Incarnation Lineage: Dalai Lama Previous Births (Long List)
Dalai Lama Incarnations Sets | Dalai Lama Religious Context
Long List of Pre-Incarnations:
1. Padmapani Avalokiteshvara
2. Jigten Wangchuk
3. to 8. Figures from the "Teachings for Ngok" in the Kadam Legbam.
9. Konchog Bang from the Kadam Legbam
10. to 22. Figures from the "Teachings for Ngok" in the Kadam Legbam.
23. Lha'i Gyalpo
24. to 35. Figures from the "Teachings for Khu" in the Kadam Legbam.
36. to 47. Tibetan Kings of the Yarlung Dynasty
48. Midag Tsuglagdzin, King of Zahor
49. to 52. Tibetan Kings of the Yarlung Dynasty
53. Songtsen Gampo
54. to 55. Tibetan Kings of the Yarlung Dynasty
56. Trisong Detsen
57. Tri Ralpachen
58. Gewa'i Pel
59. Kache Gonpawa
60. Dromton Gyalwai Jungne
61. Sachen Kunga Nyingpo
62. Zhang Yudrakpa
63. Yabzang Choje Chokyi Monlam
64. Nyangrel Nyima Ozer
65. Guru Chowang
66. Sumton Yeshe Zung
67. Chogyal Pagpa
68. Lhaje Gewabum
69. Pandita Padmavajra
70. 1st Dalai Lama, Gendun Drub
71. Lodrö Gyeltsen Pel
72. Khyenrab Chökyi Jé
73. 2nd Dalai Lama, Gendun Gyatso
74. Ngari Panchen Pema Wangyal
75. Jangdak Tashi Topgyal, also known as Chogyal Wangpode 
Biographical details
76. 3rd Dalai Lama, Sonam Gyatso
77. 4th Dalai Lama, Yontan Gyatso
78. 5th Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobzang Gyatso
Painting Sets:
- Artist Kazi Lazo Set (Chamdo)
- Dalai Lama Incarnations (Lhasa)
- Gelug Incarnation Lineages (Tucci, Tibetan Painted Scrolls)
- Footprints & Handprints (Dalai Lama Set)
Single Composition:
- VIII Dalai Lama (AMNH)
- VII Dalai Lama (Rubin Museum of Art)
The source text for this specific list of pre-incarnations of the Dalai Lamas is the lineage supplication prayer titled Sarasvati's Lute (dbyangs can rgyud mang ma), written by the Fifth Dalai Lama Ngawang Lobzang Gyatso in 1680. This prayer greatly expands the list of pre-incarnations by adding all the pre-incarnations of Dromton included in the Kadam Legbam, who are mostly Indian kings. The prayer also adds many Tibetan kings of the Yarlung dynasty from the time of Nyatri Tsenpo down to Ralpachen. Several more Indian and Tibetan teachers are included as well for a total of 77 pre-incarnations. See (Lin, 2017) for a complete list of all the pre-incarnations, their names and a brief description.
To accommodate the large number of figures, the extant painting sets which depict this incarnation lineage only select some of them or try to depict them as minor figures surrounding a central figure who is one of the more well-known pre-incarnations.
Nick Dharmadi, 4-2026
Bibliography:
Revue d'Etudes Tibetain No.38, edited by Daniel A. Hirshberg, Derek F. Maher & Tsering Wangchuk. "Recounting the Fifth Dalai Lama’s Rebirth Lineage" by Nancy G. Lin. February 2017.
(The images below are only a selection of examples from the links above).
