice of Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden. Through his dedication Kadampa Buddhism has spread to many countries throughout the world.

There are also many other great Lamas and disciples of Trijang Rinpoche who are Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden practitioners.

(Source: http://www.wisdombuddhadorjeshugden.org/lineage.php#dorjeshugden04)