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| '''Vajrayāna Buddhism''', also known as '''Tantric Buddhism''' and '''Esoteric Buddhism''', is often viewed as the third major school of ], alongside the ] and ] schools. This classification is useful when talking about schools by geographic areas. Others classify Vajrayana as a subset of Mahayana Buddhism, a sensible scheme when studying the actual practices of the schools. Vajrayana Buddhists often classify their own school as the culmination of a progressive evolution of Buddhist theory which they enumerate as ], Mahayana, Vajrayana. None of these classification schemes are particularly inconsistent with each other when the context is understood. | |||
| '''Vajrayāna''' ] is last of three great waves in the development of Buddhism, the previous two being known as ] (or Shravakayana), and ]. Also known as ''Tantrayana'' for it's association with ] texts and practices, and as ''Mantrayana'' for it's use of ]. It is also known to the west as ''Tantric Buddhism'', and especially in Japan as ''Esoteric Buddhism''. ''']''' is a ] word which can mean ''diamond'', or ''thunderbolt'', but has the connotation of ''Reality'' ; '''yana''' means vehicle. '''Vajrayana''' is frequently translated as ''Adamantine Vehicle'' or 'Secret Vehicle'. | |||
| Vajrayana exists today in the form of two major sub-schools (adherents found in other countries are generally associated with one or the other of these two): | |||
| Vajrayana Buddhism developed in Northern ] circa ] and was exported to ], ], and ]. There is also evidence of Vajrayana in ] especially at ] a huge Buddhist monument. In China it died out shortly after the demise of the ] dynasty, but the teachings took root in Japan thanks to the charisma and political nous of ], and survives today in the ] school which he founded in the early 9th century. However the best known form of Vajrayana Buddhism is that of Tibet, which was subsequently adopted in ] and ]. Tibetan Buddhism is now also practiced in Europe, the USA, and the 'West' generally. This is due in part to the exodus of Tibetans from Tibet following the invasion by China. | |||
| *], found in ], ], northern ], ], southwestern ], and ] | |||
| *], found in ] | |||
| ⚫ | == |
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| == What is Vajrayana? A faster path to enlightenment == | |||
| There are four main schools of ]: ], ], ], and ]. All four schools identify themselves as belonging to the ] or "Great Vehicle" tradition. Contrary to the general belief, the Ganden Tripa is head of the Geluk school and the ]is temporal leader of the Tibetan people in exile. Each school is headed by a patriarch who is said to be repeated reborn in order to fill the role. The current Dalai Lama is the 14th in his line. | |||
| The key advantage Vajrayana Buddhism claims to offer is an accelerated path to ]. This is achieved through use of ], which are practical aids to spiritual development, and esoteric transmission (explained below). Whereas earlier schools might provide ways to achieve ] over the course of many lifetimes, Vajrayana techniques make this possible in a much shorter timeframe, perhaps as quickly as a single lifetime. Vajrayana Buddhists do not claim that Theravada or Mahayana practices are invalid in any way, only that these schools offer a slower path to the same goal. | |||
| For a description of the Tibetan tantric texts see ]. | |||
| === First speed-up technique: Tantra === | |||
| == Japanese Vajrayana Buddhism == | |||
| Vajrayana relies on various tantric techniques rooted in scriptures known as ]s, written in ]. Tantric techniques include: | |||
| ], founder of the ] school also systematised and catergorised the teachings he inherited. However he admitted only one class of esoteric text. He wrote at length on the difference between exoteric and esoteric Buddhism, developing a sophisticated ] which can make understanding the Vajrayana difficult at first. The differences betwen exoteric and esoteric can be summarised as: | |||
| *repetition of special ritual phrases (]s), | |||
| *use of various ] techniques including breath control (]) and the use of special hand positions (]s) | |||
| *us of an extensive vocabulary of visual aids, such as cosmic ] diagrams which teach and map pathways to spiritual enlightenment | |||
| *the use of sacred objects such as relics, ] scepters , sacred bells (]), and spirit daggers (]) | |||
| *use of specialized rituals rooted in the Vajrayana belief system | |||
| The sensational techniques of ] are not widely attested by outside observers of Vajrayana, nor reported by practitioners so we must conclude that this is not an element of Vajrayana. Sexual symbolism, however, is common in Vajrayana ] where it often represents the marrying of wisdom and compassion. | |||
| #Esoteric teachings are preached by the ] Buddha which Kukai identifies with Mahavairocana. Exoteric teachings are preached by the ] Buddha, also known as ], or one of the ] Buddhas. | |||
| #Exoteric Buddhism holds that the state of Buddhahood is ineffable, and that nothing can be said of it. Esoteric Buddhism holds that it is not ineffable, and that it is communicated via esotric rituals which involve the use of ]s, ]s, and ]s. | |||
