vajra

[Stephen Hodge]

Ven Tantra wrote:
> Among the Indian Buddhist schools, Tantra generally
> goes by the name of Vajrayaana, the "diamond-" or
> "thunderbolt-vehicle."

But does it ?   Admittedly I am more familiar with early Buddhist
tantras -- those preceeding the anutarrayoga category -- but the term
"vajrayaana" does not seem to be that common in Indic text connected
to the tantras.  I note that it is used in the
Sarva-tathaagata-tattva-sa.mgraha.  Your suggestion that "vajra" is
linked to "li`nga" may reflect later associations but these must be
derivative since the STTS does not have any sexual rituals or imagery.
The STTS must precede the Guhya-samaaja-tantra which seems to be the
first Buddhist tantric text to use sexual imagery.  Historically what
seems to be used to indicate the "tantric path" was initially (late
7th to mid 8th century CE) "mantra-naya" (in contrast to
"paaramitaa-naya".   This then changes a little later to
"mantra-yaana" (or "guhya-mantra-yaana) which continues to be the
generally preferred term.  Admittedly the term "vajra-yaana" is widely
used in native Tibetan works but I wonder if its popularity in modern
works is actually based on Tibetan usage --  there are quite a number
of these occuring in modern studies in a Sanskrit guise even when they
have have no genuine Indic origin.

Best wishes,
Stephen Hodge

Also reagrding the connection between lightning and diamonds, my
understanding is that diamonds, as also meteorites/tektites were
though to be produced from lightning striking the ground.



But its original name was
> probably Vajravaada, the "thunderbolt-way." Vajra or
> "thunderbolt" is apparently the Buddhist version of
> the li.nga, and the vajravaada most likely indicated a
> special erotic ritual. Li.nga itself appears to be
> derived from the very early Austric language. In its
> earliest sense, then, li.nga denotes a primitive
> "plough" or "digging stick." It is said that before
> the invading Aryans entered the Indus Valley
> Civilization (present-day Pakistan), they had never
> encountered the li.nga-worship. Initially they were
> horrified by the cult. They contemptuously referred to
> Ziva as ZiZna-devataa or "penis-deity" and forbade all
> contacts with his worshippers.
>
> rgrds.
> VT
>
>
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