Running head: VAJRAYANA BUDDHISM

Vajrayana Buddhism
Eric Raymond
REL/133
September 7, 2015
James Finch

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Vajrayana Buddhism

The purpose of this paper is to discuss a school of Buddhism called Vajrayana Buddhism.
The author will summarize the history of Buddhism and the life of Buddha as well as explain the
basic teachings of Buddhism. The author will also discuss the things that make Vajrayana
Buddhism unique.
Buddhism is a religion which began in northern India by a former prince named
Siddhartha Gautama. He grew up in a life of luxury and protection until he left the palace he
lived in and went out into the world and "witnessed the suffering of ordinary life" which lead
him to ponder on his own existence. He wanted to find a reason for all of the suffering in the
world. He went through an experience he referred to as the Four Passing Sights. He witnessed
an old man, a sick man, a corpse, and a holy man. Siddhartha noticed the Holy man had no
possessions but was completely at peace. The Holy man had no need for worldly possessions
like what Siddhartha was used to since he lived in a palace all of his life and was a prince. This
made him feel like he had been living in a pleasant prison all of his life and that was not what
he wanted. As he pondered his existence and human life, he could no longer enjoy the luxuries
he was accustomed to and he became depressed. He cut off all of his hair, abandoned all of his
worldly possessions and left the palace to go seek the answers to his questions about human
existence and suffering.
Siddhartha sought out a teacher to give him the answers to the questions he had. He
learned techniques of meditation and philosophy but he still did not get the answers he needed.
He spent six years seeking answers to the suffering in the world, death, and human existence.
His teachers agreed some things and disagreed on others. He lived with very little food, drink
and sleep which lead him to collapsed one day. He rested under a sacred tree and was discovered

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by a woman who came from a nearby town to worship the tree spirit. She gave him food and he
ate under the tree until he was strong enough to walk. He eventually went to another sacred tree
and sat facing east. He then meditated until he had the understanding to the questions he had
which was his Awakening or Enlightenment, and he became the Buddha.
He then travelled west and started teaching others about understanding he now had. He
spent the rest of his life travelling and teaching his way of life which attracted many followers.
Today, there are more than 350 million Buddhists in the world. Some of his teachings have
evolved slightly into 3 different schools of Buddhism called Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana,
and Zen Buddhism.
Vajrayana Buddhism
Vajrayana Buddhism is a school of Buddhism which was formed in India in the 5th
century C.E. and is practiced by over 6 million people. It is also known as the Diamond or
Thunderbolt vehicle and it is debated whether it is a branch of Mahayana Buddhism, or its own
school of Buddhism which can be a direct path to enlightenment. It quickly spread outside of
India into other countries like Tibet where it is known as Tibetan Buddhism or Tantric
Buddhism.
Vajrayana Buddhism teaches that the body and all its energies could be used to reach
enlightenment (Molloy, 20013), and moves away from the original Buddhist teachings of
detachment from the world. Vajrayana Buddhists use scriptures and Tantras to achieve
enlightenment. They believe that sexual union is very powerful and is used for enlightenment
and unity. They often depict images of sexual acts and use sexual acts to help attain
enlightenment. Tantric Buddhism has a heavy influence from Hinduism as well such as its
depiction of many male and female deities. Vajrayana Buddhism also teaches that there are also

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powers that can be obtained through rituals, mantras, symbolism and prayer wheels which are
cylinders that revolve around a pole with pieces of paper attached to it that are inscribed with
sacred phrases. Tantric Buddhists also sing, and chant to bring power and wisdom through
repetition.

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References
Buddhism. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.patheos.com/Library/Buddhism
Molloy, M. (2013). Experiencing the worlds religions: Tradition, challenge, and change (6th
ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Vajrayana Buddhism. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.patheos.com/Library/VajrayanaBuddhism