Tibetan Buddhism not only dominated the spiritual life of the people for many centuries, but in its form as Lamaism was also the most important political force in the country
from history
Natural religion of Bon
Until the 8th century AD, the predominant religion in Tibet was the Good, in which, in addition to belief in gods and demons, astrology and the conjuring of spirits were among the common rituals. The center of the Bon was in western Tibet Shangshung in today's province of Ngari, there is the sacred mountain Kailash and the lake Manasarovar.
The Bon religion is still present in Tibet today, but it has changed a lot over the centuries and moved closer to Buddhism. However, a difference becomes clear when walking around temples or sanctuaries: the Bönpo always go counter-clockwise.
Buddhism prevails
First contacts with the religion widespread in neighboring countries have been documented since the 5th century, the introduction of Buddhism goes back to Songtsen Gampo, the 33rd King of Tibet, who made his residence in Lhasa in the place of today Potala had on the Marpori. His two wives each brought a Buddhist statue as a dowry of the Nepalese princess Bhrikuti comes the Jobo Mikyö Dorjewho in Jokhang Temple was set up, the Jobo Shakyamuni was the dowry of the Chinese princess Weng Chen and was originally in Ramoche temple. The figures were later exchanged, and so they are still in the other sanctuary today. In the following years, Buddhist scriptures were mainly translated from Indian, the school of ancient Buddhism came into being, Nyingma, in which the ideas of the Vajrayana and the secret and magical ideas of the Tantrism Find. The first monasteries also emerged, the oldest monastery is Samye, its floor plan is setting Mandala The direct transfer of knowledge from a master to a student is essential in monastic life.
The growing influence of the monasteries on society met with resistance from the Tibetan nobility, Buddhism was pushed back, and its writings were hidden to protect them from persecution. These were then later rediscovered as the hidden treasures. It was not until around the year 1000 that Buddhism was able to assert itself against the Bon religion. New translations of the Buddhist scriptures came into the country from India. The school of Kagyu. who placed particular emphasis on the direct oral transmission of the teaching from a guru to his disciples. The monks of this order, called Kagyupa, are also referred to as red hats like those of the monastery Sakya. Its abbots had the right to marry and were allowed to inherit their office. In the 13th century they got secular rule over Tibet, the first time the country was ruled theocratically, if only for about 100 years. The youngest and most important Buddhist school is the Gelug, the school of the virtuous, also known as the Order of the Yellow Hats. Even today significant monasteries of this order are Ganden, Drepung and Sera near Lhasa as well as the monastery Tashilhunpo in Shigatse.
Lamaism
Dalai Lama
The title of Dalai Lama was first bestowed on in 1578 Sonam Gyatsho, the abbot of Drepung Monastery. He referred to the Mongol ruler Altan Khan as a reincarnation of Kublai Khan, himself as a reincarnation of Gendun Dub and from Gendun Gyatsho. The Mongol then awarded him the title of one Dalai Lama, a teacher with a Compassion like that of an ocean. As a third reincarnation, he was the third Dalai Lama. A Dalai Lama is therefore always one too Trulku, a reincarnation of a previous Buddhist master or a Bodhisattva. The fifth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatsho , was also proclaimed ruler of Tibet by a Mongol in 1642. This made Tibet a clerical state, even if, for various reasons, rule was often not exercised by the Dalai Lama but by a regent. The Dalai Lama is considered to be the embodiment of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of universal compassion. This is his patron saint of Tibet Pure land is referred to as Potala.
Penchen Lama
The fifth Dalai Lama Ngawang Lobsang Gyatsho was a disciple of the Guru Lobsang Chökyi Gyeltshen. He referred to him as Penchen Lama, a great learned guru, and at the same time saw him as a reincarnation of the Buddha Amithaba. When this Penchen Lama died at the age of 92, he had research into a child that he considered to be his rebirth. Thus, the Dalai Lama has a crucial role in determining the Penchen Lama. Conversely, it is the duty of the Penchen Lama to look for his successor after the death of the Dalai Lama. As a rule, these are children who first have to do a monastic education before they can exercise the office.
Deities in the temples
Buddhas
First of all, it should be noted that in Buddhism there is no god in the sense of a creator, but a Buddha is an enlightened one who has entered nirvana and is therefore no longer caught in the cycle of samsara, reincarnation. So far so good. One cannot worship Buddhas, but one can worship. The Vajrayana Buddhism however, it is based on 5 primordial Buddhas, also called Adibuddhathat exist from the beginning of times.
- Vairocana, central figure in mandalas. Sun as a symbol, color: white
- Aksobhaya, assigned to the east, symbol: scepter (vajra) and bell (ghanta), color blue
- Ratnasabhava, assigned to the south, symbol: wish jewel, color yellow
- Amitabhaassigned to the west, Buddha of limitless light, color red
- Amoghasiddhi, assigned to the north, symbol: double vajra, color green
In addition to the Adibuddhas, one often sees the statues of other Buddhas, such as a group of three with the three Buddhas of the past Dipamkara, the presence Shakyamuni and the future Maitreya. The statues of the Buddhas of Confession and Wishes and Medicine are also frequently venerated.
