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63-425: The Five Buddha Families are a common subject of Vajrayana and Tibetan Buddhist mandalas and they feature prominently in various Buddhist Tantras as the intrinsically inseparable father and mother Buddhas. Various sources provide different names for these male and female Buddhas, though the most common names today are: In the east, Vairocana and Buddha Locana ; in the south Ratnasambhava and Buddha Mamaki ; in

126-550: A samadhi mudrā with both palms face up, on top of each other, in his lap. When these Five Buddhas are represented in mandalas of distinct Buddhist traditions, they may not always have the same colour or be related to the same direction. As mentioned, Akshobhya and Vairocana may be switched, as in the Guhyasamaja system which has Aksobhya in the center, and as in the Longchen Nyingtig tradition where Akshobhya

189-569: A classic schema, Vairocana may be seen as embodying sovereignty as the lord of the mandala and thus is at the central place of the mandala. Akshobhya then may face east as the second Buddha, and embodies steadfastness. He may be seated in the Vajraparyanka (also known as Bhūmisparśa ) pose, with the right hand on the right knee, palm turned inwardly, and middle finger touching the ground. Amitābha (Japanese: Amida), embodies measureless light and faces west. A statue of Amitābha, when seated, has

252-469: A critical set of techniques for dealing with everyday life. Tibetans came to see these techniques as vital for their survival and prosperity in this life." This includes dealing with the local gods and spirits ( sadak and shipdak), which became a specialty of some Tibetan Buddhist lamas and ngagpas ( mantrikas , mantra specialists). The late 10th and 11th centuries saw a revival of Buddhism in Tibet with

315-521: A debate ensued between Moheyan and the Indian master Kamalaśīla , without consensus on the victor, and some scholars consider the event to be fictitious. A reversal in Buddhist influence began under King Langdarma (r. 836–842), and his death was followed by the so-called Era of Fragmentation , a period of disunity during the 9th and 10th centuries. During this era, the political centralization of

378-665: A development of the mature Buddhist Tantras. The now standard five Buddhas first appear in the Sarvatathāgatatattvasaṃgraha sutra ( Compendium of Principles , c. late 7th century) and Vajrasekhara Sutra . However, the tradition of various Buddhas corresponding to the main cardinal directions is not new to the Buddhist tantras . The idea appears in Mahayana sutras like the Sutra of Golden Light (c. 5th century) and

441-564: A form of Mahāyāna Buddhism stemming from the latest stages of Buddhism (which included many Vajrayāna elements). It thus preserves many Indian Buddhist tantric practices of the post-Gupta early medieval period (500–1200 CE), along with numerous native Tibetan developments. In the pre-modern era, Tibetan Buddhism spread outside of Tibet primarily due to the influence of the Mongol Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), founded by Kublai Khan , who ruled China, Mongolia, and parts of Siberia. In

504-666: A much lesser extent Abhirati of Akshobhya , where great masters like Vimalakirti and Milarepa are said to dwell, were popularly venerated. Some temples include all five Buddhas in their mandalas and statuary. The Five Tathāgathas are protected by five Wisdom Kings called Vidyārājas , and in China and Japan they are frequently depicted together in the Mandala of the Two Realms . In the Shurangama Mantra revealed in

567-676: A sixth Buddha, Vajradhara , "a Buddha (or principle) seen as the source, in some sense, of the five Buddhas." This idea later developed into a tantric idea of the Adi-Buddha , which generally came to be seen as the ground of all the Five Buddhas, as the Dharmakāya itself, the ultimate reality which spontaneously manifests the Five Buddha families. Different Buddhist traditions understand and name their highest Buddha in various ways. In

