Tibet

Introduction of Buddhism to Tibet

The Buddhism of Tibet is a conglomeration of Indian Tantric Buddhism and indigenous pre-Buddhist practices. Prior to the advent of Buddhism, Tibet was ruled by a lineage of divine kings. Religious rituals centered on funerary ceremonies to guide the spirit of the deceased on its afterlife journey, and offerings and sacrifices were performed to ensure that the dead would have everything that they needed in the afterlife. Worship of mountains and local land deities, the performance of exorcisms, purifications, healing rites, and ransom rituals can all be traced to Tibet's pre-Buddhist past. Belief in a soul, called la, that may leave the body if a person experiences great shock or fright was an indigenous idea that was incorporated into Tibet's Buddhist rituals. Sometimes this pre-Buddhist religion is referred to as Bön, but for reasons discussed later, this name is problematic.

The first official introduction of Buddhism into Tibet occurred in the seventh century, when King Songtsen Gampo converted to Buddhism and sent Tibetans to India to bring back Buddhist scriptures and translate them into Tibetan. The second of Tibet's great Dharma Kings, Trisong Detsen, made Buddhism the official state religion and instituted government support for Buddhist monasteries. He brought the Indian Tantric master Padmasambhava to Tibet to “tame” the local deities and invited the Indian monk Santaraksita to Tibet to ordain the first Tibetan monks.

In the mid-ninth century, however, King Lang Darma took the throne. He and many powerful noble families favored a return to pre-Buddhist religious practices, which were being threatened by the new religion. Lang Darma is often accused of abolishing Buddhism, but scholars believe that he merely withdrew state support from the temples and monasteries. In any case, his reign marks a 200-year period of decline during which the practice of Buddhism in Tibet virtually disappeared.

The second dissemination of Buddhism to Tibet occurred in the 11th century. Tibetans again looked to India as the source of authentic Buddhist teachings, and the Indian abbot Atiśa is credited with reintroducing Buddhist philosophy and monasticism to the Land of Snows. Many new Buddhist schools formed during this time of Buddhist revival. These sects rejected the translations and practices that survived from the eighth and ninth centuries in favor of new translations of the Indian originals. As a result, these schools are referred to as Sarma, meaning “new.” Those who continued to practice the rituals and rely on scriptures translated during the first dissemination of Buddhism in Tibet became known as Nyingma, meaning “old.”

Buddhism in Tibet Today

There are currently four main sects of Tibetan Buddhism. The Nyingma school considers Padmasambhava its founder. It follows a canon of scriptures that is not accepted by the three Sarma schools and does not place as much importance on monasticism. The Nyingma sect is unique in its tradition of revealing spiritual treasures called terma and its practice of Dzogchen (“Great Perfection”). The three Sarma schools are the Gelug, Kargyu, and Sakya. The Gelug school was founded by the scholar monk Tsong Khapa. It rose to power in the 17th century, when the fifth Dalai Lama took control of a centralized government. It is known for its emphasis on monasticism, philosophical study, and debate. The three great monasteries in Lhasa—Drepung, Ganden, and Sera—are Gelug institutions. The Kargyu sect traces its lineage to the great yogis Naropa, Marpa, and Milarepa. There are many subsects within the Kargyu school; the incarnation lineage of Karmapas belongs to the Karma Kargyu subsect. Mahamudra or “Great Seal” and the Six Yogas of Naropa are important Kargyu practices. Finally, the Sakya sect is named after the gray color of the [Page 1286]earth where its first monastery was founded. It enjoyed a period of political supremacy in Tibet when it was the sect favored by the powerful Mongols in the 13th century and the first half of the 14th century. Its main teachings are known as Lamdre, meaning “the path and its fruit.”

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