(TibetanReview.net, Jan15’26) – China appears to have adopted a sect-wise Sinicization of Tibetan Buddhism not only to make it conform to its so-called socialist principles but also to possibly assimilate it with Chinese Buddhism. A symposium on Chinese-Tibetan Buddhism in the name of “Han–Tibetan Buddhist Studies” was held for this purpose from Jan 10 to 11 at Tsinghua University in Beijing, reported China’s online Tibet news service m.tibet.cn/eng Jan 14.
The report said 50 scholars and eminent monks engaged in in-depth dialogue on the historical origins and contemporary development of the Nyingma sect of Tibetan Buddhism at an event called the 2026 Symposium on Han–Tibetan Buddhist Studies: Figures, Teachings, and Histories.
The report said that the symposium, organized by the “Center for Han–Tibetan Buddhist Studies” of the School of Humanities at Tsinghua University, aimed to deepen “Han–Tibetan Buddhist studies” through systematic discussions of the histories, key figures, and doctrinal teachings of the Nyingma sect, and to contribute to the strengthening of a shared sense of community for the Chinese nation.
And so, “Chinese Buddhism” now appears to have become “Han Buddhism” so that both it and Tibetan Buddhism could be described as parts of it. This may be what Professor Shen Weirong, Director of the Center for Han–Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Tsinghua University, has called the adaptation of Buddhism to the Chinese context.
“The development of Buddhist studies is not merely an academic endeavour. It is also closely aligned with fostering a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation and advancing the adaptation of Buddhism to the Chinese context.” Professor Weirong has said in his opening remarks on Jan 10.
He has said that related research efforts over the years have consistently focused on these two core themes, providing important academic support for in-depth discussions on the adaptation of Buddhism to the Chinese context.
He has said the joint participation of eminent monastics and scholars in discussions on what he has called “Han–Tibetan” Buddhism at the symposium itself constituted a vivid example of the adaptation of Buddhism to the Chinese context in practice.
The report said the in-depth convergence and exchange between the religious and academic communities, with extensive participation by eminent monks from major Nyingma monasteries and Buddhist institutes, was one of the major highlights of the conference.
Representatives of Khenpos (Abbots) from leading Nyingma institutions – including Samye Monastery and Mindrolling Monastery in Lhoka, Tibet Autonomous Region; Dzogchen Monastery in Derge County, Sichuan Province; Palyul Monastery in Palyul County, Sichuan; and the Larung Gar Buddhist Institution in Serthar County, Sichuan, among others – were stated to have engaged in dialogue on frontier issues with scholars from high-level educational institutions such as Tsinghua University, Peking University, Renmin University of China, Lanzhou University, and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, who specialized in “Han–Tibetan” Buddhist studies, Buddhist philology, and the history and languages of the Western Regions.
The symposium carried important practical significance for advancing “Han–Tibetan” Buddhist research, promoting the inheritance and development of China’s fine traditional culture, and forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, the report said.