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Tantric Buddhism: Northern India
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Tantric Buddhism, one of the final phases of Indian Buddhism, is in some ways its most problematic. The Buddhist tantras, said to have been spoken by the Buddha while he is engaged in sexual intercourse with a consort, are filled with injuctions to such practices as cannibalism, promiscuous sexual intercourse and cemetery liturgies. Mingled with 'un-Buddhist' injunctions are the more usual Buddhist teachings concerning the Four Noble Truths, Dependent Origination, the Voidness of dharmas, etc.
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Tantric Buddhism was the crowning cultural achievement of the Pala period India (eighth through twelfth centuries) and an internationally influential movement that swept throughout Asia, where it has survived in many countries to the present day. Tantric Buddhism arose when Mahayana Buddhism was enjoying a period of great philosophical productivity and intellectual influence. Flourishing monastic universities offered a life of study and contemplation but ... provided a direct route to tremendous wealth, political influence, and social prestige.
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Vajrayana or Tantric Buddhism represents the third and final stage in the historical and other developments of Indian Buddhism. The course first examines the historical background of the Buddhist tantras, and then proceed to discuss the following major topics: the categories of the Buddhist tantras; the tantric theory of deliverance; yogic and occult practices; tantric rituals, pantheon, and iconography. In addition to the Indian tradition, the course will ... cover the major aspects of tantric traditions in Tibet.
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Forms of Tantric Buddhism had been introduced into China by Indian practitioners in the early 8th century. Heavily influenced by Hindu beliefs, prayer methods, and iconography, these so-called Esoteric Buddhist beliefs were still being assimilated by Chinese Buddhists during the 9th century.
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Newar Buddhism is to be classified in the tradition of Indian Vajrayana or Tantric Buddhism deriving its lineages from Siddha tradition of Nalanda and Vikramashila monastic universities. However, it has developed its peculiar characteristics which are one of a kind in the Buddhist history. One should not forget that Newar Buddhism possesses quite a number of indigenous elements, which are not to be found in Indian Mahayana Buddhism. Now that Mahayana Buddhism has disappeared from India, Newar Buddhism found in Kathmandu valley represents one of the few tradition in the world which has retained features inherited directly from India. At one time all forms of Buddhism were believed to have been found in the Buddhism of Nepal.At present, there are no longer any celibate monks among Newar Buddhist Sangha. The members of community live in Vihara and have retained its designation (Sangha).
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Tantric texts began to appear in India by the third century CE and they continue through to Buddhism’s effective disappearance from India during the twelfth century. From around the beginning of the eighth century tantric techniques and approaches increasingly dominated Buddhist practice in India. A reason for this was that by then tantric meditation and ritual began to be seen as powerful and effective tools in the quest for Buddhahood, as well as for attaining worldly powers and goals. Tantric Buddhism ... took root in China and from there spread to Japan where it has survived to this day by way of the Shingon school. It was in Tibet however where Buddhism became thoroughly tantric in complexion with all four of the major schools of Tibetan Buddhism regarding tantric Buddhism as the highest and most effective form of Buddhism. The claim that tantras are the spoken word of the Buddha however has not been accepted by contemporary historically oriented scholars primarily because no historical evidence supports the appearance of tantras for at least a millennium after his death.
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Northern India