Samding Dorje Phagmo
123-399: New branches: Tantric techniques : Fourfold division: Twofold division: Thought forms and visualisation: Yoga : The Kadam school ( Tibetan : བཀའ་གདམས་པ་ , Wylie : bka' gdams pa ) of Tibetan Buddhism , or Kadampa was an 11th century Buddhist tradition founded by the great Bengali master Atiśa (982–1054) and his students including Dromtön (1005–1064),
246-407: A Bodhisattva does "not stand" on include standard listings such as: the five aggregates , the sense fields ( ayatana ), nirvana , Buddhahood , etc. This is explained by stating that Bodhisattvas "wander without a home" ( aniketacārī ); "home" or "abode" meaning signs ( nimitta , meaning a subjective mental impression) of sensory objects and the afflictions that arise dependent on them. This includes
369-508: A Tibetan Buddhist lay master. The Kadampa stressed compassion , pure discipline and study. By the 15th century, Tsongkapa is credited with synthesizing and folding Kadampa lineages into the Gelug school. The most evident teachings of that tradition were the graduated teachings on the Mahayana path. These special presentations became known as lojong (mind training) and lamrim (stages of
492-620: A class by themselves and deservedly renowned throughout the world of Northern Buddhism. Both have been translated into many languages and have often been commented upon.". Jan Nattier argues the Heart Sutra to be an apocryphal text composed in China from extracts of the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā and other texts c. 7th century. Red Pine, however, does not support Nattiers argument and believes the Heart Sutra to be of Indian origin. During
615-679: A human rebirth, impermanence, and karma. This genre was extremely influential in Tibet, and all schools of Tibetan Buddhism eventually developed their own Lamrim texts based on Atiśa’s Bodhipathapradīpa , such as Gampopa 's Jewel Ornament of Liberation and Tsongkhapa 's three Lamrim works. The Kadampa lineage was also known for an oral tradition called lojong ("mind training") which focused on developing bodhicitta through various contemplations and mental techniques, such as contemplatively taking all beings' suffering and giving them all of one's happiness (a meditation known as Tonglen ). One of
738-691: A lasting impact on Tibetan Buddhist scholasticism and by the 12th century, their study curriculum had become part of mainstream Buddhist study in Central Tibet . It was also at Sangpu that Sonam Tsemo (1142–1182), one of the founders of the Sakya tradition, studied under Chapa Chokyi Senge. Another important commentator on madhyamaka, Patsab Nyima Drakpa (1055-1145?), was also a Sangpu monastery monk who had studied in Kashmir as well. Patsab's commentary on Nagarjuna's Mulamadhyamakakarika seems to be
861-415: A liminal zone on the borders between fields and forests. Their rites involved the conjunction of sexual practices and Buddhist mandala visualization with ritual accoutrements made from parts of the human body, so that control may be exercised over the forces hindering the natural abilities of the siddha to manipulate the cosmos at will. At their most extreme, siddhas also represented a defensive position within
984-532: A mantra. Vajrayāna Buddhists developed a large corpus of texts called the Buddhist Tantras , some of which can be traced to at least the 7th century CE but might be older. The dating of the tantras is "a difficult, indeed an impossible task" according to David Snellgrove . Some of the earliest of these texts, Kriya tantras such as the Mañjuśrī-mūla-kalpa ( c. 6th century ), teach
1107-594: A movement called Sahaja -siddhi developed in the 8th century in Bengal . It was dominated by long-haired, wandering mahasiddhas who openly challenged and ridiculed the Buddhist establishment. The mahasiddhas pursued siddhis , magical powers such as flight and extrasensory perception as well as spiritual liberation. Ronald M. Davidson states that Buddhist siddhas demonstrated the appropriation of an older sociological form—the independent sage/magician, who lived in
1230-407: Is "obscured by discursive thought". This doctrine is often associated with the idea of the inherent or natural luminosity ( Skt: prakṛti-prabhāsvara-citta , T. ’od gsal gyi sems ) or purity of the mind ( prakrti-parisuddha ). Another fundamental theory of Tantric practice is that of transformation. In Vajrayāna, negative mental factors such as desire, hatred, greed, pride are used as part of
1353-677: Is a Buddhist tradition of tantric practice that developed in Medieval India . Tantrism, which originated within Hinduism during the first millennium CE, significantly influenced South Asian Mahāyāna Buddhism, giving rise to distinct Buddhist tantric traditions. Emerging in the 7th century CE, these traditions spread across Southeast, East, and Central Asia, leading to distinct East Asian and Tibetan practices. Vajrayāna practices are connected to specific lineages in Buddhism, through
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#17327730745031476-566: Is a central concept in Mahāyāna Buddhism and is generally associated with ideas such as emptiness ( śūnyatā ), 'lack of svabhāva ' ( essence ), the illusory ( māyā ) nature of things, how all phenomena are characterized by "non-arising" ( anutpāda , i.e. unborn) and the madhyamaka thought of Nāgārjuna . Its practice and understanding are taken to be indispensable elements of the Bodhisattva path. According to Edward Conze ,
1599-523: Is a method which works faster. Various classifications are possible when distinguishing Vajrayāna from the other Buddhist traditions. Vajrayāna can be seen as a third yana , next to Śrāvakayāna and Mahayana . Vajrayāna can be distinguished from the Sutrayana . The Sutrayana is the method of perfecting good qualities, where the Vajrayāna is the method of taking the intended outcome of Buddhahood as
1722-428: Is a middle way, it is neither apprehended as existent ( astitā ) or non-existent ( nāstitā ) and it is "immutable" ( avikāra ) and "free from conceptualization" ( avikalpa ). The Bodhisattva is said to generate "great compassion" ( maha- karuṇā ) for all beings on their path to liberation and yet also maintain a sense of equanimity ( upekṣā ) and distance from them through their understanding of emptiness, due to which,
1845-615: Is a mythical weapon associated with Indra which was said to be indestructible and unbreakable (like a diamond) and extremely powerful (like thunder). Thus, the term is variously translated as Diamond Vehicle, Thunderbolt Vehicle, Indestructible Vehicle and so on. Chinese Esoteric Buddhism it is generally known by various terms such as Zhēnyán ( Chinese : 真言, literally "true word", referring to mantra), Tángmì or Hanmì (唐密 - 漢密, " Tang Esotericism" or " Han Esotericism") , Mìzōng (密宗, "Esoteric Sect") or Mìjiao (Chinese: 密教; Esoteric Teaching). The Chinese term mì 密 ("secret, esoteric")
1968-609: Is a translation of the Sanskrit term Guhya ("secret, hidden, profound, abstruse"). In Japan , Buddhist esotericism is known as Mikkyō ( 密教 , secret teachings) or by the term Shingon (a Japanese rendering of Zhēnyán ), which also refers to a specific school of Shingon-shū ( 真言宗 ) . The term "Esoteric Buddhism" is first used by Western occultist writers, such as Helena Blavatsky and Alfred Percy Sinnett , to describe theosophical doctrines passed down from "supposedly initiated Buddhist masters." Tantric Buddhism
