| Tibetan Buddhism is the body of religious
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| | (including knowing perfectly the minds of
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| Buddhist doctrine and institutions
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| | all sentient beings) are removed. In the
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| characteristic of Tibet, the Himalayan
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| | Tibetan Buddhist view, when one perceives
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| region (including northern Nepal, Bhutan,
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| | or conceives of a particular object the
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| and Sikkim and Ladakh), Mongolia,
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| | mind (carried upon a subtle energy -
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| Buryatia, Tuva and Kalmykia (Russia), and
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| | 'prana' in Sanskrit and 'lung' in
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| northeastern China (Manchuria:
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| | Tibetan) goes to that object. Thus it is
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| Heilongjiang, Jilin). It includes the
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| | said that upon the attainment of
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| teachings of the three vehicles (or yanas
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| | omniscience, one's mind becomes
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| in Sanskrit) of Buddhism: Hinayana,
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| | omnipresent.
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| Mahayana, and Vajrayana (also known as
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| | There are said to be countless beings
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| Tantrayana). The invasion and occupation
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| | that have attained Buddhahood, or in
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| of Tibet by China in 1959 eventually led
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| | other words there are countless Buddhas.
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| to the spread of Tibetan Buddhism to many
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| | Buddhas spontaneously, naturally and
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| Western countries (which has become known
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| | continuously perform activities to
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| as the Tibetan Diaspora) where the
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| | benefit all sentient beings. However it
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| tradition has gained great popularity. In
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| | is believed that sentient beings' karma
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| the past, Tibetan Buddhism was referred
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| | (or actions and results) has equal power
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| to by some as "Lamaism" (Teaching of
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| | to Buddhas. Thus, although Buddhas
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| spiritual teachers) but by many this is
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| | possess no limitation from their side on
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| now considered inappropriate. (See Lama)
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| | their ability to help others, sentient
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| Introduction
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| | beings continue to experience suffering
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| Tibetan Buddhism is a Mahayana Buddhist
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| | as a result of their own negative actions
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| tradition, meaning that the goal of all
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| | (usually committed in previous
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| practise is to achieve full enlightenment
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| | lifetimes).
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| (or Buddhahood) in order to remove all
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| | Vajrayana
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| limitation on one's ability to help all
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| | Tibetan Buddhism encompasses Vajrayana (a
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| other living beings to attain this state.
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| | Sanskrit word that is a conjunction of
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| This motivation for practise is called
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| | vajra which may be translated as diamond,
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| Bodhichitta (a Sanskrit word meaning
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| | thunder or indestructible and yana or
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| 'mind of enlightenment').
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| | vehicle). It is said that Vajrayana
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| Tibetan Buddhist monks at a monastery in
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| | practice is the fastest method for
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| Sikkim
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| | attaining Buddhahood, however this is
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| Tibetan Buddhist monks at a monastery in
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| | only the case for advanced practitioners
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| Sikkim
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| | who have a grounding in the preliminary
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| Buddhahood is defined as freedom from the
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| | practices (which may be categorised as
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| obstructions to liberation (or negative
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| | renunciation, Bodhichitta and wisdom -
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| states of mind such as hatred and
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| | specifically, the wisdom perceiving
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| desirous attachment) and the obstructions
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| | emptiness). For practitioners who are not
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| to omniscience (which are the imprints of
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| | qualified, Vajrayana practise is in fact
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| negative minds, or delusions). When one
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| | dangerous, and will only lead to
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| is freed from mental obscurations one is
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| | suffering if it is not practised with the
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| said to attain a state of unimaginable,
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| | pure motivation of Bodhichitta. For this
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| continuous bliss where all limitations on
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| | reason also, Vajrayana should only ever
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| one's ability to help all other living
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| | be practised after receiving an
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| beings are removed. This includes the
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| | appropriate initiation (also known as an
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| attainment omniscience - that is all
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| | empowerment) from a qualified lama.
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| obstructions to knowing all phenomena
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