Vajrayāna (Sanskrit वज्रयान, lit. "Diamond Vehicle" or "Thunderbolt Vehicle"), otherwise known as Mantra-yāna ("Mantra Vehicle"), Guhya-mantra-yāna ("Secret Mantra Vehicle"), Tantra-yāna ("Tantra Vehicle"), Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, is a vehicle (yāna) in the larger Mahāyāna Buddhist tradition.
It emphasizes esoteric practices and rituals aimed at rapid spiritual awakening. Emerging between the 5th and 7th centuries CE in medieval India [1, 2], Vajrayāna Buddhism incorporates a range of techniques.
These include the use of mantras (sacred sounds), dhāraṇīs (mnemonic codes), mudrās (symbolic hand gestures), mandalās (spiritual diagrams), [yoga asanas (spiritual positions, "seats," postures)], and the visualization of deities (devas) and buddhas. More
Yeshe Tsogyal (circa 757 or 777–817 CE) [1], also known as "Victorious Ocean of Knowledge," "Knowledge Lake Empress" (ཡེ་ཤེས་མཚོ་རྒྱལ), or by her Sanskrit name Jñānasāgarā "Knowledge Ocean," or her clan name "Lady Kharchen" [2], attained enlightenment in her lifetime and is considered the Mother of Tibetan Buddhism. She is the highest woman in the Nyingma Vajrayana lineage. Some sources say, as Princess of Karchen, she was either a wife or consort of the Emperor Tri Songdetsen of Tibet [3], when she began studying Vajrayana Buddhism with Padmasambhava, who became her main karmamudrā consort. Padmasambhava is a founder-figure of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and is considered the second buddha of our era [4], an idea that is anathema to Theravada Buddhist accounts of what the historical Buddha taught.
(Tibetan Nuns) Esoteric Buddhism in Tibet takes from Bon shamanism (Himalayan sorcery), Hindu tantra and yoga, and Mahayana Buddhism to form a unique expression of the Dharma so far removed from the historical Buddha's doctrine (Teachings, Dharma) that one might mistake it for Vedic Hinduism with names changed from the traditional Hindu pantheon to Tibetan and Indian figures that rose to importance in history.
KŪKAI is a visually stunning documentary that brings to the screen the remarkable story of Kūkai, one of the most influential figures in Japanese cultural history. In 804 AD, he traveled from Japan to Tang China in search of knowledge, beginning a journey that would leave a lasting mark on art, learning, and cultural life across East Asia.
REVIEW: No. This is the worst kind of hagiography. We saw it in Beverly Hills on Sunday as part of its pre-release screening. It is as faith-based as it gets, and Japan is already infamous for its uber faith (bhakti) path Nichiren Buddhism. In the struggle between tariki and jiriki, it goes over the top that magic, mantra, and mumbo-jumbo are the path. It's not the Path the historical Buddha taught, and anyone could see that with the slightest amount of study. Faith (saddha, confidence, conviction) is an important step in walking the Path, but blind faith or an overdependence on some other force in the universe being invoked to come save us, it's not what the Buddha taught. It seems the antithesis of his message to a suffering world. The Dharma (Dhamma) is all about taking a good look at reality and our responsibility for ourselves. We're in this mess, we're keeping ourselves in this mess, and we have to make the effort (with help) to awaken ourselves. This is not a do-it-yourself project, but it is certainly not a Brahminical tantric secret of hocus pocus and everything working out. There were six "heretical" teachers and popular pernicious wrong views at the time of the historical Buddha. And he taught the Net of All-Embracing Views (Brahmajala Sutta) to counter those wrong views and bring about right view, the first factor or limb of the Ennobling Eightfold Path. What's wrong with this movie? What's right with it? Create a mechanical looking lead who never speaks, use a thundering "God voice" in classical Chinese with untranslated Sanskrit terms when they could easily be shown in English in parentheses, leave females out of 99% of the story, only including them as a footnote of grateful praying sycophants. Use AI to make the whole historical tale seem like a bad, one-sided fiction.
Bliss and Wisdom (Chinese 福智, Pinyin Fúzhì) is a Taiwanese Buddhist [that practices Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism] organization operating in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island.
Founded in 1991 by Master Jih-Chang, the organization arrived in the Canadian province in 2008 and has come under scrutiny for its significant acquisitions of land.
A citizens group estimates that Bliss and Wisdom has acquired over 17,000 acres of land in crowded Prince Edward Island, contravening the province's land protection legislation.
The provincial government of Prince Edward Island launched an investigation into Bliss and Wisdom's landholdings in February 2025.
