Vajrayana Buddhism

The “Diamond Vehicle”

Vajrayana Buddhism or Tibetan Buddhism

 Vajrayana means “vehicle of the diamond” or “vehicle of the lightening bolt.”  Some see this a third branch of Buddhism; others consider it part of Mahayana.

 This Buddhism is a blend of shamanism, Tantric Buddhism and traditional Buddhist elements.

Tantric Buddhism

 Tantric derives its names from the Tantras scriptures which means to spread out.  Tantric Buddhism opposed the idea of detachment from worldly things and the negative ideas associated with bodily pleasure.

 The Tantras taught that all of these things could be used to reach enlightenment.

 Enlightenment happens when one can unite all opposites.

The Vajrayana import

 In Vajrayana the practitioners believe that the Buddha nature expresses itself in a multitude of male and female deities.

 Among the traditional Buddhist beliefs are the ideal of non-violence, chanting of sutras, meditation, and the search for enlightenment.

The Roles of the Monks

  Monks had a variety of roles as doctors, shamans, and teachers.

A Tibetan teacher is called a “lama.”

A Renaissance

 Some of the practices of Tibetan Buddhism declined • • Celibacy declined Meat was eaten • Alcohol was consumed  This led to a reform movement to reinstate the original teachings.

Growth for Tibet

  A monk by the name of Tsong Kha-pa started a reform movement in which he demanded that monks remained unmarried and a strict monastic discipline be enforced.

His “party” became known as the “Gelug pa” which meant “party of virtue.”

More growth

 This sect grew very powerful and helped to start many great monasteries which had a lot of art and “complete sets of Buddhist scriptures, and it provided Tibet with its political leadership.

 The executive head of this party is call the Dalai Lama which means “great ocean superior one.”

More concepts

 Ritual play a prominent role in Vajrayana Buddhism.

  It is through ritual that one attains internal and external power.

The “vajra” is a significant object in rituals. It is “a metal object somewhat like a divining rod or scepter that represents a stylized bolt of lightening and is associated with diamond-hardness, power and insight.