Tibetan Buddhism

The development of Buddhism in Tibet and in the highlands of Tibet goes back to the first contacts in the 5th century. Go to the official introduction of Buddhism in Tibet as a state religion, it came in the 8th century by King Trisong Detsen. In Tibet emerged in the course of time, various Buddhist schools.

• 3.1 Nyingma
• 3.2 King Thrisong Detsen
• 3.3 persecution of Buddhism under King Lang Darma

• 4.1 Old Kadam school
• 4.2 Kagyu schools
• 4.3 Coe
• 4.4 Sakya
• 4.5 Gelug

Bon and Buddhism

Before Buddhism in Tibet was known there, the Bon religion was predominant. The Bon teachings spread from the originally independent western Tibetan kingdom of Shang Shung out to Central Tibet and then on to the other regions of Tibet. This includes religion, as Tibetan Buddhism, on the one hand natural religious beliefs and animist practices and on the other doctrines and practices that different Buddhist Yana (main directions) match up to the Tantra and Dzogchen.

Due to the later centuries of coexistence with the Buddhism are the traditions of the " Yungdrung Bon" and the "New Bon" Tibetan Buddhism, especially in the tradition of the Nyingma school, very similar. The Bonpo not relate to the origins of their tradition but to Buddha Shakyamuni, but the Buddha Shenrab Miwoche as the founder of the tradition, said to have lived 18,000 years ago.

First contact with Buddhist teachings

Lha Thothori Nyentsen

The first contact with the Tibetan Buddhist teachings was alleged at the time of the 28th king of Tibet, Lha Thothori Nyentsen in the 5th century. According to legend, is supposed to be a precious casket appeared at that time miraculously on the roof of the royal palace Yumbu Lagang. These included two Buddhist sutra texts, including the " Karandavyuha Sutra " on the importance of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, a gold miniature stupa, the six syllable mantra of Avalokiteshvara Om mani padme hum ( Tibetan pronunciation: Om mani peme revolution) and other sacred objects. The king could not understand the meaning of the objects, but knew intuitively that they were of particular importance.

After a less fantastic, possibly historically true portrayal of him these items were brought by an Indian monk who wanted to introduce Buddhist teachings to Tibet for the first time. This but left because he did not speak the language of the king and no translator on hand were empty-handed back to India and had only returned the box and its contents as a gift to the king. According to legend, the aged king is thanks to his admiration for these precious objects miraculously the appearance and vitality of a young man received back and have reached the age of 120 years.

Songtsen Gampo

Under the Central Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo (reigned 617-649 ) began Buddhism in Tibet for the first time really to take root, even if it was at that time only a few Buddhists and their temples simple chapels were similar. Songtsen Gampo took both a Nepalese princess Bhrikuti, and the Chinese Princess Wen Cheng for his wife. Both were convinced Buddhists and brought the king, the Buddha's teachings close. The king himself founded at the urging of his wives two shrines in Lhasa, including the Jokhang Temple. It is expected for this reason, in addition to King and King Thrisong Detsen Relpacen to the "Three Dharma Kings" of Tibet. Predominant religion was still the Bon.

First major translation stage and spread of Buddhism

Nyingma School

The actual nationwide spread of Buddhism in Tibet was the time of the first phase translation of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan, in the 8th century instead.

King Thrisong Detsen

The Tibetan king Thrisong Detsen invited in the second half of the 8th century, the Indian master Padmasambhava and Shantarakshita Tibet to spread Buddhism there. They founded the first Buddhist monastery Samye Ling, which became the most important center of learning at that time. Padmasambhava taught especially the tantric aspects of Buddhism and defeated, according to tradition, the spirits and demons of Tibet, which is why the Vajrayana Buddhism in Tibet is said to have prevailed.

