what type of buddhism does the dalai lama practice

by Mr. Terrance Schulist Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

Gelugpa tradition

Full Answer

What is the meaning of the name Dalai Lama?

Dalai Lama. Dalai Lama (UK: /ˈdælaɪ ˈlɑːmə/, US: /ˈdɑːlaɪ ˈlɑːmə/; Standard Tibetan: ཏཱ་ལའི་བླ་མ་, Tā la'i bla ma [táːlɛː láma]) is a title given by the Tibetan people for the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest of the classical schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

Should the Dalai Lama be recognized by all Tibetan Buddhists?

The 14th Dalai Lama said as early as 1969 that it was for the Tibetans to decide whether the institution of the Dalai Lama "should continue or not". He has given reference to a possible vote occurring in the future for all Tibetan Buddhists to decide whether they wish to recognize his rebirth.

Are the Dalai Lamas reincarnations of each other?

Westerners are told that the several Dalai Lamas who ruled Tibet for centuries were reincarnations not only of each other but also of the Tibetan God of Compassion, Chenrezig . Westerners with some knowledge of Buddhism find these Tibetan beliefs baffling.

What type of government did the Dalai Lama have?

From 1642 until 1705 and from 1750 to the 1950s, the Dalai Lamas or their regents headed the Tibetan government (or Ganden Phodrang) in Lhasa which governed all or most of the Tibetan Plateau with varying degrees of autonomy.

Is the Dalai Lama Mahayana or Theravada?

The Dalai Lama follows Tibetan Buddhism, which is considered to be associated with Mahayana (and also Vajrayana) Buddhism.

What kind of Buddhism is Tibetan Buddhism?

Vajrayana Buddhism, which is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet, provides a great variety of special practices, meditations and rituals to accomplish the goals of cultivating compassion and the ultimate liberation of all living beings.

What does the Dalai Lama believe in?

Winner of the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize and one of the most recognizable faces of Buddhism, the Dalai Lama is an important figure bringing Buddhist teachings to the international community.

Is Tibetan Buddhism the same as Buddhism?

Tibetan Buddhism and Chinese Buddhism use the same basic Buddhist teachings. Chinese Buddhism has attracted many Chinese followers because it includes many aspects of Chinese culture and history.

Is Tibetan Buddhism Theravada or Mahayana?

Tibetan Buddhism evolved as a form of Mahāyāna Buddhism stemming from the latest stages of Indian Buddhism (which also included many Vajrayāna elements).

Are Mahayana and Tibetan Buddhism the same?

Tibetan Buddhism combines the essential teachings of Mahayana Buddhism with Tantric and Shamanic, and material from an ancient Tibetan religion called Bon.

Is the Dalai Lama a Buddhist?

The Dalai Lama is the head monk of Tibetan Buddhism and traditionally has been responsible for the governing of Tibet, until the Chinese government took control in 1959.

What do you mean by Mahayana Buddhism?

Mahayana, (Sanskrit: “Greater Vehicle”) movement that arose within Indian Buddhism around the beginning of the Common Era and became by the 9th century the dominant influence on the Buddhist cultures of Central and East Asia, which it remains today.

What are the 3 main Buddhist beliefs?

Buddhism is one of the world's largest religions and originated 2,500 years ago in India. Buddhists believe that the human life is one of suffering, and that meditation, spiritual and physical labor, and good behavior are the ways to achieve enlightenment, or nirvana.

Is Tibetan Buddhism different from Indian Buddhism?

It has been divided into many sects with different beliefs, traditions, and practices. It is really hard to make out a difference between Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism as the Tibetan sect is a part of it.

What was the biggest difference between Mahayana Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism?

This is a key difference between Theravada and Mahayana Buddhists. Whereas Theravada Buddhists strive to become Arhats and gain freedom from the cycle of samsara, Mahayana Buddhists may choose to stay in the cycle of samsara out of compassion for others.

Where is Mahayana Buddhism practiced?