| #Kukai held that exoteric doctrines were merely provisional, skillful means on the part of the Buddhas to help beings according to their capacity to understand the ]. The esoteric doctrines by comparison are the Truth itself, and are a direct communication of the "inner experience of the Dharamakaya's enlightenment". | |||
| #Exoteric schools, in early ] Japan at least, held that Buddhahood required three incalculable aeons of practice to achieve, whereas esoteric Buddhism holds that Buddhahood can be attained in this lifetime by anyone. | |||
| It is from the techniques of tantra that Vajrayana Buddhism picks up its alternative names as '''Mantrayana''' and '''Tantrayana'''. The word "Vajrayana" itself comes from ''vajra'', a ] word which can mean "diamond", or "thunderbolt" which also has the connotation of "reality". This gives rise to two more names: the '''Diamond Vehicle''' or the '''Adamantine Vehicle''' (''adamantine'' means "diamond-like"). | |||
| Kukai held, along with the ] (Jp. ]) school that all phenomena were 'letters' in a ']'. Mantra, mudra, and mandala are special because they constitute the 'language' through which the Dharmakaya (ie Reality itself) communicates. Although portrayed through the use of anthropomorphic metaphors, Shingon does not see the Dharmakaya Buddha as a ], or creator. The Dharmakaya is in fact a symbol for the true nature of things which is impermanent and empty of any essence. The teachings were passed from Mahavairocana via a sucession of mythic and historical patriarchs. | |||
| === Second speed-up technique: Esoteric Transmission === | |||
| The essence of Shingon Vajrayana practice is to experience Reality by reproducing the communication of the Dharmakaya through the ] ] use of mantra, mudra and visualization of mandala. In order to accurately reproduce the communication it is necessary to be initiated into the practice by a qualified teacher. | |||
| The other conspicuous aspect of Vajrayana Buddhism is that it is ]. In this context esoteric means that the '''transmission of certain accelerating factors only occurs directly from teacher to student''' and cannot be learned from a book. Many techniques are also commonly said to be secret, but many Vajrayana teachers will emphasize that the secrecy itself is not important but is only a side-effect of the fact that it makes no sense to attempt to use these techniques outside the context of a lineage of teacher-student relationships. The esoteric aspect of Vajrayana Buddhism results in several more names for the school: '''Secret Buddhism''', '''Esoteric Mahayana''', and '''Esoteric Buddhism''' (its most common name in Japan). | |||
| Esoteric Buddhism is also practised, although to a lesser extent in the ] School founded at around the same time as the ] School in the early 9th century (] period). | |||
| The esoteric transmission framework can take varying forms. The ] school of ] uses a method called ]. Other Tibetan Buddhist schools and the ] school in Japan use an alternative method called ]. | |||
| Just as the Tibetans incorporated Bön elements into Buddhism, the Japanese incorporated aspects of their native ] religion. In particular the central Buddha figure of ] (Jp. ''Dainichi''), whose name means Great Illuminating Sun, was identified with the sun Goddess ]. | |||
| == Vajrayana is part of Mahayana == | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| While tantra and esoterism distinguish Vajrayana Buddhism, it is nonetheless primarily a form of ]. The sutras important to Mahayana are generally important to Vajrayana, although Vajrayana adds their own texts (see ], ], ]). The importance of ]s and and a pantheon of deities in Mahayana carries over to Vajrayana, as does the perspective that Buddhism is not just for monks but for laity too. | |||
| *], ] | |||
| *], ] | |||
| ⚫ | == History of Vajrayana == | ||
| === India === | |||
| Vajrayana/Tantric Buddhism began in southern ] in the early ], developing alongside Tantric ]. Soon ] in northern India became a center for development of Vajrayana theory (although it is likely that university followed, rather than lead, Indian folk practices that contributed to tantricism). | |||
| Vajrayana Buddhism mostly died out in ] by the ], its practices merging with Tantric Hinduism, and both tantric religions experiencing pressure from the rising importance of ] in northern and north-western India. | |||
| In the second half of the ] a sizeable number of Tibetan exiles fled the Communist Chinese to establish Tibetan Buddhist communities in northern India, particularly around ]. They remain the primary practitioners of Tantric Buddhism in India. | |||
| === China === | |||
| Vajrayana followed the same route into northern ] as ] itself, arriving from India via the ] some time during the first half of the ]. This arrival coincided with the great elevation of Buddhism in general in China, as the religion gained favor with the emperors of the ]. The Tang capital at ] (modern-day ]) became an important center for Buddhist studies, and the latest Vajrayana import fresh from India no doubt received great attention as it arrived in the capital. (see ]). | |||