2091-498: Is also associated with Sarvajñata (all-knowledge) in the Prajñāpāramitā sutras, a quality of the mind of a Buddha which knows the nature of all dharmas. According to Karl Brunnholzl, Prajñāpāramitā means that "all phenomena from form up through omniscience being utterly devoid of any intrinsic characteristics or nature of their own." Furthermore, "such omniscient wisdom is always nonconceptual and free from reference points since it
2214-627: Is also the first extant translation of the Prajñāpāramitā genre into a non-Indic language. Comparison with the standard Sanskrit text shows that it is also likely to be a translation from Gāndhāri as it expands on many phrases and provides glosses for words that are not present in the Gāndhārī. This points to the text being composed in Gāndhārī, the language of Gandhara (the region now called the Northwest Frontier of Pakistan, including Peshawar , Taxila and Swat Valley ). The "Split" manuscript
2337-553: Is associated with groups of wandering yogis called mahasiddhas in medieval India . According to Robert Thurman , these tantric figures thrived during the latter half of the first millennium CE. According to John Myrdhin Reynolds, the mahasiddhas date to the medieval period in North India and used methods that were radically different from those used in Buddhist monasteries, including practicing on charnel grounds . Since
2460-494: Is bound, by passion too it is released, but by heretical Buddhists this practice of reversals is not known. The Hevajra further states that "one knowing the nature of poison may dispel poison with poison." As Snellgrove notes, this idea is already present in Asanga 's Mahayana-sutra-alamkara-karika and therefore it is possible that he was aware of Tantric techniques, including sexual yoga. According to Buddhist Tantra, there
2583-530: Is developed. Other early tantras include the Mahāvairocana Abhisaṃbodhi and the Guhyasamāja (Gathering of Secrets). The Guhyasamāja is a Mahayoga class of Tantra, which features forms of ritual practice considered "left-hand" ( vamachara ) such as the use of taboo substances like alcohol, consort practices, and charnel ground practices which evoke wrathful deities . Ryujun Tajima divides
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#17327730745032706-460: Is evidently a copy of an earlier text, though Falk and Karashima do not give an estimate on how old the original may be. In contrast to western scholarship, Japanese scholars have traditionally considered the Diamond Sūtra ( Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra ) to be from a very early date in the development of Prajñāpāramitā literature. The usual reason for this relative chronology which places
2829-782: Is known for his translation of a massive Sanskrit collection of Prajñāpāramitā sutras called "the Xuánzàng Prajñāpāramitā Library" or "The Great Prajñāpāramitāsūtra" (般若 波羅蜜 多 經, pinyin: bōrě bōluómì duō jīng ). Xuánzàng returned to China with three copies of this Sanskrit work which he obtained in South India and his translation is said to have been based on these three sources. In total it includes 600 scrolls, with 5 million Chinese characters. This collection consists of 16 Prajñāpāramitā texts: A modern English translation: The Great Prajna Paramita Sutra (vols. 1 to 6) translated by Naichen Chen (Tucson: Wheatmark). In
2952-534: Is more common for a yogi or yogini to use an imagined consort (a buddhist tantric deity, i.e. a yidam). These later tantras such as the Hevajra Tantra and the Chakrasamvara are classed as " Yogini tantras" and represent the final form of development of Indian Buddhist tantras in the ninth and tenth centuries. The Kalachakra tantra developed in the 10th century. It is farthest removed from
3075-444: Is more complex than a simple process of religious imitation and textual appropriation. There can be no question that the Buddhist tantras were heavily influenced by Kapalika and other Saiva movements, but the influence was apparently mutual. Perhaps a more nuanced model would be that the various lines of transmission were locally flourishing and that in some areas they interacted, while in others they maintained concerted hostility. Thus
3198-495: Is no Tathāgata. The suchness of these dharmas, and the suchness of the Tathāgatas, is all one single suchness ( ekaivaiṣā tathatā ), not two, not divided ( dvaidhīkāraḥ ). ... beyond all classification ( gaṇanāvyativṛttā ), due to non-existence ( asattvāt ). Suchness then does not come or go because like the other terms, it is not a real entity ( bhūta , svabhāva ), but merely appears conceptually through dependent origination , like
3321-496: Is no strict separation of the profane or samsara and the sacred or nirvana , rather they exist in a continuum. All individuals are seen as containing the seed of enlightenment within, which is covered over by defilements . Douglas Duckworth notes that Vajrayana sees Buddhahood not as something outside or an event in the future, but as immanently present. Indian Tantric Buddhist philosophers such as Buddhaguhya , Vimalamitra , Ratnākaraśānti and Abhayakaragupta continued
3444-672: Is not specifically Buddhist, Shaiva or Vaishnava . According to Alexis Sanderson , various classes of Vajrayāna literature developed as a result of royal courts sponsoring both Buddhism and Shaivism. The relationship between the two systems can be seen in texts like the Mañjusrimulakalpa , which later came to be classified under Kriya tantra , and states that mantras taught in the Shaiva, Garuda and Vaishnava tantras will be effective if applied by Buddhists since they were all taught originally by Manjushri . Sanderson notes that
3567-635: Is one of the largest PP sutras, comprising three volumes of the Tibetan Kangyur (26-28). It was also one of the most important and popular PP sutras in India, seeing as how there are numerous Indian commentaries on this text, including commentaries by Vimuktisena, Haribhadra, Smṛtijñānakīrti, and Ratnakarashanti. The sutra also survives in the original Sanskrit, which was found in Gilgit . It also exists in four Chinese translations. According to Nattier,
3690-521: Is said to be the purpose of all the various tantric techniques practiced in the Vajrayana. Prajnaparamita Prajñāpāramitā ( Sanskrit : प्रज्ञापारमिता ) means the "Perfection of Wisdom" or "Perfection of Transcendental Wisdom". Prajñāpāramitā practices lead to discerning pristine cognition in a self-reflexively aware way, of seeing the nature of reality . There is a particular body of Mahayana sutras (scriptures) on this wisdom, and they form
3813-592: Is the constant and panoramic awareness of the nature of all phenomena and does not involve any shift between meditative equipoise and subsequent attainment." Edward Conze outlined several psychological qualities of a Bodhisattva's practice of Prajñāpāramitā: The Prajñāpāramitā sutras also teach of the importance of the other pāramitās (perfections) for the Bodhisattva such as Ksanti (patience): "Without resort to this patience (kṣānti) they [bodhisattvas] cannot reach their respective goals". Another quality of
