The History of Tantric Buddhism

Paper Summary:

This paper begins with a general discussion of the history of Buddhism in and then goes on to discuss the specific history of Tantric Buddhism. The paper briefly discusses the life of Buddha and how, after his death, several different sects within Buddhism arose, including Tantric Buddhism. The paper explains that Tantric (esoteric) Buddhism arose in the seventh and eighth centuries in India and the Himalayas and still survives today, in the twentieth century, as a living tradition of the Buddhism found in Nepal and Tibet. The paper also discusses early Tantric scriptures, Tantric practices and beliefs and its spread to other countries. In addition, the paper examines Western acceptance of Tantric Buddhism and the modern expression of this ancient religion and philosophy.

From the Paper:

"The historical Buddha spoke a language of Sanskrit, the classical language of ancient India, although it is not clear which specific dialect he spoke. Sanskrit was a formal literary language used almost exclusively by the elite of society. There is an extensive record of the Buddha's teaching that survives today; it is written in an ancient Indian dialect known as Pali. This record forms the scriptural basis for one of two forms of contemporary Buddhism, the Theravada; this is practiced in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia."

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