Knowing Tibetan Buddhism in Brief: Special on 90th Birthday of HH the 14th Dalai Lama in 2025

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is the current head of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism who is widely regarded as a symbol of unification of the state of Tibet with Buddhist values and traditions in general. The 90th Birthday of HH Dalai Lama is being celebrated on July 6, 2025 by his followers worldwide.

The 14th Dalai Lama was born on 6 July 1935 who was identified as the incarnation of previous Dalai Lama and was enthroned on the 7th November. 1950.

Brief note on Tibetan Buddhism

The Tibetan Buddhists mainly follow the Mahayana-Vajrayana (the Diamond Way or Thunderbolt Way of life) school of Buddhism. It is basically the sect that practices esoteric rituals based Buddhism to attain Bodhisattva or enlightenment.

Basic tenets, as I have understood, are:

• World is full of illusions caused by impure perceptions or spiritual obstructions called kleshas

• Meditation and skillful mastery of practices of Vajrayana - Tantric, Mahamudra or Dzogchen practices shatter falsehood and create pure perceptions

• Essential teachings only occurs directly from the teacher / Guru to disciple and cannot learned from books and. Gurus exists through a recognised system of lineages

The esoteric transmission is fastened by practicing through three ritual implements consisting of vajra, bell, and counting beads

The serious practitioners of the Vajrayana Buddhism take tantric vows and acquire prescribed behaviour through Kriya Yoga (Deity Yoga or Mandala / pure land of deity meditation) during initiation and empowerment period consisting of induction under a guru with initiation through Guru Yoga with a mantra as a 7-line prayer.

After induction, the four hierarchical stages of Vajrayana Tantras are mastered, which are as follows.

1. Kriyayoga or action tantra of rituals

2. Charyayoga or performance tantra of meditation

3. Yogatantra or yoga practice

4. Anuttarayogatantra or the highest yoga tantra consisting of three tantras called mother, father and non-dual tantras

Another stage consists of liberation by engaging in Kundalini yoga practices by awakening subtle energy system of the body of the chakras or energy channels for total physical and mental transformation of the practitioner by realizing the innate emptiness (shunyata) devoid of everything that exists

The over Vajrayana Tantras is believed to purify the practitioner from klesha to compassion and wisdom leading to an ability to process visuospatial information and memory.

The practice of the 'Death Yoga' is meant to prepare the practitioner to perceive a subtle state or clear light in the mind at the moment of death as an outcome of the mastery of 'meditation on emptiness or shunyata.'