Tibetan Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism is a form of Mahayana Buddhism that developed in the regions of modern-day Tibet and Bhutan beginning in the eighth century CE. It has achieved more recognition since the 14th Dalai Lama’s exile from Tibet to India in 1959 and his subsequent decades of outreach around the world. While the Dalai Lama is the spiritual head of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, there are three other major schools recognized and practiced within the tradition: Nyingma, Kagyu, and Sakya. Tibetan Buddhism is also the source for Tantric texts, philosophies, and practices, which are best known for generally affirming the use of physical senses and pleasure as a means toward achieving enlightenment.