ory of Buddhism in Tibet is
briefly that it was established by Padma-Sambhava about 750,
reformed by Atisa about 1040 and again reformed by Tsong-kha-pa
about 1400. The sects correspond to these epochs. The oldest claims to
preserve the teaching of Padma-Sambhava, those of middle date are
offshoots of the movement started by Atisa, and the newest
represents Atisa's principal sect corrected by the second
reformation. The oldest sect is known as Nying-ma-pa or
rNyin-ma-pa, signifying the old ones, and also as the Red Church
from the colour of the hats worn by the clergy. Among its subdivisions
one called the sect of Udyana,[1058] in reference to Padma-Sambhava's
birthplace, appears to be the most ancient and still exists in the
Himalayas and eastern Tibet. The Nying-ma Lamas are said to have kept
the necromancy of the old Tibetan religion more fully than any of the
reformed sects. They pay special worship to Padma-Sambhava and accept
the revelations ascribed to him. Celibacy and abstinence are rarely
observed in their monasteries but these are by no means of low repute.
Among the more celebrated are Dorje-dag and Mindolling: the great
monastery of Pemiongchi[1059] in Sikhim is a branch establishment of
the latter.

Of the sects originating in Atisa's reformation the principal was the
Kadampa,[1060] but it has lost much of its importance because it was
remodelled by Tsong-kha-pa and hence hardly exists to-day as an independent
body. The Sakya sect is connected with the great monastery of the same name
situated about fifty miles to the north of Mount Everest and founded in
1071 by Sakya, a royal prince. It acquired great political importance, for
from 1270 to 1340 its abbots were the rulers of Tibet. The historian
Taranatha belonged to one of its sub-sects, and about 1600 settled in
Mongolia where he founded the monastery of Urga and established the line of
reincarnate Lamas which still rules there. But shortly after his death this
monastery was forcibly taken over by the Yellow Church and is still the
centre of its influence in Mongolia. In theology the Sakya offers nothing
specially distinctive but it mixes the Tantras of the old and new sects and
according to Waddell[1061] is practically indistinguishable from the
Nying-ma-pa. The same is probably true of the Kar-gyu-pa[1062] said to have
been founded by Marpa and his follower Milarapa, who set an example of
solitary and wandering lives. It is sometimes described as a Ny