Vajrayna (Sanskrit: , Bengali: ) is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayna, Mantrayna, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and the Diamond Way or Thunderbolt Way. The Lama and the Guru yoga are central in this system.[1] Vajrayna is a complex and multifaceted system of Buddhist thought and practice which evolved over several centuries.

According to Vajrayna scriptures[which?], the term Vajrayna refers to one of three vehicles or routes to enlightenment, the other two being the rvakayna (also known as the Hnayna) and Mahyna. Note that Hinayna (or Nikaya) is not to be confused with Theravada (a practice lineage), although it is sometimes equated to it.

Founded by Indian Mahsiddhas, Vajrayna subscribes to Buddhist tantric literature.

Although the first tantric Buddhist texts appeared in India in the 3rd century and continued to appear until the 12th century, scholars such as Hirakawa Akira assert that the Vajrayna probably came into existence in the 6th or 7th century, while the term Vajrayna itself first appeared in the 8th century. The Vajrayna was preceded by the Mantrayna, and then followed by the Sahajayna and Kalacakrayna.

The period of Indian Vajrayna Buddhism has been classified as the fifth or final period of Buddhism in India. Vajrayna literature does not appear in the Pli Canon and the Agamas.

Although the Vajrayana claims to be as ancient and authentic as any other Buddhist school, it may have grown up gradually in an environment with previously existing texts such as the Mahasannipata and the Ratnaketudharani. The basic position of Vajrayana is still the same as the early Buddhist position of anatta. The changes that took place reflected the changing society of medieval India: the presentation changed, the techniques of the way to enlightenment changed, and the outward appearance of Buddhism came to be dominated by ritualism and arrays of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and gods and goddesses.

There are differing views as to where in the Indian sub-continent that Vajrayna began. There are assumptions about the origin of Vajrayana in Bengal,Oddiyana, located at Odisha, or in the modern-day Swat District in Pakistan.

The earliest texts appeared around the early 4th century. Nlanda in East India became a center for the development of Vajrayana theory, although it is likely that the university followed, rather than led, the early tantric movement.

Only from the 7th or the beginning of the 8th century, tantric techniques and approaches increasingly dominated Buddhist practice in India. From the 7th century onwards many popular religious elements of a heterogeneous nature were incorporated into Mahayana Buddhism, which finally resulted in the appearance of the Sahaja-siddhi tantras, the Kalachakra tantra and Vajrayna. These new tantric movements introduced mantra, mudra and mandala along with a respectful attitude towards women and denial of the caste system in India.

India would continue as the source of leading-edge Vajrayana practices up until the 11th century, producing many renowned mahasiddhas.

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December 14, 2007 at 7:55 am Filed under Ambedkar, Babasaheb, Brahmin, Christians, dalit, Muslims Tagged Brahmins, Buddhism, Christianity, dalit, Islam

Many forests of paper has been spent in trying to find out why Babasaheb Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar converted to Buddhism and not to Islam or Christianity. We at Dalit nation have done research for 22 years on this subject. Babasaheb loved islam and loved Christianity also.They were his object of admiration all the time. But Babasaheb knew that without both the help of christianity and islam we could never defeat Hinduism. Babasaheb knew it very well. If Babsaheb had become muslim then we would have the christian against us and same thing if he had become christian the muslims would be against Babasaheb. Babsaheb then disvcovered Buddha. This buddha is not the Buddha created by Brahmins. But the real buddha. The brahmins had swallowed up Buddhism and ascribed to him all the qualities he did not preach. They taught meditation and non violence. But Babasaheb was the first person to show the world that Buddha was a social revolutionary and not a meditative non voilent saint. This is what the Brahmin pervesion had made buddhism into. Babasaheb hence converted all of us into real Buddhists. Because real Buddists beleive in equality which Hindu caste system does not. Even Islam and Christianity beleives in equality. Therefore they are all the same religions. Look at the genius of Ambedkar. He knew all the schemes and tacticts of Brahmins. Now Brahmins have no option. Babsaheb hats off to you, you have cornered them and they have nowhere to go. Jai Bhim

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An estimated 6,000 OBC (1,600) families in Maharashtra have registered themselves with an organisation engaged in a campaign for ghar vapsi for Buddhists who were converted recently. They want to embrace Buddhism, claiming it as their real home.

As the right-wing Hindu organisations give an aggressive push to their ghar vapsi agenda in a bid to form a Hindurashtra by converting Muslims and Christians to Hinduism, an intense campaign by OBC organisations is on in the State to bring back people into the Buddhist fold.

