Religion is very important to the Tibetans with everything being centered around it. Education (although there wasn't a formal educational system) as well as anything cultural or intellectual, was based on religious beliefs.
Tibetan Buddhism has evolved into four sects in addition to Bon which is the oldest of all. They are Ngingma, teaches from translations from the 7th century; Kagyu, founded between the 10th and 11th centuries; Sakya, before the Dalai Lamas came about, this sect was led by the chief political rulers of Tibet; and finally the Gelugpa sect, the Dalai and Panchen Lamas belong to this sect, which became the largest of the four sects.
Things changed during the Chinese cultural revolution with the Red Guard destroying anything religious and persecuting the nuns and monks. Many temples were destroyed and other religious buildings during this time.
Buddhism is still prevalent in Tibet today and the temples and monasteries that were destroyed have been rebuilt. The Chinese government still has a strong hold on religious practices, including placing a limit on the number of religious buildings. Tibetans are resentful of the control the government has imposed on religion and the numerous restrictions that are in place.
Some of the important topics related to Tibetan Buddhism are as following,
1. The Life of Lord Buddha
2. OM MANI PADME HUM
3. Four Nobel Truth
4. The Nobel Eightfold Path
5. Karma and Rebirth
6. Emptiness
7. Historical Introduction to the Five Principal Spiritual Traditions of Tibeta) The Bön Tradition
b) The Nyingma Tradition
c) The Sakya Tradition
d) The Kagyu Tradition
e) The Gelug Tradition
f) The Odyssey of Jowo Mikyo Dorjee - A Search for Tibet's Holiest Buddhist Statue
8. Nechung - The State Oracle of Tibet
a) History of Nechung monastery
b) Spiritual traditions of Nechung monastery
c) To become Nechung's Medium is not an ordinary duty
d) Mediums of Nechung
e) Nechung Rinpoche and his lineage
f) Nechung monastery in exile9. An Introduction to the Kalachakra
10. The Body, Speech and Mind of a Buddha
11. The Vajra and Bell and Beads
12. The Four Harmonious Brothers
13. The Eight AuspiciousSymbols
14. Buddhist Hand Gestures
15. Offerings
16. The Geshe Degree
17. Monastic life for a Westerner monk at Sera Je
18. Katas or Silk Scarves
19. The Tibetan Custom of Throwing Tsampa in the AirWebsites related to the Tibetan religion are:
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