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Tibetan monasticism

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Lamayuru monastery

Although there were many householder-yogis in Tibet, monasticism was the foundation of Buddhism in Tibet. There were over 6,000 monasteries in Tibet. However, nearly all of these were ransacked and destroyed by Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution.[1] Most of the major monasteries have been at least partially re-established, while many others remain in ruins.

Mongolian Buddhism derives from the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism.[2] In Mongolia during the 1920s, approximately one third of males were monks, though many lived outside monasteries. By the beginning of the 20th century about 750 monasteries were functioning in Mongolia.[3] These monasteries were largely dismantled during Communist rule, but many have been reestablished during the Buddhist revival in Mongolia which followed the fall of Communism.[4]

Monasteries generally adhere to one particular school. Some of the major centers in each tradition are as follows:

Nyingma lineage is said to have "six mother monasteries" each of which has numerous associated branch monasteries:

Samye the first monastery in Tibet, established by Padmasambhāva and Śāntarakṣita was later taken over by the Sakya tradition.

Tibetan Buddhist monks at Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim

Kagyu monasteries are mostly in Kham, eastern Tibet. Tsurphu and Ralung are in central Tibet:

Sakya monasteries:

Young monk, Sikkim, India (1991)

Gelug first three centers are also called 'great three' and are near Lhasa:

Jonang main centers of the more than 70 active monasteries:

Bön main two centers which has a Geshe program and its nunnery:

Other monasteries with particularly important regional influence:

See also

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  • Deyangshar, the open courtyard of a Tibetan monastery

Footnotes

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  1. ^ "Tibetan monks: A controlled life". BBC News. March 20, 2008.
  2. ^ "Buddha and Genghis Khan Back in Mongolia (Published 1991)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2018-05-18.
  3. ^ "Mongolia: The Buddha and the Khan". Orient Magazine. Archived from the original on 2010-08-18.
  4. ^ Tom Lowenstein (2006). Treasures of the Buddha: The Glories of Sacred Asia. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. p. 207.
  5. ^ History of the Jonang Tradition
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