630-640: A slightly different set of Buddhas, with Samkusumitarajendra, and Ratnaketu in place of Amoghasiddhi and Ratnasambhava . Similarly, the Amoghapāśakalparāja ( Sovereign Ritual of Amoghapāśa ) has a similar schema as the Compendium, except that Shakyamuni is at the center, not Vairocana, and furthermore Amoghasiddhi is replaced by Lokendraraja Buddha. Later Buddhist tantras adopted the basic five Buddha family schema. The Māyājālatantra for example, adopts it wholesale. Other tantras would often modify

693-678: A vehicle for understanding and decoding the whole of the Dharma . In numerous Vajrayana sources, each Buddha Family or Division has numerous symbols, secondary figures including bodhisattvas, protectors, etc., abilities, and aspects. Some of the main esoteric associations of each family include: Consciousness (or Form) ( rupa ) Each male Buddha is paired with a female Buddha, often called mothers, prajña, vidya, or consort. Together, each family also presides over their own pure land or buddhafield. Although all five families abide in pure lands, it appears that only Sukhavati of Amitābha , and to

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756-423: Is Tara , meaning Liberator and his mounts are garudas . He belongs to the family of karma whose family symbol is the double vajra . Amoghasiddhi is associated with the conceptual (Skt: samskara ) skandha or the conceptual mind (as opposed to the non-conceptual or sensational mind). His action towards the promotion of Buddhist paths is the pacification of evils. This is symbolised by Amoghasiddhi's symbol,

819-505: Is "The Dharma of the insiders" ( nang chos ) or "The Buddha Dharma of the insiders" ( nang pa sangs rgyas pa'i chos ). "Insider" means someone who seeks the truth not outside but within the nature of mind. This is contrasted with other forms of organized religion, which are termed chos lugs (dharma system) . For example, Christianity is termed Yi shu'i chos lugs (Jesus dharma system) . Westerners unfamiliar with Tibetan Buddhism initially turned to China for understanding. In Chinese,

882-796: Is a form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet , Bhutan and Mongolia . It also has a sizable number of adherents in the areas surrounding the Himalayas , including the Indian regions of Ladakh , Darjeeling , Sikkim , and Zangnan ( Arunachal Pradesh) , as well as in Nepal . Smaller groups of practitioners can be found in Central Asia , some regions of China such as Northeast China , Xinjiang , Inner Mongolia and some regions of Russia, such as Tuva , Buryatia , and Kalmykia . Tibetan Buddhism evolved as

945-568: Is also in the center. In other cases, different Buddhas may take the center place as well depending on the teaching cycle or tantra which is being depicted. When represented in a Vairocana mandala of the Vajradhatu, the Buddhas are arranged as follows: There is an expansive number of associations with each element of the Five Buddhas mandala, so that the mandala becomes a cipher and mnemonic visual thinking instrument and concept map ;

1008-529: Is considered by the Tibetans as Guru Rinpoche ("Precious Master"), is also credited with building the first monastery building named "Samye" around the late 8th century. According to some legend, it is noted that he pacified the Bon demons and made them the core protectors of Dharma. Modern historians also argue that Trisong Detsen and his followers adopted Buddhism as an act of international diplomacy, especially with

1071-476: Is even more ḍākinī centric, with a mandala focused on Hevajra surrounded by eight ḍākinīs, with no obvious connection to the standard five Buddha family schema. However, some later tantric commentators to the Hevajra tantra (like Abhayakaragupta ) do indeed map these Hevajra deities to the five families. This shows that the five family schema remained an important one even in the later period of Buddhist tantra as

1134-529: Is occasionally misused for Tibetan Buddhism. More accurately, Vajrayāna signifies a certain subset of practices and traditions that are not only part of Tibetan Buddhism but also prominent in other Buddhist traditions such as Chinese Esoteric Buddhism and Shingon in Japan . In the west, the term "Indo-Tibetan Buddhism" has become current in acknowledgement of its derivation from the latest stages of Buddhist development in northern India. " Northern Buddhism "

