This post is a continuation of Early Tibet And Buddhist Origins

There are six schools of Tibetan spirituality, historically. I will briefly cover each school, four of which are considered the principal schools.

1. The Bön Tradition

Between the eighth and eleventh centuries the Bön was mostly invisible; yet it is very much alive, today. Two noted supporters of the Bön Tradition are His Holiness and the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. The Bön tradition is an integral part of culture and history in Tibet.

India and Nepal were both influenced by this tradition. There are now monasteries in both of these countries.

2. The Nyingma Tradition (The Old Ones)

This is the oldest school of Tibetan Buddhism. It’s roots are traced all the way back to Padmasambhava. This form of Buddhism is a mixture of both Bön and Tantra Buddhism (Tantra Buddhists believe in magical forms and have multiple deities). The result is a wonderful and unique form of Tibetan Buddhism.

The Nyingma tradition shows us 9 paths to enlightenment. Six of which are based on the sutras, and the other 3 based on the tantras.

The practice of Dzogchen formulates the backbone of the Nyingma tradition. This practice presupposes the existence of the buddha-nature and aims at allowing it to manifest.

3. The Bound By Command School (The Kadam)

Atisha was a monk who started teaching in Tibet around 1040 B.C.E. His name, which means ‘peace’ came from a Tibetan King. His birth name was Chandragarbha. Atisha was born as royalty, to a family in Bengal.

Atisha was known as one of the living Buddhas in Tibet. He was able to choose specific practices that were beneficial to the individual student. His premise for doing this was that the teachings of the lama, the guru should be held above all else. Upon demonstrating the living nature of the teachings he could show the teacher how to practice.

The Bound by Command school did not last long among the Tibetan’s. It was too strict for their society. This school prohibited sexual relations, money handling, intoxicants and even travel.

4. The Sakya Tradition

Khön Könchok Gyelpo founded the Sakya tradition, meaning “Gray Earth”, in 1073. It was named after a monastery in central Tibet.

The Sakya tradition came to be through earlier teachings of the Nyingma tradition. As of today it is still preserved thanks to an unbroken succession of the heads of the Khön school. The Khön heritage is different in that it is passed from Uncle to Nephew rather than Father to Son.

Path and Fruit, or Lam-dre, teachings are designed to bring students to enlightenment within a single lifetime. Thus it is an intensive religion requiring much attention.

The Sakya tradition still continues and the current head is forty-first in the lineage, practicing in exile from Chinese invaded Tibet.

5. The Transmitted Command School

Naropa and Tilopa, two Indian masters, brought about the Transmitted Command School. Both of them were extremely advanced in yogic practices. Rather than putting emphasis on academics, this tradition, emphasized on mysticism.

Naropa showed Milarepa the ways of the Transmitted Command school and he took his knowledge back to Tibet, teaching as a layperson.

Milarepa is one of the most popular figures in Tibetan history. He was a black magician who was aspiring to revenge the mistreatment of his mother and sister. They were being mistreated by relatives, according to history. Eventually he turned to the light side and became an incredibly powerful Yogi and poet. He attained Nirvana after a grim and dark beginning as a black magician. This is a man to be idolized for obvious reasons.

The Transmitted Command school still exists today and holds true the principles of mysticism rather than academics.

6. The Virtuous School (The Gelug Tradition)

In the fifteenth century, Tsongkhapa, started the Virtuous school. He was very well educated in many schools of Buddhism. His practice was multifaceted: meditation, prostrations, scriptures, incantations, ethics, monastic study and more. The emphasis in the Gelug tradition is on monastic and academic study.

Tsongkhapas’ roots can be traced to the Bound By Command school and was influenced heavily by the teachings of Atisha. He died at the age of sixty but his legacy lives on.

Dalai Lamas, the spiritual and secular leaders of Tibet, come from the Virtuous school of Tibetan Buddhism. They receive training in many forms of Buddhism and are not the heads of the Virtuous school. The leader of the Virtuous school is the abbot of the Ganden monastery. The Ganden monastery was founded by Tsongkhapa in 1409.

Tomorrow I will finish with the Dalai Lamas and China’s oppression of Tibet. Hope you enjoyed it!