Whenever Tibetan religion is referred, what come to people's minds are its numerous Buddhist monasteries with continuous flow of smokes from burning incense and devout religious monks and followers worshiping Buddha. As a matter of fact, Buddhism is a dominating religion for most of Tibetan, Moinba, Lhoba, Deng and Sherpa peoples who have lived on the snow-capped plateau for generations. It has been over one thousand and three hundred years since it was introduced to Tibet. During the 200 odd years after it was first brought into Tibet, Buddhism had not fast and widely spread among sectors of Tubo kingdom due to that it was strongly opposed by then dominating number of followers of Bon religion, the aboriginal Tibetan religion and suppressed by the upper class people who also pro-Bon religion. The Buddhism doctrines and disciplines had not been truly rooted in Tibetan Plateau and were in an unstable state.

Bon religion is the aboriginal religion believed by the ancestors of Tibetan and other ethnic groups of Tibet, who have resided on the roof of the world for generations and generations. As Ludwig Feuerbach pointed out in his book Essence of Christianity  The nature is the first, original object of religion, as the history of all religions and all nations proves abundantly.( Die Natur ist der erste ursprungliche Gegenstand der Religion, wie die Geschichte aller Religionen and V61ker sattsam beweist). In the same way, in front of the harsh natural environment and mysterious and mighty nature, the ancestors of Tibetan people had no choice but to show veneration and subordination. Hence Bon religion, which took the alienated power of the nature as its object of warship, came to light. Bon followers believed that everything has a soul and their activities were mainly involved in fortune telling, praying for happiness, curing the sick, seeing off the dead, driving out evil spirits and taming the deity, etc. In the period before Buddhism was introduced (and even in a rather long period of time after that), Bon religion acted as a guider and a protector for the production activities and living practice of people, interfering and controlling the birth, marriage, sickness, funeral, migration, traveling, farming, harvesting, hunting, fishing and grazing, etc.

More importantly, Bon religion believers had been taken the senior positions as senior adviser of Tsampos (kings) of Tubo kingdom, the practice of which started with the first Tsampo named Nyatri Tsampo. Starting from the reign of the 9t' Tsampo Pude Gungyal, Bon masters had served as the king's advisor, not only assisting the king in deterring and controlling his ministers and subjects but also involving in the decision-making for political and military affairs. According to Tibetan historical records, From Nyatri Tsampo to Trida Puntsan, 26 successive Tsampos had governed the kingdom by means of Bon religion doctrine and disciplines. It was not until the end of 8t' century AD. when Trisong Detsan, the 38`x' Tsampo grandly began to promote Buddhism by building monasteries, tonsuring monks and establishing Buddhist scripture translation houses that made Buddhist doctrines gradually be rooted in Tibet and influence all aspects of production and living of Tibetan people. After 200-years fight between Buddhism and Bon religion, Bon was weakened drastically and had to give its dominant position to Buddhism.

Ever since then, Bon religion has never dominated the political arena of Tubo kingdom, but for existing in a small space. While Buddhism, which though was once heavily hit by Bon religion before the collapse of Tubo kingdom; Jokhang Monastery and others were turned to slaughter houses. Monks were killed, exiled, or forced to live on hunting; some survivors had to flee to Ngari and Amdo regions; finally became a dominating religion in Tibet due to that it had been extensively disseminated on Tibetan plateau, adapted to the development conditions of Tibetan society and met the demands of the ruling class.

At round the mid of the 9t' century AD, the collapse of Tubo kingdom indicated the beginning of the transitional period of Tibetan society from slavery system to feudal serfdom slavery system and a new batch of feudalistic lairds had been come into being including some of the royal offspring of Tubo kingdom. Each of them occupied a place and established his government. These governments are independent from each other and have their own economic power and political influence. In order to strengthen the feudalistic order and expand their scopes of control, they were in need of a religion. Due to this reason, they dispatched a number of people to a variety of place to search for Buddhism in an attempt to promote Buddhism activities. Thus, a coalition force combing local force and Buddhism group complementing to each other came into existence. Because the local force supported the group of monks force both politically and through economic assistance, and it was not strongly interfered by other religions including Bon religion, the academic ideas of Buddhism had been vigorously distributed. Buddhist had a complete change from the emphasis on translation of Buddhism scriptures in the period of Tubo kingdom and paying less attention to the research to the focus on study of classical tenets of Buddhism and writing books, thereby presenting their own views.

