Gelugpa masters treat tantra as the express lane in Buddhist practice—powerful but requiring a solid foundation. Building on Tsongkhapa’s insistence on rigorous ethics and philosophical clarity, devotees first immerse themselves in sutra-based paths: renunciation, bodhicitta and insight into emptiness. Only after this groundwork comes tantric initiation, ensuring that unbridled power is steered by wisdom.

Tantric practices fall into four traditional camps:

• Kriya Tantra (“Action”): Ritual-heavy, with external purity at the forefront—think bathing, mantra recitations and elaborate offerings.
• Charya Tantra (“Performance”): A midpoint between action and inner yoga, integrating more subtle visualizations while maintaining external form.
• Yoga Tantra: Turns the spotlight inward. Practitioners rely on imagined deities, unified with subtle channels and winds, blending visualization with breath.
• Anuttarayoga Tantra (“Highest Yoga”): The crown jewel, split further into Father (method-focused bliss), Mother (wisdom-emphasizing emptiness) and Non-Dual (marrying both). This tier holds the most accelerated techniques, aiming to fuse bliss and emptiness directly.

What really sets the Gelug approach apart is discipline. Vows aren’t optional add-ons—they safeguard the mind from getting lost in powerful experiences. Ngöndro, or the “preliminary practices,” remain non-negotiable. Recent teachings by the Dalai Lama on Kalachakra Tantra (widely streamed in 2023) stressed that without ethical stability and philosophical understanding, tantra risks becoming mere showmanship.

This structured layering ensures that high-octane tantric methods don’t backfire. The guru’s role is paramount: proper initiation and personal guidance prevent shortcuts. As modern practitioners juggle busy lives, the Gelug model still rings true—first master the basics, then charge ahead. After all, even a supercar needs a skilled driver before hitting the highway at full tilt.