Tibet's Two Religions.

Since very early times, there have been two religions in Tibet. They are Buddhism and Bon.

Buddhism was first expounded by Siddhartha Gautama in the 500s B.C.

Gautama was born a prince in the foothills of the Himalayas in what is now Nepal. According to stories and legends, after a series of realizations in his late 20s, he left the luxury of royal life to try to find the meaning of human life. He looked for that meaning in many of the religious practices of northern India at the time, but none seemed to hold the answer for him. Finally, after meditating under a Bodhi tree for seven years, Gautama became enlightened to the true nature of the world and of existence. The legends say he left to preach a path to that truth for all who would listen and follow the path. Since then, followers of the path refer to Gautama as the Buddha, or Enlightened One. Those followers are called Buddhists.

Cycle of Rebirth

What was the great truth that the Buddha found? Buddhists emphasize that the supreme truth cannot be expressed in words but can only be realized through a path of meditation and spiritual discipline. Only in that way, said Buddha, can all living beings, including humans, escape the endless cycle of birth and rebirth. All beings, taught the Buddha, are originally controlled by desire--desire for food, for fame, for love--which inevitably leads to suffering. He taught his followers to follow a path of nonviolence and meditation. If the path is truthfully followed, preached the Buddha, human beings can achieve nirvana, or enlightenment, and end the cycle of suffering and rebirth.

From that early beginning, Buddhism has grown today into a major world religion, practiced by more than 300 million people. It also has numerous schools, or sects, many of which have been influenced by other religions.

Buddhism came to Tibet in about the sixth century, where it mixed with the Bon religion. No one is sure how long Bon had been practiced in Tibet, but scholars believe it existed for many centuries before Buddhism. In Bon, the Earth, air, and water were homes to a large number of demons and gods. Bon priests, known as Bonpos, sought to appease angry demons and get the help of friendly spirits. Many of the colorful costumes and rituals of Tibetan Buddhism are thought to have come from Bon.