Tibetan Buddhism

Buddhism
Basic terms
Three Jewels Four Noble Truths Dukkha Suffering Samudaya Cause of Suffering Nirodha Cessation of Suffering Magga Noble Eight Fold Path Buddhahood Enlightenment Nirvana
People
Gautama Buddha Dalai Lama Bodhisattva Sangha
Schools
Theravada Mahayana Zen Vajrayana Nyingma Kagyu Sakya Gelug
Practices
Dharma study Noble Eightfold Path Meditation Chanting Metta

Tibetan Buddhism is the body of religious Buddhist teachings from Tibet. The form of Buddhism taught in Tibet is mostly of the type called Vajrayana. However, Tibetan Buddhism also has teachings from the earlier forms of Buddhism called Theravada and Mahayana.

Buddhism first came from India into Tibet in 173 CE during the reign of Lha Thothori Nyantsen. However, Buddhism did not grow strong until much later.

In the 8th century, an Indian teacher called Padmasambhava brought Buddhism to Tibet again while Trisong Detsen was king of Tibet. Padmasambhava (more commonly known as Guru Rinpoche) merged Buddhism with the local Bön religion to create Tibetan Buddhism. He also wrote a number of important texts.

Padmasambhava started the Nyingma school. All other schools of Tibetan Buddhism come from this school, which is also known as the "ancient school".

Tibetan Buddhism had a strong effect on the peoples of Central Asia in the 11th century CE, especially in Mongolia and Manchuria. It was made the official state religion by the Mongol Yuan dynasty and the Manchu Qing dynasty that ruled China.

In the past, Tibetan Buddhism was also called Lamaism by some people. This is now thought to be based on a misunderstanding of the practice of guru yoga ('guru' is the Sanskrit equivalent of the Tibetan word 'lama' which means 'spiritual teacher') in Tibetan.

Schools of Tibetan Buddhism

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.
• Geluk, 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.

Teachings of Tibetan Buddhism

Some of the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism are Mahamudra, the Six Yogas of Naropa, and Dzogchen.

See also

• Dalai Lama

Other websites

• The Tibetan and Himalayan Digital Library
• The Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center
• Famous Monasteries of Tibet
• Tibetan Buddhism: History and the Four Traditions
• The extensive archives of teachings from Alexander Berzin
• Lotsawa House | Tibetan Buddhist Texts | Translations
• Tibetan Buddhism in the West by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
• Shambhala Sun - Tibetan Buddhism
• Documentary feature film about how to follow a Vajrayana Buddhist teacher
• LamRim.com - Tibetan Buddhist Internet Radio