While all the worlds' major religions preach the virtues of altruistic, selfless behavior, Tibetans, in particular, make altruism a primary focus of their spiritual practice. Tibetans' unyielding commitment to their unique form of Buddhism has affected Tibetan behavior to the extent that religion can no longer be separated from any other component of their culture. Through the meditation practice of the Lojong, Tibetan Buddhists, who make-up the vast majority of the country's population, have trained their minds to discard their egos and live their lives for the benefit of all sentient beings. This dissertation briefly examines the Lojong meditation practice and how the Buddhist principle of altruism discussed in these simple Eight Verses has influenced the thoughts and actions of the Tibetan people. Using hermeneutics, this dissertation explores how the altruistic philosophy of the Buddha has manifested itself in different components of Tibetan culture including history, economics, environment, medicine, art and politics. Future research could provide additional examples of the influence of Buddhist principles on different aspects of Tibetan culture than those explored in this document, a more comprehensive study of the effect of altruistic religious principles on other cultures and nations, and an examination of other methods of mind training.
