Tibetan Buddhism
Buddhism was introduced into Tibet in the 7th century, during the reign of Tubo King Songtsan Gambo, and gradually infiltrated Tibet's history, politics, economics, culture, exchanges, and habits and customs to become the most extensively worshipped religion of Tibetans.
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Formation of Tibetan Buddhism
The spread of Buddhism to Tibet is attributed to Tibetan King Songtsan Gambo, who did his best to establish friendly ties with neighboring countries and learn from the cultures of other countries.
His marriage with Princess Khridzun of Nepal and Princess Wencheng of China's Tang Dynasty (618-907) facilitated the introduction of Buddhism to Tibet. Each princess journeyed to Tibet with statues of Buddha and Buddhism scriptures. Artisans accompanying the princesses participated in the construction of the Jokhang and Ramoche monasteries. Also, Buddhist monks from Nepal and China began translating Buddhist scriptures. Buddhism thus was spread in Tibet.
Tibet went though a power struggle for more than half a century after the death of Songtsan Gambo. Buddhism failed to flourish until Tride Zhotsan, Songtsan Gambo's great grandson who took power in 710. He married Princess Jincheng of the Tang Dynasty.
The new bride moved the statue of Buddha, which Princess Wencheng brought to Tibet, to the Jokhang Monastery. Meanwhile, she arranged monks accompanying her to the Tubo Kingdom (629-846) to take charge of the monastery and related religious activities. She engaged in a painstaking effort and finally succeeding in persuading the Tubo court to accept monks fleeing from western regions and build seven monasteries to house them.
While the measures further boosted the development of Buddhism in Tibet, they nonetheless sparked discontent among Bon-worshiping ministers. The ministers left no stone unturned to obstruct the development of Buddhism, with the situation lasting until Trisong Detsan, the son of Tride Zhotsan, came to power.
Trison Detsan relied on Buddhism to fight ministers who rallied behind the Bon religion. As part of the effort, he invited Zhibatsho and Padmasambhava, famous Indian monks, to build the Samye Monastery in 799. Seven noble children were later tonsured (shaved, signifying acceptance) to the monastery, which became the first monastery in Tibetan Buddhist history to tonsure monks.
Tibetan Buddhism
In addition to inviting Indian monks to Tibet, Trisong Destan sent trusted emissaries to China's hinterland to invite monks to lecture in Tibet. Mahayana became one of the many Han monks who contributed to ensuring that Han Buddhism flourished in Tibet. Mahayana remained in Tibet for 11 years, lecturing on Buddhism and completing nine books on Buddhist tenets.
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Shortly after assuming power, Darma set out to suppress Buddhism, but was soon assassinated by Tibetan Buddhists, and war erupted between the different power factions. Slaves, who were thrown into the abyss of misery, rose to revolt. Tibet was torn apart by various forces, and the spread of Buddhism was thus halted.
The early 10th century witnessed the entry of a feudal society in Tibet, with each of the Tubo ministers occupying a part of the kingdom and becoming feudal powers in their respective localities. They proceeded to promote Buddhism to strengthen their own rule, hence reviving the religion in Tibet.
In terms of form and content, however, the rise of Buddhism in Tibet during this period was worlds apart from Tubo Buddhism. The 300-odd years of struggle between Buddhism and the Bon religion resulted in each absorbing the other's strong points. Buddhism became increasingly localized as the region entered the feudal stage, hence allowing Tibetan Buddhism to emerge into a stage of rapid development.
Tibetan Buddhism Sects
Numerous Buddhist schools emerged after the mid-11th century, including the Nyingma, Sagya, Gagyu, Gadang, Zhigyed, Gyoyul, Gyonang, Kodrag, and Xalhu sects. The latter five were rather weak due to the lack of political support. They were thus forced to unite or were otherwise annexed by other sects, and as individual entities fell into oblivion. The following five sects enjoyed impressive popularity:
1. Nyingma Sect
The sect, founded in the 11th century, is also known as the Red Sect and is the oldest sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The sect paid great attention to absorbing the fine points of the Bon religion and, at the same time, did its best to locate Buddhist sutras secreted away when Darma began to suppress Buddhism.