Therefore, since the mid of 11th century, a variety of sects of Tibetan Buddhism holding different views came into being, which includes such sects as Nyingma, Sagya, Kargyupa, Jonang, and Kadam. These sects were further ramified into several sub-sects. For instance, Kagyu sect ramified into 4 major sub-sects with 8 minor ones. Particularly around the early of 15th century AD, master Zongkapa founded Gelu sect based on the Kadam sect and inherited the incarnation system of Kagyupa sect. Later on, with the support of titles conferred by the central government, two major systems of living Buddha i.e. Dalai Lama and Panchen incarnation systems came into existence. After that, Tibetan Buddhism came to its climax. The gradual combination of governmental affairs and religion enabled the system to be improved and finally collapse.

Tibetan religion is not only a complex historical phenomenon but also a popular and long-lasting cultural phenomenon. Neither the present Tibetan Buddhism nor the Bon religion is a sheer religion but for blending some elements from each other. It is a product of interaction between them and one of the important components of Tibetan culture and society. More importantly, it was used to play a special role in stabilizing social spiritual life and safeguarding social order in Tibet. Similarly, religion had brought up negative impact on and impeded the development of Tibetan politics, economy and society seriously. Especially after Gelu sect of Tibetan Buddhism had become strong enough, the relation between religion and politics is more close and inseparable coming to such an extent that the religion was not only directly involved in politics but also political control, combing economic exploitation with religious authority, the fact of which went far beyond social ideology. Statistics shows that before democratic reform was made in 1959, monasteries occupied 36 percent of total Tibetan cultivated land and were in possession of lots of grassland, livestock as well as other production means; issued high-interest loans accounting for 80 percent of the total loans issued by the three ranks of nobility (monasteries, nobles and local government); the serves had to pay rent for farmland owned by monasteries as much as 70 percent of their total harvest, and paid forced labors for the monasteries as taxation. From the above simple statistics, we can image how heavily the serves were suppressed and exploited. Therefore, abolishing the feudal serfdom that combines politics with religion, abolishing the feudalistic privileges of religion in political and economic field and adopting the separation of political affairs from religion are the preconditions that the serves could be liberated politically and get independence economically and enjoy full freedom of religious beliefs.

Democratic reform was carried out in Tibet in 1959. In the process of the reform, in light of the wills of Tibetan people, the central government abolished the feudal serfdom that combines politics with religion and feudal privileges enjoyed by religious people. In the mean time, full attention has been paid on the inseparable relationship between Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan society in aspects of economy, culture and ideology. Considerations have been made to the influence of religion on the lives of Tibetan people. The policy of freely believing a religion was reiterated that is in conformity with the wills of religion followers and essence of Buddhism, and that safeguards the normal religious activities and legal interests of religious circle. Furthermore, the policy, which will be remained unchanged for a long term, was included in relevant laws and regulations as well as in major documents of the central and local governments.

For instance, the then preparatory committee of Tibet Autonomous Region formulated the Constitutions of Democratic Management on Monasteries which clearly establishes to carry on such guidelines as unification politically, freedom of religious belief, separation politics from religion and all sects go their own way and does not interfere into each other's internal affairs . These fully have safeguarded the rights of monks and nuns living in monasteries as citizens. Citizens' freedom to believe or not believe in any religion is equally protected. All Buddhist sects will not be discriminated any more, but equally treated in political identity. These measures had created a sound environment for all normal religious activities conducted by all sects and enabled historical cultural relics and books of monasteries to be effectively protected. With regard to those happened during the 10-year Cultural Revolution with Tibetan Buddhism, it was a nationwide disaster and did not only happen in Tibet.

Since the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of CPC was convened in 1978, the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government has set to rights what had been thrown into disorder and brought into practice a complete set of down-to-earth policies on freedom of religious belief and adopted a number of measures and done a considerable amount of works. For example, since 1980, the central government has allocated in total over RMB 700 million yuan to TAR for bring into practice of religious policies and conducting preservation of cultural relics. Monasteries and churches that were repaired and maintained include Jokhang Monastery, Samye Monastery, Dreprung Monastery, Sera Monastery, Gandain Monastery, Tashilhungpo Monastery, Sagya Monastery, Palchoi Monastery, Xalhu Monastery, Lhasa Mosque and Qamdo Markam Catholic Church. Moreover, the central government made a huge investment in two times in completely renovating the Potala Palace. In 1984, the central government granted a special fund totaled RMB 7.8 million yuan, gold of 111 kilograms, white silver of over 2 tons, mercury of 5,665 kilograms, timber of 1,099 square meters, steel of 1168 tons, cement of 1,105 odd tons and lots of jewelries. Under the leadership of the 10th Panchen, the renovation of the memorial halls and holy stupas for the 5th to 9th Panchen Lamas has been completed. Up to now, there are about 1,700 religious sites have been renovated and opened to the public and total number of monks and nuns residing in monasteries reaches 46,000 people, which can satisfy the demand of Buddhism believers for their normal religious life.