When we tried to find out our roots, it became clear that we are nagvanshi. It proves that the OBCs were originally Buddhists. We have decided to return to our home. This is not conversion. This is the real ghar vapsi, said Satyashodhak OBC Parishad activist Hanumant Upare, whose organisation aims to conduct mass conversion of five lakh OBCs into Buddhism in October 2016.

The Parishad embarked on its Original Buddhist Cadre mission to reach out to OBCs in 2011. The organisers have been making personal visits to homes of those desirous of returning to Buddhism besides holding small rallies, group discussions and conclaves. In 2015, the activists are planning to reach out to every tehsil of the State with their message and a Statewide conference will also be called to push the agenda.

Shown their roots

Till date, around 6,000 individuals have registered to join Buddhism and number is likely to rise as the campaign intensifies. We are not forcing anyone. We are only telling them the truth and showing their roots, he said. Brahmins, Marathas, Christians and Muslims too were coming forward to join them.

The OBCs were cheated by upper caste Hindus in the past, Mr. Upare said. Despite agreeing to conduct a separate census of OBCs, it was not carried out in 2010, which is why all the OBCs, who constitute 52% according to the Mandal commission, feel cheated.

We were forced into Hinduism in the 19th century, but the caste system always considered us as shudras. The present social set up does not reward us as it should. The only way is to break out from the system, he said.

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6,000 OBCs to embrace Buddhism

At first, the Aryans and non-Aryans followed their own forms of religion. Then as the two groups intermingled, the gods and forms of their religions also tended to blend together. This blending resulted in the worship of thousands of gods. Different ways of living and different beliefs made life more complex for both groups. This complexity led some people to question the world and their place in it. They even questioned the enormous wealth and power held by the Brahmin priests. These priests officiated at elaborate state ceremonies and sacrifices. Out of this turmoil, new religious ideas arose that have continued to influence millions of people today.

Hinduism Develops Over Centuries

From time to time, scholars have tried to organize the many popular cults, gods, and traditions into one grand system of belief. However, Hinduismunlike religions such as Buddhism, Christianity, or Islamcannot be traced back to one founder with a single set of ideas.

Origins and Beliefs Hindus share a common world-view. They see religion as a way of liberating the soul from the illusions, disappointments, and mistakes of everyday existence. Sometime between 750 and 550 b.c., Hindu teachers tried to interpret and explain the hidden meaning of the Vedic hymns. As they meditated on the Vedas, they asked: What is the nature of reality? What is morality? Is there eternal life? What is the soul? The teachers comments were later written down and became known as the Upanishads (ooPAHNihshahdz).

The Upanishads are written as dialogues, or discussions, between a student and a teacher. In the course of the dialogues, the two explore how a person can achieve liberation from desires and suffering. This is described as moksha (MOHK shah), a state of perfect understanding of all things. The teacher distinguishes between atman, the individual soul of a living being, and Brahman, the world soul that contains and unites all atmans. The interconnectedness of all life is a basic concept in all Indian religions. Here is how one teacher explains the unifying spirit of Brahman:

When a person understands the relationship between atman and Brahman, that person achieves perfect understanding (moksha) and a release from life in this world. This understanding does not usually come in one lifetime. By the process of reincarnation (rebirth), an individual soul or spirit is born again and again until moksha is achieved. A souls karmagood or bad deedsfollows from one reincarnation to another. Karma influences specific life circumstances, such as the caste one is born into, ones state of health, wealth or poverty, and so on.

Hinduism Changes and Develops Hinduism has gone through many changes over the last 2,500 years. The world soul, Brahman, was sometimes seen as having the personalities of three gods: Brahma, the creator; Vishnu, the protector; and Shiva, the destroyer. Vishnu also took on many forms or personalities, for example, as Krishna, the divine cow herder, and as Rama, the perfect king. Over the centuries, Brahma gradually faded into the background, while the many forms of a great Mother Goddess grew in importance.

Hindus today are free to choose the deity they worship or to choose none at all. Most, however, follow a family tradition that may go back centuries. They are also free to choose among three different paths for achieving moksha. They are the path of right thinking, the path of right action, or the path of religious devotion.

Hinduism and Society

Together, the beliefs of Hinduism and its caste structure dominated every aspect of a persons life. These beliefs determined what one could eat and how one ate it, personal cleanliness, the people one could associate with, how one dressed, and so on. Today, even in the most ordinary activities of daily life, Hindus turn to their religion for guidance.