The organization has extensive business holdings in the areas of jewelry, electronics, organic farming, translation, and exporting. They operate a natural foods retailer based in Taiwan called Leezen, which opened its first overseas store in Charlottetown in 2016. More: Bliss and Wisdom: Buddhist organization
Drop delusion of self to help everyone. - Psychology highly developed in India: Abhidhamma
Dalai Lama on rebirth and his planned reincarnation: Death isn't end of everything; samsara goes on
(Dechen wangdi 🇨🇦) June 3, 2025: "H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama on his Reincarnation" [Is the 14th Dalai Lama, the former pope-king of a school of Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism and a world renown personality, a Buddhist celebrity, planning a trip to Shangri-La or Shambhala, and is this way of hinting he's going? The world will have to wait and see. For many, a better question than his future tulku status might be, "Who is the Dalai Lama?" We all think we know him, or know about him, but as John Oliver showed, few know anything once they are actually asked. Last Week Tonight sought to remedy that with a few good laughs:]
The THREE SCHOOLS of BUDDHISM explained: Theravāda, Mahāyāna, Vajrayāna
(Buddha's Wisdom) May 25, 2025: 🔍 THE 3 PATHS TO ENLIGHTENMENT: WHICH ONE SPEAKS TO YOU?
How did one teacher's simple message create three different paths to enlightenment? Three monks sit in meditation...but they’re not seeking the same thing.
One follows the Buddha’s exact words (Theravada). Another vows to save every living being (Mahayana). The third uses esoteric [Vedic, Brahminical, Hindu, tantric] practices hidden for centuries.
How did Buddhism split into three radically different paths — and what does it mean for our spiritual journey today?
03:16 - Chapter 1: Theravada - The Way of the Elders
07:25 - Chapter 2: Mahayana - The Great Vehicle
11:33 - Chapter 3: Vajrayana - The Diamond Vehicle
15:44 - Chapter 4: When Buddhism meets itself
18:53 - The One Mind: Which path did the Buddha intend?
DISCOVER
Why Buddhism split into three schools after the Buddha's passing into final nirvana
The dangerous mission that saved Theravada Buddhism from extinction
How Avalokiteshvara's broken heart created the Mahayana revolution
The secret tantric techniques that promise enlightenment in a single lifetime
Why mixing Buddhist traditions might be exactly what the modern world needs [at least that's what we as Americans seem to think]
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SOURCES
The Pali canon (Theravada texts)
Lotus Sutra (Mahayana literature)
Tibetan Book of the Dead (Vajrayana teachings)
Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction by Damien Keown
The Heart of Buddhist Meditation by Ven. Nyanaponika Thera
Shingon (真言宗, Shingon-shū, "True Word/Mantra School") is one of the major schools of Buddhism in Japan and one of the few surviving Vajrayana lineages in East Asian Buddhism. It is a form of Japanese Esoteric Buddhism and is sometimes called Tōmitsu (東密 literally, "Esoteric [Buddhism] of Tō-ji") [1].
The word shingon is the Japanese reading of the Chinese word 真言 (zhēnyán) [2], which is the translation of the Sanskrit word mantra, which means something like "thought instrument" (Japanese "true words" or om'yomi).
The Zhēnyán lineage was founded in China (circa 7th–8th centuries) by Indian vajrācāryas ("esoteric teachers") like Śubhakarasiṃha, Vajrabodhi, and Amoghavajra.
These esoteric teachings would later flourish in Japan under the auspices of a Buddhist monk named Kūkai (空海, 774–835), who traveled to Tang China and received these esoteric transmissions from a Chinese master named Huiguo (746–805).
Kūkai established his tradition at Mount Kōya (in Wakayama Prefecture), which remains the central pilgrimage center of Shingon Buddhism. More
Check out these otherworldly (inner earth) discoveries and more in this Ancient Aliens compilation:
1. Forbidden Caves 0:00
2. Underground Aliens 5:45
3. Forbidden Caves 2 12:05
4. Underground Aliens 2
Our Earth is hollow? - Shush, it's a secret!
Watch full episodes and stay up to date on all favorite shows on The HISTORY Channel website at history.com/schedule.
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ABOUT: "Ancient Aliens" explores the controversial theory that extraterrestrials have visited Earth for millions of years.
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#AncientAliens, History Channel, May 15, 2025; Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly Wiki edit Shingon
The hidden monasteries of Mongolia: How Buddhism shaped Mongolia’s nomadic soul | SLICE
(SLICE) In the heart of Central Asia, Mongolia’s vast, untouched landscapes have shaped a unique form of Buddhism, where spirituality and nature exist in perfect harmony.