The translation of the Tripitaka and the outer tantras from this time became the basis of the teaching collections of all Tibetan schools. The resulting translation from this first phase is called the Nyingma school tradition, literally " The ancients ". It is due to their early emergence also known as the school of the "Old Translation " and differs particularly in the so-called inner Tantras of the schools developed later. From the 8th to the 11th century, the Nyingma was the only Buddhist school in Tibet. In addition to the Samye Monastery was founded a few centuries later monasteries Kathog, Dorje Drag, Mindrölling, Pelyül, Dzogchen and Shechen were known as the "six great seats " of the Nyingma, the starting point for the dissemination of the teachings of the Nyingma.

Persecution of Buddhism under King Lang Darma

The regime established by the Buddhist King Relpacen reforms that curtailed the power of the Tibetan gentry strong and had brought the Buddhist monasteries in the long run decisive influence in the regions of Tibet, led to his assassination. His brother, Lang Darma, a follower of the Bön ascended the throne and started the persecution of Buddhism. During his reign ( 836-842 ), Buddhism was strongly repressed in his monastic form. Due to an encounter with a Buddhist Yogi, the Darma long by his miraculous powers ( Siddhi ) is said to have greatly impressed refrained Lang Darma to follow the Buddhist yogis. The oral tradition lines of the " school of the old translations" ( Nyingma Kama ), which were carried on at this time mainly by yogis, therefore survived the period of persecution intact. Furthermore hid Guru Rinpoche, who foresaw the suppression of Buddhism for some time Darmas, and his closest disciples many tantric teachings which were rediscovered in later centuries as " Hidden Treasures ". This rediscovered treasures were the basis for a large number of independent lineages.

Second distribution - emergence of the " new schools "

The "second dissemination " ( Tib: phyi represents ) of Buddhism in Tibet was held from the 11th century. The Indian monk Atisha (982-1054), a widely known scholar of Buddhist University of Vikramashila, traveled in 1042 after Guge and brought Mahayana and Vajrayana different practices. He stressed the importance of the Vinaya rules and established his teachings in Tibet mainly on the sutra teachings that are based on the second teaching period of Buddha Shakyamuni.

Old Kadam school

To him the school of " Old Kadam Masters" returns. The Kadam school is a precursor tradition of three recent major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, who are of the " second translation phase " tantric teachings from India to Tibet, emerged. The three main traditions of the "New Translation " ( Sarma ), from the 11th century, the Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug school. The Kadam tradition was transmitted by Atisha's pupil and subsequent teachers, to all Buddhist traditions in Tibet. The School of Old Masters Kadam has not survived as an independent school. It has risen in the 14th century in the Gelug school.

Kagyu schools

The Kagyu schools of Tibetan Buddhism back to Marpa the Translator (1012-1097), who continued the Mahamudra lineage of Tilopa and Naropa. In addition, Marpa studied with the great Indian masters Maitripa (also called Jhanagarbha ) and Kukuripa. He met during his third voyage to India Atisha and studied with him the teachings of the Kadampa. From his journeys to India he brought with him many tantric writings and translated them into Tibetan. Marpa's main disciple was well known in Tibet because of its privation apprenticeship and his spiritual songs Yogi Milarepa ( 1042-1123 ). Milarepa was introduced only after a long period of extremely tough tests in tantric practice. Milarepa's most important students were Rechungpa, and the monk Gampopa from Dagpo. Gampopa was famous for his learning. He founded the typical for the Kagyu schools form the policy by letting merge the monastic tradition of the earlier Kadampa and the yogi tradition of Indian masters. Today existing sub- schools of the Kagyu tradition are the Barom, Karma, Drigung, Drugpa, invoice, Shangpa, Taglung and Surmang Kagyu.

Coe

The CoE teachings (Tibetan: gcod ) of the " cutting " are closely connected to the master Macig Labdrön. The doctrine comes from the Shiche tradition and was developed by the Indian master Phadampa Sanggye ( Tib. pha dam pa sangs rgyas ) brought to Tibet in 1092. 1097 founded the monastery Phadampa Sanggye Dingri originated the tradition in Tibet. Macig Labdrön which attained the highest achievement with the CoE practice, has become famous because of their particular life history and the dissemination of CoE teachings in Tibet. COE aims at cutting off the ego -attachment, which is considered the root worldly suffering, by means of an extremely gruesome ritual and based on the teachings to Prajnaparamita (highest transcendental wisdom). The radiation emanating from Phadampa Sanggye tradition of this teaching has been preserved in all schools of Tibetan Buddhism today, as an independent school tradition it no longer exists.

