Traditions of Tibetan Buddhism

Message from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

The four Tibetan Buddhist traditions – Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug – present slightly different division schemes of the six far-reaching attitudes.

An advanced, detailed presentation, according to the various Buddhist tenet systems, of the practitioners’ progress in terms of the “five paths.” These five refer to the five levels of pathway minds we achieve, which lead to liberation and enlightenment.

The primary connotation of “ngondro” is preparation. These practices are absolutely essential preparation for undertaking and sustaining our “spiritual journey.”

The four Tibetan traditions have much in common, with most of the differences coming down to their interpretations of cognition theory, voidness when cognized conceptually or non-conceptually, and the methods for attaining non-conceptual cognition of voidness.

When voidness is cognized conceptually, its superficial truth appears; this is known as denumerable voidness. When voidness is cognized non-conceptually, an absolute absence of truly established existence appears; this is known as non-denumerable voidness.

Dzogchen explains the Buddhist path from the point of view of its final steps and resultant state. Learn the unique features of this system of meditation on the nature of the mind and how they contrast with those of mahamudra, Chan (Zen), anuttarayoga tantra and vipassana.

The various Tibetan Buddhist traditions differ as to the voidness non-conceptually cognized by each of the three types of practitioners – shravaka, pratyekabuddha and bodhisattva – when becoming an arya.

We gain a more balanced perspective of Bon by understanding Tibetan history and culture and how Bon’s approach to spiritual development relates to Tibetan Buddhism.

The different views among the Indian Buddhist tenet systems concerning the difference between arhats’ and Buddhas’ understanding of the lack of an impossible “soul” of persons and phenomena.