Tibetan Buddhism Basic Facts
LH Lee

LH Lee spent two years backpacking from 2007 to 2009. Since her return in 2009, she has contributed various travel articles to Off Track Planet and Matador. Lee holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in screenwriting from the School of Visual Arts and is a recipient of The Media Workshop from UCLA.

By LH Lee, eHow Contributor

All reincarnated Dalai Lama were born in Tibet.

Tibet Buddhism is the religious belief of people in Nepal, Bhutan, India, Mongolia, certain parts of Russia and other regions of the Himalayas Mountains. Although the religion predates thousands of years, it had become internationally publicized by the 1959 Tibetan Rebellion against the Republic of China Close to 86,000 Tibetans were killed during the uprising. As of 2010, the struggle amongst the Tibetans and the Chinese government continues with religious leader, the 14th Dalai Lama leading the protests.

History

Buddhist scriptures first appeared in southern Tibet in 173 AD from India, however, it did not become the nation's religion until 641 AD. Throughout King Gampo's reign, the people of Tibet struggled with conflicting issues between their new religion, Buddhism and their old spiritual beliefs, "Bon." For centuries, the struggle continued until 774 AD when the prominent Guru Rinpoche merged the Indian-influenced Buddhism and the indigenous folk religion to form what is now known as Tibetan Buddhism. Tibetan Buddhism continued to spread throughout Central Asia during 11th century.

By the mid 20th century, China invaded Tibet and many religious leaders, including the Dalai Lama, were exiled to North America and Europe which inadvertently led to the expansion of the religion.

Identification

Buddhism consists of three major branches: Theravada; Mahayana and Vajrayana. The latter is associated with Tibetan Buddhism. Vajrayana involves mystical concepts and initiation practices.

It believes through meditation and rituals, enlightenment can be achieved. It also emphasizes the importance and the necessity of a spiritual leader to guide followers. Due to the two substantial factors, mysticism and the need for a spiritual leader, Tibetan Buddhism has acquired the name, "Lamaism.". At the core of Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader who aids followers to come to an understanding of the causes of suffering and the path to enlightenment.

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