1197-593: Is sometimes used to refer to Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, for example, in the Brill Dictionary of Religion. Another term, "Himalayan" (or "Trans-Himalayan") Buddhism is sometimes used to indicate how this form of Buddhism is practiced not just in Tibet but throughout the Himalayan Regions . The Provisional Government of Russia, by a decree of 7 July 1917, prohibited the appellation of Buryat and Kalmyk Buddhists as "Lamaists" in official papers. After

1260-742: The Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra . The Golden Light for example, has a mandala with Shakyamuni in the center, surrounded by Ratnaketu (south), Amitayus (west), Dundubhisvara (north) and Aksobhya (east) Buddhas. This set already includes three of the main five Buddha family Buddhas found in the tantras. Furthermore, examples of four Buddhas arranged in the four cardinal directions are found in Indian Buddhist stupas like Sanchi stupa , Udayagiri stupa , Jajpur stupa ( Pushpagiri ) and Dekhinath stupa ( Gyaraspur ). The Udayagiri stupa for example, houses Vairocana, Amitabha, Aksobhya and Ratnasambhava in

1323-821: The Battle of Chamdo , Tibet was annexed by China in 1950. In 1959 the 14th Dalai Lama and a great number of clergy and citizenry fled the country, to settle in India and other neighbouring countries. The events of the Cultural Revolution (1966–76) saw religion as one of the main political targets of the Chinese Communist Party, and most of the several thousand temples and monasteries in Tibet were destroyed, with many monks and lamas imprisoned. During this time, private religious expression, as well as Tibetan cultural traditions, were suppressed. Much of

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1386-730: The Church of the East . The Mongols invaded Tibet in 1240 and 1244. They eventually annexed Amdo and Kham and appointed the great scholar and abbot Sakya Pandita (1182–1251) as Viceroy of Central Tibet in 1249. In this way, Tibet was incorporated into the Mongol Empire , with the Sakya hierarchy retaining nominal power over religious and regional political affairs, while the Mongols retained structural and administrative rule over

1449-642: The Güshi Khan of the Khoshut Mongols . The Ganden Phodrang and the successive Gelug tulku lineages of the Dalai Lamas and Panchen Lamas maintained regional control of Tibet from the mid-17th to mid-20th centuries. The Qing dynasty (1644–1912) established a Chinese rule over Tibet after a Qing expeditionary force defeated the Dzungars (who controlled Tibet) in 1720, and lasted until

1512-577: The Kadampa school of Tibetan Buddhism, one of the first Sarma schools. The Sakya ( Grey Earth ) school, was founded by Khön Könchok Gyelpo (1034–1102), a disciple of the great scholar , Drogmi Shākya. It is headed by the Sakya Trizin , and traces its lineage to the mahasiddha Virūpa . Other influential Indian teachers include Tilopa (988–1069) and his student Nāropā (probably died ca. 1040). Their teachings, via their student Marpa , are

1575-654: The Kingdom of Zhangzhung . While some stories depict Buddhism in Tibet before this period, the religion was formally introduced during the Tibetan Empire (7th–9th century CE). Sanskrit Buddhist scriptures from India were first translated into Tibetan under the reign of the Tibetan king Songtsän Gampo (618–649 CE). This period also saw the development of the Tibetan writing system and classical Tibetan . In

1638-655: The Liberation Rite of Water and Land and the Yoga Flaming Mouth ceremony ( 瑜伽焰口法會 ), as well as in general prayers and chants. They are also sometimes called the " Dhyani -buddhas", which is a term first recorded in English by Brian Houghton Hodgson , a British resident in Nepal, in the early 19th century, and is unattested in any surviving traditional primary sources. The Five Wisdom Buddha families are

1701-678: The Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa (ch 37) is: Oṁ kaṭe vikaṭe nikaṭe kaṭaṅkaṭe kaṭavikaṭakaṭaṅkaṭe svāhā Buddhalocanā's mantra in the Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa (found in chapter 37) is: oṁ ru ru sphuru jvala tiṣṭha siddhalocane sarvārthasādhani svāhā According to the Guhyasamājatantra , each Buddha family is also assigned a specific mantra: The Five Buddhas may also be seen as aspects of the Dharmakāya or "dharma-body", which reflect all apparent phenomena. The Vajrasekhara Sutra also mentions

