dalai lama lead which segment of buddhism

This period also saw the development of the Tibetan writing system and classical Tibetan. Sanskrit Buddhist scriptures from India were first translated into Tibetan under the reign of the Tibetan king Songtsän Gampo (618–649 CE). While some stories depict Buddhism in Tibet before this period, the religion was formally introduced during the Tibetan Empire (7th–9th century CE). Samye was the first gompa (Buddhist monastery) built in Tibet (775–779). ' Northern Buddhism' is sometimes used to refer to Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, for example, in the Brill Dictionary of Religion.Īnother term, Himalayan (or Trans-Himalayan) Buddhism is sometimes used to indicate how this form of Buddhism is practiced not just in Tibet but throughout the Himalayan Regions. In the west, the term 'Indo-Tibetan Buddhism' has become current in acknowledgement of its derivation from the latest stages of Buddhist development in northern India. More accurately, Vajrayāna signifies a certain subset of practices and traditions that are not only part of Tibetan Buddhism but also prominent in other Buddhist traditions. In modern Mainland China, the official term is 藏传佛教 zangchuan fojiao, literally 'Tibetan Buddhism.' Īnother term, ' Vajrayāna' (Tibetan: dorje tegpa) is occasionally misused for Tibetan Buddhism. Insofar as it implies a discontinuity between Indian and Tibetan Buddhism, the term has been discredited. The term was taken up by western scholars, including Hegel, as early as 1822. In Chinese, the term used is Lamaism (literally, 'doctrine of the lamas': 喇嘛教 lama jiao) to distinguish it from a then-traditional Chinese Buddhism( 佛教 fo jiao). Westerners unfamiliar with Tibetan Buddhism initially turned to China for understanding. For example, Christianity is termed Yi shu'i chos lugs (Jesus dharma system). This is contrasted with other forms of organized religion, which are termed chos lugs (dharma system).

'Insider' means someone who seeks the truth not outside but within the nature of mind. The native Tibetan term for Buddhism is 'The Dharma of the insiders' ( nang chos) or 'The Buddha Dharma of the insiders' ( nang pa sangs rgyas pa'i chos). While each of the four major schools is independent and has its own monastic institutions and leaders, they are closely related and intersect with common contact and dialogue. The predominant spiritual tradition in Tibet before the introduction of Buddhism was Bon, which has been strongly influenced by Tibetan Buddhism (particularly the Nyingma school). The Jonang is a smaller school that exists, and the Rimé movement (19th century), meaning 'no sides', is a more recent non-sectarian movement that attempts to preserve and understand all the different traditions. Tibetan Buddhism has four major schools, namely Nyingma (8th century), Kagyu (11th century), Sakya (1073), and Gelug (1409).

The main language of scriptural study in this tradition is classical Tibetan. As the Dalai Lama escaped to India, the Indian subcontinent is also known for its renaissance of Tibetan Buddhism monasteries, including the rebuilding of the three major monasteries of the Gelug tradition.Īpart from classical Mahāyāna Buddhist practices like the six perfections, Tibetan Buddhism also includes tantric practices, such as deity yoga and the Six Dharmas of Naropa, as well as methods that are seen as transcending tantra, like Dzogchen. In the Modern era, Tibetan Buddhism has spread outside of Asia because of the efforts of the Tibetan diaspora (1959 onwards). In the pre-modern era, Tibetan Buddhism spread outside of Tibet primarily due to the influence of the Mongol Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), founded by Kublai Khan, which had ruled China, Mongolia, and parts of Siberia. It thus preserves many Indian Buddhist tantric practices of the post-Gupta early medieval period (500 to 1200 CE), along with numerous native Tibetan developments. Tibetan Buddhism evolved as a form of Mahāyāna Buddhism stemming from the latest stages of Indian Buddhism (which included many Vajrayāna elements). Smaller groups of practitioners can be found in Central Asia, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and some regions of Russia, such as Tuva, Buryatia, and Kalmykia. It also has a sizable number of adherents in the areas surrounding the Himalayas, including the Indian regions of Ladakh, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh, as well as Bhutan and Nepal. Tibetan Buddhism is a form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Mongolia.

Dalai lama lead which segment of buddhism