17 Facts About Vajrayana

Vajrayana practices are connected to specific lineages in Buddhism, through the teachings of lineage holders.

Vajrayana 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 major difference seen by Vajrayana thinkers is the superiority of Tantric methods, which provide a faster vehicle to liberation and contain many more skillful means .

Douglas Duckworth notes that Vajrayana sees Buddhahood not as something outside or an event in the future, but as immanently present.

Tsongkhapa on the other hand, held that there is no difference between Vajrayana and other forms of Mahayana in terms of prajnaparamita itself, only that Vajrayana is a method which works faster.

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Vajrayana can be seen as a third yana, next to Sravakayana and Mahayana.

The Sutrayana is the method of perfecting good qualities, where the Vajrayana is the method of taking the intended outcome of Buddhahood as the path.

Goal of spiritual practice within the Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions is to become a Sammasambuddha, those on this path are termed Bodhisattvas.

The Bodhisattva-path is an integral part of the Vajrayana, which teaches that all practices are to be undertaken with the motivation to achieve Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings.

Vajrayana Buddhism is esoteric in the sense that the transmission of certain teachings only occurs directly from teacher to student during an empowerment and their practice requires initiation in a ritual space containing the mandala of the deity.

Many techniques are commonly said to be secret, but some Vajrayana teachers have responded that secrecy itself is not important and only a side-effect of the reality that the techniques have no validity outside the teacher-student lineage.

Vajrayana teaches that these techniques provide faster path to Buddhahood.

Vajrayana is a system of tantric lineages, and thus only those who receive an empowerment or initiation are allowed to practice the more advanced esoteric methods.

Vajrayana uses a rich variety of symbols, terms, and images that have multiple meanings according to a complex system of analogical thinking.

Vajrayana has thus become a major inspiration in traditional Tibetan art.

The lineage for Shingon Buddhism differs from that of Tibetan Vajrayana, having emerged from India during the 9th–11th centuries in the Pala Dynasty and Central Asia and is based on earlier versions of the Indian texts than the Tibetan lineage.

Vajrayana Buddhism was initially established in Tibet in the 8th century when various figures like Padmasambhava and Santaraksita were invited by King Trisong Detsen, some time before 767.