Any effort to learn Tibetan religions as a whole should start from the Bon religion, which originated on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and has rich regional and cultural characteristics. The Bon religion was an important component of ancient Tibetan culture and a traditional religion practiced in the Tibetan region before the spread of Buddhism to the highest plateau. The Bon religion originated in antiquity and underwent much of the historical evolution that ancient Tibetan society experienced. It boosted the growth of civilization in the early stages of Tibetan society. In the same way, the Bon religion’s broad foundation played an indispensable role during the formation of Tibetan Buddhism in later years. Tibetan Buddhism borrowed many aspects from Bon, such as rituals and guardian deities. Undeniably, the impact of Tibetan Buddhism on Bon was even destructive. However, as an inheritor of the most venerable culture on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Bon religion survives and continues to spread to this day thanks to its tenacious vitality.

At the same time, the origination, formation and development of Tibetan Buddhism maintained innumerable ties with the historical process and cultural evolution of Indian Buddhism. To some degree, Tibetan Buddhism is a “reproduction” of Indian Buddhism and the original’s direct transplantation to the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. As mentioned above, during its formation and development, Tibetan Buddhism was greatly influenced by traditional Tibetan culture, especially the Bon religion. In some aspects, it adopted the theoretical structure and thinking mode of the Bon religion to accept or absorb exotic Buddhist culture from India. Thus, Tibetan Buddhism features an impressive ethos distinguished from other Buddhist sects.

The ghee-fueled lamps in Kumbum Monastery. (Source: www.qhnews.com)

As a kind of cultural phenomenon of human society, Tibetan Buddhism exerts influence not only on the politics, economy, society and culture of the Tibetan region but also on other ethnic groups in China, including Mongolian, Tu, Yugur, Naxi, Moinba and Lhoba, which have been pious believers in Tibetan Buddhism all along. Tibetan Buddhism has proven to be a widespread and influential religion in China as well as an important component of Chinese Buddhism.

Along with Tibetan Buddhism and the Bon religion, Christianity and Islam also have dedicated sites and clergy as well as followers in the Tibetan region.