Mahāyāna Buddhism is more commonly practiced in Northeast Asia, in place such as Tibet, China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Mongolia. As a result, Mahāyāna Buddhism, absorbed local customs from those areas, and includes some of these cultural customs as well.

What does Tibetan Buddhism focus on?

Tibetan Buddhism has deep, logical philosophies on life, death, rebirth, and existence. Most of these insights are derived from the rich meditation and contemplation culture in Buddhist practise. To fully enjoy the aspects of Tibetan Buddhism, a background knowledge as well as an open mind is necessary.

What religion do Tibetans practice?

Tibetan BuddhismMost ethnic Tibetans practice Tibetan Buddhism, although a sizeable minority practices Bon, a pre-Buddhist indigenous religion. Small minorities practice Islam, Catholicism, or Protestantism.

What are the 3 major Buddhist sects?

Theravada Buddhism (The School of the Elders) Mahayana Buddhism (The Great Vehicle) Vajrayana Buddhism (The Way of the Diamond)

Do Tibetan Buddhist believe in god?

Buddhists do not believe in any kind of deity or god, although there are supernatural figures who can help or hinder people on the path towards enlightenment. Siddhartha Gautama was an Indian prince in the fifth century B.C.E.

What does Dalai Lama mean?

Who is the Dalai Lama?

Dalai Lama ( UK: / ˈdælaɪ ˈlɑːmə /, US: / ˈdɑːlaɪ ˈlɑːmə /; Tibetan: ཏཱ་ལའི་བླ་མ་, Wylie: Tā la'i bla ma [táːlɛː láma]) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest of the classical schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current Dalai Lama is Tenzin ...

Why did the Dalai Lama ask the Emperor to pay tribute to him?

Through Altan Khan, the 3rd Dalai Lama requested to pay tribute to the Emperor of China in order to raise his State Tutor ranking, the Ming imperial court of China agreed with the request . In 1582, he heard Altan Khan had died and invited by his son Dhüring Khan he decided to return to Mongolia.

When did the 5th Dalai Lama die?

The Fifth Dalai Lama died in 1682. Tibetan historian Nyima Gyaincain points out that the written wills from the fifth Dalai Lama before he died explicitly said his title and authority were from the Emperor of China, and he was subordinate of the Emperor of China .

Who was more powerful, Sonam Chophel or Dalai Lama?

During these years and for the rest of his life (he died in 1658), "there was little doubt that politically Sonam Chophel [Rabten] was more powerful than the Dalai Lama". As a young man, being 22 years his junior, the Dalai Lama addressed him reverentially as " Zhalngo ", meaning "the Presence".

Who was the de facto ruler of Tibet?

Apparently by general consensus, by virtue of his position as the Dalai Lama's changdzo (chief attendant, minister), after the Dalai Lama became absolute ruler of Tibet in 1642 Sonam Rabten became the " Desi " or "Viceroy", in fact, the de facto regent or day-to-day ruler of Tibet's governmental affairs.

Who promised the Buddha to guide and protect the Tibetan people?

According to the 14th Dalai Lama, long ago Avalokiteśvara had promised the Buddha to guide and protect the Tibetan people and in the late Middle Ages, his master plan to fulfill this promise was the stage-by-stage establishment of the Dalai Lama theocracy in Tibet.

When did the Dalai Lama take power?

However, for a variety of reasons, after the Great Fifth, the succession of Dalai Lamas were mostly figureheads with no real power until the 13th Dalai Lama assumed power in 1895. In November 2007, the 14th Dalai Lama suggested he might not be reborn, or else he might choose the next Dalai Lama while he is still alive.

What do Tibetan Buddhists believe?

Mike Wilson explains, "Tibetan Buddhists to the present day pray to gods and utilize oracles, just like the Bon, and believe the unseen world is populated with all sorts of powers and forces that must be reckoned with, even though they are phenomena of mind without an inherent self.".

How many schools of Tibetan Buddhism are there?

