Dolpopa

Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen (1292–1361), also known as Dolpopa, was a prominent Tibetan Buddhist master and a central figure in the Jonang tradition. Born in Dölpo, a region in modern-day Nepal, he became known as "The Buddha from Dölpo." Dolpopa's most significant contribution was his development and systematic presentation of the shentong (gzhan stong) teachings. This philosophical framework distinguishes between two aspects of emptiness: rangtong (rang stong), the emptiness of self-nature, which applies to relative truth and phenomena conditioned by cause and effect, and shentong (gzhan stong), the emptiness of other, which refers to the ultimate reality or the clear nature of mind, which is unconditioned, permanent, and inherently pure. He drew upon Mahayana sutras, particularly the *Ratnagotravibhāga*, to support his view that ultimate reality possesses inherent qualities of bliss and wisdom, interpreting terms like 'Self' or 'Ātman' not in a Hindu sense, but as the unconditioned Buddha-nature. Dolpopa was also a practitioner of the Six-branch Yoga of the Kālacakra tantra, and his meditative experiences informed his doctrinal theories. Despite his influence, his teachings were controversial and were suppressed by the dominant Gelug school for centuries due to doctrinal and political reasons. He authored numerous works, including the influential *Ocean of Definitive Meaning* and *Mountain Doctrine*.