What Is Tantric Buddhism, and Why Did It Become So Important to Tibet - Essay Example

WHAT IS TANTRIC BUDDHISM, AND WHY DID IT BECOME SO IMPORTANT IN TIBET? By Student’s Name Code + Course Name Professor’s Name University Name City, State Date What is Tantric Buddhism? A new vision of practice of Buddhism has had to begin to materialize. The vision is quite referred to as the Tantric and is found on the fringes of the civilizations of India, in the areas that are quite unsettled, in the forest edges, and also in the frightening and spaces that are impure in the cremation grounds on the major edges cities. Tantric Buddhism came into focus by philosophical change in the values of Buddhism. It began to emerge in India around 6th century AD, in which case it emerged as some cultural phenomenon many centuries after of Buddha lifetime. Tantric involves some pan-Indian occurrence. The word is found in Buddhism as well as in Hinduism, including some other Indian religious traditions such as Jainism. One can also find some Islamic Tantra. In essence, Tantra involves a religious tradition that is found allover the whole sweep of the Indian religious landscape. Tantric Buddhism shares many of the vital ideas, symbols, and also ritual practices with its tantric equivalents in other traditions of Indians. Tantric Buddhism has had to create some extraordinary alterations in the Buddhist values, and this was evident with the earlier movements such as Mahayana. There has been some discussion that Tantric tradition involves some separate vehicles alongside the Mahayana and Theravada. It should be quite vital to be accurate to have thought that Tantra contains some extension of the values of Mahayana. Therefore, explaining the meaning of Tantra will be of help in understanding tantric Buddhism (Kapstein, 2007). Tantra contains many meanings and all the meanings have some sense to the identity of Tantric traditions. It can be called Vajrayana or even the vehicle of diamond and sometimes thunderbolt. This is because Tantric tradition is possibly to create some experience of awakening that is as hard as diamond and also sharp as thunderbolt. Tantra is popularly referred to as Mantrayana, in which case Mantra refers to some sacred chant. Mantra is a significant Indian word, and historically, the early Vedic hymns had the name mantras because they had the belief of having some power that can invoke gods. Tantric tradition utilizes mantras that way and in various times as magical charms and has instruments of medication (Kapstein, 2007). According to Kapstein (2007), the fundamental teachings of Tantric Buddhism involved radical expression of the doctrine of emptiness, in which case it can be understood as some contention of non-duality. In essence, the tradition is concerns overcoming duality. Tantric Buddhism involves pantheism of the world accommodating diversity that sees nirvana in the center of intellect-phenomena. The Tantric Buddhism has had to play vital emphasis on the incarnations called mantras, and also on symbolic gestures called Mudras. In addition, it has laid symbolic diagrams of cosmic forces and deities called Mandalas, inkling on magic and some multicity of deities. Tantric Buddhism contains some two major points that are quite common with their parents. The first involves the fact that it aims at desertion or transcendence of self. The favored method is foreign to Theravada Buddhism, in which case the method is the ecstasy of ritual sexual intercourse and orgasms. The Buddha had to reprimand his pupil by the name Ananda just for making in to the female attractions. The aspect of sexuality of Tantric Buddhism, however, has elicited various reactions, in which case it is sometimes puritanical and prurient. Some Tantric Sutras for instance, Guhyasamaja-Tantra has had to elaborate rituals for the group orgies. In fact, many of the scholars have had to argue the passages are not to taken literally. They are mentioned to be symbolic of the amalgamation of wisdom and means. Others placed the rituals literally and in flesh (Kapstein, 2007). The other factor that Tantric Buddhism shares involve the claim that existence of the physical world is deceptive and hence there exists no distinguishing factor between Nirvana and Samsara. This implies that one can rape, murder or even commit incest as the Tantric texts encourages, and this world will remain undefiled by the world of delusion. In essence, Tantric teachings are quite the same as those of the Nicolaitian Gnostics and also the brethren of the free spirit. There were also the elaborate Tantric sex rituals. For instance, in the Chakrapuja, between eight and forty-eight men and also females usually meet and take some cannabis. Then the priest anoints and makes some intercourse with some nude young