Je Tsongkhapa and Padmasambhava
In general, there is a connection between Padmasambhava and Je Tsongkhapa and the Gelugpa tradition. Je Tsongkhapa is considered a manifestation and living embodiement of Je Atisha and Padmasambhava.
Lodrag Khenchen Namkha Gyaltsen (1326-1401 [p1317]) was the Dzogchen, Kadampa and Nyingmapa teacher of Tsongkapa. He was also regarded as an emanation of Vajrapani.
Venerable Gelugpa Nechung Kuten
The Venerable Gelugpa Nechung Kuten, Thupten Ngodrup, Medium of the Chief State Oracle of Tibet has a Vajrakilaya practice, which arises from his personal meditation, awareness, and a special Kilaya treasure. The original source of the Nechung Oracle comes from the Nyingmapa temple Samye.
Vajrakilaya Blessing (Phurpai Kagok)
Vajra Kilaya blessing for the public by Ven. Nechung Kuten Thupten Ngodup
The Vajrayana Kilaya blessing, also know as Phurpai Kagok in Tibetan, is a significant ritual in Tibetan Buddhism, associated with the practice of overcoming obstacles and achieving spiritual growth. During this blessing, practitioners engage in prayers, mantras and rituals that focus on the Kilaya deity, who is revered for his power to dispel negativity and obstacles.
The blessing involve rituals, prayers, and the transmission of blessings to help practitioners connect with the deity’s protective qualities. Participants may experience a sense of purification and empowerment fostering a deeper connection to their spiritual path.
Ven, Nechung Kuten la is deeply specialized in this practice.
https://nechungbc.com/events/vajrakilaya-blessing-phurpai-kagok
Nechung Buddhist Center
Nechung Buddhist Center is organizing the annual Maha Guru Bumtsok ceremony since 2000. The Maha Guru Bumtsok prayer ceremony is dedicated especially in overcoming all the obstacles & for the long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It’s also dedicated to our fellow Martyrs who have sacrificed their lives for the cause of Tibet.
Guru Bumtsog Ceremony is also known as the invocation of blessing from Guru Rinpoche. This is one of the highest forms of prayer to Guru Rinpoche to transform us and our surroundings. It helps to transform any anger or impure thoughts we might have and also purify the space we are living in.
Many great Lamas perform Guru Bumtsog Ceremony to prevent any wars and calamities from happening. Practitioners gather to meditate, making offerings, and ritually feast together to accumulate vast amount of merits to overcome any life-threatening obstacles we might face and accumulate wisdom to aid us in our path to Enlightenment.
https://nechungbc.com/events/maha-guru-bumtsok-2024-schedule
Gelugpa Namgyal tantric monastery
There is a Vajrakilaya practice from the Gelugpa Namgyal tantric monastery.
Every single graduate of Gelugpa Sera Je monastery takes a Hayagriva practice from Guru Rinpoche as their yidam, making Guru Rinpoche a lineage guru for them.
Sera Je, Kunkhen Lodroe Rinchen Senge
The founder of Sera Je, Kunkhen Lodroe Rinchen Senge, was a disciple of Lama Tsong Khapa born into a Nyingma family. He was a highly realized being who received all the teachings and initiations of Hayagriva from his father, Tokden Yonten Gonpo. He became a monk, entering Drepung Monastery, later becoming a learned Geshe with 100 students. But because of his devotion to the Hayagrava practice there was lot of talk at the monastery (and some criticism).
So he left Drepung with his 100 students and then went to Sera Monastery. At the time, there were already four Sera Dratsung (Upper Sera, Lower Sera, Gya Dratsung and Domting Dratsung). As they approached Sera Monastery, the conch was being blown to call the monks to assembly. So he and his students joined the monks in the assembly hall. When he went to make offering to the statues, one statue of an arhat talked to him, welcoming him to Sera. They then joined the Sera monks in prayers and tea (mangja). At this time he thought it would be good to join Sera Monastery.
He then toured around around Sera to investigate where he might build a temple and settle with the monks. While investigating he came to the place where it is said that he saw Hayagriva in the form of a red bird absorb into a berry bush (where Sera Je monastery would be built). Later a statue of Hayagriva was built and the thorn bush put inside. It still exists at Sera Je, outside Lhasa, having survived the Cultural Revolution and it is regarded as one of the most precious holy objects in Tibet, with healing powers. The phurba given Kunkhen Lodroe Rinchen Senge by his father, also still exists in Tibet and on occasions is ceremoniously displayed to crowds who come for blessings. In this way Hayagriva became a very special protector deity for Sera Je, and it said that the reason the Sera monks are so good at Madhyamaka philosophy and why so many great scholars emerged is due to the blessing of the karmic connection with this deity.
https://imisangha.org/community/community-life/hayagriva-retreat-at-sera-je-monastery/
3rd Dalai Lama, Sonam Gyatso
The 3rd Dalai Lama, Sonam Gyatso studied also Nyinmapa zantra and Dzogchen teachings. The 5th Dalai Lama was a terton (and student of the Mindrolling Terchen), Namgyal upholds these termas, One of termas revealed by him was „Clouds of Offerings to Delight the Lotus-born“ which is practice of 8 forms of Padmasambhava.
https://www.padmakara.com/livrets-anglais/40-clouds-offerings-lotus-born-9782916915470.html
https://rywiki.tsadra.org/index.php/Dalai_Lama_Ngawang_Lobsang_Gyatso
13th Dalai Lama
The 13th Dalai Lama was a disciple of Terton Sogyal, the 14th Dalai Lama was a disciple of Dudjom Rinpoche, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, etc.
