A mandala used in Vajrayana Buddhist practices.

'Vajrayāna Buddhism, also known as Tantric Buddhism, Mantrayana, Tantrayana, Esoteric Buddhism, '"Diamond Vehicle" or "True Words Sect", is often viewed as the third major school of Buddhism, alongside the Theravada and Mahayana schools. (Note that 'Yana' means 'vehicle' in Sanskrit.) The Vajrayana is actually a subset of Mahayana Buddhism. Vajrayana Buddhists themselves often classify their school as the final stage in the evolution of Indian Buddhist theory which they enumerate as: Hinayana, Mahayana, Vajrayana (see dharma wheel). Download high resolution version (1075x807, 694 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (1075x807, 694 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The term mandala may be applied to various tangible objects, depending upon the particular religious practice that uses the term, especially as seen in Hinduism and Buddhism. ... Statues of Buddha such as this, the Tian Tan Buddha statue in Hong Kong, remind followers to practice right living. ... Theravada (Pali; Sanskrit: Sthaviravada) is one of the eighteen (or twenty) Nikāya schools that formed early in the history of Buddhism. ... Relief image of the bodhisattva Guan Yin (Avalokitesvara) from Mt. ... Hinayana (Sanskrit: inferior vehicle; Chinese:小乘, Xiǎoshèng; Japanese: Shōjō) is a term coined by the Mahayana, which appeared publicly around the 1st century CE. There are differing views on the use and meaning of the term, both among scholars and within Buddhism. ... Relief image of the bodhisattva Guan Yin (Avalokitesvara) from Mt. ... The eight-spoked dharma wheel is a common symbol in Buddhist iconography, representing the collective teachings of Buddha, known as the dharma. ...

Vajrayana exists today in the form of two major sub-schools:

• Tibetan Buddhism, found in Tibet, Bhutan, northern India, Nepal, southwestern China, Mongolia and, various constituent republics of Russia that are adjacent to the area, such as: Amur Oblast, Buryatia, Chita Oblast, Tuva Republic, and Khabarovsk Krai. There is also Kalmykia, another constituent republic of Russia that is in fact the only Buddhist region in Europe, located in the north Caucasus.
• Shingon Buddhism, found in Japan

Buddhism

Culture

History

List of topics

People

By region and country

Schools and sects

Temples

Terms and concepts

Texts

Timeline

Tibetan Buddhism, (formerly also called Lamaism after their religious gurus known as lamas), is the body of religious Buddhist doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and the Himalayan region. ... Tibet (Tibetan: བོད་, Bod, pronounced pö in Lhasa dialect; Chinese: 西藏, pinyin: XÄ«zàng) is a region and formerly independent country in Central Asia and the home of the Tibetan people. ... A republic in its basic sense, is constitutional government. ... The Amur Oblast (363,700 km², pop. ... The Buryat Republic (Russian: Респу́блика Буря́тия; Buryat: Буряад Республика) is a federal subject of the Russian Federation (a republic). ... Chita Oblast (Russian: Чити́нская о́бласть) (431,500 km², pop. ... Tuva or Tyva (Russian: Республика Тыва [Тува], Respublika Tyva [Tuva]) (pop. ... Khabarovsk Krai (Хаба́ровский кра́й) (1995 pop. ... The Republic of Kalmykia (Russian: Респу́блика Калмы́кия; Kalmyk: Хальм Тангч) is a federal subject of the Russian Federation (a republic). ... The Caucasus , a region boardering Asia Minor, is located between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea which includes the Caucasus mountains and surrounding lowlands. ... Shingon (真言宗) is a major school of Japanese Buddhism, and the most important school of Vajrayana Buddhism outside of the Himalayan region. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Statues of Buddha such as this, the Tian Tan Buddha statue in Hong Kong, remind followers to practice right living. ... The cultural elements of Buddhism vary by region and include: Buddhist cuisine Buddhist art Buddharupa Art and architecture of Japan Greco-Buddhism Tibetan Buddhist sacred art Buddhist music Buddhist chant Shomyo Categories: Buddhism-related stubs ... The history of Buddhism spans from the 6th century BCE to the present, starting with the birth of the Buddha Siddharta Gautama. ... Contents: Top - A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z The following is a List of Buddhist topics: A Abhidharma Ahimsa Ajahn Ajahn Chah Ajanta Aksobhya Alexandra David-Néel Amara Sinha B... Buddhist beliefs and practices vary according to region. ... The percentage of Buddhist population of each country was taken from the US State Departments International Religious Freedom Report 2004 [1]. Other sources used were CIA Factbook [2] and adherents. ... An image of Gautama Buddha with a swastika, traditionally a Buddhist symbol of good luck, on his chest. ... The Buddhist temple Wat Chiang Man, in Chiang Mai, Thailand, which dates from the late 13th century Buddhist temples and monasteries, sorted by location. ... Several Buddhist terms and concepts lack direct translations into English that cover the breadth of the original term. ... There is great variety in Buddhist texts. ... Before Common Era Trad. ...