girl, keeping semen for the congregation to drink. Drinking and feasting follow and the event end in ritual copulation with recites of Mantras. The main purpose here was to utilize sexual union and orgasms as smoothing to extinction of self and fusion, with such underlying unity and reality. Why Did Tantric Buddhism Become so Important in Tibet? Buddhism did developed in Tibet and also its surrounding Himalayan places, in which case it formed the Tibetan Buddhism. It had to incorporate Yogacara and Madhyamika philosophies, Tantric symbolic rituals, the shamanistic characteristics of indigenous religion and also the Theravada monastic discipline. The exclusive features included the systems of reincarnating the lamas and the great number of deities in its pantheon. Tantric Buddhism in Tibet was the most popular to the world, and this was via the office of the Dalai Lama, the person who was exiled spiritually and the political leader of Tibet, including the winner of the Nobel peace prize in 1989. The Buddhism in Tibet was brought about from India by the Tibetan king, who also invited some Buddhists to Tibet and had some texts translated into Tibetan (Reat, 1994). Tantric Buddhism was quite significant in Tibet due to various reasons. First is because of the astute of the teacher, or rather “lama.” It was also significant as preoccupation with the connection that exists between death and life. Buddhism in Tibet was also significant in playing the vital role of rituals and initiations, and that it was for the rich visual symbolism. The other special characteristic involves the elements of the earlier Tibetan faiths and mantras plus consideration practices. In essence, Tantric Buddhism at Tibet was to feature in various events such as rituals and also spiritual events that incorporated the use of Mantras and yogic practices. Tantric Buddhism at Tibet enabled the development of some strong artistic traditions, and also paintings plus graphics, in which case they purpose in aiding the understanding at all heights of society. There was the visual aid to getting the usual in Tibetan Buddhism, in which case it includes pictures, public prayer wheels, and flags that remind of the spiritual domain in the physical world. Therefore, Tantric Buddhism in Tibet was so strong in both the lay people and the monastic societies. The lay version was to put some emphasis on the religious activities outside instead of the inner spiritual life. This implies there were exceptional ritual processes at the temples. In addition, significant ceremonies wee the festivals and funerals (Shen & Liu, 1953). It is a fact that the Buddhist called Vajrayana had to accept some tantric way of practice, in which ace they used ritual, chanting, songs, diagrams and other religious images (Bentor, 1996). The tantric Buddhist had to incorporate the use of chants and also initiations into the philosophy that evolved in India. Tantric Buddhism also had to blend the spiritual and the physical worlds and connect both. Indeed, Tibet was among the countries that Buddhism came late and enabled the establishment of various Tibetan schools. The establishment of the schools encouraged the translation of the original texts into the local languages. After the decrease of Buddhism in India, Tibet had to become the primary focus of learning to concern Buddhism. In fact, tantric Buddhism had to do quite well in Tibet, and it enjoyed the magnificent patronage (Ray, 2001). The Buddhism that were in Tibet was very colorful, and was full images of demons and deities that was often derived in some ritual diagram referred to as Mandala, in which case it symbolizes the entire world. The strong smells of incense and the butter lamps, including the cymbals were used to connect senses. Dancers also who were wearing friendly masks could perform ritual dances in order to provide and also appease the spirits and, on the other hand, the monks count chant and beat drums. Therefore, tantric Buddhism had a lot of significant in Tibet, from the significance of enabling the activities of rituals among others to the building of schools and translation of various original texts. Reference List: BENTOR, Y. (1996). Consecration of images and stupas in Indo-Tibetan Tantric Buddhism. Leiden, Brill. KAPSTEIN, M. (2007). The Tibetans. Malden, MA, Blackwell Pub. MISHRA, R. (1991). Sahajayana: a study of tantric Buddhism. Calcutta, Punthi Pustak. PREECE, R. (2006). The Psychology of Buddhist Tantra. Ithaca, N.Y., Snow Lion Publications. RAY, R. A. (2001). Secret of the Vajra World: the Tantric Buddhism of Tibet. Boston [u.a.], Shambhala. REAT, N. R. (1994). Buddhism: a History. Berkeley, Calif, Asian Humanities Press. SHEN, T.-L., & LIU, S.-C. (1953). Tibet and the Tibetans. Stanford, Cal, Stanford Univ. Press. Read More