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3936-468: Is the main ideal in Mahayana (Great Vehicle), which sees the goal of the Buddhist path as becoming a Buddha for the sake of all sentient beings, not just yourself: A central quality of the Bodhisattva is their practice of Prajñāpāramitā, a most deep ( gambhīra ) state of knowledge which is an understanding of reality arising from analysis as well as meditative insight. It is non-conceptual and non-dual ( advaya ) as well as transcendental . Literally,
4059-522: Is the superiority of Tantric methods, which provide a faster vehicle to liberation and contain many more skillful means ( upaya ). The importance of the theory of emptiness is central to the Tantric Buddhist view and practice. The Buddhist emptiness view sees the world as being fluid, without an ontological foundation or inherent existence, but ultimately a fabric of constructions. Because of this, tantric practice such as self-visualization as
4182-522: Is to become a Sammāsambuddha (fully awakened Buddha ); those on this path are termed Bodhisattvas . As with the Mahayana, motivation is a vital component of Vajrayāna practice. The Bodhisattva-path is an integral part of the Vajrayāna, which teaches that all practices are to be undertaken with the motivation to achieve Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings. In the vehicle of Sutra Mahayana,
4305-647: The Adhyardhaśatikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra (150 lines), the famous Heart Sutra ( Prajñāpāramitāhṛdaya ), the Ekaślokikā prajñāpāramitā, Svalpākṣarā Prajñāpāramitā, Kauśikā Prajñāpāramitā, Saptaślokikā Prajñāpāramitā , the *Prajñāpāramitānāmāṣṭaśataka and the Candragarbha Prajñāpāramitā. Some of these sources, like the Svalpākṣarā, claim that simply reciting the dharanis found in
4428-463: The Hīnayāna ) and Mahāyāna (a.k.a. Pāramitāyāna ). There are several Buddhist tantric traditions that are currently practiced, including Tibetan Buddhism , Chinese Esoteric Buddhism , Shingon Buddhism and Newar Buddhism . Historically, there were also other esoteric Buddhist traditions, such as that of maritime Southeast Asia , which are no longer practiced today. In India, the initial term
4551-666: The Mahāyānasaṃgraha , entitled Vivṛtaguhyārthapiṇḍavyākhyā ( A Condensed Explanation of the Revealed Secret Meaning, Derge No. 4052), lists eight Prajñāpāramitā sūtras which were "taught to bodhisattvas" and are seen as superior (from the Sravakayana sutras) because they are superior "in eliminating conceptually imaged forms". The eight texts are listed according to length and are the following: The Chinese scholar and translator Xuánzàng (玄奘, 602-664)
4674-543: The Aṣṭasāhasrikā . This view is taken in part by examining parallels between the two works, in which the Aṣṭasāhasrikā seems to represent the later or more developed position. According to Schopen, these works also show a shift in emphasis from an oral tradition ( Vajracchedikā ) to a written tradition ( Aṣṭasāhasrikā ). The Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā prajñāpāramitā Sūtra (T. Shes rab kyi pha rol tu phyin pa stong phrag nyi shu lnga pa ; C. Mohe bore boluomi jing , 摩訶般若波羅蜜經)
4797-712: The Guhyasiddhi of Padmavajra, a work associated with the Guhyasamaja tradition , which prescribes acting as a Shaiva guru and initiating members into Saiva Siddhanta scriptures and mandalas. Sanderson says that the Samvara tantra texts adopted the pitha list from the Shaiva text Tantrasadbhāva , introducing a copying error where a deity was mistaken for a place. Ronald M. Davidson meanwhile, argues that Sanderson's arguments for direct influence from Shaiva Vidyapitha texts are problematic because "the chronology of
4920-494: The Madhyamaka school and he introduced the complementary study of the works of Candrakīrti and Bhāviveka . Atiśa’s Madhyamaka philosophy was a synthesis which drew on the works of Bhāviveka and Candrakīrti. Atiśa taught Madhyamaka by using Bhāviveka's Tarkajvālā and Madhyamakaratnapradīpa as an introduction and then taught advanced students Candrakīrti’s Madhyamakāvatāra . Later Kadampas (especially at Sangpu) continued
5043-547: The Mantrayana leads one to Buddhahood in a single lifetime. According to the literature, the mantra is an easy path without the difficulties innate to the Paramitayana . Mantrayana is sometimes portrayed as a method for those of inferior abilities. However the practitioner of the mantra still has to adhere to the vows of the Bodhisattva . The goal of spiritual practice within the Mahayana and Vajrayāna traditions
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5166-579: The Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā is basically the Aṣṭasāhasrikā base text which has been "sliced" up and filled with other material, increasing the length of the text considerably. This process of expansion continued, culminating in the massive Śatasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra (100,000 lines), the largest of the PP sutras. According to Joseph Walser, there is evidence that the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra (25,000 lines) and
5289-589: The Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā translated by Kumārajīva (344–413 CE). There are also later commentaries from Zen Buddhists on the Heart and Diamond sutra and Kūkai 's commentary (9th century) is the first-known Tantric commentary. The PP sutras were first brought to Tibet in the reign of Trisong Detsen (742-796) by scholars Jinamitra and Silendrabodhi and the translator Ye shes De. Tibetan Buddhist scholasticism generally studies
5412-910: The Scriptural Traditions of the Six Canonical Texts . Together with Dagpo Kagyu Tradition they keep and transmit The Pith Instructions of the Sixteen Essences , and the Dagpo Kagyu Tradition keeps and transmits the Key Instructions of the Four Noble Truths . One of the most important sayings of the Kadam masters is said to be See harmony in all doctrines. Receive instructions from all teachings. In 1991, Kelsang Gyatso founded
5535-616: The Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the Abhisamayālaṅkāra is traditionally said to be a commentary to seventeen Prajñāpāramitā (PP) source texts. These are seen as the most important PP sutras and they collectively known as the "Seventeen Mothers and Sons" (Wyl. yum sras bcu bdun ). The Six Mothers are: The Eleven Sons are: In the Prajñāpāramitā section of the Kangyur , there are also other Prajñāpāramitā sutras besides
5658-562: The Vajracchedikā earlier is not its date of translation, but rather a comparison of the contents and themes. Some western scholars also believe that the Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra was adapted from the earlier Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra . Examining the language and phrases used in both the Aṣṭasāhasrikā and the Vajracchedikā , Gregory Schopen also sees the Vajracchedikā as being earlier than
