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 Buddhahood, 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. Rituals, methods and various schools of Tantric Buddhism have been defined in this book. The author have tried to cover many aspects of Tantric Buddhism in this encyclopaedia and that readers will appreciate this effort and this encyclopaedia will enhance their knowledge on Buddhism in general and Tantric Buddhism in particular.