| === Tibet and other Himalayan kingdoms === | |||
| In ] the Indian saint ] traveled from ] to bring Vajrayana Buddhism to ] and ], at the request of ], king of Tibet. This was the original transmission which anchors the lineage of the ] school. During the ] and early ] a second important transmission following the lineage of ], ], ], ], and ] which gave rise to the other schools of ], namely ], ], ], and ] (the school of the ]). | |||
| === Japan === | |||
| In ], the ] sent the intrepid monk ] to the Tang capital at Chang'an to receive the latest Buddhist knowledge. Kukai absorbed the Vajrayana thinking and synthesized a version which he took back with him to Japan, where he founded the important ] school of Buddhism, a school which continues to this day. | |||
| === Java === | |||
| At approximately the same time, Indian models of Vajrayana traveled directly to the ] island of ] where the huge temple complex at ] was soon built. Vajrayana Buddhism would survive in Indonesia and ] until eclipsed by ] in the ]. | |||
| === Mongolia === | |||
| In the ], long after the original wave of Vajrayana Buddhism had died out in China itself, the Tibetan lama ] visited ], the emperor of ], who also hosted ] at the same time. In a competition between ], ], and Buddhists held before the royal court, the Khan found ] the most satisfactory and adopted it as his personal religion, although not requiring it of all his subjects. Kublai Khan had just conquered China to establish the ] (with its new capital in ]). With his adoption of the faith he led the way for the revival of Vajrayana Buddhism in China. | |||
| Vajrayana would decline in China and Mongolia with the fall of the Yuan Dynasty, replaced by ], ], and ] Buddhism. However, Mongolia would see another revivial of Vajrayana in the ], with the establishment of ties between the ] in Tibet and the remnants of the ]. This revived the historic pattern of the spiritual leaders of Tibet acting as priests to the rulers of the Mongol empire. | |||
Revision as of 02:01, 23 March 2004
Vajrayāna Buddhism, also known as Tantric Buddhism and Esoteric Buddhism, is often viewed as the third major school of Buddhism, alongside the Theravada and Mahayana schools. This classification is useful when talking about schools by geographic areas. Others classify Vajrayana as a subset of Mahayana Buddhism, a sensible scheme when studying the actual practices of the schools. Vajrayana Buddhists often classify their own school as the culmination of a progressive evolution of Buddhist theory which they enumerate as Hinayana, Mahayana, Vajrayana. None of these classification schemes are particularly inconsistent with each other when the context is understood.
Vajrayana exists today in the form of two major sub-schools (adherents found in other countries are generally associated with one or the other of these two):
- Tibetan Buddhism, found in Tibet, Bhutan, northern India, Nepal, southwestern China, and Mongolia
- Shingon Buddhism, found in Japan
What is Vajrayana? A faster path to enlightenment
The key advantage Vajrayana Buddhism claims to offer is an accelerated path to enlightenment. This is achieved through use of tantra, which are practical aids to spiritual development, and esoteric transmission (explained below). Whereas earlier schools might provide ways to achieve nirvana over the course of many lifetimes, Vajrayana techniques make this possible in a much shorter timeframe, perhaps as quickly as a single lifetime. Vajrayana Buddhists do not claim that Theravada or Mahayana practices are invalid in any way, only that these schools offer a slower path to the same goal.
First speed-up technique: Tantra
Vajrayana relies on various tantric techniques rooted in scriptures known as tantras, written in India. Tantric techniques include:
- repetition of special ritual phrases (mantras),
- use of various yoga techniques including breath control (yantra) and the use of special hand positions (mudras)
- us of an extensive vocabulary of visual aids, such as cosmic mandala diagrams which teach and map pathways to spiritual enlightenment
- the use of sacred objects such as relics, vajra scepters , sacred bells (drillhu), and spirit daggers (phurpa)
- use of specialized rituals rooted in the Vajrayana belief system
The sensational techniques of tantric sex are not widely attested by outside observers of Vajrayana, nor reported by practitioners so we must conclude that this is not an element of Vajrayana. Sexual symbolism, however, is common in Vajrayana iconography where it often represents the marrying of wisdom and compassion.
It is from the techniques of tantra that Vajrayana Buddhism picks up its alternative names as Mantrayana and Tantrayana. The word "Vajrayana" itself comes from vajra, a Sanskrit word which can mean "diamond", or "thunderbolt" which also has the connotation of "reality". This gives rise to two more names: the Diamond Vehicle or the Adamantine Vehicle (adamantine means "diamond-like").