What is Vajrayana? A faster path to enlightenment

The key advantage Vajrayana Buddhism claims to provide is an accelerated path to enlightenment. This is achieved through use of tantra techniques, 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 full enlightenment or Buddhahood possible in a much shorter timeframe, perhaps in a single lifetime. Vajrayana Buddhists do not claim that Theravada or Mahayana practices are in any way invalid, only that they represent slower paths. It should also be noted that the goal of the Mahayana and Vajrayana is the attainment of Buddhahood, whereas the goal for Theravada practice is liberation from the cycle of rebirth in Nirvana. Bodhi (Pali and Sanskrit. ... Tantra (Sanskrit: loom), tantric yoga or tantrism is any of several esoteric traditions rooted in the religions of India. ... The following article is about the term Nirvana in the context of Buddhism. ...

First speed-up technique: Tantra

Vajrayana relies on various tantric techniques rooted in scriptures known as tantras, written in India. The most important aspect of the tantric path is to 'use the result as the Path'; which means that rather than placing full enlightenment as a goal far away in the future, one tries to identify with the enlightened body, speech and mind of a Buddha. The buddha-form which one can best relate to is called the yidam (Tibetan) or (Sanskrit: ishtadevata) or 'personal buddha-form'. In order to achieve this self-identification with a buddha-form, much symbolism and visualization is used in Buddhist tantric techniques. Tantra (Sanskrit: loom), tantric yoga or tantrism is any of several esoteric traditions rooted in the religions of India. ... This article needs cleanup. ...

Detail of the mandala shown above. This is a Garbhadhatu mandala, representing Vairocana Buddha surrounded by eight Buddhas and bodhisattvas (clockwise from top: Ratnaketu, Samantabhadra, Samkusumitaraja, Manjusri, Amitabha, Avalokitesvara, Dundubhinirghosa, Maitreya).

Secrecy is an important cornerstone of tantric Buddhism, simply to avoid the practices from harming oneself and others without proper guidance. One should realise that it is not even allowed to explain the full symbolism and psychology of the practice to the un-initiated, so obviously, this leads to misunderstanding and dismissal. Tantric techniques may initially appear to consist of ritualistic nonsense; however, it should only be practiced on the basis of a thorough understanding of Buddhist philosophy and strictly following the traditions. Download high resolution version (541x624, 189 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (541x624, 189 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Center of a Garbhadhatu mandala, representing Vairocana Buddha surrounded by eight Buddhas and bodhisattvas (clockwise from top: Ratnaketu, Samantabhadra, Samkusumitaraja, Manjusri, Amitabha, Avalokitesvara, Dundubhinirghosa, Maitreya) In Vajrayana Buddhism, the Womb Realm (Skt. ... The term mandala may be applied to various tangible objects, depending upon the particular religious practice that uses the term, especially as seen in Hinduism and Buddhism. ... Categories: Stub | Buddhist philosophical concepts ... A stone image of the Buddha. ... Prince Siddhartha Gautama as a bodhisattva, before becoming a Buddha. ... Samantabhadra (also Viśvabhadra, 普賢 Chinese: Pǔxián; Japanese: Fugen) is the Lord of the Truth (理) in Buddhism, who represents the practice and meditation of all Buddhas. ... Statue of Manjusri (Monju) at Senkoji in Onomichi, Japan Mañjuśrī (文殊 Ch. ... The Big Buddha in Kamakura, an image of Amitabha Amitābha (阿彌陀佛 Ch. ... Avalokitesvara In Mahayana Buddhism, Avalokitesvara or Avalokiteshvara (Sanskrit: Avalokiteśvara) is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. ... In Buddhism, Maitreya Buddha is the future Buddha. ...

