INSTITUTIONAL TRANSFORMATIONS IN TIBETAN BUDDHISM AFTER 1959

Abstract

B a c k g r o u n d . The article examines the institutional transformations of Tibetan Buddhism following the events of 1959, when the violent imposition of PRC control over Tibet and the mass exile of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan community caused a profound rupture in traditional religious, educational, and cultural structures. The study focuses on the destruction of the sacred geography of Tibetan Buddhism, the dismantling of the monastic system, and the subsequent formation of new institutions in exile that shaped the contemporary global spread of the tradition.

M e t h o d s . The research is based on a historical-analytical approach employing comparative analysis of Tibetan Buddhist institutions before and after 1959. The study draws on the works of leading scholars in Buddhist studies and ethnography, as well as contextual analysis of educational, cultural, and religious practices within the Tibetan diaspora and Western Buddhist centers.

R e s u l t s . The analysis demonstrates that the loss of territorial and sacred foundations led to significant "de-territorialization" of Tibetan Buddhism: religious practices, authority, and lineage structures became mobile and transnational. In exile, major monastic traditions were re-established, and new learning centers, libraries, and schools were created, ensuring the continuity of monastic education and cultural transmission. The expansion of Tibetan Buddhism in the West generated innovations in teaching, the development of new educational programs, and the inclusion of non-Tibetan practitioners in preserving and evolving the tradition. Western Buddhist centers, translation initiatives, and academic engagement contributed to the global dissemination of Tibetan Buddhism, while also introducing risks of simplification and commercialization.

C o n c l u s i o n s . The institutionalization of Tibetan Buddhism in exile demonstrates the tradition's remarkable adaptability, maintaining continuity without dependence on Tibet's sacred landscape. New institutions serve as carriers of religious authenticity while simultaneously fostering cultural integration and global presence. The post-1959 transformations reveal both the vulnerability of the tradition to geopolitical pressures and its capacity for innovation and intercultural dialogue.