Tibetan Buddhism

Buddhism is the lifeblood of Tibet, and the country has developed its own flavor, called Tibetan Buddhism. The overwhelming majority of Tibetans is Buddhist. Before China invaded the country, Tibet was a theocracy, with the Dalai Lama serving as both the head of state and theological leader.

There are four schools of Tibetan Buddhism: Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya and Geluk. Nyingma is the oldest of the schools. It emerged during the eighth and ninth centuries CE. Prior to the establishment of Buddhism within Tibet, the Tibetans practiced a form of shamanism known as Bön. Bön's influence on Tibetan Buddhism can be seen in the religious art the comes from Tibet.

The founder of the Sakya tradition was Khon Könchok Gyelpo (1034 - 1102). He was a disciple of the Indian Yogin Virupa. Followers of the Sakya tradition were invited to Mongolia by Godan Khan, grandson of Chingis Khan, and later invented a script to write the Mongolian language.

The Kagyu tradition was founded by Marpa Chökyi Lodoe (1012 - 1099) and Khyungpo Nyaljor (978 - 1079). They studied Buddhism in India, and passed their teachings on to Milarepa, the most famous Tibetan yogi.

The Geluk tradition was founded by Je Tsongkhapa (1357 - 1419), who was a monk from an early age. He studied with many teachers, and studied medicine by Könchok Kyab as well as other subjects. He wrote hundreds of books on Buddhist teachings.

For in-depth historical information about Tibetan Buddhism, see the Government of Tibet in Exile's page on Buddhism at http://www.tibet.com/Buddhism/index.html