History
Tibetan Buddhism, also known as Lamaism, has a history of more than 1,400 years.

Before Buddhism was introduced into Tibet, Tibetans followed the primitive Bon religion (also known as Bo or Black religion), mainly concerned with driving out evil spirits and divining luck.

Buddhism is based on Tantra and Yogacara, and belongs to the Mahayana school. Throughout its development it has absorbed and intertwined features of Indian Buddhism, Tibetan Bon religion and Chinese culture, thus appearing to be far more mystical than other forms of Buddhism.

Buddhism spread from the Central Plains and Nepal into Tibet during the 7th century, particularly during the ZhenGuan years of Tang Dynasty. Songtsan Gambo was influenced by his wives Princess Khridzun of Nepal and Princess Wencheng of China's Tang Dynasty towards Buddhism. He also began the creation of Tibetan calligraphy and the translation of Buddhist scriptures. Thus Buddhism rose in popularity in Tibet while Bon went into decline. Buddhism spread quickly, and has exerted an extensive and profound influence on the Tibetan race in terms of Tibetan values, morals, psychology and the mode of thinking.

In the late 8th century, in order to shield and sustain Buddhism, Trison Detsan built many monasteries and translated a large number of Buddhist scriptures. He invited Zhibatsho and Padmasambhava, famous Indian monks, to carry forward the spirit of Buddhism. Padmasambhava combined elements from the Indian Esoteric Sect with the Tibetan primitive Bon religion to form "Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism". Since then, Tibetan Buddhism separated from the Central Plains, and although deeply influenced by Indian Buddhism developed a style of its own.

After the mid-11th century, numerous Buddhist Acts emerged, including the Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyu and Gelug sects and since then Buddhism prospered again. It was the prevailing period of Tibetan Buddhism. At the time many different independent sects appeared.

Tibetan Buddhism reached its height of power and splendor during the period between the founding of Gelugpa through to the mid 20th century. Since then, it has started to spread throughout the world. Its intensive philosophy, unique tantras, profound cultural connotation and communal values concept can commendably fill the lack of spiritual life often found in our modern times, and thus has become more and more popular. Now, in Europe, North America, Macau, Hong Kong, etc, the number of people who take Tibetan Buddhism as their belief is continuing to increase at an ever-increasing speed, making it a truly international religion.


Brief Introduction
Buddha means 'the enlightened one'. Sankyamuni (savior of the sakya clan) is a title of respect for the man named Siddharta Gautama, who was born a prince in the north India around 500 B.C.. He grew up in luxury, shielded from contact with human misery, and married young. One night curiosity led him outside, where he saw shocking examples of disease, old age and death. Determined to find a way to save mankind from suffering Sakyamuni left his wife and child, renounced his princehood, and spent long years wandering as an ascetic. At last, fasting and meditating under a tree, he received enlightenment.

Buddha's insight into ultimate reality was embodied in the four noble truths and the eightfold path. He wished to be a guide, not an authority, and early Buddhism was a way of life rather than a religion. Its teaching encouraged people to take full responsibility for their thoughts and actions and to progress along a path to spiritual growth.

Buddha's followers formed open communities of monks and nuns, who lived disciplined lives and sought wisdom, their prime virtue. For 500 years, while Buddhism spread throughout India, all teaching was oral. In the third century B.C. this early form of Buddhism in India, called Theravada, took root in Ceylon and spread onto other parts of south and southeast Asia.

In the north, a new form of Buddhism appeared, called Mahayana or the greater vehicle, which appealed to many more people. Though sharing basic doctrines with Hinayana (Theravada), its emphasis changed. Compassion was its chief virtue, and its ideal was the bodhisattva, a perfected individual who gave up release from the cycle of rebirth in order to return to earth and help all sentient beings. Buddha was now treated like a god. Countless mythical Buddhas were invented to embody all of his aspects, and their images were worshipped in temples. By the first century ad, scriptures, called sutras, laid down doctrines and monastic rules and recorded Buddha's sermons as they were remembered. Mahayana Buddhism spread to central Asia, china, Korea and Japan.