The leading lamas of all lineages have re-established their old monasteries throughout India and the Himalayan regions. They continue to attract a significant number of new recruits, as well as providing refuge for monks who have escaped from Tibet. A few of the exiled Buddhist lamas brought with them sacred texts, paintings and artifacts. They have restored the texts and provide teachings to a younger generation of monks and nuns so that they will have the knowledge and skills to preserve the sacred tradition.

There are now over 150 reconstructed Tibetan monasteries in India and Nepal. The Dalai Lama has encouraged monasteries to include the study of science and mathematics. The monasteries in exile have been thriving due to the large influx of Tibetan nuns and monks who escaped in the 1980s and now serve as custodians of classical Tibetan culture. After that time, it has been practically impossible for Tibetans to escape. Himalayan people are traditionally followers of Tibetan Buddhism, and monks from regions outside Tibet have joined the monasteries in India and now outnumber Tibetan monks. Thus, the monasteries will continue to survive and thrive.