Tibetan Formulations of the Tantric Path

The Tibetans inherited from India a complex array of tantric meditative and ritual practices, which they in turn systematized. That led to the development of a number of influential formulations of the tantric path, which are central elements of Tibetan Buddhism. The tantric traditions of Buddhist p...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Wiley Blackwell Companion to East and Inner Asian Buddhism pp. 185 - 198
Main Author Gray, David B
Format Book Chapter
LanguageEnglish
Published Oxford, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 28.02.2014
Subjects
India
Mahāyāna path
tantric path
Tibetan Buddhism
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:The Tibetans inherited from India a complex array of tantric meditative and ritual practices, which they in turn systematized. That led to the development of a number of influential formulations of the tantric path, which are central elements of Tibetan Buddhism. The tantric traditions of Buddhist practice arose in India in a Mahāyāna Buddhist framework, and they inherited the rich tradition of Mahāyāna speculation on the path to awakening. The most influential presentation of the Mahāyāna path in Tibet is Atisa's Lamp for the Path to Awakening (Bodhipathapradīpa). Tibetan Buddhists interested in undertaking spiritual practice are instructed to first engage in “preliminary practices” (sngon ‘gro), which is followed by the advanced stage of practice involving the very complex visualization practices known as “deity yoga” (lha’i rnal ‘byor).
ISBN:9781118610336
1118610334
DOI:10.1002/9781118610398.ch9