Tibet Before and After Buddhism Jeffrey L. Richey, Ph.D. REL 231 Religions of India and Tibet Berea College Fall 2003

TIBETAN RELIGION BEFORE THE 7TH CENTURY CE Cult of divine king: Descendant of celestial beings who reach earth via “sky rope” Perennially reborn essence of royal ancestors Giver of law ( = cosmic order) Priestly class (also regarded as incarnations of predecessors): Bon (“reciters”) – preside over coronations, funerals, sacrifices Shen – shamans who communicate with spirit world Since 1000 CE, Bönpo tradition has claimed continuity with pre-Buddhist Tibetan religion

THE ADVENT OF BUDDHISM IN TIBET By 600s CE, Tibet is major unified power in Asia, rivaling both Chinese Tang Empire (618-907) and Hindu kingdoms in India During reign of King Songtsen Gampo (c. 627-650), Chinese- and Nepalese-born Buddhist wives allegedly bring Buddhist traditions to the Tibetan court With Buddhist traditions come Sanskrit and development of Sanskrit-based written script for Tibetan language By 700s, Indian (Tantric) Buddhist missionaries active in Tibet, and indigenous religion suppressed by royal decree

THE VAJRAYĀNA (TANTRIC) TRADITION Rooted in tantra (Sanskrit: “warp” of loom, “strands” of braid) – Indian esoteric tradition in Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism Outgrowth of Mahāyāna speculation about “Buddha-nature” and “sudden” enlightenment, as well as interaction with Hindu bhākti Devotees regard the universe (macrocosm) as concrete manifestation of enlightened consciousness that creates and maintains it Using the body and other microcosms of universe, devotees utilize power of enlightened consciousness for liberation Devotees visualize and identify with Buddhas and bodhisattvas within in order to achieve enlightenment, using ritual elements as catalysts for transforming consciousness: kāma (desire, especially sexual) mantra (sacred words) mandala (cosmic diagrams) mudrā (ritual gestures) Strong emphasis on authority of guru (Tibetan: lama), who may be an incarnate Buddha or bodhisattva “Right-handed” tantra tends toward internalization and spiritualization of practice (“knowing”-oriented) “Left-handed” tantra tends toward externalization and concretization of practice (“doing”-oriented)

THE FALL AND RISE OF TIBETAN BUDDHISM Padmasambhava, an Indian Tantric master later regarded as a Buddha by Tibetans, establishes the first Tibetan Buddhist monastery (c. 779) Last of Tibetan kings, Lang Darma (r. 836-842), persecutes Buddhism, destroying monasteries and texts His subsequent assassination leads to 200-year period of disunity in which Buddhist and Bönpo partisans struggle for supremacy By 1000, Buddhism reintroduced and ties with Indian Buddhism renewed at a time of increasing peril for Buddhism in India

TIBETAN BUDDHISM AND THE TIBETAN STATE Mongol annexation of Tibet (c. 1200) leads to establishment of Sakya Pandita (d. 1251), monk of Sakyapa sect, as viceroy of Tibet During Mongol (Yuan) reign over China (1280-1368), rule of Tibet by Sakyapa leaders continues (extending Tibetan Buddhist influence to China) As Mongol rule wanes, Tibetan Buddhism takes on nationalistic, xenophobic flavor, marked by “discovery” of gTer-ma (“treasure texts”) from India – supposedly long hidden and karmically timed to be revealed at opportune moments By 1400, Tibetan Buddhism increasingly independent of both Chinese-Mongol political control and Indian religious influence The Mādhyamika scholar Tsong Kha-pa (1357-1419) leads reform of Buddhist sects, revival of intellectual rigor, and promotion of monastic discipline in Tibet Leaders of his Gelugpa (“system of virtue”) sect, called Dalai Lama (Mongolian: “Ocean Guru”), regarded as tulku (incarnations) of Avalokiteśvara In 1642, fifth Dalai Lama becomes spiritual-political ruler of Tibet and asserts himself as equal to Chinese and Mongol heads of state

THE MANDALA IN TIBETAN BUDDHISM Mandala is Tantric tool for accessing and utilizing the enlightened consciousness both without (in Buddhas) and within (in Buddha-nature) that creates and sustains universe Mandala is grid or template for tracking flow of power in universe, with source at center and all else radiating outward, becoming instrument for manipulating one’s consciousness Thus, mandala = mesocosm that bridges microcosm (human body) and macrocosm (universe) Mandalas constructed of painted sand often destroyed to symbolize truth of impermanence

INVASION AND EXILE (1904-PRESENT) 1904: British invade Tibet to force acceptance of trade treaty 1907: Manchurian rulers of China invade Tibet to assert Chinese claim of political supremacy 1912: Manchurian (Qing) dynasty falls, temporarily ending threat 1959: 14th Dalai Lama escapes to India to avoid assassination by Chinese following 1950 invasion 1959-1979: 95% of Tibetan monasteries destroyed and Tibetan population displaced by massive Chinese immigration 1989: 14th Dalai Lama awarded Nobel Peace Prize for efforts to negotiate settlement with China