Tibetan Buddhism - a very brief and selective history of the development of the position of Dalai Lama

Before the seventh century CE Tibet was mostly inaccessible to outsiders. Bon religion was animistic, shamanistic. No written language. Reputed it be cannibals.

7th century, Chinese Tang dynasty, Japan Nara Period, Arabia: Muhammad, a strong king named Songtsen Gampo (569–649?) gained power in Tibet and harassed the western borders of China. Nepal and later China gave him wives from the ruling class. The wives were both Buddhist and converted the king. Tibet sent a messenger to India, Nepal and China asking for Buddhist books and teachers. This was roughly in the time of Xuangzong, but his writings do not even mention Tibet. The messenger returned with the bases for Tibetan writing. Later, Songtsen Gampo was canonized as an incarnation of Avalokitesvara and his two wives as White Tara and Green Tara. However, he fought many bloody battles and did little to propagate Buddhism or build temples.

After the death of Songtsen Gampo (c. 649), Buddhism did not grow in Tibet and Bon remained strong.

Around 747, another strong king (Trisong Detsen 742-797) came to power in Tibet and had much military success (including capturing Changan). This king was a decent of Chinese and had a Buddhist background. He sent a request for the Indian monk Padmasambhava (The Lotus Born) to come to Tibet and found a strong sect of Buddhism.

Padmasambhava founded "Lamaism," Tibetan Tantric Buddhism. The name Lama means "superior one" and was reserved for heads of monasteries. Out of courtesy, the title is now given to most Tibetan monks. Tibetans do not call their brand of Buddhism "Lamaism" but "the religion," "the Buddha's religion," or "Insiders."
(This was just before Kūkai brought/popularized Tantra in Japan.)
Padmasambhava is known as Guru Rinpoche, the precious Guru. He was from a part of India northwest of Kashmir and known for magic charms (as Xuangzong wrote a century earlier). Padmasambhava said he would dispel the evil demons of Tibet using his most powerful weapons: the vajra (thunderbolt of Indra) and spells (mantra). The king also built a great monastery for Padmasambhava, which legends say has miraculous origins.

In the form of magical practices, often involving sex, Buddhism began to grow in popularity among the people of Tibet. It was, however, opposed by the priests of the Bon religion and by Chinese Buddhists.

When Padmasambhava departed the earth, he went to the sky like a shooting star, killed a heavenly demon-king and took his body. He is still their today teaching Tantra and reigning over a paradise.
Padmasambhava had twenty-five disciples, all of whom had magical powers such as mounting sunbeams and the ability to change into a horse-headed being.

In 1038 CE Atisa arrived from India and reformed Tibetan Buddhism. He founded the sect that later became the Gelugpa, the dominant sect today. As time went on, rival sects formed and arm conflict arose among them.

Around 1206, Kublai (Kubilai) Khan came into contact with Tibetan Buddhism. This was during the Chinese Yuan dynasty when Mongols controlled China. Kublai converted to Buddhism, an event Tibetan Buddhism describes with miraculous occurrences: a Lama floated a cup to Kublai's lips. Kublai appointed the Lama ruler of Tibet, creating the position Lama of Sakya (as Charlemagne created the first pope). The Lama became special advisor to Kublai and Tibet became a tributary country to China apparently without armed conflict. Kublai built temples in Tibet and sponsored translations of many scriptures. Later Mongols leaders continued to support the Sakya Lamas against rivals, burning monasteries and providing military support. Two famous rival Buddhist groups who historically attacked each other are the Red Hats and the Yellow Hats.

When the Ming dynasty replaced the Yuan in China in 1368, the new rulers struck at the Sakya by making two rival Tibetan monasteries equally powerful.

At the beginning of the fifteenth century, Tsongkhapa reorganized Atisa's reformed sect and called it "The virtuous order," Gelugpa.

In 1640, a Mongol leader called Gusri Khan attempted to regain the lost power of their empire, approached the fifth Grand Lama of Tibet and formed an alliance. Appropriating the Buddhist idea of rebirth, he claimed to be a reincarnation of Kublai Khan and the Lama to be a reincarnation of Kublai's Lama advisor. Gusri Khan gave the Grand Lama the title of Dalai, "the Ocean." Tibetans call the Grand Lamas Gyalwa Rinpoche, "great gem of majesty." This was soon extended to also include the idea that the Dalai Lama is an incarnation of Avalokitesvara. With new military backing, the Dalai Lama captured many monasteries of opposing sects and extended his power.