Tibetan Buddhist Beliefs

Tibetan Buddhism combines facets of various philosophies.

Tibetan Buddhism (also known as Lamaism) formed in Tibet around the 7th century AD. Tibetan Buddhism combines various philosophies, other forms of Buddhism and its own beliefs into a unique philsophy of its own.

Dalai Lama

One of the most important beliefs of Tibetan Buddhism that separates it from other forms of Buddhism is its belief in the continual reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists and, as of 1958, the Dalai Lama has been exiled from Tibet.

Deities

Tibetan Buddhism features several deities and supernatural entities, including a variety of Buddhas, bodhisattvas and Dharma protectors. There are also wrathful spirits known as dharmapalas, which represent the extreme effort it takes to overcome the constraints of the physical reality.

Sacred Texts

The beliefs of Tibet Buddhists are written down in several different religious texts. There are over 300 volumes and one of the more famous is the Bardo Thodol (also known as The Tibetan Book of the Dead), which describes the activities of the soul before it is reincarnated. It has traditionally been read at funerals.

References

• ReligionFacts: Tibetan Buddhism
• University of Brown: Basic Concepts of Tibetan Buddhism