Tibetan Buddhism is the axis of the Tibetan life and culture and contains the complete system of practices of Buddhism (Sanskrit: Dharma, Tibetan: Chos).

Tibetan Buddhism has four main orders: Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, and Geluk. Nyingma is the old school of Tibetan Buddhism, Kagyu is the so-called "practice school" which originates from the famous lineage Tilopa-Naropa-Marpa-Milarepa, Geluk is the new school and traditional order of the Dalai Lamas.

The four signs that distinguishes (from other Indian spiritual paths) a doctrine as Buddhist are the following:
- all phenomena are impermanent
- all (contaminated) things are bound to suffering
- all phenomena are empty of their own independent solid nature
- Nirvana is peace.
The practice of Tibetan Buddhism esentially consists of the developement of the mind mainly through meditation. The Buddhist method is based on cultivating the union between Compassion (indiscriminated and for all sentient beings) and Wisdom.
All teachings of Tibetan Buddhism can be strictly traced back to the Buddha Sakyamuni, who was the first to reach Enlightement in our age and then teach the path to Enlightement (more than 2500 years ago in India). The Tibetan system of teaching is based on well established lineages of oral transmission from Master to Disciple.