Tradition
Tibetan Buddhism
Era · 7th century CE — presentRegion · Tibetan plateau, Himalayan region, diaspora
Vajrayana ('Diamond Vehicle') — a tantric, ritually rich form of Buddhism that fuses Indian Mahayana with the indigenous Bön tradition, emphasising direct realization within this very lifetime.
Core beliefs
- 01The mind's true nature (rigpa) is already enlightened.
- 02Tantric union of method (compassion) and wisdom (emptiness).
- 03Multiple Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and protectors as facets of mind.
- 04Bardo: intermediate states between death and rebirth.
Practices
- Deity visualization (sadhana)
- Mantra (Om Mani Padme Hum)
- Dzogchen and Mahamudra meditation
- Tonglen (taking-and-sending compassion)
- Mandala practice
Key figures
- · Padmasambhava
- · Milarepa
- · Tsongkhapa
- · The Dalai Lamas
- · Chögyam Trungpa
Bridges to other traditions
- Rigpa ↔ Christ-consciousness ↔ Atman-Brahman
- Bardo ↔ purgatorial / liminal states
Go deeper into Tibetan Buddhism
Have the Oracle walk through Tibetan Buddhism in depth — its core insight, its practices, and the places it converges with other paths.