BAJRAYANA BUDDHISM

Bajra is thunderbolt and at the same time it also connotes diamond. Tantric tradition of Buddhism has chosen this word because of its being indestructible as well as its ability to cut through all substances. Having accepted most of the principles and assumptions of Mahayana, Bajrayana further expands and elaborates these. Boddhi as the supreme matrix of enlightenment characterizes the goal. Every sentient being is considered as a potential Buddha. The constraints and bottlenecks for anybody to attain Buddha-hood is ignorance and impurities of mind and action. Once it is removed, Boddhi or the enlightenment is attainable. This state of reality may be achieved through combination of Prajna, the transcendental knowledge and Upaya or well-meaning action in combination with karuna or compassion. Thus, both literally and figuratively, Bajrayana is the belief in the twin principles of insight and compassion and in their co-emergence leading to the state of Mahasukha or the attainment of greatest of blessings.
Mahayana Buddhism is dominated by Mantras or sacred spells, and therefore, it is also known as Mantrayana, Tantrayana or Vajrayana. It is characterized as the path, which leads to perfect enlightenment. Vajrayana   literally means the adamantine path or vehicle, but its technical meaning is the “Sunya Vehicle” where Sunya or nothingness or a state of total absence is used to represent vajra – “Thundebolt” or “diamond” and Yana means “Path, Way or Vehicle”.