Buddhist tantric literature

This article is about the esoteric Buddhist scriptures. For the Hindu equivalent, see Hindu tantric literature. For the esoteric practices called tantra, regardless of religion, see Tantra. For Tantric or Esoteric Buddhism, see Vajrayana.
A manuscript of the Vajravali, a tantric commentary by Abhayakaragupta (manuscript c. 11th or 12th century CE, Sanskrit in Nepalaksara script).

Buddhist tantric literature refers to the vast and varied literature of the Vajrayāna (or Mantrayāna) Buddhist traditions. The earliest of these works are a genre of Indian Buddhist tantric scriptures, variously named Tantras, Sūtras and Kalpas, which were composed from the 7th century CE onwards.[1] They are followed by later tantric commentaries (called pañjikās and ṭīkās), original compositions by Vajrayana authors (called prakaraṇas and upadeśas), sādhanas (practice texts), ritual manuals (kalpas or vidhis), collections of tantric songs (dohās) odes (stotra), or hymns, and other related works. Tantric Buddhist literature survives in various languages, including Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Chinese. Most Indian sources were composed in Sanskrit, but numerous tantric works were also composed in other languages like Tibetan and Chinese.

  1. ^ Woolf 2015.