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Buddhist and East Asian Philosophy

Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy

The synthesis of Indian Buddhist philosophy, tantra, and indigenous Bon traditions that produced Tibet's distinctive scholastic and contemplative schools.

60-Second Review

Express review

A condensed, point-by-point summary of the module, for reviewing right before a test or exam.

  1. The Transmission of Buddhism to Tibet and the Bon Tradition. Buddhism reached Tibet via royal patronage and Samye, evolving alongside the indigenous Bon religion.
  2. Tsongkhapa and the Gelug School's Madhyamaka Synthesis. Tsongkhapa founded the Gelug school, fusing rigorous Prasangika Madhyamaka with graduated tantric practice.
  3. The Nyingma School and the Dzogchen Tradition. Nyingma preserves the earliest transmission and systematizes Dzogchen through terma revelations and Longchenpa.
  4. Tantric Philosophy and the Vajrayana Path. Vajrayana uses deity yoga and subtle-body practice to transform mental affliction into swift realization.
  5. The Debate Tradition in Tibetan Monastic Education. Tibetan monasteries train monks through decades of study tested by formal, stylized philosophical debate.
  6. Rime: The Tibetan Non-Sectarian Movement. The 19th-century Rime movement preserved and cross-transmitted teachings across Tibet's rival schools.
  7. Tibetan Philosophy of Mind and Contemplative Science. Tibetan contemplative psychology now engages neuroscience through the Dalai Lama's Mind and Life dialogues.
  8. The Dalai Lama and Tibetan Buddhism's Global Dialogue. The 14th Dalai Lama built global influence in exile, but his succession remains contested.

This module continues after "Korean Neo-Confucianism" in the syllabus. If you haven't reviewed it yet, it may help set the context.

Key points

Visual module map

1The Transmission of Buddhism to Tibet and the Bon Tradition
2The Nyingma School and the Dzogchen Tradition
3The Debate Tradition in Tibetan Monastic Education
4Rime: The Tibetan Non-Sectarian Movement
5The Dalai Lama and Tibetan Buddhism's Global Dialogue

Alternative visual view: a simplified sequence of some of the module's key points, in their order within the syllabus.

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Final test

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Review Flashcards

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Memory

Match each concept with its definition in as few attempts as possible.

Time Attack

Answer true or false statements before time runs out.

Chronological Order

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Further reading

Bibliography and cited sources used to create this module.

  • Snellgrove, D. (1987). Indo-Tibetan Buddhism: Indian Buddhists and Their Tibetan Successors. Boston: Shambhala Publications.
  • Kapstein, M.T. (2000). The Tibetan Assimilation of Buddhism: Conversion, Contestation, and Memory. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Powers, J. (2007). Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism (Rev. ed.). Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publications.
  • Dreyfus, G.B.J. (2003). The Sound of Two Hands Clapping: The Education of a Tibetan Buddhist Monk. Berkeley: University of California Press.
  • Karmay, S.G. (1988). The Great Perfection (rDzogs chen): A Philosophical and Meditative Teaching of Tibetan Buddhism. Leiden: E.J. Brill.
  • Lutz, A., Greischar, L.L., Rawlings, N.B., Ricard, M., and Davidson, R.J. (2004). "Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 101(46), 16369–16373.