1764-501: The Nyingma school, the highest Buddhas are known as Samantabhadra and Samantrabadri. In Shingon Buddhism , it is Mahavairocana. In Japanese Pure Land Buddhism , they understand all Buddhas as manifestations of Amitābha . Tibetan Buddhism Samding Dorje Phagmo New branches: Tantric techniques : Fourfold division: Twofold division: Thought forms and visualisation: Yoga : Tibetan Buddhism

1827-632: The Phagmodrupa dynasty , and the strong localism of the various fiefs and political-religious factions, led to a long series of internal conflicts. The minister family Rinpungpa , based in Tsang (West Central Tibet), dominated politics after 1435. In 1565, the Rinpungpa family was overthrown by the Tsangpa Dynasty of Shigatse , which expanded its power in different directions of Tibet in

1890-715: The Puning Temple and Putuo Zongcheng Temple (modeled after the potala palace). This period also saw the rise of the Rimé movement , a 19th-century nonsectarian movement involving the Sakya , Kagyu and Nyingma schools of Tibetan Buddhism, along with some Bon scholars. Having seen how the Gelug institutions pushed the other traditions into the corners of Tibet's cultural life, scholars such as Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (1820–1892) and Jamgön Kongtrül (1813–1899) compiled together

1953-622: The Rimé movement (19th century), meaning "no sides", is a more recent non-sectarian movement that attempts to preserve and understand all the different traditions. The predominant spiritual tradition in Tibet before the introduction of Buddhism was Bon , which has been strongly influenced by Tibetan Buddhism (particularly the Nyingma school). While each of the four major schools is independent and has its own monastic institutions and leaders, they are closely related and intersect with common contact and dialogue. The native Tibetan term for Buddhism

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2016-462: The Six Dharmas of Naropa , as well as methods that are seen as transcending tantra, like Dzogchen . Its main goal is Buddhahood . The primary language of scriptural study in this tradition is classical Tibetan . Tibetan Buddhism has four major schools, namely Nyingma (8th century), Kagyu (11th century), Sakya (1073), and Gelug (1409). The Jonang is a smaller school that exists, and

2079-552: The Tibetan Autonomous Region . During the Republic of China (1912–1949) , the "Chinese Tantric Buddhist Revival Movement" ( Chinese : 密教復興運動 ) took place, and important figures such as Nenghai ( 能海喇嘛 , 1886–1967) and Master Fazun ( 法尊 , 1902–1980) promoted Tibetan Buddhism and translated Tibetan works into Chinese. This movement was severely damaged during the Cultural Revolution , however. After

2142-594: The Śūraṅgama Sūtra , an especially influential dharani in the Chinese Chan tradition , the Five Tathāgathas are mentioned as the hosts of the five divisions which control the vast armies of the five directions. In an early Indian Yoga Tantra of the Five Families, the five prajña consorts or five mothers (Tib. ཡུམ་ལྔ་, Wyl. yum lnga ), the associated bodhisattvas and their pure lands that correspond to

2205-426: The 8th century, King Trisong Detsen (755–797 CE) established it as the official religion of the state and commanded his army to wear robes and study Buddhism. Trisong Detsen invited Indian Buddhist scholars to his court, including Padmasambhāva (8th century CE) and Śāntarakṣita (725–788), who are considered the founders of Nyingma ( The Ancient Ones) , the oldest tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Padmasambhava, who

2268-868: The Drikung Kagyu, the Drukpa Kagyu and the Karma Kagyu, are branches of the Dagpo Kagyu. The Karma Kagyu school is the largest of the Kagyu sub-schools and is headed by the Karmapa . Tibetan Buddhism exerted a strong influence from the 11th century CE among the peoples of Inner Asia , especially the Mongols , and Tibetan and Mongolian Buddhism influenced each other. This was done with the help of Kublai Khan and Mongolian theologians influenced by