Tantric techniques include:

• repetition of special ritual phrases (mantras),
• use of various yoga techniques, including breath control (Pranayama), yantra and the use of special hand positions (mudras)
• use of an extensive vocabulary of visual aids, such as cosmic mandala diagrams which teach and map pathways to spiritual enlightenment
• the use of ritual objects such as the vajra and bell (ghanta), hand drum (damaru), and many other symbolic tools and musical instruments
• use of specialized rituals rooted in Vajrayana cosmology and beliefs
• importance of a guru-disciple relationship, for example by ritual 'empowerments' or 'initiations' wherein the student obtains permission to practice a particular tantra.
• of most importance are the oral transmissions given by a tantric master. These teachings are only given personnally from teacher to student and are secret, because they demand a certain maturity of the student. Otherwise they might have a negative effect. Such teachings describe certain aspects of the mind and how to attain them, realize them by certain practices that can be dangerous to ones health if not prepared thoroughly, as such states of mind are normally experienced at the time of death. A mature yogi 'dies' in the meditation and comes back again, experiencing all the levels of mind.

There is an aspect of sex in Buddhist tantra which is first and foremost intended as symbolic, although there is also an aspect of transforming one's sexual energy into a blissful consciousness which can then be directed towards achieving wisdom and enlightenment through the act of sexual intercourse. However, it cannot be stressed enough that this has very little to do with 'having sex' in the normal sense; instead it is about controlling one's sexual energies. Sexual symbolism is common in Vajrayana iconography, where it basically represents the marriage of wisdom and compassion or method. In Tibet, many Buddhists carve mantras into rocks as a form of devotion. ... Hatha Yoga posture Yoga is a form of mysticism that developed on the Indian subcontinent in the Hindu cultural context. ... Prana is the source of which energy evolves from. ... Yantra is also a yoga technique, see Tantra. ... Note: This page deals with the use of Mudras in Indic Religions. ... The term mandala may be applied to various tangible objects, depending upon the particular religious practice that uses the term, especially as seen in Hinduism and Buddhism. ... Vajra is a Sanskrit word meaning both thunderbolt and diamond and refers to a symbol important to both Hinduism and Buddhism. ... Wiktionary has a definition of: Cosmology For the jazz band, see: Cosmology (band) Cosmology, from the Greek: κοσμολογία (κόσμος world + λογια discourse) is the study of the universe in its totality and by extension mans place in it. ... Salvator Mundi is an iconography depicting Christ with his right hand raised in blessing and his left hand holding an orb. ... Wisdom is often meant as the ability and desire to make choices that can gain approval in a long-term examination by many people. ... Compassion is a sense of shared suffering, most often combined with a desire to alleviate or reduce such suffering. ...

It is from the tantra that Vajrayana Buddhism gets the alternative names of Mantrayana and Tantrayana. The word "Vajrayana" itself comes from vajra, a Sanskrit word which can mean "diamond", "indestructible" or "thunderbolt" and which also has the connotation of "reality". This gives rise to two more names for Vajrayana Buddhism: Diamond Vehicle, and Adamantine Vehicle (adamantine means "diamond-like"). The vajra (or dorje in Tibetan) is an important ritual object symbolizes compassion/method, while the bell symbolizes wisdom. The Sanskrit language ( संस्कृता वाक्) is one of the earliest attested members of the Indo-European language family and is not only a classical language, but also an official language of India. ...