Introduced in the 16th century, Buddhism spread across the endless steppes, carried by merchant caravans alongside silk and spices. Monasteries rose like mirages in the wilderness, blending seamlessly with the land’s raw power.
Through centuries of resilience, Mongolian Buddhism has evolved, influenced by Tibetan traditions yet deeply rooted in nomadic life.
From sacred rituals to the revival of monasteries after Soviet repression, this is the story of a faith (saddha) that has withstood time, exile, and change.
Documentary: Sacred Spaces – Asian temples. Humans, Nature, and Gods. Directed by: Véronique Legendre. Production: ZED, ARTE FRANCE, CuriosityStream. SLICE fully owns the rights to the use of the published content.
Any illegal reproduction of this content will result in immediate legal action.
SLICE wants to fill up viewers' curiosity!
Accessible to anyone from anywhere at any time, this channel is a weekly dose of short docs about curious facts, discoveries, astounding info, unusual stories, weird, fun, and instructive. Be smart, have a slice!
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SLICE, Feb. 13, 2025; CC Liu, Crystal Q., Sheldon S. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
(Fitness Discovered) What is it like to meditate with Himalayan Buddhist lamas in a lamasery?
Find out in this 360-degree virtual reality puja (devotional service) meditation for 15 minutes.
Put on a headset and enjoy this rare experience with the monks from Nepal's Khawalung Tashi Choeling Monastery(KM). #Travel #VR #Meditation
We visited Kushinagar, near Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, Northern India, where the Buddha chose to pass into final nirvana (parinibbana) between twin sal trees. It was hot, too hot. Arrive in season or pay the price. (The price is much higher in season, but the weather is terrible, so the price of convenience and no crowds is all the reasons the crowds are choosing to wait before visiting). On Lonely Planet's map, holy Nepal was walking distance. It's not, but it is only a short bus ride away on a very bouncy bus that will bust a butt and give one a condition usually reserved for men who sit too long on the porcelain throne straining, so bring a pillow.
We made it across the international line and found out that an extraordinary thing about the tiny Buddhist (officially the only "Hindu nation" in the world, due to the pressure big neighbor India inducing it to) nation of Nepal is that it has all of the terrains from swampy lowlands to frigid alpine zones in a very short span. There is another place in the Americas that also shares this unusual trait, but a bus up the Himalayan foothills is dizzying for all the changes one sees along the river of melting snow.
Entering "Katmandu" (Kathmandu), which is in a valley, listening to Bob Seger, imagining ourselves on the HIPPIE TRAIL alongside the members of Pink Floyd ("Astronomy Domine") and Led Zeppelin ("Kashmir"). The bus kept going up and further up: The capital has always been safe from invasion because it was just too much trouble for any invading army to reach, so it survived as a nation (with internal strife from corrupt governments and Maoists taking matters into their own hands and trying to make things better). Behold, Durbar Square, Kathmandu!
Everyone points us to Freak Street because, of course, where else would Westerners be looking for? We were actually looking for the virgin Living Goddess to feel her shakti ("divine energy"). Boudhanath has the wisdom eyes of the Buddha, which would make a great color tattoo. After seeing the stupa, we realized there were other monasteries around the capital. Visiting the exterior for their grand views is compelling, but I couldn't help but go in to see the chanting and tantric meditation by butter lamps, just like the view above.
Fitness Discovered, May 25, 2017; Text: Dhr. Seven and Kelly Ani (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
Ancient Buddhist monks found alive in remote Himalayas: Experts fear what they’re guarding
In Lhasa, Tibet, 1924
(Voyager) April 28, 2025: In the remote, icy Himalayan peaks, ancient monks have been reportedly found alive, sitting in deep meditation and untouched by time. These mysterious figures, seemingly defying death, have sparked awe and fear among experts. What secrets are they guarding, and why are they hidden in isolation? Whispers of divine rituals and ancient relics have surfaced, leaving the world to wonder if these monks hold knowledge that could reshape humanity—or destroy it. What lies beyond the veil of their silence? #Voyager Subscribe ➡ @voyagerspace
For centuries Tibet has been known as the last home of mystery [excluding the even more mysterious Bhutan, Sikkim, and to some extent Nepal], the hidden, sealed land, where ancient mysteries still survive that have perished in the rest of the Orient (Asia).
