Buddhist Tantras
The Buddhist Tantras are a varied group of Indian and Tibetan texts which outline unique views and practices of the Buddhist tantra religious systems.
Buddhist Tantric texts began appearing in the Gupta Empire period though there are texts with elements associated with Tantra that can be seen as early as the third century.
By the eighth century Tantra was a dominant force in North India and the number of texts increased with numerous Tantric pandits writing commentaries.
The earliest known date-able Buddhist Tantra is possibly the Guhyasamāja Tantra which is dated to the fifth century by Alex Wayman (but to the eighth by Japanese scholars).
Another early Tantra is the Mahavairocana Tantra, which was mentioned and collected by the Chinese pilgrim Wu-xing (無行) c. 680 CE.
According to Tibetologist Alex Wayman, the Buddhist Tantras arose from "a previous lore reaching back into the Vedic literature and amalgamating this tradition with various Buddhist tenets".
Some of the material is also similar to content in the Yoga Upanishads. Buddhist Tantric traditions were variously influenced by Śaiva and Pancharatra Hindu traditions, local god/goddess cults, Yaksha or nāga rites as well as drawing on pre-existing Mahāyāna Buddhist ideas and practices.
Many early Buddhist Tantric texts, later termed “action Tantras” (kriyā tantra), are mostly collections of magical mantras or phrases for mostly worldly ends called mantrakalpas (mantra manuals) and they do not call themselves Tantras.
Later Tantric texts from the eighth century onward (termed variously Yogatantra, Mahayoga, and Yogini Tantras) advocated union with a deity (deity yoga), sacred sounds (mantras), techniques for manipulation of the subtle body and other secret methods with which to achieve swift Buddhahood.
Some Tantras contain antinomian and transgressive practices such as ingesting alcohol and other forbidden substances as well as sexual rituals.
Some of the unique themes and ideas found in the Buddhist Tantras is the revaluation of the body and its use in attaining great bliss (mahasukha), a revaluation of the role of women and female deities and a revaluation of negative mental states, which can be used in the service of liberation as the Hevajra Tantra says "the world is bound by passion, also by passion it is released".
Buddhist Tantra quickly spread out of India into nearby countries like Tibet and Nepal in the eighth century, as well as to Southeast Asia.
Buddhist Tantra arrived in China during the Tang Dynasty (where it was known as Tangmi) and was brought to Japan by Kukai (774–835), where it is known as Shingon.
It remains the main Buddhist tradition in Nepal, Mongolia and Tibet where it is known as Vajrayana.
There are between 1500 to 2000 surviving Indian Buddhist Tantric texts in the original Sanskrit, and over two thousand more Tantras solely survive in translation (mostly Tibetan or Chinese).
In the Tibetan canons, there are 450 Tantras in the Kanjur collection and 2400 in the Tengyur.
==Tibetan classification systems==
Tantric texts were brought to Tibet in two historical periods, the 8th century and the 11th century.
The ancient translation school, or Nyingma and the later New translation schools organize Tantras into different categories.
==Ancient Translation School==
The Nyingma tantra collection is known as the Nyingma Gyubum and has six [[[tantra]]]] categories:
Three Outer Tantras:
Kriya tantra
Charya tantra
Yoga tantra
Three Inner Tantras, which correspond to the Anuttarayogatantra:
Mahayoga
Anuyoga
Atiyoga (Tib. Dzogchen)
==New Translation Schools==
The Sarma or New Translation schools of Tibetan Buddhism (Gelug, Sakya, and Kagyu) divide the Tantras into four categories:
Kriya tantra
Charya tantra
Yoga tantra
Anuttarayogatantra
Mother tantras, Yogini tantras
Father tantras
Nondual Tantra or Advaya Class
==East Asian classificaton systems==
The Japanese Shingon and Tendai schools are based on the Kriya and Charya tantras.
Shingon
Richard K. Payne states:
Rather than employing the fourfold system found in Tibet, the Shingon system works on a distinction between those texts that present "proper practice" ("orthopraxy") and those that present practices that are both proper and improper, that is mixed ("heteropraxy").