5781-561: The Vidyapitha tantras is by no means so well established" and that "the available evidence suggests that received Saiva tantras come into evidence sometime in the ninth to tenth centuries with their affirmation by scholars like Abhinavagupta (c. 1000 c.e.)" Davidson also notes that the list of pithas or sacred places "are certainly not particularly Buddhist, nor are they uniquely Kapalika venues, despite their presence in lists employed by both traditions." Davidson further adds that like
5904-593: The chiastic structures of the text that the entire sūtra may have been composed as a single whole (with a few additions added on the core chapters). A number of scholars have proposed that the Mahāyāna Prajñāpāramitā teachings were first developed by the Caitika subsect of the Mahāsāṃghikas . They believe that the Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra originated amongst the southern Mahāsāṃghika schools of
6027-622: The Āndhra region, along the Kṛṣṇa River . These Mahāsāṃghikas had two famous monasteries near Amarāvati Stupa and Dhānyakataka , which gave their names to the Pūrvaśaila and Aparaśaila schools. Each of these schools had a copy of the Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra in Prakrit . Guang Xing also assesses the view of the Buddha given in the Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra as being that of
6150-580: The Śatasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra (100,000 lines) have a connection with the Dharmaguptaka sect, while the Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra (8,000 lines) does not. Other PP texts were also composed which were much shorter and had a more independent structure from the Aṣṭasāhasrikā. Regarding the shorter PP texts, Conze writes, "two of these, the Diamond Sūtra and the Heart Sūtra are in
6273-543: The "controversial" new religious movement he named the New Kadampa Tradition (NKT). Centuries earlier, Je Tsongkhapa referred to his monastic order as "the New Kadam" before the term Gelug came into use, after his death. The modern NKT-IKBU explains that they are independent of other contemporary Tibetan Buddhist centers and Tibetan politics although they claim they are in the 'same tradition' as
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#17327730745036396-488: The "path of the cause" is taken whereby a practitioner starts with his or her potential Buddha-nature and nurtures it to produce the fruit of Buddhahood. In the Vajrayāna, the "path of the fruit" is taken whereby the practitioner takes his or her innate Buddha-nature as the means of practice. The premise is that since we innately have an enlightened mind, practicing seeing the world in terms of ultimate truth can help us to attain our full Buddha-nature. Experiencing ultimate truth
6519-772: The 3rd century CE, it appears that some Prajñāpāramitā texts were known in Central Asia , as reported by the Chinese monk Zhu Zixing , who brought back a manuscript of the Prajñāpāramitā of 25,000 lines: When in 260 AD, the Chinese monk Zhu Zixing chose to go to Khotan in an attempt to find original Sanskrit sūtras , he succeeded in locating the Sanskrit Prajñāpāramitā in 25,000 verses, and tried to send it to China. In Khotan, however, there were numerous Hīnayānists who attempted to prevent it because they regarded
6642-480: The Bodhisattva is their freedom from fear ( na vtras ) in the face of the seemingly shocking doctrine of the emptiness of all dharmas which includes their own existence. A good friend ( kalyanamitra ) is useful in the path to fearlessness. Bodhisattvas also have no pride or self-conception ( na manyeta ) of their own stature as Bodhisattvas. These are important features of the mind of a bodhisattva, called bodhicitta . The Prajñāpāramitā sutras also mention that bodhicitta
6765-479: The Bodhisattva knows that even after bringing countless beings to nirvana, "no living being whatsoever has been brought to nirvana." Bodhisattvas and Mahāsattvas are also willing to give up all of their meritorious deeds for sentient beings and develop skillful means ( upaya ) in order to help abandon false views and teach them the Dharma. The practice of Prajñāpāramitā allows a Bodhisattva to become: "a saviour of
6888-447: The Buddhist tradition, adopted and sustained for the purpose of aggressive engagement with the medieval culture of public violence. They reinforced their reputations for personal sanctity with rumors of the magical manipulation of various flavors of demonic females ( dakini , yaksi , yogini ), cemetery ghouls ( vetala ), and other things that go bump in the night. Operating on the margins of both monasteries and polite society, some adopted
7011-521: The Buddhists, the Shaiva tradition was also involved in the appropriation of Hindu and non-Hindu deities, texts and traditions, an example being "village or tribal divinities like Tumburu". Davidson adds that Buddhists and Kapalikas as well as other ascetics (possibly Pasupatas ) mingled and discussed their paths at various pilgrimage places and that there were conversions between the different groups. Thus he concludes: The Buddhist-Kapalika connection
7134-985: The Gelug. According to the NKT's own publicist, the purpose of using the term "New Kadampa Buddhism" to refer to their teachings is not to introduce confusion about their origins but to encourage students to emulate the purity and sincerity of the original Kadam school. Buswell, Robert Jr. , ed. (2014). Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism . Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. ISBN 9780691157863 . Tantra techniques (Vajrayana) New branches: Tantric techniques : Fourfold division: Twofold division: Thought forms and visualisation: Yoga : Vajrayāna ( Sanskrit : वज्रयान ; lit. ' vajra vehicle'), also known as Mantrayāna ('mantra vehicle'), Mantranāya ('path of mantra'), Guhyamantrayāna ('secret mantra vehicle'), Tantrayāna ('tantra vehicle'), Tantric Buddhism , and Esoteric Buddhism ,
7257-434: The Kadam oral transmissions ( man ngag ) lineage entrusted to Phu-chungwa Shönu Gyaltsen (1031–1106) and the Kadam essential instructions ( gdams ngag ) lineage obtained by Chengawa Tsültrim Bar (1033–1103). According to Jinpa "Chengawa’s Kadam lineage of essential instructions emphasizes an approach whereby Atisa's essential instructions, rather than classical treatises, are the key basis for practice. These instructions include
7380-754: The Kadam tradition. He founded Radreng Monastery in 1056. Another important student was Ngog Legpai Sherab, he founded Sangpu Neutog in 1071. According to Sam Van Schaik, "both monasteries followed Atiśa's principle of combining tantric meditation practice with a firm adherence to the monastic code and with rigorous scholarship." Reting Monastery was located in Reting Tsangpo valley north of Lhasa . The nearby Phenpo Chu and Gyama Valleys were also home to many large Kadampa monasteries. Dromtön's three main students were Po to ba Rin chen gsal (Potowa), Spyan mnga’ ba Tshul khrims ’bar (Chen Ngawa), and Bu chung ba Gzhon nu rgyal mtshan (Bu chungwa). From these three come
7503-589: The Lojong ( Wylie : blo sbyong ) teachings into their lineages. Gampopa ( Wylie : sgam po pa ), who studied for six years within the Kadam Tradition and became later the main disciple of Milarepa ( Wylie : mi la ras pa ), included the Lojong and Lamrim teachings in his lineage, the Karma Kagyu ( Wylie : ka rma bka' brgyud ). Nowadays the Gelug tradition keeps and transmits the Kadam lineage of
