Tibetan Buddhism

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Of all the branches of Buddhism in the world, Tibetan Buddhism is one of the most colorful, not just in terms of the artwork associated with it but also in the diversity of its teachings.

Until the invasion of Tibet by China in 1950, the country of Tibet had been an independent state which was virtually a closed book to most in the West, except for a few intrepid travellers and pilgrims. For a deeply religious people who were reportedly amongst the happiest in the world despite (or perhaps because of) a distinct lack of material possessions, life revolved around Buddhism and Buddhist monasteries. Most families had at least one monk or nun amongst their number, and the supreme head of the Buddhist faith in Tibet, the Dalai Lama, was also the political ruler. However, unlike some other countries ruled by a theocracy, Buddhism was not an enforced religion. It was the way of life.

Since the invasion by the Chinese, life has changed a great deal. The Dalai Lama was chased out of the country and given sanctuary along with a growing community of Tibetan refugees in the mountains at Dharamsala in India. The trees have been felled and the wood shipped in lorries to China. Many monasteries have been closed and destroyed, although recently a few have been reopened in response to the very late and rather timid intervention of some Western countries. Many lamas, monks, nuns and lay Tibetans have been imprisoned and tortured or killed and large numbers of Chinese have been relocated to the area.

Although all this has undoubtedly been a disaster for Tibet, there have been great benefits to the people of the West, who have been given the opportunity to get to know the Dalai Lama and his teachings. A remarkably patient man, he didn't just hide away and try to follow his former way of life in exile, but took the opportunity to present Tibetan Buddhism to us, and has become a well respected spiritual leader - much to the dissatisfaction of the Chinese, who dislike him so much that pictures of him have been banned in Tibet since the invasion.

Tibetan Buddhism is a type of Tantric Buddhism also called Vajrayāna, Tantrayāna, Mantrayāna and the Diamond Vehicle. It is part of the branch of Buddhism called Mahāyāna ("great vehicle") or Bodhisattvayāna, the other being Theravāda (sometimes called Hīnayāna - "inferior vehicle", but this is regarded as derogatory). In the West the practice of Tantric Buddhism is often thought to be mainly concerned with sex, but in fact its central difference from regular Buddhism is that instead of trying to eliminate negative forces, they are redirected to aid the journey towards enlightenment. This is amply illustrated by the many "converted demons" depicted in Tibetan art, for example Yama, the lord of death, who is depicted holding the wheel of life (left).

Buddhism was brought to Tibet in the 8th century by Padmasambhava ("Lotus-born"), often called Guru Rinpoche (Precious Guru), at the invitation of the Tibetan Emperor, Trisong Detsen. At the time Tibet was beset by many evil mountain deities. The local people followed the Bön religion.

Together with his five consorts (unlike Western monks and Catholic priests, religious men and women in Tibetan Buddhism may marry), Padmasambhava exorcised and converted the Tibetan demons into protectors of Tibet. He founded the first monastery, Samye Gompa, initiated the first monks and taught them Tantric Buddhism.

Padmasambhava also hid many treasures to be found by later generations, one of which, Bardo Thodol (The Tibetan Book of the Dead), was discovered in 1405 by Karma Lingpa on top of Mount Gampodar. This is intended to be read to the deceased to aid his or her transcendence from life to death. It also contains very deep teachings which are relevant during life.

As with many forms of Buddhism, the thangkas (wall hangings) and paintings which to many Western eyes appear to be purely decorative were actually originally created as a teaching aid. Until comparatively recently most people could not read, and teachings were transmitted orally with the aid of pictorial representations, though without an explanation of the symbols used it's unlikely that you would be able to understand these.

Unlike monasteries in the West, ongoing recruitment of new monks and nuns brings a need for teachers, called lamas. The Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama are the great teachers of the Tibetan Buddhist religion.