Brandon Dotson examines what can be said about the social and religious context of Tibet in the late-8th and early 9th centuries, that is, the period during which Padmasambhava would have been active. This paper examines what can be said about the social and religious context of Tibet in the late-8th and early 9th centuries, that is, the period during which Padmasambhava would have been active. In doing so, it queries some general assumptions about “royal religion,” “popular religion,” and tantra.