Misplaced Pages

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Usedbook (talk | contribs) at 19:35, 4 June 2003 (Cleaning up previous contribution). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

'The Diamond Vehicle' or 'The Adamantine Vehicle', Vajrayana consists of a collection of techniques for the practice of Mahayana Buddhism, along with the texts that expound those techniques (the Buddhist Tantras). It is also known to the west as Tantric Buddhism. It is the tradition behind Buddhism, and is sometimes expounded as a third and separate major school of Buddhism, the others being Mahayana and Theravada.

There are four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism: Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyu, and Geluk. All four schools identify themselves as belonging to the Mahayana or "Great Vehicle" tradition, which also dominates in China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia and Bhutan.

• The techniques are characterized by:
  • The use of mantras, or short verbal formulae
  • Strong focus on the guru, or teacher
  • A highly-developed tradition of meditation, including concentration techniques such as the visualization of bodhisattvas.

Practitioners are introduced to a collection of Vajrayana practices through a series of initiations.

These can be divided into six categories:

• Three Outer Tantras:
  • Kriyayoga
  • Charyayoga
  • Yogatantra

• Three Inner Tantras:
  • Mahayoga
  • Anuyoga
  • Atiyoga - Dzogchen - Cha'an - Bön

The practice of Atiyoga is divided into three classes: Mental (SemDe), Spatial (LongDe), and Esoteric Instructional (MenNgagDe).

Vajrayana, which developed in Northern India circa 7th century, has its main philosophical roots in Madhyamika of Nagarjuna, Chandrakirti and Vijnanavada (aka Yogachara), Chittamatra) of Asanga, and Vasubhandu. The most famous teacher of Vajrayana is Guru Padmasambhava.

See also: Tibetan Buddhism