First published in 1987, Buddhist Civilization in Tibet is unique among works in English as it provides a whole range of information on Tibetan religion and literature, with extensive scholarly data, in a compact single volume.

Tulku Thondup Rinpoche was a much-respected lama, educated in the Tibetan monastic system. He went to India in 1958 as a refugee from Tibet and taught at Lucknow University and Visva-Bharati University. He was a visiting scholar at Harvard. He then settled in the USA, where he engaged in research and translation projects on Tibetan Buddhism.

Preface Introduction Part 1: The Development of Buddhism in Tibet Introduction 1. The Nyingma (rNying Ma) School 2. The Kagyud (bKa' brGyud) School 3. The Sakya School 4. The Gelug (dGe Lugs) School 5. Some Other Tibetan Buddhist Schools Part 2: The Scope of Tibetan Literature Introduction Tibetan Literature 1. The Religious Literature 2. The Secular Literature