ABSTRACT
This is the sixth 500-year period for almost two generations now from Shakyamuni Buddha’s time. If one looks back over the past five decades, one can certainly see that the Himalayan lamas have come out very strong in terms of international activity, in fact stronger than any other form of Buddhism. One of the reasons for this is their numbers. Although Tibet did not have a large population, it had nourished an enthusiasm for enlightenment. These lamas have not only transplanted xxHimalayan Buddhism onto western culture, but also actively engaged in rebuilding the institutions back in Tibet. The Chinese communists destroyed Tibet’s 6,500 temples and monasteries during “The Cultural Revolution.” When Mao died, not a single Himalayan monastery or temple was open and active in Tibet. Now, three decades into the Chinese government policy of liberation, more than 500 of the 6,500 complexes have been rebuilt to some degree. Two-pronged activities – the spread of Himalayan Buddhism around the world and the rebuilding of Himalayan Buddhism within Tibet – are both very auspicious signs for the success of the next 500 years of Buddhism in the world. The paper looks at the enormous efforts made by the Himalayan Buddhist lamas in rebuilding their variant of Buddhism from the scratch through multi-dimensional efforts.
