TIBETAN BUDDHISM Also called Lamaism in Western literature, a form of Mahāyāna Buddhism practiced not only in Tibet but also in the neighboring countries of the Himālaya. The specific nature of Tibetan Buddhism comes from the fusion of the monastic rules of the Sarvāstivāda and the cultic methodology of the Vajrayāna. The foundations of Tibetan Buddhism were laid in the 8th century under the protective rulership of King Trisong Detsen (755-97) by the Indian scholar Shāntirakshita and by Padmasambhava. This so-called first spreading of Buddhism in Tibet ended in the middle of the 9th century. The Nyingmapa school bases its instruction on the traditions initiated during this period. After a tin1e of politically motivated persecution of Buddhism, the 11th century brought a revival. Among others, the Kagyupa and Sakyapa schools developed, and a major part of the Buddhist writings of India were translated into Tibetan (Kangyur-Tengyur). Starting at the end of the 14th century, the Gelugpa school arose and developed and became the last of the four principal schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Each of these great doctrinal traditions is distinguished by its own synthesis of philosophical theories and practical applications of them in meditation.
Before the introduction of Buddhism, a kingdom supported by the Bön religion dominated Tibet. Under King Songtsen Gampo (620-49) the Tibetan royal house converted to Buddhism. Following a revival of the Bön religion, under King Langdarma (838-42) a persecution of Buddhism and its ordained followers took place. Exempt from this was only the so-called “white community,” composed of married laypeople who wore white robes. Their tradition became the basis of the Nyingmapa school.
The second spreading of the Buddhist teaching started from west Tibet as a result of the missionary activity of Atīsha. The newly aroused interest in Buddhism, a central feature of which was authority and validity of teachings based on direct transmission from teacher to student, led to the founding of the main monastery of the Sakyapa school (1073) and to the journeys of Marpa the Translator, father of the Kagyupa school. The development of the monastic tradition and intensive efforts to perpetuate the teachings of Indian Buddhism were definitively shaped by individual Buddhist masters (lama), who conferred upon Tibetan Buddhism its own form and character. The most important master was the reformer Tsongkhapa, who reorganized the various traditions into a new overview and, with the founding of Ganden Monastery (1409), brought the Gelugpa school into existence.
Though other doctrinal traditions —for example, that of Chöd— produced a noteworthy literature, they did not develop a monastic culture and thus eventually merged into the main schools. The basis for their approach was a movement, running parallel to the monastic tradition, that was modeled on the ideal of the Indian mahāsiddhas.
With the rules of discipline (Vinaya), the Mahāyāna teachings of Nāgārjuna and Asanga are the great pillars of Tibetan Buddhism. Logic is regarded as an aid to the understanding of doctrine. Finally, the Tantras emphasize the realization of theory in direct experience.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion: Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Zen. Shambhala Publications, Inc.
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