The connection between Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and the Dalai Lama unfolds on several intertwined levels, both spiritual and institutional. Within Tibetan tradition, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo is regarded as an emanation of Mañjushrī, specifically linked to the “khyen-tse” or knowledge–love aspect associated with the mind-stream of the Dalai Lamas. Some lineages describe him as an incarnation related to both the body and mind aspects of the Dalai Lama line, suggesting a subtle, inner continuity of realization rather than a merely external affiliation. In this way, their relationship is framed less as a simple teacher–student link and more as a shared participation in a single enlightened current.

On the historical and institutional plane, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo’s stature as a nonsectarian master was acknowledged by the central Tibetan authorities under the Ganden Phodrang government, headed by the Dalai Lama institution. His Rimé activity, which drew from all major Tibetan Buddhist schools, received support and respect from that government, and this recognition helped legitimize his ecumenical work within the broader Tibetan polity. The Dalai Lama institution thus functioned as a kind of political and religious backdrop against which Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo’s influence could radiate, particularly from his base in eastern Tibet.

A further dimension of connection appears in the way later Dalai Lamas relate to his legacy. The present Dalai Lama has repeatedly held up Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo as a model of Rimé scholarship and practice, and has received transmissions stemming from his collected treasures and teachings, especially through the Khyentse and Sakya lines. Through these transmissions, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo stands as a vital source within the living practice of the Dalai Lama, not simply as a historical figure but as an ongoing wellspring of lineage blessings. Thus, their relationship can be seen as both vertical—through the shared Manjushri emanation stream—and horizontal, through the exchange of teachings and the mutual reinforcement of a nonsectarian vision.