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PADMASAMBHAVAThanks to the great kindness and enormous power and skill of Indian born Padmasambhava in the 7th Century, Buddhism started to take hold and flourish in Tibet. The first monastery was built, it’s name is Samye and still exists today. From those first beginnings in Tibet, the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism began and is the oldest school of Tibetan Buddhism. In his last life, Lama Zopa Rinpoche was a Nyingma Lama living in the Lauwdo area of Nepal. If you are interested, a very good biography has been written about Rinpoche’s past life, entitled "Lauwdo Lama". We now have four schools of Tibetan Buddhism, Nyingma, Kargyu, Sakya and Gelug. I believe a new addition to those four is the Bon school, which originated before the other four, but has now integrated into Tibetan Buddhism.
LAMA TSONG KHAPA MANIFESTSA few centuries later in the 1300’s, this predicted Lama (it was foretold that the “second Buddha” would be appearing and would give teachings on the Dharma) from the potato district of Tibet, Tsong Khapa appeared and even from his birth showed miraculous happenings. Where his afterbirth fell on the ground, a tree grew on that spot and on the leaves and in the bark of the tree, there appeared mantras. In the 18th century, Christian priests went to see the tree and had to agree that it was miraculous and not a trick! Lama Tsong Khapa studied with all the great teachers of that time and then started his own lineage, called the Gelugpa - The present Dalai Lama and other great Lamas continue this lineage all around the world, along with the FPMT. I have heard it said by many Lamas, not just those from the Gelugpa, that Lama Tsong Khapa’s teachings on Wisdom are the most profound and the clearest, which is probably why he is still revered until today. For a taste of Lama Tsong Khapa’s teachings, you should buy a copy of Lam Rim Chenmo translated by Robert Thurman and his team of translators. Take your time to read and meditate on the meaning as you gradually work through this great text.
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