Second speed-up technique: Esoteric Transmission or Initiation

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 during an initiation and cannot be simply learned from a book. Many techniques are also commonly said to be secret, but some Vajrayana teachers have responded that the secrecy itself is not important but only a side-effect of the reality that the techniques have no validity outside the teacher-student lineage. As these techniques are said to be highly effective, when not practiced properly, the practitioner can harm him/herself physically and mentally. In order to avoid these kind of dangers, the practice is kept 'secret' outside the teacher/student relationship. The esoteric aspects of Vajrayana Buddhism results in several more names for the school: Secret Buddhism, Esoteric Mahayana, and Esoteric Buddhism (the most common name in Japan). The word esoteric generally relates to that which is known only by a restricted number of people (contrast exoteric). ...

The esoteric transmission framework can take varying forms. The Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism uses a method called dzogchen. Other Tibetan Kagyu schools and the Shingon school in Japan use an alternative method called mahamudra. The Nyingma tradition is one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. ... Tibetan Buddhism, (formerly also called Lamaism after their religious gurus known as lamas), is the body of religious Buddhist doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and the Himalayan region. ... -1... The Kagyu (Wylie transliteration: Bka brgyud/Bka-brgyud) school (known as the Oral Lineage and the Spotless Practice Lineage school) is one of four major schools (Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug) of tibetan buddhism (vajrayana). ... Shingon (真言宗) is a major school of Japanese Buddhism, and the most important school of Vajrayana Buddhism outside of the Himalayan region. ... Mahamudra (Sanskrit: great seal) or Chagchen (Tibetan) is a method of direct introduction to the nature of Mind (or Buddha-nature) and the practice of stabilizing the accompanying transcendental realization. ...

Relationship with Mahayana

While tantra and esoterism distinguish Vajrayana Buddhism, it is, from the Tibetan Buddhist point of view, nonetheless primarily a form of Mahayana Buddhism. Sutras important to Mahayana are generally important to Vajrayana, although Vajrayana adds some of its own (see Buddhist texts, list of sutras, Tibetan Buddhist canon). The importance of bodhisattvas and a pantheon of deities in Mahayana carries over to Vajrayana, as well as the perspective that Buddhism is not just for monks but for the laity too. Relief image of the bodhisattva Guan Yin from Mt. ... Sutra (सूत्र) in Sanskrit is derived from the verb √siv, meaning to sew. ... There is great variety in Buddhist texts. ... Below is a list of sutras organized alphabetically under the broad categories of Hinduism and Buddhism. ... The Tibetan Buddhist canon is a loosely defined list of sacred texts recognized by various sects of Tibetan Buddhism. ... Prince Siddhartha Gautama as a bodhisattva, before becoming a Buddha. ...

The Japanese Vajrayana teacher Kukai expressed a view contrary to this by making a clear distinction between Mahayana and Vajrayana. Kukai characterises the Mahayana in its entirety as exoteric, and therefore provisional. From this point of view the esoteric Vajrayana is the only Buddhist teaching which is not a compromise with the limited nature of the audience to which it is directed, since the teachings are said to be the Dharmakaya (the principle of enlightenment) in the form of Mahavairocana, engaging in a monologue with himself. From this view the Hinayana and Mahayana are provisional and compromised aspects of the Vajrayana - rather than seeing the Vajrayana as primarily a form of Mahayana Buddhism. Kūkai (空海) or Kōbō-Daishi (弘法大師) , 774—835 CE: Japanese monk, scholar, and artist, founder of the Shingon or “True Word” school of Buddhism. ...

Some aspects of Vajrayana have also filtered back into Mahayana. In particular, the Vajrayana fondness for powerful symbols may be found in weakened form in Mahayana temples where protector deities may be found glaring down at visitors. This article is about the Buddhist concept; see Anagarika Dharmapala for the Sri Lankan monk. ...

