ABSTRACT
The Tantric Buddhism of Tibet derived from Indian and perhaps also Central Asian sources. Buddhism was initially introduced into Tibetan society during the early empire (seventh to ninth centuries), with further Tantric lineages and practices being added during the tenth to twelfth centuries (Samuel 1993, 2012). These later lineages are distinguished as Sarmapa (gsar ma pa) or ‘New’ in contrast with the ‘Old’ tradition which claims origin in the early period. They are represented today by the Sakyapa, Kagyüpa and Gelugpa traditions, each deriving from a number of major teaching monasteries headed by high-status reincarnating lamas. The Bon tradition, which claims to go back to a pre-Buddhist teacher, Tönpa Shenrab, of Central Asian origin, preserves its own body of Tantric traditions, which are broadly similar to those of the Buddhist traditions. From the thirteenth century onwards, Mongolian populations in Central Asia were in contact with Tibetans, and Tibetan-style Buddhism was gradually established in Mongolia (Heissig 1980), where it competed and coexisted with indigenous shamanic traditions.