All Tibetan religious groups have organized and sponsored various sorts of religious undertakings and activities. In 1983, Tibetan Association of Tibetan Buddhist under China Association of Tibetan Buddhism founded Tibetan Buddhism College and hold scripture study course in over 40 monasteries. Currently, about 4000 monk students are enrolled in the college. In addition, a number of living Buddha and monk students are recommended and sent to further study in Beijing-based China Senior College of Tibetan Buddhism. Up to today, total of 99 monks and nuns have been awarded Lharamba and Doramba degree, the senior Buddhist academic degrees. All of them are now working in Gandain Monastery, Sera Monastery, Dreprung Monastery, Tashilhunpo Monastery, Sagya Monastery, Champa Ling Monastery of Qamdo, undertaking the tasks of training senior talents of Buddhism for next generation. In 1984, Tibet Archives of Tibet Autonomous Region donated its collected Gangyur to Tibetan Association of Tibetan Buddhism under China Association of Tibetan Buddhism. Moreover, the People's Government of Tibet donated RMB 500,000 yuan to Tibetan Association of Tibetan Buddhism under China Association of Tibet for its establishing Lhasa Scripture Printing House, which now has published 2,000 copies of Gangyur.

In 1990, the central government again allocated RMB 500,000 yuan to Tibetan Buddhism Association for the carving and printing Tangyur of Lhasa edition, the task of which had been dreamed by the 13th Dalai Lama. Up to now, 160 volumes out of 225 volumes have been carved and printed. In 1985, Tibetan Buddhism Association initiated a Tibetan magazine called Tibetan Buddhism, which is well distributed and received by Buddhism believers and the people in the circle of religion. In 1989, under the circumstances that the number of publication houses was to be reduced national wide, State Administration of Press and Publication in its sole discretion approved the establishment of Tibet Publishing House of Ancient Books under Tibet Academy of Social Sciences, which engages especially in collecting and publishing ancient books. Nearly 50 types of Tibetan ancient books under the title of Snow Land Series have been published, which include Tripitaka of Bon religion, The Initiation of Tibetan Buddhism by Myang, and History of Luorong, etc, Over 400,000 copies of books have been published.

The Chinese government respects and preserves traditional religious activities and customs of all sects of Buddhism. Whenever such activities are carried out as the Monlamchenmo (the Great Prayer Festival), going for circumambulation around the holy mountain of Kangrinboqe in the year of horse and around Namco Lake in the year of goat, the departments concerned dispatch special people to provide monks and believers with food items to express their congratulations.

The Chinese government has from time to time organized personages of religious circle to actively conduct international goodwill exchanges of religion. The Tibetan Sub-Association of China Buddhist Association, some sects and monasteries have often organized religious personage to go abroad to make visit and study tour as well as participate academic exchange activities. The have also received foreign individuals and groups visiting Tibet for worshiping Buddha, visit and study.

In addition, personages of religious circle have had an active cooperation with Tibetan government on participating in and discussing over governmental and political affairs in an attempt to play their active role in constructing the modern and new Tibet. Currently, there are about 600 people of religious circle who are either elected as delegates of people's congress, members of political consultative conference, directors of Buddhism association at different levels or take a position in governmental organizations of different levels. Before his death, the 10th Panchen Erdeni Choskyi Rgyalmtshan took many leading positions in central government, People's government of Tibet Autonomous Region and in the circle of Religion. After he passed away, the central government built a special memorial hall and a holy stupa in Tashilhunpo Monastery in memory of this outstanding national leader and religious master. In accordance with religious rules and historical religious system, the central government approved the proposals of location and identification of the soul boy as incarnated Buddha, drawing lot from the golden urn as well as coronation for the soul boy. The 11th Panchen has been widely accepted and loved by Buddhist monks and believers. Pagbalha Geleg Namgya, the well-known living Buddha, is now the vice chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. All the above facts have demonstrated that the central government has expressed their respect and canonization over the seniors monks of Tibetan Buddhism including Panchen who are not only patriotic but also a real Buddhist, and that the government do care about all the personages of Tibetan Buddhism circle.

Today, there are only a small number of people in Tibet who hold the banner of religion to conduct illegal activities and they should be brought to justice. Except that, Buddhist monks and followers can be found at all times in any of religious sites in Tibet conducting religious functions freely and unrestrictedly; On the street of Barkor Street and other places of Tibet, religion followers can be often seen either conducting circumambulation, praying to Buddha or prostration. All these lively scenes indicate that people in Tibet do enjoy full freedom of religious belief.

Kalzang Yeshi, Senior Researcher of Tibetan Academy of Social Sciences

Oct. 11, 2006