Many people have written about Tibet and its secret lore, but few have actually penetrated it to learn its ancient wisdom. Among those few was Madame Alexandra David-Neel, a French Orientalist.
A practicing Western Buddhist, a profound historian of religion, and linguist, she actually lived in Tibet for more than 14 years.
She had the great honor of being received by the 14th Dalai Lama;
she studied philosophical Buddhism and Tibetan Tantra at Tibet's great centers;
she meditated in lonely caves and on wind-swept winter mountains with yogi hermits; and
she witnessed forbidden corpse-magic in the forests.
Magic and Mystery in Tibet tells the story of her experiences on the Rooftop of the World, among lamas and magicians.
It is neither a travel book nor an autobiography but a study of psychic discovery, a description of the occult and mystical theories and psychic training practices of Tibet.
She tells of great sages and sorcerers that she met, of the system of monastic education, the great teachers and their disciples, Tibetan folklore about their spiritual athletes, reincarnation (rebirth) and memory from previous lives.
She also discusses elaborate magical rites to obtain the siddhis (supernormal powers), the horrible necromantic magic of the pre-Buddhist Bonpa shamas (Bon shamans), mental visualization exercises to create disembodied thought forms (tulpas), visions, strange phenomena derived from physical yoga postures, control of the body-heat mechanism (tumo), breathing exercises; sending “messages on the wind,” and much similar material.
An unusual aspect of Madame David-Neel’s book is that she herself experienced many of the phenomena she describes, yet she describes them with precision and in a matter-of-fact manner, permitting the reader to draw his own conclusions about validity, interpretation in terms of psychology, and value.
Particularly interesting for the modern experiencer are her detailed instructions for tumo (the yoga of heat control) and the creation of thought projections. More
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Author becomes an adept in Tibet, 1933
At the age of 18, Alexandra David-Néel had already visited England, Switzerland, and Spain on her own, and she was studying in Madame Blavatsky's Theosophical Society.
"She joined various secret societies – she would reach the thirtieth degree in the mixed Scottish Rite of Freemasonry – while [both] feminist and anarchist groups greeted her with enthusiasm...
"Throughout her childhood and adolescence, she was associated with the French geographer and anarchist Elisée Reclus (1820–1905). This led her to become interested in the anarchistic ideas of the time and in feminism, that inspired her to publish Pour la vie (For Life) in 1898.
"In 1899, she composed an anarchist treatise with a preface by Reclus. Publishers did not dare to publish the book, though her friend Jean Haustont printed copies himself and it was eventually translated into five languages."
In 1891, she visited India for the first time and met her spiritual preceptor, Swami Bhaskarananda Saraswati of Varanasi [7].
She was 21 years old when she converted to Buddhism in 1889, according to Raymond Brodeur, which she noted in her diary published under the title La Lampe de sagesse (The Lamp of Wisdom) in 1896. More
(PBS NewsHour) COLUMBIA HEIGHTS, Minnesota - Oct. 27, 2016: Like any 4th grade American boy, Jalue Dorje enjoys soccer, swimming, and Pokémon cards. But unlike most 9-year-olds, he is believed to be -- and confirmed by the Dalai Lama himself and other Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhist spiritual leaders -- the willful "reincarnation" (tulku) of an eminent senior lama who died nine years ago. Special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro reports. PBS is an American public broadcast service.
American tulku Jalue Dorje turns 18
American teenager prepares for life as a Tibetan Buddhist leader | TaiwanPlus News
(TaiwanPlus News) Nov. 21, 2024: Jalue Dorje, an 18-year-old Tibetan American, celebrated his coming-of-age in Minnesota in a suburb of Minneapolis called Columbia Heights, with an enthronementceremony. At just four months old, Jalue Dorje was identified as a reincarnated lama, the rebirth of a venerated leader of a Tibetan Vajrayana (Esoteric) Buddhist sect. After he graduates high school next year, the teen who loves American football and [foulmouthed and filthy] rap music will head to a monastery (lamasery) in the Indian Buddhist Himalayas for the next stage of his spiritual journey.
📹 Reporters Eason Chen and Aadil Brar. #TaiwanPlus #TaiwanPlusNews #TaiwanNews #US #tibet #teens #Himalayas - TaiwanPlus｜taiwanplus.com. TaiwanPlus presents the independent island country’s unique voice on not only local issues but also world events. Connect with TaiwanPlus. Watch shows made by TaiwanPlus (@taiwanplus). Like on Facebook (taiwanplusnews). Tweet on Twitter (taiwanplusnews). Follow on Instagram (taiwanplusnews).
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