Vajrayana Buddhism

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Vajrayana Buddhism

• The Diamond Vehicle

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Vajrayana Buddhismor 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.

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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.

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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.

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The Roles of the Monks

• Monks had a variety of roles as doctors, shamans,
  and teachers.
• A Tibetan teacher is called a lama.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.