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#17327730745037626-416: The Mahāsāṃghikas. Edward Conze estimates that this sūtra originated around 100 BCE. In 2012, Harry Falk and Seishi Karashima published a damaged and partial Kharoṣṭhī manuscript of the Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā . It is very similar to the first Chinese translation of the Aṣṭasāhasrikā by Lokakṣema (ca. 179 CE) whose source text is assumed to be in the Gāndhārī language ; Lokakṣema's translation
7749-550: The Mind ( Wylie : blo sbyong thun brgyad ma ), Langri Tangpa 's (1054–1123) Eight Verses for Training the Mind ( Wylie : blo sbyong tshig brgyad ma ), Sangye Gompa's A Public Explanation ( Wylie : tshogs bshad ma ) and Chekawa Yeshe Dorje 's (1102–1176) Seven Points for Training the Mind ( Wylie : blo sbyong don bdun ma ). From Khamlungpa, Langri Tangpa and Chekawa Yeshe Dorje onwards they became public and later they were integrated into all four Tibetan Buddhist Schools. (These Kadampa-Lojong texts were brought together into
7872-407: The PP literature developed in nine stages: (1) An urtext similar to the first two chapters of the Sanskrit Ratnagunasaṃcaya Gāthā; (2) Chapters 3 to 28 of the Ratnagunasaṃcaya are composed, along with the prose of the Aṣṭasāhasrikā . This base text was further expanded with (3) material from the Abhidharma , and (4) concessions to the "Buddhism of Faith" (referring to Pure Land references in
7995-468: The PP sutras through the Abhisamayālaṅkāra and its numerous commentaries. The focus on the Abhisamayālaṅkāra is particularly pronounced in the Gelug school, who according to Georges Dreyfus "take the Ornament as the central text for the study of the path" and "treat it as a kind of Buddhist encyclopedia, read in the light of commentaries by Je Dzong-ka-ba , Gyel-tsap Je , and the authors of manuals [monastic textbooks]." An Indian commentary on
8118-480: The Prajnaparamita Awaken completely To the perfect, unsurpassable enlightenment." Prajñāpāramitā may also refer to the female deity Prajñāpāramitā Devi , a samboghakaya Buddha of transcendental wisdom also known as the "Great Mother" (Tibetan: Yum Chenmo ) who was widely depicted in Asian Buddhist art . The word Prajñāpāramitā combines the Sanskrit words prajñā "wisdom" (or "knowledge") with pāramitā "perfection" or " transcendent ". Prajñāpāramitā
8241-437: The Prajñāpāramitā Sūtras are "a collection of about forty texts ... composed somewhere on the Indian subcontinent between approximately 100 BC and AD 600." Some Prajnāpāramitā sūtras are thought to be among the earliest Mahāyāna sūtras . Western scholars have traditionally considered the earliest sūtra in the Prajñāpāramitā class to be the Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra or "Perfection of Wisdom in 8,000 Lines", which
8364-476: The Vajrayāna Yogini tantras draw extensively from the material also present in Shaiva Bhairava tantras classified as Vidyapitha . Sanderson's comparison of them shows similarity in "ritual procedures, style of observance, deities, mantras, mandalas, ritual dress, Kapalika accouterments like skull bowls, specialized terminology, secret gestures, and secret jargons. There is even direct borrowing of passages from Shaiva texts." Sanderson gives numerous examples such as
8487-417: The absence, the "not taking up" ( aparigṛhīta ) of even "correct" mental signs and perceptions such as "form is not self", "I practice Prajñāpāramitā", etc. To be freed of all constructions and signs, to be signless ( animitta ) is to be empty of them and this is to stand in Prajñāpāramitā. The Prajñāpāramitā sutras state that all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in the past have practiced Prajñāpāramitā. Prajñāpāramitā
8610-435: The adherents and texts of Vajrayāna claim these teachings have been passed down by an unbroken lineage going back to the historical Buddha ( c. the 5th century BCE ) or to other mythical Buddhas and bodhisattvas (e.g. Vajrapani ). According to Vajrayāna scriptures, the term Vajrayāna refers to one of three vehicles or routes to enlightenment , the other two being the Śrāvakayāna (also known pejoratively as
8733-557: The anthology A Hundred Texts on Training the Mind ( Wylie : blo byong brgya rtsa ). The Kadam practiced Vajrayana Buddhism and thus included tantric practices in their tradition, which were considered as an advanced practice for those of higher aptitude. The Kadampa's higher yoga tantra practice was based on Guhyasamaja and Chakrasamvara . Meanwhile, Tibetan sources mention that Atiśa’s main meditation deities were Śākyamuni , Avalokiteśvara , Acala , and Tārā . The Kadam school also seems to have created their own tantric system called
8856-523: The behaviors associated with ghosts ( preta , pisaca ), not only as a religious praxis but also as an extension of their implied threats. Tantrism originated within Hinduism and significantly influenced early South Asian Mahāyāna Buddhist practices, contributing to the emergence of unique Buddhist tantric traditions. These Buddhist tantric traditions, which developed in the 7th century CE, spread quickly across Southeast, East, and Central Asia, resulting in
8979-579: The centre of the renaissance in Tibetan Buddhist scholasticism." It maintained a curriculum which covered Prajñāpāramita , pramāṇa , vinaya and abhidharma . Another influential Kadam monastery for Buddhist scholarship was Narthang Monastery , which was established in 1153 by Tumtön Lodrö Drak (ca. 1106-66). According to Thupten Jinpa , these two scholastic centers "came to dominate the study of classical Indian Buddhist learning, especially in epistemology, abhidharma psychology and phenomenology,
9102-518: The close study of six classic Indian Buddhist texts: Furthermore, according to Thupten Jinpa, "the studies of these treatises are complemented with further Indian Buddhist classics like Nagarjuna’s (second century) Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way , his Seventy Stanzas on Emptiness , and Atisa’s Entry into the Two Truths and An Instruction on the Middle Way ." Atiśa was a follower of
9225-490: The deity is seen as being no less real than everyday reality, but a process of transforming reality itself, including the practitioner's identity as the deity. As Stephan Beyer notes, "In a universe where all events dissolve ontologically into Emptiness, the touching of Emptiness in the ritual is the re-creation of the world in actuality". The doctrine of Buddha-nature , as outlined in the Ratnagotravibhāga of Asanga ,
9348-468: The development of East Asian Mādhyamaka and on Chinese Buddhism . Xuanzang (fl. c. 602–664) was a Chinese scholar who traveled to India and returned to China with three copies of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra which he had secured from his extensive travels. Xuanzang, with a team of disciple translators, commenced translating the voluminous work in 660 CE using the three versions to ensure
9471-411: The doctrine” ( bstan rim ). They typically divided Buddhist practitioners into three types, culminating with tantra and Buddhahood . Atiśa’s Bodhipathapradīpa is the locus classicus for this genre, other works include the “Short Treatises of Atiśa” ( Jo bo’i chos chung ). Many later Kadampas composed various works on the graduated path. These works usually begin with contemplations on the rarity of
