Essee teemal Tiibet
Religion and spirituality is extremely important to the Tibetans and has a strong influence
over all aspects of lives; ingrained deeply into their cultural heritage. Bön is the ancient
traditional religion of Tibet, but following the introduction of Tantric Buddhism into Tibet by
Padmasambhava this became eclipsed by Tibetan Buddhism, a distinctive form of Vajrayana.
Tibetan Buddhism is practiced not only in Tibet but also in Mongolia, parts of northern India,
the Buryat Republic, the Tuva Republic, and in the Republic of Kalmykia and some other
areas in China besides the Tibet region. As every where in China was undergoing Cultural
Revolution, there were over 6,000 monasteries and convents in Tibet, and nearly all but a
handful were ransacked and destroyed by the Red Guards, including Tibetan Red Guards.[134]
[135] [136]
A few monasteries have begun to rebuild since the 1980s (with limited support from
annaabi.ee 