Based on its practice of Buddhism deeply rooted in the Tubo Kingdom of the 8th century, the sect called itself Nyingma, meaning "ancient and old" in the Tibetan language. Monks of the Nyingma Sect wore red hats, hence the name Red Sect. The Red Sect mainly advocates the study of Tantrism. Its theory was strongly influenced by Han Buddhism, and is quite similar with the theory of Zen Buddhism in China's hinterland.
2. Sagya Sect
Sagya means "white land'' in Tibetan. The Sagya Sect, founded in the late 11th century, derived its name from the grayish white color of the Sagya Monastery, the sect's most important monastery. Enclosures in the sect's monasteries are painted with red, white, and black stripes, which respectively symbolize the Wisdom Buddha, the Goddess of Mercy, and the Diamond Hand Buddha. Hence, the sect is also known as the "Stripe Sect." The ever increasing influence of the sect and the expansion of feudal forces throughout its formation led to the increasing fame of the "Five Sagya Sect Forefathers.''
In 1247, a ruler of the later Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) summoned the Fourth Forefather of the Sagya Sect, Sapan Gonggar Gyaincain, to Liangzhou in Northwest China's Ganshu Province. As a result, Sapan brought various feudal forces in Tibet under Yuan control.
Following the death of Sapan, Phags-pa, the Fifth Forefather of the Sagya Sect, emerged as a high-ranking official in the Yuan court. He was granted honorary titles such as "State Tutor," ''Imperial Tutor,'' and ''Great Treasure Prince of Dharma.'' Thereafter, the Sagya Sect emerged as the Yuan Dynasty representative in Tibet.
During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Gonggar Zhaxi, an eminent monk with the Sagya Sect, journeyed to Nanjing, capital of the Ming Dynasty, to pay homage to Emperor Yong Le. Therefore, Gonggar was granted an honorary title as the "Mahayana Prince of Dharma,'' one of the three Princes of Dharma.
3. Gagyu Sect
The Gagyu Sect, founded in the 11th century, stresses the study of Tantrism and advocates that Tantrist tenets be passed down orally from one generation to another. Hence the name Gagyu, which in Tibetan means "passing down orally.'' Marba and Milha Riba, the founders of the Gagyu Sect, wore white monk robes when practicing Buddhism, hence the name White Sect.
In the early years, the White Sect was divided into the Xangba Gagyu, which declined in the 14th and to 15th centuries, and the Tabo Gagyu. The Tabo Gagyu was powerful and its branch sects were either in power in their respective localities or otherwise dominant among feudal forces.
4. Gadang Sect
The Gadang Sect, founded in 1056, primarily advocated the study of exoteric teachings, with later emphasis on Tantrism (active religious practice). In the Tibetan language, Ga refers to the teachings of Buddha, with tang meaning instruction. Gadang thus refers to advising people to accept Buddhism based on the teachings of Buddha. Its doctrines were promoted far and wide and thus exerted great influence on various Tibetan Buddhist sects. However, along with the rise of the Gelug Sect in the 15th century, the Gadang Sect dissolved, with its monks and monasteries merging with the former.
5. Gelug Sect
From its inception, the Gelug Sect, founded in 1409, has been the most famous Buddhist sect in Tibetan history since the 15th century. The sect was founded during the reform of Tibetan Buddhism initiated by Zongkapa.
Zongkapa himself was born when the Pagmo Zhuba replaced the Sagya Regime in power. At that time, upper-class monks involved in political and economic power struggle led a decadent life, and rapidly lost popularity. Faced with this situation, Zongkapa called for efforts to follow Buddhist tenets. He gave lecture tours in many areas and wrote books accusing decadent monks of failing to abide by Buddhist tenets.
Zongkapa spared no effort to press ahead with Buddhist reforms. For example, in the first month of 1409 according to the Tibetan calendar, Zongkapa initiated the Grand Summons Ceremony in Lahsa's Jokhang Monastery, a ceremony that continues to this day.
Then, Zongkapa constructed the famous Gandain Monastery and founded the Gelug Sect, which was famous for its strict adherence to commandments. Gelug is "commandments'' in Tibetan Zongkapa and his followers wore yellow hats, and thus the Gelug Sect also became known as the Yellow Sect.
Since its founding, the Yellow Sect has built the Zhaibung, Sera, Tashilhungpo, Tar, and Labrang monasteries, which join the Gandain Monastery as the six major monasteries of the Gelug Sect. The Yellow Sect is also known for the formation of the two largest Living Buddha reincarnation systems - the Dalai and Panchen systems.
