Buddhism 101

Lesson 2: Schools of Buddhism and Further Developments

Vajrayana

 Vajrayana is a third addition to the list of the important Buddhist schools, though it developed much later than the Theravada or the Mahayana. Like those two schools, its name was self-granted and means “thunderbolt” or also “diamond” vehicle, connoting the power of thunder and the beauty and indestructibility which diamonds are quite famous for. The members of this third school consider themselves to be members of a particular lineage, and view the teachings of Buddha as graded accordingly. Theravada is useful for the development of discipline as well as morality, and Mahayana is the stage at which one learns and truly understands the Buddha’s fundamental doctrines. Vajrayana is the highest form of the teaching, however, and is where one, according to those who subscribe to the practice of Vajrayana, gains insight into the best teachings of the Buddha.

Like Theravada and Mahayana, Vajrayana was born in India and would later be exported. At the time of its birth – in about the fifth century CE – tantra was becoming a major force in Indian religious life. Tantra developed in Hinduism and Buddhism at this time, and still remains in variants of both. It has been portrayed traditionally in the West as embracing lust and vices, even though this is not entirely true. While there is a school of thought in tantra that does involve sexual action, there is also another school – which is much more popularly accepted and very openly practiced – that sees these ideas as symbolic and aids in the spiritual practice, not actions that are to be participated in. All tantra is focused on the unity of both the male and female for the purpose of spiritual gain. Within art, this is often depicted as deities and their consorts in visualization exercises, which will be discussed further in the next section of this lesson.

Vajrayana stresses some of the elements of Buddhist practice more than it does others, and in this way it furthers its distinction from Theravada and Mahayana. The practice of chanting a mantra, for example, is found in most Buddhist traditions, but Vajrayana places such an emphasis on this practice that it is sometimes known as “Mantrayana”. The mantra om mani padme hum is especially popular. Though it is often translated as something similar to “Hail to the Jewel in the Lotus”, this mantra is not as much about paying respect to a jewel as it is a collection of sacred syllables or sounds, designed for the spiritual practice of the Buddhist.

Vajrayana would spread throughout the Buddhist world, but in most places it would remain overshadowed by Theravada or Mahayana, and would often die out after a period of time. The only regions of the world where it made significant impacts – to the point of near exclusivity – were in Tibet and Mongolia. Though the regions where it gained supremacy were limited, we will find in Lesson 4 that Tibetan Buddhism – the major existing Vajrayana school today – is one of the most influential on the world stage.

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