4 Schools of Tibetan Buddhism (or 4 Sects) with the Dalai Lama as head of all 4

partial quote from:

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_Buddhism

Schools of Tibetan Buddhism[change | change source]

Tibetan Buddhism has four main schools. Two of these schools hold practice as more important and two hold scholasticism (study of philosophy) more important. The four schools are:

• Nyingma, The Ancient Ones, the oldest and original order founded by Padmasambhava. This school is of the practice tradition.
• Kagyu, Oral Lineage, has one major subsect (Dagpo Kagyu) and one minor subsect (Shangpa Kagyu). This school is of the practice tradition.
• Sakya, Grey Earth, headed by the Sakya Trizin, founded by Khon Konchog Gyalpo, a disciple of the great translator Drokmi Lotsawa. This school is of the scholarly tradition.
• Gelug, Way of Virtue, also known as Yellow Hats, whose spiritual head is the Ganden Tripa and whose temporal head is the Dalai Lama, who was ruler of Tibet from the mid-17th to mid-20th centuries. This school is of the scholarly tradition.

Nyingma	Kagyu	Sakya	Gelug	Jonang
Old Translation	New Translation	New Translation	New Translation	New Translation
Developed in the 8th century	Transmitted by Marpa in the 11th century. Dagpo Kagyu was founded in the 12th century by Gampopa.	Sakya Monastery founded in 1073.	Dates to 1409 with the founding of Ganden monastery	Dates to the 12th century
Red Hat	Red Hat	Red Hat	Yellow Hat	Red Hat
Emphasizes Dzogchen and its texts	Emphasizes Mahamudra and the Six Dharmas of Naropa	Favor the Hevajra Tantra as the basis of their Lamdre system	Focuses on Guhyasamāja Tantra, the Cakrasamvara Tantra, and the Kalacakra Tantra	Focuses on Kalacakra Tantra and Ratnagotravibhāga
Key lineage figures are Śāntarakṣita, Garab Dorje, Vimalamitra, Padmasambhava, and Longchenpa.	Key lineage figures are Maitripada, Naropa, Tilopa, Marpa, Milarepa, and Gampopa.	Key lineage figures are Naropa and Ratnākaraśānti, the founder Drogmi, Khon Konchog Gyalpo, Sakya Pandita and Gorampa.	Key lineage figures are Atisa, his disciple Dromtön, the founder of Gelug, Je Tsongkhapa, and the Dalai Lamas.	Key lineage figures are Yumo Mikyo Dorje, Dolpopa and Taranatha

Teachings