Encyclopaedia Of Buddhist Tantra

This book is about the various characteristics of tantric Buddhism. History of tantric Buddhism in India is very old. Tantric texts began to appear in India by the third century CE and they continue through to Buddhism's effective disappearance from India during the twelfth century. From around the beginning of the eighth century tantric techniques and approaches increasingly dominated Buddhist practice in India. A reason for this was -that by then tantric meditation and ritual began to be seen as powerful and effective tools in the quest for Buddha hood, as well as for attaining worldly powers and goals. It was in Tibet however where Buddhism became thoroughly tantric in complexion with all the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism regarding tantric Buddhism as the highest and most effective form of Buddhism. This book tries to explain different forms of tantric Buddhism. It starts with an introductory chapter on religious theories in India before Buddhism, followed by the origin and development of Buddhism, secret of Buddhism, theism within Buddhism, the ethics of Buddhism, the understanding of Buddhist tantric, etc. Rituals, methods and various schools of tantric Buddhism have been defined in this book. We have tried to cover many aspects of tantric Buddhism in this encyclopaedia and hope that readers will appreciate this effort and this encyclopaedia will enhance the acknowledge on Buddhism in general and tantric Buddhism in particular.