History of Vajrayana

India

There haversham views as to just where Vajrayana started, some claiming that it began in Udyana - the modern day Swat valley in Pakistan, while others say that it began in southern India. In the Tibetan tradition, it is claimed that the historical Shakyamuni Buddha taught tantra, but as these are 'secret' teachings outside the teacher/disciple relationship, they were written down generally long after the Buddhas other teachings, known as sutras. Udyāna (Sanskrit, meaning garden or orchard; Chinese pinyin: wu chang, also romanized as Woo-chang) was a Buddhist region in northern India, delimited in part by the Indus river and to the south by a region known as Soo-ho-to. ... Sutra (सूत्र) in Sanskrit is derived from the verb √siv, meaning to sew. ...

The earliest texts appeared around the early 4th century. Nalanda University in northern India became a center for the development of Vajrayana theory, although it is likely that the university followed, rather than led, the early Tantric movement. India would continue as the source of leading-edge Vajrayana practices up through the 11th century. (3rd century - 4th century - 5th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 4th century was that century which lasted from 301 to 400. ... National Institute of Technology in city of Calicut (also NIT Calicut or NITC) is one of the premier institutions for technical education in India. ... (10th century - 11th century - 12th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 11th century was that century which lasted from 1001 to 1100. ...

(Vajrayana) Buddhism had mostly died out in India by the 13th century, its practices merging with Hinduism, and both tantric religions experiencing pressure from the rising importance of Islam. By that time, the vast majority of the practices were also made available in Tibet, where they were preserved until recently. (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... Islam  listen? (Arabic: al-islām) the submission to God is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions, and the worlds second largest religion. ...

In the second half of the 20th century a sizeable number of Tibetan exiles fled the oppressive anti-religious rule of the Communist Chinese to establish Tibetan Buddhist communities in northern India, particularly around Dharamsala. They remain the primary practitioners of Tantric Buddhism in India and the entire world. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... PRC is a common abbreviation for: Peoples Republic of China Palestinian Red Crescent Popular Resistance Committees This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Dharamsala is a town in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. ...

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. It arrived just as Buddhism was reaching its zenith in China, receiving sanction from the emperors of the Tang Dynasty. The Tang capital at Chang'an (modern-day Xi'an) became an important center for Buddhist studies, and Vajrayana ideas no doubt received great attention as pilgrim monks returned from India with the latest texts and methods (see Buddhism in China, Journey to the West). Statues of Buddha such as this, the Tian Tan Buddha statue in Hong Kong, remind followers to practice right living. ... The Silk Road (Traditional Chinese: 絲綢之路; Simplified Chinese: 丝绸之路; pinyin: sÄ« chóu zhÄ« lù, Persian راه ابریشم Râh-e Abrisham) was an interconnected series of routes through Southern Asia traversed by caravan and ocean vessel, and connecting Changan, China, with Antioch, Syria, as well as other points. ... (6th century - 7th century - 8th century - other centuries) Events Islam starts in Arabia, the Quran is written, and Arabs subjugate Syria, Iraq, Persia, Egypt, North Africa and Central Asia to Islam. ... The Tang Dynasty (唐朝 pinyin: tángcháo; 618–907) followed the Sui Dynasty and preceded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period in China. ... For the town in the Guangdong province of China, see Changan Town Changan  listen? ( Simplified Chinese: 长安; Traditional Chinese: 長安; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chang-an) is the ancient capital of more than 10 dynasties in China. ... City nickname: Changan Missing image Location of Xian, , Location within the province of Shaanxi City Shaanxi Mayor Sun Qingyun Area   –Land   –Water 9,983 km² 9,983 km² 0. ... Buddhism, a religion of Indian origin, has affected and been affected by Chinese culture, politics, literature and philosophy for almost two millenia. ... 18th century Chinese illustration of a scene from Journey to the West The four heros of the story, left to right: Sun Wukong, Xuanzang, Zhu Wuneng, and Sha Wujing. ...

