TIBETIAN BUDDHISM

Buddhism in Tibet
The first Buddhist teaching to reach Tibet during the seventh century CE, during the reign of king Songsten Gamp (605-650). Tibetan spiritual practice prior to this time was animistic in orientation, with shaman-like priest, or bon-po and a strong emphasis on magic.

It's follower worship many gods and spirit, using magic to keep them happy.

Legend has it that the demonic spirit of the Tibetan plateau did all they could to resist the infiltration of Buddhism, and the eight-century Tibetan saint Padmasambhava is credited with having had the necessary occult skills to placate these forces , and ensure that Buddhism teaching could take root.

Padmasambhava did not expel the demon - instead he converted them, an approach which typifies one of the differences between Buddhist and Christian tradition.

During subsequent periods the principal schools established in Tibet were the Kadam (bound by command) school: the Sakya school, named after tits principal monastery in southern Tibet; the Lagyu (transmitted command) school; and the Gelug (virtuous) school. All combined Mahayana Buddhism with local Tibetan belief in idiosyncrasy ways. Meantime the indigenous Bon tradition took shape as a more organized religion in its own right, absorbing various Buddhist precept in doing so.

A special aspect of Tibetan Buddhism is the role of the lama or spiritual teacher. The lama's guidance is considered essential if the discipline (Chela) is to navigate the perils of the spiritual path. in some cases, the lama is held in even higher regards the Buddha, being seen as the embodiment of Ultimate Enlightenment,

Worship in Tibet
Tibetan Buddhism visit monasteries and temples to make offerings, chat mantras. and perform Puja.

They walk around the temples 3 times, in a clockwise direction, to remember the three jewels.
As the walk, they spin prayer wheels to release the prayers inside.

Also the distinctive use of the mantra Om-Mani-Padme-Hum (hail to the jewel of the Lotus), repeated by Buddhist of all school and prior to the Chinese invasion of 1959, inscribed in rocks, flags and prayer wheel across Tibet