Second speed-up technique: Esoteric Transmission
The other conspicuous aspect of Vajrayana Buddhism is that it is esoteric. In this context esoteric means that the transmission of certain accelerating factors only occurs directly from teacher to student and cannot be learned from a book. Many techniques are also commonly said to be secret, but many Vajrayana teachers will emphasize that the secrecy itself is not important but is only a side-effect of the fact that it makes no sense to attempt to use these techniques outside the context of a lineage of teacher-student relationships. The esoteric aspect of Vajrayana Buddhism results in several more names for the school: Secret Buddhism, Esoteric Mahayana, and Esoteric Buddhism (its most common name in Japan).
The esoteric transmission framework can take varying forms. The Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism uses a method called dzogchen. Other Tibetan Buddhist schools and the Shingon school in Japan use an alternative method called mahamudra.
Vajrayana is part of Mahayana
While tantra and esoterism distinguish Vajrayana Buddhism, it is nonetheless primarily a form of Mahayana Buddhism. The sutras important to Mahayana are generally important to Vajrayana, although Vajrayana adds their own texts (see ], list of sutras, Tibetan Buddhist canon). The importance of bodhisattvas and and a pantheon of deities in Mahayana carries over to Vajrayana, as does the perspective that Buddhism is not just for monks but for laity too.
History of Vajrayana
India
Vajrayana/Tantric Buddhism began in southern India in the early 4th century, developing alongside Tantric Hinduism. Soon Nalanda University in northern India became a center for development of Vajrayana theory (although it is likely that university followed, rather than lead, Indian folk practices that contributed to tantricism).
Vajrayana Buddhism mostly died out in India by the 13th century, its practices merging with Tantric Hinduism, and both tantric religions experiencing pressure from the rising importance of Islam in northern and north-western India.
In the second half of the 20th century a sizeable number of Tibetan exiles fled the Communist Chinese to establish Tibetan Buddhist communities in northern India, particularly around Dharamsala. They remain the primary practitioners of Tantric Buddhism in India.
China
Vajrayana followed the same route into northern China as Buddhism itself, arriving from India via the Silk Road some time during the first half of the 7th century. This arrival coincided with the great elevation of Buddhism in general in China, as the religion gained favor with the emperors of the Tang Dynasty. The Tang capital at Chang'an (modern-day Xian) became an important center for Buddhist studies, and the latest Vajrayana import fresh from India no doubt received great attention as it arrived in the capital. (see Buddhism in China).
Tibet and other Himalayan kingdoms
In 747 the Indian saint Padmasambhava traveled from Afghanistan to bring Vajrayana Buddhism to Tibet and Bhutan, at the request of Trisong Deutson, king of Tibet. This was the original transmission which anchors the lineage of the Nyingma school. During the 11th century and early 12th century a second important transmission following the lineage of Tilopa, Naropa, Marpa, Milarepa, and Gampopa which gave rise to the other schools of Tibetan Buddhism, namely Kagyupa, Kadampa, Sakyapa, and Gelukpa (the school of the Dalai Lama).
Japan
In 804, the Emperor Kammu of Japan sent the intrepid monk Kukai to the Tang capital at Chang'an to receive the latest Buddhist knowledge. Kukai absorbed the Vajrayana thinking and synthesized a version which he took back with him to Japan, where he founded the important Shingon school of Buddhism, a school which continues to this day.
Java
At approximately the same time, Indian models of Vajrayana traveled directly to the Indonesian island of Java where the huge temple complex at Borobudur was soon built. Vajrayana Buddhism would survive in Indonesia and Malaysia until eclipsed by Islam in the ].
Mongolia
In the 13th century, long after the original wave of Vajrayana Buddhism had died out in China itself, the Tibetan lama Sakya Pakpa visited Kublai Khan, the emperor of Mongolia, who also hosted Marco Polo at the same time. In a competition between Christians, Moslems, and Buddhists held before the royal court, the Khan found Tibetan Buddhism the most satisfactory and adopted it as his personal religion, although not requiring it of all his subjects. Kublai Khan had just conquered China to establish the Yuan Dynasty (with its new capital in Beijing). With his adoption of the faith he led the way for the revival of Vajrayana Buddhism in China.
Vajrayana would decline in China and Mongolia with the fall of the Yuan Dynasty, replaced by Daoism, Confucianism, and Pure Land Buddhism. However, Mongolia would see another revivial of Vajrayana in the 17th century, with the establishment of ties between the Dalai Lama in Tibet and the remnants of the Mongol Empire. This revived the historic pattern of the spiritual leaders of Tibet acting as priests to the rulers of the Mongol empire.