BUDDHISM IN TIBET - The Dalai Lama and Thubten Chordron

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Tibetan Buddhism is rooted in Indian monastic universities such as Nalanda.

... Buddhism first came to Tibet in the seventh century through two wives of the Tibetan monarch Songtsen Gampo (605 or 617-49, one a Nepali princess the other a Chinese princess, who brought Buddhist statues to Tibet.

... Some misnomers from the past - the terms "Lamism", "living buddha", and "god king" - unfortunately persist.

... Lamas and tulkus (identified incarnations of spiritual masters) are respected in Tibetan society.  However, in some cases these titles are simply social status, and calling certain people tulku, rinpoche, or lama has led corruption.  It saddens me that people put so much value on titles. Buddism is not about social status.  It is much more important to check a person's qualifications and qualities before taking that person as one's spiritual mentor.  Teachers must practice diligently and be worthy of respect, whether or not they have titles.

Some people mistakenly believed that since tulkus are recognized as incarnations of previous great Buddhist masters, they must be buddhas and thus called them "living buddha" (C. huofo).  However, not all tukus are bodhisattvas, let alone buddhas.

"God king" may have originated with the Western press and was attributed to the position of the Dali Lama.  Since Tibetans see the Dalai Lama as the embodiment of Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattava of compassion, these journalists assumed he was a "god", and since he was the political leader of Tibet, he was considered a king.  However, since I currently hold the position of Dalai Lama, I repeatedly remind people that I am a simple Buddhist monk, nothing more.

... Some people mistakenly think the position of the Dalai Lama is like a Buddhist pope.  The four principal Tibetan Buddhist traditions and their many sub-branches operate more or less independently.  The abbots, rinpoches, and other respected teachers meet together from time to tiem to discuss issues of mutual interest under the auspices of Central Tibetan Administrations' Department of Religion and Culture.  The Dalai Lama does not control their decisions.  Similarly the Dalai Lam is not the head of any of the four traditions.

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BUDDHISM - ONE TEACHER, MANY TRADITIONS 

The Dalai Lama and Thubten Chordron