Buddhism was first introduced to Tibet in the 7th century, and over the course of more than 1,300 years it has seeped into every aspect of Tibetan society. A form of Mahāyāna Buddhism originating in the later stages of Indian Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism incorporates the native customs of its unique geographical environment and some elements of Chinese Buddhism. In essence, Tibetan Buddhism retains classical Mahāyāna Buddhist philosophy and doctrines, but its outward manifestation strongly reflects the region’s ethnic characteristics, and the tulku-recognizing tradition is one such unique feature. While the theory of reincarnation is a prominent part of Buddhism, and Buddhist historical texts abound with accounts of individuals recognized as reincarnated leaders of previous spiritual cultivators or bodhisattvas, the combination of the theory of cyclic existence and the doctrine of bodhisattva’s re-embodiment for purpose of benefitting sentient beings is only seen in Tibetan Buddhist culture. The system of reincarnation lineage thus resulted has become a solid influential tradition, and it is still being practiced today.

Focusing on the development of the tulku-recognizing tradition since the 17th century, the colloquium offers an opportunity for participating scholars to probe into its historical evolvement through the exchange of ideas, and to investigate its profound influence on each and every aspect of Tibetan culture. It is expected that the cultural connotations of this distinctive Tibetan Buddhist practice will be fully addressed from various perspectives and that the event, along with the concurrently organized exhibition The Khubilghan: the Incarnated Lamas of the Qing Dynasty and Related Artifacts, will help promote the rich collections of Tibetan Buddhist artifacts and texts in the National Palace Museum and encourage diversified applications of Buddhist art.