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 the 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 occurred with the lineage of Atisa, Marpa and Brogmi, giving rise to the other schools of Tibetan Buddhism, namely Kagyupa, Kadampa, Sakyapa, and Gelukpa (the school of the Dalai Lama). Events Abu Muslim unites the Abbasid Empire against the Umayyads. ... Guru Rinpoche, the patron saint of Sikkim. ... Tibet (Tibetan: བོད་, Bod, pronounced pö in Lhasa dialect; Chinese: 西藏, pinyin: Xīzàng) is a region and formerly independent country in Central Asia and the home of the Tibetan people. ... The Nyingma tradition is one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. ... (10th century - 11th century - 12th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 11th century was that century which lasted from 1001 to 1100. ... (11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ... Atisha was a Buddhist teacher who brought Mind Training teaching from Sumatra to India and then transmitted it to Tibet, founding one of the major strands of Tibetan Buddhism. ... A traditional depiction of Marpa painted on a rock on Holy Isle, Firth of Clyde Marpa Lotsawa (1012-1097), or Marpa the translator was a Tibetan Buddhist teacher credited with the transmission of many Buddhist teachings to Tibet from India, including the teachings and lineages of vajrayana and mahamudra. ... Tibetan Buddhism, (formerly also called Lamaism after their religious gurus known as lamas), is the body of religious Buddhist doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and the Himalayan region. ... The Kagyu (bka brgyud) school (known as the Oral Lineage and the Spotless Practice Lineage school) of Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana) traces its origins to the teachings of the Indian mystics Tilopa (988-1089 CE) and Naropa (1016-1100 CE), whose lineage was transmitted in Tibet by the great translator Marpa... The Original Kadam Tradition and New Kadam Tradition Kadam Buddhism is a Mahayana Buddhist school founded by the Indian Buddhist Master Atisha (982 - 1054). ... The name of the Sakya (lit. ... The Geluk (dge lugs) School was founded by Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), Tibets best known religious reformer and arguably its greatest philosopher. ... The 14th and current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (born 1935) The 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso (1876-1933) In Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lamas are a sequence of leaders, since 1391, from the Gelug (dge lugs) school. ...

Japan

In 804, the Emperor Kammu of Japan sent the intrepid monk Kukai to the Tang capital at Chang'an to retrieve 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. Events March 25 - The Inscription of Sukabumi from Eastern Java marks the beginning of the Javanese language. ... Emperor Kammu Emperor Kammu (桓武天皇) (737-806) was the 50th imperial ruler of Japan. ... Kūkai (空海) or Kōbō-Daishi (弘法大師) , 774—835 CE: Japanese monk, scholar, and artist, founder of the Shingon or “True Word” school of Buddhism. ... Shingon (真言宗) is a major school of Japanese Buddhism, and the most important school of Vajrayana Buddhism outside of the Himalayan region. ...

See also Tendai Tendai (天台) is a Japanese school of Buddhism, a descendant of the Chinese Tiantai or Lotus Sutra school. ...

Java

In the late 8th century, Indian models of Vajrayana traveled directly to the Indonesian island of Java where a huge temple complex at Borobudur was soon built. Vajrayana Buddhism would survive in Indonesia and Malaysia until eclipsed by Islam in the 13th century. (7th century — 8th century — 9th century — other centuries) Events The Iberian peninsula is taken by Arab and Berber Muslims, thus ending the Visigothic rule, and starting almost 8 centuries of Muslim presence there. ... Map of Java Java (Indonesian: Jawa) is an island of Indonesia, and the site of its capital city, Jakarta. ... Borobudur from a distance Borobudur, located on the Indonesian island of Java, 40 kilometers (25mi) north-west of Yogyakarta, is a Buddhist stupa related to the Mahayana tradition, and the largest Buddhist monument on Earth. ... Islam  listen? (Arabic: al-islām) the submission to God is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions, and the worlds second largest religion. ... (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ...

