From him he received his first teaching, Set of Initiations into Manjushri from the Secret Lineage of Tsongkhapa. Receiving ordination, teachings, and Tantric initiations In 1907, aged 6, he went to Gepel Ling at Reting Monastery, the birthplace of the Kadam teachings of Dromtön in the 10th century. There he took the five upāsaka and the ten śrāmaṇera vows of the prātimokṣa, receiving the name Losang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso Pelsangpo. He then memorized many Buddhist texts, including over half of Candrakīrti's Madhyamakāvatāra, and analyzed their meaning. Later that year he visited Ganden Monastery and was received by the Shartse and Jangste abbots, whom he apparently recognized, along with the main temple, without introduction. He spent the next 12 years studying the classical texts for the geshe degree—Pramanavartika, Madhyamaka, Prajnaparamita, Vinaya and Abhidharma-kośa—principally according to the textbooks by Panchen Sonam Dragpa. He also studied the collected works of Je Tsongkhapa, the 1st Dalai Lama, and the Panchen Lama Chokyi Gyaltsen. In 1908, he received Kalachakra initiation from Serkong Rinpoche, as well as empowerments into Manjusri, Avalokiteśvara and Vajrapani. Later he received empowerments of Guhyasamāja, Yamantaka, Heruka and Vajrayogini. He also continued to receive instructions and initiations from Pabongka Rinpoche, including the Collected Works of Gyalwa Ensapa, the Collected Works of Panchen Chokyi Gyaltsen, and a Guru yoga of Je Tsongkhapa called Ganden Lha Gya Ma ("Hundreds of Deities of the Joyful Land"). He received the "Empowerment into the Six Ways to Revolve the Chakras of Heruka" (including the full initiation costume of bone ornaments) as well as all the Action Tantra empowerments from Khyenrab Yonten Gyatso, the 88th Ganden Tripa, in 1915, aged 14. In 1916, aged 15, he studied the complete Tibetan grammar and from then on composed thousands of acrostic verses, such as: He also composed chants for spiritual practices and ceremonies and scores for their music for use by Ganden Shartse monastery. In 1919, aged 18, he debated before the geshes of the three major Gelug monasteries for his final examination. The 13th Dalai Lama awarded him third place, and he received the highest geshe degree, the Lharampa. Shortly afterward he received the 253 ordination vows of a fully ordained monk from the 13th Dalai Lama. He was admitted to the Upper Tantric College, Gyuto, in 1919, where he studied the Root Tantra of Heruka and its commentary by Je Tsongkhapa, Illuminating all Hidden Meanings (). From the