9594-424: The earlier Buddhist traditions, and incorporates concepts of messianism and astrology not present elsewhere in Buddhist literature. According to Ronald M. Davidson, the rise of Tantric Buddhism was a response to the feudal structure of Indian society in the early medieval period (ca. 500–1200 CE) which saw kings being divinized as manifestations of gods. Likewise, tantric yogis reconfigured their practice through
9717-671: The earliest examples of a lojong text is Atiśa's Bodhisattva’s Jewel Garland. Lojong teachings are also known as The Instructions for Training the Mind in the Mahayana Tradition ( Wylie : theg chen blo sbyong ). According to Gendun Druppa , Atiśa had received three lines of Lojong transmission, but there are conflicting accounts of from whom. It is agreed that he received teachings in Sumatra from Dharmakīrtiśrī ( Wylie : gser gling pa ), and sometimes as Dharmarakṣita . In
9840-425: The first Tibetan commentary on this work. His interpretation was based on Candrakirti 's method (which Patsab labeled thal 'gyur ba i.e. prāsaṅgika ) and this differed from that of Ngog and Chaba's rang rgyud pa or svātantrika . One of Patsab's students, Mabja Changchub Tsöndrü , became known for his influential commentary on Nagarjuna's Mulamadhyamakakarika . Two other important early Kadampa lineages were
9963-756: The formation of various distinct traditions in East Asia and Tibet. There are other Mahāyāna sutras which contain "proto-tantric" material such as the Gandavyuha and the Dasabhumika which might have served as a central source of visual imagery for Tantric texts. Later Mahāyāna texts like the Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra ( c. 4th –5th century CE) expound the use of mantras such as Om mani padme hum , associated with vastly powerful beings like Avalokiteshvara . The popular Heart Sutra also includes
10086-545: The former case, Dharmarakṣita is identified as a scholar at the monastic university of Odantapuri . He is also known as the author of the Wheel of Sharp Weapons (Tib. blo-sbyong mtshon-cha 'khor-lo ), another one of the earliest lojong works. The final main Lojong teacher was the Indian master Maitriyogi. Atiśa secretly transmitted them to his main disciple, Dromtön, who passed them on to figures like Potowa, who in turn transmitted
10209-468: The guide on the four truths as transmitted through Chengawa, the guide on the two truths as transmitted through Naljorpa, and the guide on dependent origination as transmitted through Phuchungwa." Phu-chungwa's oral transmission lineage focused on studying the teachings found in The Book of Kadam . These instructions were passed down only to one student in each generation in a single transmission until
10332-436: The helpless, a defender of the defenceless, a refuge to those without refuge, a place to rest to those without resting place, the final relief of those who are without it, an island to those without one, a light to the blind, a guide to the guideless, a resort to those without one and....guide to the path those who have lost it, and you shall become a support to those who are without support." Tathātā (Suchness or Thusness) and
10455-409: The influence was both sustained and reciprocal, even in those places where Buddhist and Kapalika siddhas were in extreme antagonism. Davidson also argues for the influence of non-Brahmanical and outcaste tribal religions and their feminine deities (such as Parnasabari and Janguli). According to several Buddhist tantras as well as traditional Tibetan Buddhist sources, the tantras and the Vajrayana
10578-408: The influential Dromtönpa Gyelwé Jungné , who convinced Atiśa to stay in Tibet indefinitely. This Buddhist circle was part of the "later diffusion" of Buddhism in Tibet. The tradition became known as Kadampa over time. The name means those who teach the Buddhist scriptures ( bka ) through personal instructions ( gdams ). After the death of Atiśa in 1054, his main disciple Dromtön was the main leader of
10701-538: The integrity of the source documentation. Xuanzang was being encouraged by a number of the disciple translators to render an abridged version. After a suite of dreams quickened his decision, Xuanzang determined to render an unabridged, complete volume, faithful to the original of 600 fascicles. An important PP text in East Asian Buddhism is the Dazhidulun (大智度論, T no. 1509), a massive commentary on
10824-480: The later phase of Indian Buddhism, Tāntric Prajñāpāramitā texts were produced from the 8th century upt to 11th century CE. These later esoteric Prajñāpāramitā sutras are generally short texts which contain mantras and/or dhāraṇīs and also reference esoteric Buddhist ( Mantrayana ) ideas. They often promote simple practices based on recitation which lead to the accumulation of merit and help one reach awakening. Esoteric Prajñāpāramitā sutras include texts such as
10947-640: The lineage to Sharawa (1070–1141). During the time of the Three Noble Kadampa Brothers (Dromtön's main students), many of these oral teachings were collected together and compiled into the Lamrim . Yet at the time the lineages from Suvarṇadvipi Dharmakīrti were still kept secret. When the time was sufficiently mature, the Lojong Teachings were publicly revealed. Kadam Lojong texts include Kham Lungpa's Eight Sessions for Training
11070-547: The main teaching lineages of Kadam: (1) the authoritative treatises (gzhung) lineage, (2) the essential instruction (gdams ngag) lineage, and (3) the oral instruction (man ngag) lineage, respectively. These "three brothers" as they became known, traveled Central Tibet teaching and promoting the Kadampa order. During the 11th and 12th centuries especially, the monastery at Sangpu became the dominant Kadampa institution, known for its scholarship. According to Van Schaik, "Sangpu became
11193-413: The metaphor of being consecrated ( abhiśeka ) as the overlord ( rājādhirāja ) of a mandala palace of divine vassals, an imperial metaphor symbolizing kingly fortresses and their political power. The question of the origins of early Vajrayāna has been taken up by various scholars. David Seyfort Ruegg has suggested that Buddhist tantra employed various elements of a “pan-Indian religious substrate” which
11316-586: The path). Kadam masters like Atiśa also promoted the study of madhyamaka philosophy. According to Ronald M. Davidson, "Atiśa's coming to Tibet in 1042 was the threshold moment in the efflorescence of Buddhism and provided a stable foundation for monastic scholarship for the next thousand years." With the rise of new Tibetan Buddhist schools like Sakya and Gelug , Kadam ceased to exist as an independent school, and its monasteries, lineages and traditions were absorbed into all major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Because of this, Kadampa lineages remained strong long after
11439-453: The path. As noted by French Indologist Madeleine Biardeau, the tantric doctrine is "an attempt to place kama , desire, in every meaning of the word, in the service of liberation." This view is outlined in the following quote from the Hevajra tantra : Those things by which evil men are bound, others turn into means and gain thereby release from the bonds of existence. By passion the world