2331-659: The Five Tathagatas are: Other tantras and commentaries provide alternative families and listings of the male and female Buddha pairings. In some systems, like the Guhyasamāja Tantra , Akṣobhya appears at the center of the mandala, with Sparśavajrī as consort. Sometimes Tara may appear as associated with the Lotus family, since one tradition states that she was born of Avalokitesvara. Each female Buddha also has their own mantra, for example Pāṇḍaravāsinī's mantra in

2394-561: The Five Tathagathas are the primary objects of realization and meditation in Shingon Buddhism , a school of Vajrayana Buddhism founded by Kūkai . In Chinese Buddhism , veneration of the five Buddhas has dispersed from Chinese Esoteric Buddhism into other Chinese Buddhist traditions like Chan Buddhism and Tiantai . They are regularly enshrined in many Chinese Buddhist temples, and regularly invoked in rituals such as

2457-600: The Modern era, Tibetan Buddhism has spread outside of Asia because of the efforts of the Tibetan diaspora (1959 onwards). As the Dalai Lama escaped to India, the Indian subcontinent is also known for its renaissance of Tibetan Buddhism monasteries, including the rebuilding of the three major monasteries of the Gelug tradition. Apart from classical Mahāyāna Buddhist practices like the ten perfections , Tibetan Buddhism also includes tantric practices, such as deity yoga and

2520-573: The October revolution the term "Buddho-Lamaism" was used for some time by the Bolsheviks with reference to Tibetan Buddhism, before they finally reverted, in the early 1920s, to a more familiar term "Lamaism", which remains in official and scholarly usage in Russia to this day. During the 3rd century CE, Buddhism began to spread into the Tibetan region, and its teachings affected the Bon religion in

2583-584: The Tibetan textual heritage and institutions were destroyed, and monks and nuns were forced to disrobe. Outside of Tibet, however, there has been a renewed interest in Tibetan Buddhism in places such as Nepal and Bhutan. Meanwhile, the spread of Tibetan Buddhism in the Western world was accomplished by many of the refugee Tibetan Lamas who escaped Tibet, such as Akong Rinpoche and Chögyam Trungpa who in 1967 were founders of Kagyu Samye Ling

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2646-613: The Yoginitantras were moving away from the standard schemas of the Yoga tantras . In the tantric Buddhist literature, each of the five Buddhas have extensive qualities and features, including different directions, colors, mudrā , symbol, aspects, klesha , element; consort and spiritual son, as well as different animal vehicles (elephant, lion, peacock, harpies or garuda , or dragon). The cardinal positions of Akshobhya and Vairocana can alter depending on specific teachings. In

2709-721: The basic schema to suit their needs. For example, the Guhyasamaja literature places Aksobhya Buddha (or, depending on the tradition, Mañjuvajra, the tantric Mañjusri Buddha) at the center of the mandala instead of Vairocana. The Mother Tantras (i.e. Yoginitantras), like the Cakrasaṃvara Tantra , adopt the basic idea of the five family mandalas, but are more different than the Father tantras in their structure and make use of different deities, including many more female ḍākinī deities. The Cakrasaṃvara for example, contains six main Buddhas with their own corresponding mandalas: Heruka , Vairocana, Vajrasūrya, Padmanarteśvara, Paramāśva, and Vajrasattva . The Hevajratantra 's mandala

2772-416: The earlier Tibetan Empire collapsed and civil wars ensued. In spite of this loss of state power and patronage however, Buddhism survived and thrived in Tibet. According to Geoffrey Samuel this was because "Tantric (Vajrayana) Buddhism came to provide the principal set of techniques by which Tibetans dealt with the dangerous powers of the spirit world [...] Buddhism, in the form of Vajrayana ritual, provided

