Iruni Kalupahana JadeTimes Staff
I. Kalupahana is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Culture
Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism
Besides Tibetan Buddhism, this area of the world Tibet and northern India is also known as Vajrayana or Tantric Buddhism. Sometimes, since its adherents can be found in countries other than within Tibet including Mongolia, Bhutan, Sikkim, Ladakh, Nepal, and parts of northern India, plus pockets in China and Russia the terms "IndoTibetan Buddhism" or "Northern Buddhism" are used. The global popularity of Tibetan Buddhism came after the Tibetan diaspora from the Chinese takeover of Tibet in 1959. One of the distinctive characteristics of Tibetan Buddhism is the assimilation of indigenous local beliefs, including aspects of Bon the pre Buddhist shamanistic religion of Tibet which would explain practices such as invoking gods, exorcizing spirits, and mystical and magic rituals. The interaction of traditions has presented Tibetan Buddhism as a rich and complex spiritual tradition which incorporates deep philosophical teachings and elements of local folklore and mysticism.
Core Beliefs and Practices
The root of Tibetan Buddhism follows the school called Vajrayana, which particularly insists on the possibility that all phenomena could be understood as basically pure. The core teaching is that every being has buddha nature the potential to reach enlightenment and all phenomena are empty of inherent existence (shunyata). Tibetan Buddhism focuses on an intense devotional relationship to the guru, or spiritual teacher, through whom wisdom and guidance in appropriate ways are bestowed upon the practitioner.
The practice of Tibetan Buddhism has been extremely diverse and has included formless meditation and visualization techniques, chanting, mantra recitation, ritual dances, yoga, and the use of sacred art mandalas and thangkas to enable spiritual growth. These practices are intended to help practitioners realize the true nature of reality through transcending ego and developing compassion toward all sentient beings. Furthermore, in Tibetan Buddhism, the interaction of spiritual and practical aspects of living are incorporated into rituals by offering, using prayer wheels, and prayer flags to show positive energy and manifestation of blessings.
Historical Development
First, the historical development of Tibetan Buddhism began with the introduction of Buddhist teachings to Tibet as early as the third century CE, while the first great dissemination occurred in the seventh century with King Songtsan Gampo, founder of the Tibetan Empire, who ordered translations of Sanskrit Buddhist texts from India and Nepal into Tibetan. This preliminary effort laid the ground for the Nyingma lineage, also called the "Old Translation School." The more significant revival took place in the eighth century under King Trisong Detsen, who invited Indian masters such as Padmasambhava and Santaraksita to Tibet. Further development ensued during the eleventh and twelfth centuries with the founding of the "New Translation" schools, among them the Sakya, Kagyu, and later the Gelugpa lineages. This is where, in the thirteenth century, Tibetan Buddhism spread to the Mongol Empire, whose rulers became adherents of the religion. The Gelugpa lineage he had founded in the late fourteenth century would finally become the most influential and have, as its spiritual and political leader, the Dalai Lama himself. The lineage of the Dalai Lamas, starting with Sonam Gyatso in the sixteenth century, has determined much influence in Tibetan Buddhism, and the present Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, represents the fourteenth successor in this line and is an important figure who fights for peace and Tibetan autonomy on the world stage.
A Unique Spiritual Tradition
In the spiritual tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, it combines rituals associated with magic and supernatural forces, leading a path to enlightenment. At its center lies the Four Noble Truths, which delineate the nature of suffering, its causes, and the way to enlightenment. Tibetan Buddhism, however, includes a range of rituals and activities that extend beyond the core teaching by the use of protective spells, rituals to ban evil spirits, and gain deities favor ceremonies. The great pantheon of supramundane beings and divinities in Tibetan Buddhism includes bodhisattvas, dharma protectors, and wrathful deities, which mirrors the integration of indigenous Tibetan beliefs and the influence of Tantric Buddhism. It is from this very amalgamation of traditions that the term "Lamaism" has been derived, putting emphasis on lamas, or spiritual teachers, leading the followers not only in spiritual practices but also in the terrors of the unseen world. What makes Tibetan Buddhism unique is the synthesis within which allows the profound philosophical teachings to be combined with these particular ritualistic aspects, making for a deeply complex and spiritually rich tradition that has attracted adherents from all over the world.