There are six main schools of Tibetan Buddhism - Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, Gelug, Jonang and Bonpo. The Dalai Lama is an ordained monk of one of these, the Gelug school. Although he is the highest-ranking lama in the Gelug school, officially he is not the head of it. That honor belongs to an appointed official named the Ganden Tripa.

What do Tibetans consider to be creations of the mind?

Tibetans consider all phenomena to be creations of mind. This is a teaching based on a philosophy called Yogacara, and it is found in many schools of Mahayana Buddhism, not just Tibetan Buddhism. The Tibetans reason that if people and other ph enomena are creations of the mind, and gods and demons are also creations of the mind, ...

What is the difference between Buddhism and Reincarnation?

Buddhism and Reincarnation. Reincarna tion usually is defined as "rebirth of the soul or some part of oneself in another body.". But Buddhism is based on the doctrine of anatman, also called anatta, which denies the existence of a soul or permanent, individual self.

How does the tantrica become the deity?

Through meditation, chanting and other practices the tantrica internalizes the divine and becomes the deity, or, at least, manifests what the deity represents. For example, tantra practice with a god of compassion would awaken compassion in the tantricka.

Who is the second highest spiritual leader in Tibet?

The Panchen Lama is the second-highest spiritual leader of Tibet. On May 14, 1995, the Dalai Lama identified a six-year-old boy named Gedhun Choekyi Nyima as the 11th reincarnation of the Panchen Lama. By May 17 the boy and his parents had been taken into Chinese custody. They have not been seen or heard from since.

What is Buddhism anyway??

It should be safe to say that most religions, if not all, exist in order to salvage people from this world that is full pains, sorrows and sufferings.

Secret or non-secret teachings?

As shown in the figure earlier, Tibetan Buddhism belongs to Vajrayāna (or Mantrayāna, Tantrayāna or Tantric) Buddhism, which is also known as “secret teachings.” On the other hand, Japanese Buddhism is part of “non-secretive” teachings group (expressed ‘explicit teachings’ in Japanese).

Overview

Dalai Lama is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current Dalai Lama is Tenzin Gyatso, who lives as a refugee in India. The Dalai Lama is also considered to be the successor in a line of tulkus who are believed to be in…

Names

The name "Dalai Lama" is a combination of the Mongolic word dalai meaning "ocean" or "big" (coming from Mongolian title Dalaiyin qan or Dalaiin khan, translated as Gyatso or rgya-mtsho in Tibetan) and the Tibetan word བླ་མ་ (bla-ma) meaning "master, guru".
The Dalai Lama is also known in Tibetan as the Rgyal-ba Rin-po-che ("Precious Conqueror") or simply as the Rgyal-ba.

History

In Central Asian Buddhist countries, it has been widely believed for the last millennium that Avalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, has a special relationship with the people of Tibet and intervenes in their fate by incarnating as benevolent rulers and teachers such as the Dalai Lamas. This is according to The Book of Kadam, the main text of the Kadampa school, to which the 1st Dala…

Residences

The 1st Dalai Lama was based at Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, which he founded, and the Second to the Fifth Dalai Lamas were mainly based at Drepung Monastery outside Lhasa. In 1645, after the unification of Tibet, the Fifth moved to the ruins of a royal fortress or residence on top of Marpori ('Red Mountain') in Lhasa and decided to build a palace on the same site. This ruined palace, calle…

Searching for the reincarnation

By the Himalayan tradition, phowa is the discipline that is believed to transfer the mindstream to the intended body. Upon the death of the Dalai Lama and consultation with the Nechung Oracle, a search for the Lama's yangsi, or reincarnation, is conducted. The government of the People's Republic of China has stated its intention to be the ultimate authority on the selection of the nex…

Future of the position

In the mid-1970s, Tenzin Gyatso told a Polish newspaper that he thought he would be the last Dalai Lama. In a later interview published in the English language press he stated, "The Dalai Lama office was an institution created to benefit others. It is possible that it will soon have outlived its usefulness." These statements caused a furore amongst Tibetans in India. Many could not believ…