Brief History of Tibetan Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism is the most significant religion in Tibet. It has a profound influence on every aspects of Tibetan people.

Buddhism entered Tibet in the 7th century from China mainland, India and Nepal and became a major presence in Tibet towards the end of the 8th century. Tibet King Songtsen Gampo who unified Tibet in 641 played a significant role in Tibetan Buddhism. It is widely believed that his state marriages to Nepalese princess Bhrikuti and Chinese princess Wencheng brought Buddhism to Tibet. Both of his two wives took Buddha statues to Tibet.

Before long, King Gampo made Buddhism the state religion, established a network of 108 Buddhist temples across the region and put Tibetan translators to work on the Sanskrit scriptures. He built the first Buddhist temples in Tibet, including the Jokhang in Lhasa and the Trandruk Monastery in Nedong. Songtsen Gampo had the Ramoche Monastery built for the Buddha statues that Princess Wencheng had brought with her. The princess herself also had the Jokhang Monastery built. Today, the original statue of Sakyamuni believed to be brought by Princess Wencheng is still enshrined in the center of the main hall of the Jokhang Monastery. Meanwhile, the Aksobhya Buddha, brought by Princess Bhrikuti, was also transferred to the Ramoche temple.

Since then, Tibetan Buddhism began its influence on Tibetans. During the reign of King Trisong Detsen, which began about 755 CE, Buddhism became the official religion of the Tibetan people. The King also invited famous Buddhist teachers such as Shantarakshita and Padmasambhava to Tibet. Padmasambhava, remembered by Tibetans as Guru Rinpoche ("Precious Master"), was an Indian master of tantra whose influence on the development of Tibetan Buddhism is incalculable. He is credited with building Samye Monastery, the first monastery in Tibet, in the late 8th century. Nyingma, one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, claims Guru Rinpoche as its patriarch. It is said that Guru Rinpoche pacified the Bon demons and made them protectors of the Dharma when he arrived in Tibet.

However, Tibetan Buddhism once was under suppression. In 836 King Tri Ralpachen, a supporter of Buddhism, died. His half brother Langdarma became the new King of Tibet. Langdarma suppressed Buddhism and re-established Bon as the official religion of Tibet. In 842, Langdarma was assassinated by a Buddhist monk. Rule of Tibet was divided between Langdarma's two sons. In the following centuries, Tibet disintegrated into many small kingdoms.

While Tibetan Buddhism was not exterminated. Another great Indian scholar Dipamkara Shrijnana Atisha was invited to Tibet by King Jangchubwo, marking the beginning of the "Second Dissemination" of Buddhism in Tibet. At the request of the King, Atisha wrote a book for the the king's subjects called Byang-chub lam-gyi sgron-ma, or "Lamp to the Path of Enlightenment." Through Atisha's teachings and writings, Buddhism once again became the main religion of the people of Tibet.

After that, Tibetan Buddhism exerted a strong influence among Tibetan people, even the peoples of Central Asia, especially in Mongolia and Manchuria. It was adopted as an official state religion by the Mongol Yuan dynasty and the Manchu Qing dynasty of China.