r(5 CHAPTER ONE
Indian origin) and Buddhasanta, both of north Indian origin, escaping from
the threatening Huns, came to China, carrying with them some Tantric
Buddhist texts, though most of these texts had already been introduced by
previous Buddhist missionaries from central Asia.
In the early seventh century, the Harsa unified northern India. Hsiian-tsang
(600- or 602-664) made his pilgrimage to India and returned in 645. Among
the many Buddhist texts he brought back were about ten Tantric Buddhist
texts, some of which had previously been known in China. Indications are
that tantrism became the major school of Buddhism in India immediately
after Hsiian-tsang returned to China. In southern India, the Pallavas, who had
come to power in the fourth century, exercised a dominant influence from the
early sixth through mid-seventh centuries, but were defeated by the Cholas in
about 750. The Pallavan converts to Tantric Buddhism sought refuge in
Orissa. This period marked the decline of Tantric Buddhism in southern India
and its rise in Orissa, where Vajrayana became popular.
King Indrabhuti (678-717)who, incidentally, was the father of Pad-
masambhava, the prominent monk who entered Tibet in about 747 and who is
the founder of the Tibetan rNin-ma-pa schoolis the author of Jnanasiddhi,
Kurukullasadharma, and other Buddhist texts. He is the alleged founder of the
Vajrayana school of Tantric Buddhism. The term 'vajra means 'diamond',
though it also means 'thunderbolt', 'weapon', etc. Vajrayana means the
'indestructible vehicle'. It prescribed methods for attaining the indestructible
body (vajra-kaya) by realizing the nature of emptiness (sunyata), and it
incorporated the tantras then popular among the masses of the Bengal region
and contributed much to developing unique Buddhist literature written in local
vernacular, like the Apabh-ratnsa. This unique collection of literature is called
caryagiti or doha and was developed by the Sahajayana branch of Vajrayana.
The Sahajayana attempted to realize the ultimate truth within one's own
physical body (sahaja). (Vajra-kaya was conceived within sahaja-kaya.)
Though this theory has a solid doctrinal basis, it nevertheless led to moral
depravity in practice, as in the case of mahasukha, the union of male and
female energythe former representing the seeker of truth and the latter truth
TANTRIC BUDDHSIM 17
per se. But it is an open question whether moral decadence was the result of
tantrism or whether the type of tantrism which developed during this period
reflected the moral decadence of its society. Even if the former is true,
Vajrayana did manage to produce prominent and respectable philosophers,
like Atlsa (980-1052), who entered the kingdom of King "Khan-Ide of Tibet,
upon invitation, and contributed much toward reforming the Tibetan Sahgha.
It would be erroneous to simply associate Vajrayana per se with moral
decadence.
In the wake of anarchy which characterized northern India during the first
half of the eight century, the Palas (possibly of non-Brahman and non-
Ksatriyan origin) emerged and expanded their empire throughout this area.
Gopala (reigned ca. 765-770), the first Pala king, built water reservoirs,
developed irrigation systems, and promoted agriculture. Tantric Buddhism
entered Bengal from Orissa at about this time. Gopala became a Buddhist
convert and he established a Buddhist academy, the Odantapuri. Dharmapala,
the second king, established the Vikrainaslla University in the late eighth
century. This was the center of Vajrayana studies to which monks from Tibet,
Nepal, Srivijaya, and China came to study. In the ninth century, Devapala
established the Somapuri University. It is a safe assumption that the Palas
supported Buddhism as a reaction against their predecessors in northern India,
the Brahmanic Cholas and Guptas, but the type of Buddhism which they
supported was that which already manifested a heavy trace of Brahmanic
influence. At any rate, Tantric Buddhism in Bengal received the support of the
Pala kings until the early thirteenth century, a period which signaled the
Moslem invasion of the Bengal region which essentially wiped out what
remained of Buddhism. Fortunately, Mahayana was already introduced to
East Asia, making possible its survival in that area and marking that area as a
distinct Mahayana complex.
4. The Tantric Transmission to East Asia
Subhakarasimha (637-735), Vajrabodhi (671-741), and Amoghavajra (705-
774), a disciple of Vajrabodhi, carried with them a vast collection
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