2835-438: The fall of the Qing dynasty in 1912. The Manchu rulers of the Qing dynasty supported Tibetan Buddhism, especially the Gelug sect, during most of their rule. The reign of the Qianlong Emperor (respected as the Emperor Manjushri ) was the high mark for this promotion of Tibetan Buddhism in China, with the visit of the 6th Panchen Lama to Beijing, and the building of temples in the Tibetan style, such as Xumi Fushou Temple ,

2898-419: The first Tibetan Buddhist Centre to be established in the West. After the liberalization policies in China during the 1980s, the religion began to recover with some temples and monasteries being reconstructed. Tibetan Buddhism is now an influential religion among Chinese people, and also in Taiwan. However, the Chinese government retains strict control over Tibetan Buddhist Institutions in the PRC . Quotas on

2961-409: The first copies of these texts were kept at Narthang monastery . Tibetan Buddhism in China was also syncretized with Chinese Buddhism and Chinese folk religion . With the decline and end of the Mongol Yuan dynasty, Tibet regained independence and was ruled by successive local families from the 14th to the 17th century. Jangchub Gyaltsän (1302–1364) became the strongest political family in

3024-407: The following decades and favoured the Karma Kagyu sect. They would play a pivotal role in the events which led to the rise of power of the Dalai Lama's in the 1640s. In China, Tibetan Buddhism continued to be patronized by the elites of the Ming Dynasty. According to David M. Robinson , during this era, Tibetan Buddhist monks "conducted court rituals, enjoyed privileged status and gained access to

3087-444: The foundations of the Kagyu ( Oral lineage ) tradition , which focuses on the practices of Mahāmudrā and the Six Dharmas of Nāropā . One of the most famous Kagyu figures was the hermit Milarepa , an 11th-century mystic. The Dagpo Kagyu was founded by the monk Gampopa who merged Marpa's lineage teachings with the monastic Kadam tradition. All the sub-schools of the Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism surviving today, including

3150-406: The founding of "New Translation" ( Sarma ) lineages as well as the appearance of " hidden treasures " ( terma ) literature which reshaped the Nyingma tradition. In 1042 the Bengali saint, Atiśa (982–1054) arrived in Tibet at the invitation of a west Tibetan king and further aided dissemination of Buddhist values in Tibetan culture and in consequential affairs of state. His erudition supported

3213-539: The four cardinal directions of the stupa. According to Kimiaki Tanaka, this basic four cardinal directions Buddha model, combined with Vairocana Buddha from the Avatamsaka sutra , developed into the later tantric five Buddha families (which changed the other two Buddhas' names to Amoghasiddhi and Ratnasambhava ). Before the set of the Compendium of Principles became the most popular, there were numerous slightly different schemas with different Buddha names. The Vairocanābhisaṃbodhi Sūtra for example contains

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3276-422: The jealously guarded, private world of the emperors". The Ming Yongle Emperor (r. 1402–1424) promoted the carving of printing blocks for the Kangyur , now known as "the Yongle Kanjur", and seen as an important edition of the collection. The Ming Dynasty also supported the propagation of Tibetan Buddhism in Mongolia during this period. Tibetan Buddhist missionaries also helped spread the religion in Mongolia. It

3339-442: The major power of those times such as China, India, and states in Central Asia that had strong Buddhist influence in their culture. Yeshe Tsogyal , the most important female in the Nyingma Vajrayana lineage, was a member of Trisong Detsen's court and became Padmasambhava's student before gaining enlightenment. Trisong Detsen also invited the Chan master Moheyan to transmit the Dharma at Samye Monastery . Some sources state that

3402-403: The major religion of the Mongols under Qing rule (1635–1912), as well as the state religion of the Kalmyk Khanate (1630–1771), the Dzungar Khanate (1634–1758) and the Khoshut Khanate (1642–1717). In 1912, following the fall of the Qing Dynasty, Tibet became de facto independent under the 13th Dalai Lama government based in Lhasa , maintaining the current territory of what is now called

