General

　　Buddhism spread into the Tubo Kingdom in the 7th century, and evolved into Tibetan Buddhism through a long process of 1,350 years. It features unique Buddhist activities and rituals of worship.

　　There exist slight differences in Buddhist activities held by monasteries belonging to different Buddhist sects. On the whole, however, these activities are about the same in terms of form and content. Beginning in 775, when the Samye Monastery, the first of its kind in Tibet, was created, monasteries became the major venues of worship for Tibetans. Buddhist activities are held almost every day in monasteries in Tibet. They include morning recitation of Buddhist scriptures and mass services. Buddhist services are held during the Medicine Buddha Festival, Kondorma (one of the major Tantric Goddesses) Festival, Buddhist Founder Festival and Amitayus Festival, respectively occurring on the 8th, 10th, 15th, 25th and 30th days of each month according to the Tibetan calendar. The most famous and well attended services are the God Festival held on the 15th day of the first month of Tibetan calendar, the Sagya Dawa Festival in the fourth month, the Zhuba Cepur Festival on the fourth day of the sixth month, the Lhapo Duiqen Festival on the 22th day of the ninth month, the Gardain Ngaqu Festival on the 25th day of the 10th month, and the Evil Spirits Dispelling Ritual on the 29th day of the 12th month. None of these, however, is large enough to rival the Grand Summons Ceremony held on the 3rd-25th days of the first month of the Tibetan calendar. Other kinds of Buddhist activities are held in various monasteries in accordance with their local customs and needs.

　　Ordinary Buddhists engage in worship at home in their own way. Sacrificial objects are found in Buddhist families. Some families boast Buddhist niches or halls for statues of Buddha made of gold, silver and bronze, along with incense ash, tangka paintings of Buddha, and sacrificial lamps and bowls. In the morning, fresh water is added into the sacrificial lamps lit before the first course of buttered tea is served to the statues of Buddha. On occasions such as marriage, illness, or death, monks or sorcerers will be invited to perform the ceremonies. For a large service, four monks will be invited, and dozens to hundreds of sacrificial foods known in Tibetan as Co will be prepared using roasted highland barley, milk dregs and brown sugar. These Co foods will be shared with neighbors, friends and relatives who come to express congratulations and bringing presents of hada scarves, butter, tea bricks, mutton and gift money.

　　According to Buddhist tradition, a child is not allowed to be tonsured to a monastery until be reaches the age of seven or eight, when he is considered to be old enough to drive away crows. When the boy is sent to the monastery, he has already had all his hair shaved except for a small lock on the top of the head which has to be cut away by the abbot of that monastery. Before 20, the young monk will undergo a ceremony allowing him to attain monkhood as a sramanera (novice). He vows not to steal, rob, kill living things and to avoid 33 other undesirable activities. The number of acaryas (teachers) present on the occasion varies with different locations, but is always no less then five. A major ceremony is held for him to become a bhiksu (mendicant) when he reaches 20 years old, during which he vows not to engage in a total of 253 activities. Like the previous ceremony held for him to enter monkhood, five or more acaryas (teachers) will be involved in the holy ceremony.

　　Tea is considered essential by all Tibetans, lamas included. Every morning, lamas attend a morning mass held under the aegis of the sutra teacher. This is followed the consumption of buttered tea and a roasted highland barley dish known as zanba. At noon, they gather in the sutra hall of the Buddhist school of the monastery to pray and recite Buddhist scriptures while drinking tea. This ceremony is much the same as the morning mass, but is held on a smaller scale. In the evening, lamas gather in Khang-tshan organized according to where they are located to pray and drink tea in a fairly informal setting. In Tibetan this is called Kamqa.

　　It is very common for benefactors to visit monasteries, where they offer tea porridge to lamas while presenting them with the names of the Buddhist scriptures they wish the lamas to recite for them. There are also senior lamas studying for Geshi, a Buddhist academic degree equivalent to a Ph.D, who also offer tea porridge to the lamas of the whole monastery. In addition to tea porridge, there are those who give cash as alms. Economically poor lamas live on these alms.

　　Child lamas are taught the basics of the Tibetan language and simple prayer texts. Sometime later, they enter Qurab or Garden of Dharma to further their study of Buddhist classics. In the first three years, they study Major, Medium and Minor Hetuvidya before entering into studies of the five major Buddhist classics: Hetuvidya, Prajna, Madhyamika, Abhidharma-Kosa Sastra, and Monastic Rules. They complete their study in 13 or 15 grades, as some monasteries, such as the Sera and Gandain monasteries , have 13 grades, and others, such as the Zhaibung Monastery, have 15 grades. The average length of study at various Buddhist schools is at least one decade, and most often longer.

　　Book study is important for student lamas. However, debate on Buddhist doctrines appears to be even more important for them. They study in the Garden of Dharma, attend lectures given by sutra teachers or participate in Buddhist debates characteristic of question and answer sessions. Buddhist debates take place every winter and summer in Sampu and Radoi. Lamas who are steeped in Buddhist studies on the basis of recitation of Buddhist scriptures, classroom lectures on Buddhist tenets and Buddhist debates are allowed to attend oral tests sponsored by the monastery where they study. Those who successfully complete these tests are entitled to attend the Buddhist debates held during the Grand Summons Ceremony in Lhasa.

　　Buddhist degrees known as Geshi are bestowed on the victorious orators. Those who win the Buddhist debates during the Grand Summons Ceremony in Lhasa win the first-grade Geshi, called Lharamba Geshi; those who win the Buddhist debates during the Lesser Grand Summons Ceremony held in the second month of Tibetan calendar win the second-grade Geshi, called Coramba Geshi; those who win the Buddhist debates organized by monasteries themselves win the third-grade Geshi, called Doramba Geshi; and those who win the Buddhist debates organized by Buddhist schools of monasteries themselves win the fourth-grade Geshi, called Lingse Geshi.

　　Those who aim to win the title of Gandain Khripa, the highest monastic position, must hold the Buddhist academic degree of Lharamba Geshi, have won the Tantric degree of Aramba, have served as dge-skos (dean put in charge of monastery discipline) for half a year or one year, dbumdzad (prayer leader) for three years, and Kampo (head of the Buddhist school of a monastery) for three years before taking the position as Kamsoi. Those holding the position of Kamsoi of the High Tantric School will be promoted to be the Gandain Xaze Khripa; those holding the position of the Kamsoi of the Low Tantric School will be promoted to be Gandain Jamze Khripa. The position of Gandain Khripa is held for one seven-year term by the candidates of Gandain Xaze Khripa and Gandain Jamze Khripa in succession. No one can seek a second term in this position. Lamas holding the holy position are generally of advanced age, a fact which shows that the attainment of a high Buddhist academic degree entails long period of study.