It was in the 6th and 5th centuries BCE that Buddhist art was implemented in the Indian subcontinent to document the life of Gautama Buddha. Throughout Asia the dharma of the Buddhist of the religion spread and developed as it came into contact with the various cultures in its path. Practitioners and artists who created Tibetan art used a style that is known as aniconic, which was the use of Buddhist symbology and iconography without the actual use of the image of the human figure. In the first century CE, the human appearance of the Buddha started to become prominent in the Tibetan art at the time and this practice continues even unto this modern day. Buddhist art followed the believers in the Buddhist religion wherever it developed throughout all of Asia, in every Buddhist temple.

Tibetan art is considered a form of consecrated art that reflects the influence of Buddhism, particularly that of Tibetan Buddhism, over other cultures in Asia and Himalayan kingdoms such as Nepal, Bhutan and Ladakh.

The Tibetan Buddhist art that was created before the mid twentieth century were dedicated to the depiction of sacred subjects and permeated with traditional technique. These works of Tibetan art not only detail the key concepts of philosophy and spirituality but also the energy of Tibetan art aesthetics in terms of the development of various schools of the Tibetan religion in different regions and countries. The Buddhist symbols used in the development of Buddhist art can be studied as variations of the influences that have contributed to Tibetan art over the past centuries.

In the fourth century saw the emergence of the Mahayana Buddhist influence. This particular influence emphasized those who wished to forgo achieving Nirvana in order to help those others in need. The deity Chenrezig is commonly depicted as a thousand armed deity with a single eye in each hand in the Tibetan art of this Buddhist influence.

Tantric Buddhism is another aspect of Tibetan Buddhist art; the diamond thunderbolt is the most common symbol in this influence. The art of the Tantric influence during this period is most heavily symbolized by fearsome looking deities with angry faces. These angry deities most often are representative of protectors who are devoted to tantric practices and education and the suppression of negativity.

In the Himalayas, a shamanistic tradition known as Bon is considered another great influence of Buddhism and Buddhist art. In this shamanistic practice, many local deities are depicted in Buddhist temples as being with the Buddha as their conqueror and are considered to serve him by keeping mischief and evil away from the people.

A great variety of techniques are used in Buddhist meditation in order to achieve mindfulness, concentration and the promotion of well being. Ancient texts were set down by priests and other practitioners of Buddhism to preserve the core techniques that are passed between teachers and pupils.

Hinduism was also greatly influenced by Tibetan Buddhist art but in the tenth century, Buddhism was no longer practiced in India due to the expansion of Hinduism and the enthusiastic growth of Islam.