Tibetan Buddhism

Refers to a distinctive form of Buddhism that draws heavily on Mahayana Buddhism, which was introduced to Tibet in the seventh century. Tibetan Buddhism incorporates a great deal of the esoteric tradition of tantra of Vajrayana Buddhism as well as features of ancient Bon shamanism. The monastic disciplines of early Theravada Buddhism are also an important part of Tibetan Buddhism. The religion is, in fact, often considered the most intellectual branch of Buddhism. Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, is particularly revered in Tibetan Buddhism and each Dalai Lama, the spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet, is believed to be his reincarnation. A noteworthy feature of Tibetan Buddhism is the unusual percentage of the population actively involved in religious life: approximately one-quarter of Tibetans were members of religious orders up until the Chinese takeover of the country in the 1950s. The very large number of divine beings is also a characteristic feature of the religion. Worship includes the recitation of mantras and prayers, and the singing of hymns accompanied by the playing of drums and horns. The Tibetan canon of scripture includes the 'Kangur' and the 'Tenjur;' the Tibetan Book of the Dead (Bardo Thödröl) describes consciousness between death and rebirth. Tibetan Buddhism spread to the West during the second half of the 20th century, particularly by refugees fleeing Tibet after it was subjugated by Communist China; these refugees included highly regarded 'tulkus,' or reincarnated lamas, who helped increase Tibetan Buddhism's popularity amongst Westerners. There are four major schools: Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyu, and Geluk. The religion is sometimes incorrectly called lamaism, which is a Western term for the religion of Tibet, not used by the Buddhists themselves.