Tibetan Buddhism – the eBook by Geoffrey Samuel
Contents
- Chronology
- Language and Pronunciation Guide
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Chapter 1: Background
- Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, and Tibetan Society
- Environment and Society in Tibet
- The growth of Buddhism in Tibet
- The evolution of the four main traditions
- Tibetan religious literature
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Chapter 2: The Development of Buddhism in Tibet
- The later development of Buddhism in India
- The 'early diffusion' of the Dharma
- The 'later diffusion' and the establishment of the Sarmapa schools
- The reshaping of the Nyingmapa tradition: kama and terma
- A note on the Bon tradition
- The Gelukpa school and later developments
- The twentieth century onwards
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Chapter 3: Tibetan Buddhism as a Path to Liberation I: Sutra Teachings
- The path to liberation
- Theravada, Hinayana, Mahayana
- Sutra and Tantra (Vajrayana)
- Regional varieties of Buddhism in the contemporary world
- Buddhist deities and the Three Bodies of the Buddha (trikaya)
- Emptiness (sunyata)
- The 'gradual path'
- Refuge and bodhicitta
- The path of the Bodhisattva
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Chapter 4: Tibetan Buddhism as a Path to Liberation II: Tantric Teachings
- Tantric practice and the lama
- Retreat and the training of the subtle body
- Tantra and sexuality
- Tantric deities
- Classes of Sarma and Nyingma Tantra
- Empowerment and preliminary practice (ngondro)
- Dzogchen
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Chapter 5: Tibetan Buddhism as a System of Knowledge
- Introduction
- Basic understandings of the universe
- The Indian monastic universities, their curriculum and its adoption by the Tibetans
- Philosophy
- Other classical fields of Indian learning
- Non-Indian Aspects of Tibetan knowledge
- Medicine
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Chapter 6: Ethics and Tibetan Buddhism
- Introduction
- Bases for Buddhist Ethics
- Alternative moral dimensions in Tibetan Buddhist society
- Historical Dimensions
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Chapter 7: Lamas and Other Religious Practitioners
- Lamas and lay practitioners
- The Two Propagations of the Teachings
- The hereditary lama pattern
- The visionary lama (terton) pattern
- The reincarnate lama pattern
- The Gelukpa system of election
- Celibate monastic practitioners (monks and nuns)
- Lay yogins and other non-monastic practitioners
- Monasticism and non-monastic practice in Tibetan societies
- Temples and Monastic Establishments
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Chapter 8: Tibetan Buddhism as Practical Religion
- Introduction
- Practical Religion in Indian Buddhism
- Practical Religion in Tibet
- Lamas, monks and monasteries as fields of karma
- Death rituals – 'Tibetan Book of the Dead'
- Maintenance of good relations with local gods and spirits; protection against malevolent spirits
- Rituals for prosperity, success and good fortune
- Rituals for health and long life
- Divination and Diagnosis
- Tibetan ritual: pragmatic, karma-oriented and Bodhic dimensions
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Chapter 9: Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan Identity
- Introduction
- Local and regional identity: local gods, lineages, clans, households
- Local and regional identity: Buddhist saints and pilgrimage sites
- Regional and national identity: Buddhism as a unifying factor
- The Stories of Ling Gesar
- Conclusion
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Chapter 10: Tibetan Buddhism, Women and Gender
- Introduction
- Gender in Tibetan Society
- Women's religious roles within Indian Buddhism
- Women's Religious Roles within Tibetan Buddhism
- Conclusion
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Chapter 11: The Bon Religion of Tibet: Pre-Buddhist Survival or Variant Form of Buddhism?
- Introduction
- Yungdrung Bon
- Bonpo narratives and teachings
- Bonpo history and the relationship with Buddhism
- The History of Bon Studies
- Modern developments
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Chapter 12: Tibetan Buddhism Today and Tomorrow
- Introduction
- Tibetan Buddhism in the People's Republic of China
- Tibetan Buddhism in the Himalayas and the Tibetan Diaspora
- Tibetan Buddhism in Mongolia, Buryatia, Tuva and Kalmykia
- Tibetan Buddhism as a Global Religion
- Conclusion: Tibetan Buddhism in a New Environment
- Appendix 1: Some Important Lamas
- Appendix 2: Useful Websites
- Glossary