Phadampa Sanggye can be seen as an incarnation of Padmasambhava as Macig Labdrön can be seen as an incarnation of Yeshe Tshogyel.

Sakya

Sakya was originally the name of a Khön Könchog Gyelpo (1034-1102) founded the monastery with its headquarters in the district of Sakya near Shigatse in southern Tibet. The tantric teachings of the Sakya translated by Bari Lotsawa in the eleventh century from the Sanskrit. He traveled to India and brought various Tantric teachings to Tibet. The Sakya tradition was then brought to full fruition of the " five highest venerable masters ". These include Sachen Kunga Nyingpo, Sonam Tsemo and dragpa Gyeltshen, the first Sakya Pandita Kunga Gyeltshen and Chögyel Phagpa. These five highest masters based their teachings on those of the great Indian scholar and siddha Virupa. They took his Mahamudra lineage and the teachings of many other great siddhas. The teachings of Lamdre which is closely related to the Hevajra Tantra is one of the primary transmissions of the Sakya. The Sakya lineage has also taken over Kadampa teachings of the ancients. Against 1264 Sakya master Chögyel Phagpa received from the Mongol Emperor Kublai Khan, Mongolia, China and Tibet ruled at that time, the suzerainty over Tibet. These practiced the Sakya out to the year 1354. The head of the Sakya tradition, Sakya Thridzin. From the Sakya tradition, different sub- traditions, including the Ngor, Tshar, Bulug, Bodong, Dzong and the Jonang tradition developed.

Gelug

Tsongkhapa (1357-1419) founded the Gelug school ( " school of the virtuous "), which strongly embraced the ideals of the earlier Kadam school and monastic discipline and celibacy (see Vinaya ) laid great value. The Gelug teachings were taken over in the teaching building of the Gelug unlike the other Tibetan schools, not due to their own translation phase. At the time of the founding of the Gelug Buddhist culture of India had already been wiped out by the Islamic invasion. All " new tantric scriptures" were already centuries earlier transferred from Bari Lotsawa, Marpa Lotsawa and other Tibet. The core of the transmissions of the Gelug lies in the teachings of the Kadampa, especially in the Mahayana teachings of Atisha. Tsongkhapa summarized these teachings in his work Lamrim Chenmo together ( " Great Exposition of the step path "). The " Lamrim stepped path to enlightenment " to this day is the basis of the learned of the Gelug enlightenment path. Even at the time Tsongkhapa but also various Tantras of the new translations were transferred to the Gelug school, later joined by others, including the Nyingma Tantras. The Dalai Lama, important lamas of the Gelug, had a significant spiritual role and, since the time of the 5th Dalai Lama to the Chinese occupation of Tibet, which began in 1950, held at times even the secular rule in Tibet. The spiritual leader of the Gelug Order is the Ganden Thripa. The three most important monasteries of the Order are Ganden, Sera and Drepung.

Nonsectarian movement

In the 19th century arose from the master Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye and Ugyen Lingpa Choggyur the " Rime movement ," the cross-group lessons gathered from all parts of Tibet and masters from all traditions. Competition and sectarianism among the various Buddhist schools of Tibet should be overcome.

Combating of Buddhism in Tibet

In the 1950s, religious leaders of Buddhism were persecuted and imprisoned in Tibet. The identification with the so-called living Buddhas ( Trülkus ) was considered at that time as "counter- revolutionary" and " superstitious ". After 1959 the traditional structures of Tibet were eliminated. Virtually all educational, cultural and religious institutions in Tibet were destroyed during the "cultural revolution".

In spite of various improvements, the practice of religion in the People's Republic of China is subject to certain conditions and not fully possible.

Dissemination of Tibetan Buddhism in the People's Republic of China ( 2000)

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