Bodhisattvas
In contrast to the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas are beings who have already reached perfection, but who do not enter nirvana in order to help other people on their way to perfection. Often these bodhisattvas are represented as manifestations of the adibuddhas. There are also female bodhisattvas called Tare
Other saints and teachers
Further venerable beings are the arhats, they did not reach perfection through their own strength, but through external help.
Samsara and wheel of life
The representation of the wheel of life Bhava chakra describes in Vajrayana Buddhism the cycle of rebirths, des Samsara and shows the way to nirvana. in the Theravada Buddhism one attains enlightenment through one's own strength by one Path of renunciation walks on the path to perfection. in the Mahayana Buddhism the goal is to become a bodhisattva in order to help other beings on their path to perfection. On the Path of the accumulation one experiences the help of other bodhisattvas. The Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism is considered to be Path of the resultIt is not the path that counts, but the goal, breaking through the eternal cycle of rebirth.
Representation of the wheel of life
The pictorial representations of the wheel of life are often found in the vestibules of the temples. In the pictures the wheel of life is clutched by a demon, it is mostly Mara, the demon of death. Three animals are depicted in the center of the wheel: snake, rooster and pig symbolize hatred, pride and ignorance. This center is surrounded by the white arduous way up to salvation and the black way to disaster. In the next wreath of pictures the six areas are shown in which one can be reborn according to one's karma. In the upper part, these are initially the area of the gods, the area of demigods, who are obsessed by envy and ambition, and the area of people, who are mostly selfish. In the lower half of the picture are the ignorant animals, then the hungry ghosts who can never satisfy their desires and finally the beings in hell. The outer twelve images represent a logical sequence of conditions that repeatedly lead to death and rebirth.
Death and rebirth
Buddhism in Tibet has precise ideas about what happens between a person's death and their reincarnation. This intermediate state lasts 7 weeks, and it is possible to make contact with the soul of the deceased during this time. Scripture describes more precisely Bardo Thödröl or Liberation through listening in the intermediate state, with us as Tibetan Book of the Dead known. Here the path of a deceased person in the hereafter is described in detail, and it is also pointed out the possibility of influencing this path and thus entering nirvana. Another specialty are the Trulkü. They are Buddhist masters who are so advanced on their way that they can determine the time and place of their rebirth themselves. These Trülkü include the Dalai Lama and the Penchen Lama.
Buddhist symbols and rites
- Prayer flags or wind horses: these colorful cloths are attached to protruding points, such as rocks, house roofs or mountain passes. They always consist of 5 cloths in the colors blue (Sky) - White (Air) - red (Fire) - yellow (Earth) - green - (Water)
- Khata: a white prayer shawl, often made of silk, that is given to guests when they come or go. Eight traditional symbols are woven into this scarf.
- Thangka: Scroll paintings, they vary in size from a few centimeters to the gigantic pictures that are attached to the thangka walls of the monasteries on holidays, e.g. at the Tashilhunpo monastery in Xigazê.
- Mandala: mostly circular, sometimes also square or three-dimensional images. Often there is a palace in the center, surrounded by a pure land. Often before Buddhist holidays, mandalas are made by several monks together in weeks of work from colored sand and then destroyed again after the festival.
- Prayer wheels are usually metal cylinders and contain paper rolls on the inside Mantra, e.g. the well-known Om mani padme hum is printed. They can be meters high, but also so small that pilgrims can turn them on their way. The direction of rotation is generally clockwise. Some prayer wheels are also powered by water power, a nice example is at the entrance to Drepung Monastery.
- Vajra, Tibetan Dorje, is a symbol in the shape of a scepter, is often called Thunderbolt designated. In the vajras, hard stones were originally made from meteorites. A vajra is held in the right hand.
- Ghanta, Bell, is usually held in the left hand.
- Akshamala, a kind of rosary. Common in Hinduism, but also among Tibetan pilgrims.
- Kora, Circular route around a monastery or sanctuary, is always bypassed in the direction of the clockwise. Famous Koras are the Lingkor and the Barkhor in Lhasa. In temples, too, you generally go in the clockwise direction. When going around sanctuaries, many pilgrims prostrate themselves after a certain number of steps. They often wear leather aprons as protection.
- Visiting temples and monasteries: Even as a non-Buddhist you can visit most temples, even during services. Correspondingly adapted behavior is a matter of course. Sometimes photography is allowed, sometimes only for a fee, if in doubt, ask first. Small banknotes are usually sacrificed to statues and portraits, they are placed there or closed. The white khatas also like to serve as victims. The lamps are important, fat from yak butter lights the candles, filled with the gifts of the pilgrims. Incense sticks fill the room with their scent.