Mongolia

In the 13th century, long after the original wave of Vajrayana Buddhism had died out in China itself, two Tibetan eminent Sakyapa teachers, Sakya Pandita Kunga Gyaltsen and Chogyal Phagpa, visited the Mongolian royal court. Marco Polo was serving the royal court at about the same time. In a competition between Christians, Moslems, and Buddhists held before the royal court, Prince Godan found Tibetan Buddhism to be the most satisfactory and adopted it as his personal religion, although not requiring it of his subjects. As Kublai Khan had just conquered China (establishing the Yuan Dynasty), his adoption of Vajrayana led to the renewal of Tantric practices in China as the ruling class found it useful to emulate their leader. (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... Marco Polo, after a painting in Badia, Rome Marco Polo (15 September 1254 - 8 January 1324) was a Venetian trader and explorer who, together with his father and uncle, was one of the first Westerners to travel the Silk Road to China (which he called Cathay) and visited the Great... The term Christian means belonging to Christ and is derived from the Greek noun Χριστός Khristós which means anointed one, which is itself a translation of the Hebrew word Moshiach (Hebrew: משיח, also written Messiah), (and in Arabic it is pronounced Maseeh مسيح). Christian is primarily an adjective, describing an object associated... Islām (Arabic الإسلام, submission (to God)) is a monotheistic faith and the worlds second-largest religion. ... Tibetan Buddhism, (formerly also called Lamaism after their religious gurus known as lamas), is the body of religious Buddhist doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and the Himalayan region. ... Kublai Khan or Khubilai Khan (1215 – 1294), Mongol military leader, was Khan (1260-1294) of the Mongol Empire and founder and first Emperor (1279-1294) of the Chinese Yuan Dynasty. ... The Yuan Dynasty (Mongolian: Dai Ön Yeke Mongghul Ulus; Chinese: 大元大蒙古帝国) lasting officially from 1271 to 1368, also called the Mongol Dynasty, was the name given to the significant ruling family of Borjigin in Asia. ...

Vajrayana would decline in China and Mongolia with the fall of the Yuan Dynasty, replaced by resurgent Daoism, Confucianism, and Pure Land Buddhism. However, Mongolia would see yet another revival 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. Tibetan Buddhism is still practiced as a folk religion in Mongolia today despite more than 80 years of state-sponsored communism. For other uses of the words tao and dao, see Dao (disambiguation). ... Confucianism (儒家 Pinyin: rújiā The School of the Scholars), sometimes translated as the School of Literati, is an East Asian ethical, religious and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of Confucius. ... The Buddha Amitabha, 13th century, Kamakura, Japan. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... The 14th and current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (born 1935) The 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso (1876-1933) In Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lamas are a sequence of leaders, since 1391, from the Gelug (dge lugs) school. ... The Mongol Empire (1206–1368) was the largest contiguous land empire in world history (with its only rival in total extent being the British Empire and possibly the Soviet Union). ...

See also

• Kalu Rinpoche
• Pema Chodron
• Chhimed Rigdzin Rinpoche
• Dzogchen

Kalu Rinpoche (1905 - May 10, 1989) was a Buddhist meditation master, scholar and teacher. ... Pema Chodron portrait Pema Chödrön (formerly Deirdre Blomfield-Brown, born 1936) is a fully ordained Buddhist nun in the Tibetan vajrayana tradition, and a teacher in the lineage of Chögyam Trungpa. ... -1...

External links

• General page on Vajrayana.
• Dudjom Tersar lineage of Nyingma.
• The Kordong tradition.
• E-Sangha Tibetan Buddhism Forum
• Kagyu lineage. Official website, with biography of Kalu Rinpoche (the 2nd Kalu Rinpoche).
• Official Sakya lineage website.
• Resource page of Sakya lineage.
• Palyul lineage of Nyingma.
• Mindrolling lineage of Nyingma.
• Drukpa Kagyu lineage.
• Drikung Kagyu lineage.
• Resource page from Gelug point of view.
• Buddhist Tantric Practice.