3465-504: The mid 14th century. During this period the reformist scholar Je Tsongkhapa (1357–1419) founded the Gelug school which would have a decisive influence on Tibet's history. The Ganden Tripa is the nominal head of the Gelug school, though its most influential figure is the Dalai Lama. The Ganden Tripa is an appointed office and not a reincarnation lineage. The position can be held by an individual for seven years and this has led to more Ganden Tripas than Dalai Lamas Internal strife within

3528-400: The moon. He gestures in the mudra of fearlessness, symbolising his and his devotees' fearlessness towards the poisons or delusions. He is usually coloured green in artwork and is associated with the air or wind element. His season is autumn and his heavenly quarter is the northern buddha-kṣetra called Prakuta. In the Śūraṅgama mantra ( Chinese : 楞嚴咒; pinyin : Léngyán Zhòu ) taught in

3591-416: The number of monks and nuns are maintained, and their activities are closely supervised. Amoghasiddhi Amoghasiddhi ( Devanagari : अमोघसिद्धि) is one of the Five Wisdom Buddhas of the Mahayana and Vajrayana tradition of Buddhism . He is associated with the accomplishment of the Buddhist path and of the destruction of the poison of envy . His name means Unfailing Accomplishment . His consort

3654-434: The region, reinforced by the rare military intervention. Tibetan Buddhism was adopted as the de facto state religion by the Mongol Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) of Kublai Khan . It was also during this period that the Tibetan Buddhist canon was compiled, primarily led by the efforts of the scholar Butön Rinchen Drup (1290–1364). A part of this project included the carving of the canon into wood blocks for printing , and

3717-423: The teachings of the Sakya , Kagyu and Nyingma , including many near-extinct teachings. Without Khyentse and Kongtrul's collecting and printing of rare works, the suppression of Buddhism by the Communists would have been much more final. The Rimé movement is responsible for a number of scriptural compilations, such as the Rinchen Terdzod and the Sheja Dzö . During the Qing, Tibetan Buddhism also remained

3780-407: The term used is Lamaism (literally, "doctrine of the lamas": 喇嘛教 lama jiao ) to distinguish it from a then-traditional Chinese Buddhism ( 佛教 fo jiao ). The term was taken up by western scholars, including Hegel , as early as 1822. Insofar as it implies a discontinuity between Indian and Tibetan Buddhism, the term has been discredited. Another term, " Vajrayāna " (Tibetan: dorje tegpa )

3843-497: The translation of major Buddhist texts, which evolved into the canons of Bka'-'gyur (Translation of the Buddha Word) and Bstan-'gyur (Translation of Teachings). The Bka'-'gyur has six main categories: (1) Tantra , (2) Prajñāpāramitā , (3) Ratnakūṭa Sūtra , (4) Avataṃsaka Sūtra , (5) Other sutras, and (6) Vinaya . The Bstan-'gyur comprises 3,626 texts and 224 volumes on such things as hymns, commentaries and suppplementary tantric material. Atiśa's chief disciple, Dromtön founded

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3906-405: The west Amitābha Panadaravasini ; in the north Amoghasiddhi and Samayatara ; and in the center Akshobhya and Dhatvisvari . They are sometimes seen as emanations and representations of the five qualities of the Adi-Buddha or "first Buddha", which is associated with the Dharmakāya . Some sources also include this "first Buddha" as a sixth Buddha along with the five. In Japanese Buddhism,

3969-410: Was during this era that Altan Khan the leader of the Tümed Mongols, converted to Buddhism, and allied with the Gelug school, conferring the title of Dalai Lama to Sonam Gyatso in 1578. During a Tibetan civil war in the 17th century, Sonam Choephel (1595–1657 CE), the chief regent of the 5th Dalai Lama , conquered and unified Tibet to establish the Ganden Phodrang government with the help of

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