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Tibetan Buddism
Friday, April 29, 2005-11:09 AM
A Very Brief Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism-Hinayana, Mahayana, and Viaryana
Tibet's indigenous religion Boen was replaced by Buddhism imported from India beginning as early as the 8th century.
One school of Buddhism was replaced by another through a lengthy process of reform and persecution.
The Indian monk Padmasambhava is credited with introducing Buddhism to Tibet when he founded a monastery near Lhasa and created the Nyingma or Red Hat sect of Buddhism.
Eventually his movement was suppressed by practitioners of Tibetan's Boen religion. In 1042 another monk from India, Atisa founded the Kadampa sect. Yet another influential school was introduced a short time later, the Kargyupa sect by a translator named Marpa and his disciple Milarepa.
The Mongolians also influenced the face of Buddhism in Tibet. Kublai Khan installed the abbots of the Sas-kya monastery as the rulers of Tibet in the late 13th century.
In 1491 Tsong-kha-pa launched another reform aimed at cleaning up the internal conflicts that existed in the other Buddhist schools. It became known as the Gelukpa or Yellow Hat sect. One hundred fifty hears later, the Mongolians made the Dalai Lama the ruler of Tibet. The Panchen Lama eventually became the chief spiritual leader.
The Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama are both believed to be the reincarnations of former Lamas. This faith in reincarnation was originally an element of Boen that became incorporated into Tibetan Buddhism.
Slowly Tibetans are regaining the rights to practice religion freely. The authorities, however, still exert a lot of control over what happens.
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