Tagpu Dorje Chang, the 4th Tagpu Pemavajra Jampel Tenpai Ngodrub
There is also a Padmasambhava Guru Yoga in the Gelug tradition. It came from a vision by Tagpu Dorje Chang, the 4th Tagpu Pemavajra Jampel Tenpai Ngodrub.
Chinkar Donyo Dorje and Yangti Nagkpo Dzogchen
In the 19th century, Chinkar Donyo Dorje, a contemporary and close Dharma friend of Shabkar Tsokdruk Rangdrol, made further Yangti Nakpo revelations including the guru sadhana, Kusum Tuktik. At that time however, he stated the conditions were not right for these additions to the cycle to be disseminated, and that in his subsequent incarnation he would re-reveal and transmit these teachings.
https://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Yangti_Nakpo
The teachings of the Yangti Nagpo were given by Guru Rinpoche to the King Trisong Deutsen, Yeshey Tsogyal and Verotsana. Guru Rinpoche predicted that an emanation of Vero would find the ter. Accordingly, out of the Three Roots of the Yanti Nagpo, Duntso Repa found the Yidam section. Later came Chinkar Donyo Dorje (phying dkar don yod rdo rje), who was a Geshey Larampa of Sera Monastery. He had a vision and prediction of Guru Rinpoche related to the discovery of the terma, and took up the yogic life. Everyone despised him and therefore he did not have a great activity. He found the Guru section and the dakini section in two different places (one being known as phying dkar sgrub phug).
https://rywiki.tsadra.org/index.php/yang_ti_nag_po
Sources:
Tsongkhapa as Dzokchenpa: Nyingma Discourses and Geluk Sources
https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=iijbs
Je Tsongkhapa received teachings from Nyingma Dzogchen master Lhodrak Namkha Gyaltsen. This was recorded in River Ganges’ Flow: A Record of Teachings Received. Tsongkhapa’s work on Dzogchen, A Rosary of Supreme Medicinal Nectar, is now included in the ‘Complete Works’ of his. In addition, accounts of various great Masters from the Jonang and the Kagyu tradition studying Dzogchen can be found in their respective biographies and Guru Tashi’s Dharma History. These days, an increasing number of revered Masters, holy beings, and intelligent people worldwide, especially within China, have developed faith in Dzogchen and devoted themselves to practicing this supreme Tantric transmission, which makes attaining complete liberation in this lifetime possible.
Tsongkhapa was a Sakya monk, so according to my teachers received and practised the Khon lineage of Vajrakilaya along with lamdre. This is why although not emphasised Hevajra and Vajrakilaya are sometimes in the refuge tree.
https://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Kh%C3%B6n_Family_Lineage_of_Vajrakilaya
Khön Family Lineage of Vajrakilaya – The special transmission of Vajrakilaya practice held by the descendants of the Khön family down to the present Sakya Trizin, which can be traced back to Khön Nagendrarakshita, a direct disciple of Guru Rinpoche.
His Holiness Sakya Trizin said:
„Of the profound and inexhaustible ocean of teachings that Guru Padmasambhava possessed, Vajrakilaya is one of the most important. Its empowerment, teachings and pith instructions were given to one of his most important spiritual disciples, Khön Nagendrarakshita (Lü’i Wangpo Sungwa), who then practised it until he achieved both ordinary and supreme siddhis. As a sign of his great attainment, he managed to display the great miracle of keeping his vajra and bell suspended in space. Guru Padmasambhava himself declared that Nagendrarakshita had attained the eighth stage of the great bodhisattva path.
The Vajrakilaya empowerment, teachings and pith instructions then passed down from Nagendrarakshita to his own nephews, as they were appointed as the holders of the Khön lineage; and ever since then they have been passed down through this lineage, which includes the five Sakya patriarchs.
So this is a very rare teaching that has not only continued through an unbroken lineage from the primordial Buddha, but has also been passed down through the hereditary lineage. Each of these masters, from Guru Padmasambhava to those of the present, has achieved great realization, and as a result has performed great miracles.
I myself received this from my own father, as well as from one of my most important root gurus, both of whom attained great realization through the Vajrakilaya practice, and showed many significant miracles.“
As His Holiness mentions, he received the transmission of the practice from his own father, Vajradhara Ngawang Kunga Rinchen, and from his root teacher, Ngawang Lodrö Shenpen Nyingpo, as well as from Ngor Khangsar Shabdrung Lodrö Tenzin Nyingpo.