11562-471: The path. Vajrayāna can also be distinguished from the paramitayana. According to this schema, Indian Mahayana revealed two vehicles ( yana ) or methods for attaining enlightenment: the method of the perfections ( Paramitayana ) and the method of mantra ( Mantrayana ). The Paramitayana consists of the six or ten paramitas , of which the scriptures say that it takes three incalculable aeons to lead one to Buddhahood. The tantra literature, however, says that
11685-569: The practice of Tantra focuses on the transformation of poisons into wisdom, the yogic circles came together in tantric feasts , often in sacred sites ( pitha ) and places ( ksetra ) which included dancing, singing, consort practices and the ingestion of taboo substances like alcohol, urine, and meat. At least two of the mahasiddhas cited in the Buddhist literature are comparable with the Shaiva Nath saints ( Gorakshanath and Matsyendranath ) who practiced Hatha Yoga . According to Schumann,
11808-648: The practice sadhanas, such as the Heart Sutra . The Transcendent Wisdom of the Prajanaparamita also transcends any single vehicle (yana) of Buddhist philosophy, as explained in the "Heart Sutra" through the replies Avalokiteshvara gives to Shariputra 's question of how should sons and daughters of noble qualities practice the Prajnaparamita: "All the Buddhas of the three times by relying on
11931-595: The related term Dharmatā (the nature of Dharma), and Tathāgata are also important terms of the Prajñāpāramitā texts. To practice Prajñāpāramitā means to practice in accord with 'the nature of Dharma' and to see the Tathāgata (i.e. the Buddha). As the Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra states, these terms are generally used equivalently: "As the suchness ( tathatā ) of dharmas is immovable ( acalitā ), and
12054-539: The revelation of Buddhist tantras to Padmasambhava , saying that he was an emanation of Amitabha and Avaloketishvara and that his arrival was predicted by the Buddha. Some accounts also maintain Padmasambhava is a direct reincarnation of Buddha Shakyamuni. According to Alex Wayman , the philosophical view of the Vajrayana is based on Mahayana Buddhist philosophy , mainly the Madhyamaka and Yogacara schools. The major difference seen by Vajrayana thinkers
12177-450: The scholastic inquiry into the perfection of wisdom literature , and the Middle Way philosophy of emptiness." Due to influence and prominence of other Tibetan Buddhist schools like Sakya, Gelug and Kagyu, the Kadampa ceased to exist as an independent tradition by the end of the 16th century and their monasteries and lineages were absorbed into the other schools. The Authoritative Treatises lineage of Putowa Rinchensél (1031–1106) emphasized
12300-867: The scholastic study of Indian Buddhist philosophy. At Sangpu, Kadampas also studied Indian Buddhist pramāṇavāda philosophers like Dharmakirti . However, unlike Dharmakirti and other Tibetan Buddhists who followed the Yogacara-Madhyamaka of Śāntarakṣita (725–788), the Kadampas (following Candrakirti) instead defended a form of realism regarding conventional truth. Thus they accepted the existence of external objects conventionally. Kadam madhyamika philosopher-translators from Sangpu, like Ngog Loden Sherab (1059–1109) and Chaba Chokyi Senge (1109–1169) translated and produced works on madhyamaka and on epistemology ( pramāṇa ). These philosophical works were influential on later Tibetan Buddhist philosophy. Their work had
12423-500: The school disappeared. The most important founding figure of the Kadam tradition is Atiśa Dīpankara Śrījñāna (982–1054), a Bengali Indian Buddhist master who was known as a great teacher at Vikramaśīla and traveled to Tibet in 1037 on the invitation of a princeling named Jangchub O. Atiśa's poem, the Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment ( Bodhipathapradīpa ; Tib. Byang chub lam sgron )
12546-543: The secrecy was lifted at the time of Narthang Shönu Lodrö. Later these teachings were incorporated into the Karma Kamtsang Kagyu lineage by Pal Tsuglak Trengwa and into the Gelug lineage by the 1st Dalai Lama . The Kadam school was also known for their gradual step by step schema to the Mahayana Buddhist path, which are recorded in texts known as “steps of the path” ( lam rim ) or “stages of
12669-497: The seventeen Mothers and Sons: There are various Indian and later Chinese commentaries on the Prajñāpāramitā sutras, some of the most influential commentaries include: A key theme of the Prajñāpāramitā sutras is the figure of the Bodhisattva (literally: awakening-being) which is defined in the 8,000-line Prajñāpāramitā sutra as: A Bodhisattva is then a being that experiences everything "without attachment" ( asakti ) and sees reality or suchness ( Tathātā ) as it is. The Bodhisattva
12792-549: The spread of artistic representations teaching these ideals at sites available to all, and the generation of easily memorized verses set to song. Davidson further adds that the Kadampas promoted a more egalitarian ideal to counter "the elite bias of most forms of Buddhism spread throughout Tibet at the time". According to Davidson: In their literature, they retain a teaching attributed to Atisa, that monks “from this day forward, pay no attention to names, pay no attention to clans, but with compassion and loving kindness always meditate on
12915-639: The suchness ( tathatā ) of dharmas is the Tathāgata ." The Tathāgata is said in the Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra to "neither come nor go". Furthermore, the Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra includes a list of synonyms associated with Tathāgata as also being "beyond coming and going", these include: 1. Suchness ( tathatā ); 2. Unarisen ( anutpāda ); 3. Reality limit ( bhūtakoṭi ); 4. Emptiness ("Śūnyatā"); 5. Division ( yathāvatta ); 6. Detachment ( virāga ); 7. Cessation ( nirodha ); 8. Space element ( ākāśadhātu ). The sutra then states: Apart from these dharmas, there
13038-528: The sutras are as beneficial as advanced esoteric Buddhist practices (with the full ritual panoply of mandalas and abhiseka ). These scriptures may have been recited in esoteric rituals and two of them remain in widespread use today : Prajñāpāramitāhṛdaya (commonly recited throughout Asia by Buddhists) and the Adhyardhaśatikā (an widely recited text in Shingon Buddhism) . By the middle of
13161-559: The sūtra). This process led to (5) further expansion into larger PP sūtras as well as (6) contraction into the shorter sūtras (i.e. Diamond Sūtra , Heart Sūtra , down to the Prajñāpāramitā in One Letter ). This expanded corpus formed the basis for the (7) Indian PP Commentaries, (8) Tantric PP works and (9) Chinese Chan texts. Jan Nattier also defends the view that the Aṣṭasāhasrikā developed as various layers were added over time. However, Matthew Orsborn has recently argued, based on
13284-532: The tantras into those which were "a development of Mahāyānist thought" and those "formed in a rather popular mould toward the end of the eighth century and declining into the esoterism of the left", this "left esoterism" mainly refers to the Yogini tantras and later works associated with wandering yogis. This practice survives in Tibetan Buddhism, but it is rare for this to be done with an actual person. It
