Contents

1. Chronology
2. Language and Pronunciation Guide

3. Chapter 1: Background

   1. Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, and Tibetan Society
   2. Environment and Society in Tibet
   3. The growth of Buddhism in Tibet
   4. The evolution of the four main traditions
   5. Tibetan religious literature

4. Chapter 2: The Development of Buddhism in Tibet

   1. The later development of Buddhism in India
   2. The 'early diffusion' of the Dharma
   3. The 'later diffusion' and the establishment of the Sarmapa schools
   4. The reshaping of the Nyingmapa tradition: kama and terma
   5. A note on the Bon tradition
   6. The Gelukpa school and later developments
   7. The twentieth century onwards

5. Chapter 3: Tibetan Buddhism as a Path to Liberation I: Sutra Teachings

   1. The path to liberation
   2. Theravada, Hinayana, Mahayana
   3. Sutra and Tantra (Vajrayana)
   4. Regional varieties of Buddhism in the contemporary world
   5. Buddhist deities and the Three Bodies of the Buddha (trikaya)
   6. Emptiness (sunyata)
   7. The 'gradual path'
   8. Refuge and bodhicitta
   9. The path of the Bodhisattva

6. Chapter 4: Tibetan Buddhism as a Path to Liberation II: Tantric Teachings

   1. Tantric practice and the lama
   2. Retreat and the training of the subtle body
   3. Tantra and sexuality
   4. Tantric deities
   5. Classes of Sarma and Nyingma Tantra
   6. Empowerment and preliminary practice (ngondro)
   7. Dzogchen

7. Chapter 5: Tibetan Buddhism as a System of Knowledge

   1. Introduction
   2. Basic understandings of the universe
   3. The Indian monastic universities, their curriculum and its adoption by the Tibetans
   4. Philosophy
   5. Other classical fields of Indian learning
   6. Non-Indian Aspects of Tibetan knowledge
   7. Medicine

8. Chapter 6: Ethics and Tibetan Buddhism

   1. Introduction
   2. Bases for Buddhist Ethics
   3. Alternative moral dimensions in Tibetan Buddhist society
   4. Historical Dimensions

9. Chapter 7: Lamas and Other Religious Practitioners

   1. Lamas and lay practitioners
   2. The Two Propagations of the Teachings
   3. The hereditary lama pattern
   4. The visionary lama (terton) pattern
   5. The reincarnate lama pattern
   6. The Gelukpa system of election
   7. Celibate monastic practitioners (monks and nuns)
   8. Lay yogins and other non-monastic practitioners
   9. Monasticism and non-monastic practice in Tibetan societies
   10. Temples and Monastic Establishments

10. Chapter 8: Tibetan Buddhism as Practical Religion

    1. Introduction
    2. Practical Religion in Indian Buddhism
    3. Practical Religion in Tibet
    4. Lamas, monks and monasteries as fields of karma
    5. Death rituals – 'Tibetan Book of the Dead'
    6. Maintenance of good relations with local gods and spirits; protection against malevolent spirits
    7. Rituals for prosperity, success and good fortune
    8. Rituals for health and long life
    9. Divination and Diagnosis
    10. Tibetan ritual: pragmatic, karma-oriented and Bodhic dimensions

11. Chapter 9: Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan Identity

    1. Introduction
    2. Local and regional identity: local gods, lineages, clans, households
    3. Local and regional identity: Buddhist saints and pilgrimage sites
    4. Regional and national identity: Buddhism as a unifying factor
    5. The Stories of Ling Gesar
    6. Conclusion

12. Chapter 10: Tibetan Buddhism, Women and Gender

    1. Introduction
    2. Gender in Tibetan Society
    3. Women's religious roles within Indian Buddhism
    4. Women's Religious Roles within Tibetan Buddhism
    5. Conclusion

13. Chapter 11: The Bon Religion of Tibet: Pre-Buddhist Survival or Variant Form of Buddhism?

    1. Introduction
    2. Yungdrung Bon
    3. Bonpo narratives and teachings
    4. Bonpo history and the relationship with Buddhism
    5. The History of Bon Studies
    6. Modern developments

14. Chapter 12: Tibetan Buddhism Today and Tomorrow

    1. Introduction
    2. Tibetan Buddhism in the People's Republic of China
    3. Tibetan Buddhism in the Himalayas and the Tibetan Diaspora
    4. Tibetan Buddhism in Mongolia, Buryatia, Tuva and Kalmykia
    5. Tibetan Buddhism as a Global Religion
    6. Conclusion: Tibetan Buddhism in a New Environment
15. Appendix 1: Some Important Lamas
16. Appendix 2: Useful Websites
17. Glossary