Payne states that the contempory Shingon terminology for these categories is:
Pure esotericism
Mixed (miscelleanous, diffuse, etc.) esoteriscism
==List of Buddhist Tantric texts==
Many Tantric texts have titles other than 'Tantra', including Dharani, Kalpa, Rajñi, stotra, doha and sutra. The Major Tantras also accumulated secondary literature, such as 'Explanatory Tantras' (vyākhyātantra), commentaries and sadhana literature. Major Buddhist Tantric texts include:
Guhyasamāja Tantra, Father Tantra class, (c. 5th - 8th century)
Mahavairocana Tantra, Charya Tantra class, (7th century)
Vajrapãṇyabhiṣeka Tantra
Vajrasekhara Sutra
Tattvasaṃgraha Tantra, Yogatantra class, (7th century)
Hevajra Tantra, Mother class, (8th century)
Cakrasaṃvara Tantra a.k.a Sri-Heruka-bhidhana, Mother class (8th century)
Guhyagarbha tantra, Mother class
Sarvabuddha Samayoga, Mother class
Vajramrta Tantra, Mother class
Vajrapañjara Tantra, Mother class
Vajrabhairava Tantra or Yamantaka Tantra, Father class, (8th century)
Mañjuśrī-mūla-kalpa (8th century)
Shurangama Sutra (8th century)
Shurangama Mantra
Susiddhikara Sutra (8th century)
Sarva-tathāgata-tattva-saṅgraha-sūtra (8th century)
Kurukullā Tantra
Mahākāla Tantra
Samvarodaya Tantra
Vajrapatala Tantra
Sri-Vajriimrta-tantra
Mañjuśrīnāmasamgīti, Nondual class
Mahachinacara Tantra
Mayajala Tantra
The Eighteen Texts of the Mind Series (Semde) (9th century)
Kulayarāja Tantra - "The All Creating King"
Kalachakra Tantra, Nondual class (mid-11th century)
Seven texts of Space series (11th-14th centuries)
Mahāvarntaprasaranirajatantranāma - "Samantabhadra’s Royal Tantra of All-Inclusive Vastness"
Seventeen Tantras of Menngagde, Dzogchen (11th-14th centuries)
Saṃvara Tantra
Mahamaya Tantra
Vajrayogini Tantra
Sarvarahasya Tantra
Sri-Paramadya-Tantra
Nīlakaṇṭha Dhāraṇī or Mahākaruṇā Dhāraṇī, popularly known as the 'Great Compassion Mantra'
Chandamaharosana Tantra
Prajnopaya-viniscaya Siddhi
Naro Chos-Drug
Nigu Chos-Drug
Mila Gnubum
Sutra of Secret Bliss (Tachikawa-ryu, c.1114)
Kalika Purana
Padma Kathang Sanglingma
Bardo Thödol (1326–1386)
Nyingtig Yabshi
Seven Treasures
Padma Kathang Sheldrakma
Longchen Nyingthig
Yuthok Nyingthig
Rinchen Terzö Chenmo
==Tantric authors==
As Buddhist Tantra became more widely practiced in the middle of the seventh century, pandits at mainstream Buddhist scholastic institutions began to adopt the practices and write sadhanas and commentaries on Vajrayana praxis.
Benoytosh Bhattacharyya notes that there are two main chronological lists of prominent Tantric authors, the first from Taranatha's works and the second from Kazi Dawasamdup's introduction to the Cakrasaṃvara Tantra.
==Taranatha's list==
Padmavajra (c.693), author of the Guhyasiddhi
Anangavajra (c.705), author of the Prajñopāyaviniścayasiddhi
Indrabhuti (c.717), author of the Jñānasiddhi
Bhagavati Laksmi (c.729), female author of the Advayasiddhi
Lilavajra (c.741)
Darikapa (c.753)
Sahajayogini (c.765)
Dombi Heruka (c.777)
==Kazi Dawasamdup's list:==
Saraha aka Rahulabhadra (c. 633)
Nagarjuna (author of the Pañcakrama c. 645, not to be confused with the Madhyamika philosopher)
Sabaripa (c.657)
Luipa (c.669)
Vajraghanta (c.681)
Kacchapa (c.693)
Jalandharipa (c.705)
Krsnacarya (c.717)
Guhya (c.729)
Vijayapa (c.741)
Tilopa
Naropa
==Other Indian tantric authors include==
Buddhaguhya, wrote a commentary on the Mahavairocana Tantra
Vimalamitra, 8th century, wrote commentaries on the Guhyagarbha tantra
Padmasambhava
Śāntarakṣita (725–788), whose authorship of the Tantric work Tattvasiddhi is attributed by various authors, but this is debated by scholars such as Ernst Steinkellner.
Vilāsavajra, 8-9th century author of the Namamantrarthavalokini, a commentary on the Mañjuśrīnāmasamgīti.[20]
Buddhajñāna, 8-9th century author of the Śrīherukasādhanavṛtti
Aryadeva, author of the Lamp that Integrates the Practices (Caryamelapakapradipa), a commentary on the Guhyasamāja Tantra, not to be confused with the Madhyamaka philosopher of the same name
Candrakirti, 9th century author of the Pradipoddyotana, not to be confused with the Madhyamaka philosopher of the same name
Sakyamitra, commentator on the Guhyasamāja Tantra
Nagabodhi, commentator on the Guhyasamāja Tantra
Bhavyakīrti, 10th century author of a commentary on the Cakrasaṃvara Tantra, the Śrīcakrasamvarapañjikā-śūramanojñā-nāma.