13407-455: The tantric view continued to be debated in medieval Tibet. Tibetan Buddhist Rongzom Chokyi Zangpo (1012–1088) held that the views of sutra such as Madhyamaka were inferior to that of tantra, which was based on basic purity of ultimate reality. Tsongkhapa (1357–1419) on the other hand, held that there is no difference between Vajrayāna and other forms of Mahayana in terms of prajnaparamita (perfection of insight) itself, only that Vajrayāna
13530-422: The teachings of lineage holders. Others might generally refer to these texts as the Buddhist Tantras . It includes practices that make use of mantras , dharanis , mudras , mandalas and the visualization of deities and Buddhas. According to contemporary historical scholarship, Vajrayāna practice originated in the tantric era of medieval India ( c. the 5th century CE onwards ). However, traditionally,
13653-422: The term could be translated as "knowledge gone to the other (shore)", or transcendental knowledge. The Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra says: A further passage in the 8,000-line Prajñāpāramitā sutra states that Prajñāpāramitā means that a Bodhisattva stands in emptiness ( shunyata ) by not standing ( √sthā ) or supporting themselves on any dharma (phenomena), whether conditioned or unconditioned. The dharmas that
13776-698: The text as heterodox . Eventually, Zhu Zixing stayed in Khotan, but sent the manuscript to Luoyang where it was translated by a Khotanese monk named Mokṣala. In 296, the Khotanese monk Gītamitra came to Chang'an with another copy of the same text. In China, there was extensive translation of many Prajñāpāramitā texts beginning in the second century CE. The main translators include: Lokakṣema (支婁迦讖), Zhī Qīan (支謙), Dharmarakṣa (竺法護), Mokṣala (無叉羅), Kumārajīva (鳩摩羅什, 408 CE), Xuánzàng (玄奘), Făxián (法賢) and Dānapāla (施護). These translations were very influential in
13899-466: The thought of awakening (bodhicitta).” This ideal was widespread throughout Indian Buddhism and given lip service in eleventh-century Tibet, but its implementation meant a fundamental change of pedagogical method, for monks would have to deliver Buddhist ideas to the populace. Eventually the change was effected by Chennga and Potoba, who devised a style of teaching that included popular images and anecdotes in their presentations. Potoba (Putowa) in particular
14022-651: The tradition of Buddhist philosophy and adapted it to their commentaries on the major Tantras. Abhayakaragupta's Vajravali is a key source in the theory and practice of tantric rituals. After monks such as Vajrabodhi and Śubhakarasiṃha brought Tantra to Tang China (716 to 720), tantric philosophy continued to be developed in Chinese and Japanese by thinkers such as Yi Xing and Kūkai . Likewise in Tibet , Sakya Pandita (1182–28 – 1251), as well as later thinkers like Longchenpa (1308–1364) expanded on these philosophies in their tantric commentaries and treatises. The status of
14145-482: The use of mantras and dharanis for mostly worldly ends including curing illness, controlling the weather and generating wealth. The Tattvasaṃgraha Tantra ( Compendium of Principles ), classed as a "Yoga tantra", is one of the first Buddhist tantras which focuses on liberation as opposed to worldly goals. In another early tantra, the Vajrasekhara (Vajra Peak), the influential schema of the five Buddha families
14268-526: The “sixteen spheres” (thig le bcu drug), based on thousand-armed Avalokiteśvara as the central deity. This system is still practiced at Reting monastery . According to Ronald M. Davidson, the Kadampa masters pioneered popular strategies for integrating the Tibetan laity into daily Buddhist activities. These included the promotion of popular teaching methods, the development of the cults featuring loving Buddhist divinities (especially Avalokitesvara and Tara),
14391-480: Was Mantranāya (Path of Mantras), and Mantrayāna (Mantra Vehicle). Later, other terms were adopted, like Vajrayāna. In Tibetan Buddhism practiced in the Himalayan regions of India , Nepal , and Bhutan , Buddhist Tantra is most often termed Vajrayāna (Tib. རྡོ་རྗེ་ཐེག་པ་, dorje tekpa , Wyl. rdo rje theg pa ) and Secret mantra (Skt. Guhyamantra , Tib. གསང་སྔགས་, sang ngak , Wyl. gsang sngags ). The vajra
14514-457: Was also an important theory which became the basis for Tantric views. As explained by the Tantric commentator Lilavajra, this "intrinsic secret (behind) diverse manifestation" is the utmost secret and aim of Tantra. According to Wayman this "Buddha embryo" ( tathāgatagarbha ) is a "non-dual, self-originated Wisdom ( jnana ), an effortless fount of good qualities" that resides in the mindstream but
14637-399: Was also introduced by Kadampas. Je Tsongkhapa , a Tibetan reformer, collected all the three Kadam lineages and integrated them, along with Sakya , Kagyu and other teachings into a new synthesis. The Kadampas that followed him were known as "New Kadampas" or, more commonly, as Gandenpas or " Gelugpas ". The three other Tibetan Buddhist schools ( Nyingma , Sakya , Kagyu ) also integrated
14760-491: Was an influential text which laid out the stages of the path to Buddhahood. He also helped translate some texts into Tibetan, taught Buddhism and wrote on Vajrayana practice. Atiśa's main teaching focus was on presenting a comprehensive Buddhist Mahayana system, and his numerous works explain basic topics such as bodhicitta , the six perfections , the two truths, dependent origination , karma , and Madhyamaka philosophy. Over time he drew several students around him, including
14883-479: Was known for being attentive to popular expressions and made use of stories and illustrative examples in his teaching which appealed to a mass audience. Several hundred stories and anecdotes were collected in Potoba's Teaching by Examples. A Profusion of Gems ( dPe chos rin chen spungs pa ). Many of these examples remain in use today by Tibetan teachers. Popular fasting programs ( smyung gnas ) based on Avalokitesvara
15006-588: Was probably put in writing in the 1st century BCE. This chronology is based on the views of Edward Conze , who largely considered dates of translation into other languages. This text also has a corresponding version in verse format, called the Ratnaguṇasaṃcaya Gāthā , which some believe to be slightly older because it is not written in standard literary Sanskrit. However, these findings rely on late-dating Indian texts, in which verses and mantras are often kept in more archaic forms. According to Edward Conze,
15129-545: Was taught by the Buddha Shakyamuni , but only to some individuals. There are several stories and versions of how the tantras were disseminated. The Jñana Tilaka Tantra , for example, has the Buddha state that the tantras will be explained by the bodhisattva Vajrapani . One of the most famous legends is that of king Indrabhuti (also known as King Ja) of Oddiyana (a figure related to Vajrapani, in some cases said to be an emanation of him). Other accounts attribute
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