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Phil Blackwood (centre): charged over the publication of a poster promoting cheap drinks at his bar in Rangoon in Burma. Photograph: Lynn Bo Bo/EPA

A New Zealand bar manager has pleaded not guilty in a Burmese court to charges of insulting religion after publishing a psychedelic image of Buddha wearing headphones to promote his bar in Rangoon

The case comes amid a surge in Buddhist nationalism in Burma which emerged in 2011 from half a century of military rule with monks forming groups aimed at promoting the countrys Buddhist character.

New Zealander Phil Blackwood was charged earlier this month, along with two local men, over the publication of a poster promoting cheap drinks at his bar. If found guilty, they face up to four years in jail.

I believe the law says the act must be deliberate, require malice with intent to offend, Blackwood said. I have said a number of times, there was no intent.

Blackwoods lawyer said he had received anonymous messages on Facebook threatening to cut him to pieces and burn him because hed taken on the case.

In a similar case, a prominent former official with the main opposition party was detained earlier this month after he made a speech he said was intended to discourage extremist interpretations of Buddhism.

Burmas semi-civilian government has lifted restrictions on freedoms of speech, association and media.

The main target of the Buddhist nationalist movement has been the countrys Muslims, who make up about 5 per cent of its 53 million people. Sectarian violence since June 2012 has killed at least 240 people, mostly Muslims. (Reuters)

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Bar manager pleads not guilty to insulting Buddhism in Burma

Phil Blackwood (centre): charged over the publication of a poster promoting cheap drinks at his bar in Rangoon in Burma. Photograph: Lynn Bo Bo/EPA

A New Zealand bar manager has pleaded not guilty in a Burmese court to charges of insulting religion after publishing a psychedelic image of Buddha wearing headphones to promote his bar in Rangoon

The case comes amid a surge in Buddhist nationalism in Burma which emerged in 2011 from half a century of military rule with monks forming groups aimed at promoting the countrys Buddhist character.

New Zealander Phil Blackwood was charged earlier this month, along with two local men, over the publication of a poster promoting cheap drinks at his bar. If found guilty, they face up to four years in jail.

I believe the law says the act must be deliberate, require malice with intent to offend, Blackwood said. I have said a number of times, there was no intent.

Blackwoods lawyer said he had received anonymous messages on Facebook threatening to cut him to pieces and burn him because hed taken on the case.

In a similar case, a prominent former official with the main opposition party was detained earlier this month after he made a speech he said was intended to discourage extremist interpretations of Buddhism.

Burmas semi-civilian government has lifted restrictions on freedoms of speech, association and media.

The main target of the Buddhist nationalist movement has been the countrys Muslims, who make up about 5 per cent of its 53 million people. Sectarian violence since June 2012 has killed at least 240 people, mostly Muslims. (Reuters)

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Bar manager pleads not guilty to insulting Buddhism in Myanmar

New Zealand citizen Philip Blackwood. Pic: AP.

The prosecution of Rangoon bar manager Philip Blackwood for insulting Buddhism will come as no surprise to Burma watchers who have witnessed the steady rise of Buddhist fundamentalism and intolerance in Burma over the last few years.

Mr Blackwood, 32, a New Zealand national who was the general manager of the V Gastro Bar in Rangoon and two Burmese nationals Tun Thurein the bar owner and Htut Ko Ko Lwin the bar manager went on trial Friday after being held since December 10. The three men pleaded not guilty.

They are being prosecuted after they used a picture of Buddha in headphones against a psychedelic backdrop on a flyer advertising their bar.

Whilst Buddha images are highly revered in Buddhist countries like Burma and Thailand they are often fashionable icons with little spiritual significance in the West. The Buddha Bar franchise and its series of mix CDs which use Buddha images in their promotion have become very popular in Western countries and have spawned many imitators.

That is very possibly what inspired Mr Blackwood in his flyer design and seems to be confirmed by Lt-Col. Thien Win, the head of Bahan Police Station where the arrested men were taken. He told Irrawaddy: He said he did it because using the Buddha in ads is in fashion internationally and thought it would attract more attention.

Whilst putting out such a flyer is undeniably culturally insensitive I suspect Mr Blackwood and westerners who hear about the case might deem his potential punishment of four years imprisonment overly harsh.

Irrespective of the sentence, if Mr Blackwood was not aware of the potential ramifications of his flyer design his Burmese partners should have been and should have stopped him.

They would have been aware of the rise of Burmese fundamentalism and sectaria intolerance manifested in the rise to prominence of the radical monk Wirathu, the 969 movement and the formation of Committee for the Protection of Nationality and Religion, better known as Ma Ba Tha, in June 2013.

The offending image posted on Facebook, and later removed, by Philip Blackwood. Image via Facebook.

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Bar manager goes on trial in Burma amid rising Buddhist extremism