Sraddhakaravarman, commentator on the Guhyasamāja
Bhavabhaṭṭa, 10th century author of the Śrīcakrasaṁvarapañjikā, a Cakrasamvāratantra commentary
Jayabhadra, Cakrasamvāratantra commentator
Durjayacandra, Cakrasamvāratantra commentator
Vajrapani, Cakrasamvāratantra commentator
Tathagataraksita, Cakrasamvāratantra commentator
Bhavabadra, Cakrasamvāratantra commentator
Viravajra, Cakrasamvāratantra commentator
Manibhadra, Cakrasamvāratantra commentator
Śraddhākaravarma, Guhyasamāja commentator
Prasantajnana, Guhyasamāja commentator
Vimalagupta, Guhyasamāja commentator
Cilupa, Guhyasamāja commentator
Vajrahasa, Guhyasamāja commentator
Santipa
Kāṇha, author of the Yogaratnamālā on the Hevajra Tantra
Bhadrapāda, author of the Śrīhevajravyākhyākhyāvivaraṇa, on the Hevajra Tantra
Vajragarbha, author of the Ṣaṭsāhasrikā-Hevajra-ṭīkā
Ratnakīrti, 11th century
Ratnākaraśānti, wrote the Muktāvalī, a commentary on the Hevajra
Pundarika, a commentator of the Kalachakra tantra
Sucandra, Kalacakra commentary in sixty thousand stanzas
Yogaratnamālā, author of a commentary on the Hevajra Tantra
Abhayakaragupta, 11th-early 12th century CE.
Footnotes
Wayman, Alex; The Buddhist Tantras light on Indo-Tibetan esotericism, Routledge, (2008), page 23.
Williams, Tribe and Wynne; Buddhist Thought: A Complete Introduction to the Indian Tradition, chapter 7
Wayman, Alex; The Buddhist Tantras light on Indo-Tibetan esotericism, Routledge, (2008), page 19.
Stephen Hodge, The Mahā-vairocana-abhisaṃbodhi Tantra, with Buddhaguhya’s Commentary (London: RoutledgeCurzon, 2003), 14–15.
Wayman, Alex; The Buddhist Tantras light on Indo-Tibetan esotericism, Routledge, (2008), page 12.
Henrik H. Sørensen, Richard K. Payne Edited by Charles D. Orzech General Editor Esoteric Buddhism and the Tantras in East Asia Handbook of Oriental Studies, page 20.
Grey, David B.; Tantra and the Tantric Traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism
Wallis, Christopher; THE TANTRIC AGE: A Comparison Of Shaiva And Buddhist Tantra, February, 2016
“A Crisis of Doxography: How Tibetans Organized Tantra During the 8th-12th Centuries,” Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies 28.1 (2005): 115–181.
Williams, Tribe and Wynne; Buddhist Thought: A Complete Introduction to the Indian Tradition, chapter 7
Williams, Tribe and Wynne; Buddhist Thought: A Complete Introduction to the Indian Tradition, chapter 7
Grey, David B.; Tantra and the Tantric Traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism
Isaacson, Harunaga (1998). Tantric Buddhism in India (from c. 800 to c. 1200). In: Buddhismus in Geschichte und Gegenwart. Band II. Hamburg. pp.23–49. (Internal publication of Hamburg University.) pg 3 PDF
Williams, Tribe and Wynne; Buddhist Thought: A Complete Introduction to the Indian Tradition, chapter 7
Grey, David B.; Tantra and the Tantric Traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism
Payne (2005), p. 18
Wayman, Alex; The Buddhist Tantras light on Indo-Tibetan esotericism, Routledge, (2008), page 14.
Bhattacharyya, Benoytosh; An Introduction to Buddhist Esoterism, Motilal Banarsidass Publ., 1980, India, p.
Gray, David B; Compassionate Violence?: On the Ethical Implications of Tantric Buddhist Ritual; Journal of Buddhist Ethics, ISSN 1076-9005, Volume 14, 2007
Tribe, Anthony; Tantric Buddhist Practice in India: Vilāsavajra’s commentary on the Mañjuśrīnāmasamgīti
Gray, David B; Compassionate Violence?: On the Ethical Implications of Tantric Buddhist Ritual; Journal of Buddhist Ethics, ISSN 1076-9005, Volume 14, 2007
See also #REDIRECTCategory:Tantras