Vajrayana Buddhism emerged in Tibet about the 7th century AD. Its prominent symbol is the ‘Vajra’ which means a diamond, or thunder bolt. It was the latest phase in the development and evolution of Buddhism.
Vajrayana’s main claim is that it enables a person to reach Nirvana or freedom from suffering in a single lifetime, rather than passing through countless lives before achieving salvation. Vajrayana promises the ‘fast path’ to Buddhahood-a path that, in some Vajrayana traditions, brings magical powers.
Vajrayana Buddhism lays great emphasis on mantras or incantations, mudras or hand gestures, and mandalas or diagrams of deities and other cosmic forces. It also involves for the first time, worship of female deities, of which the most important of all is Tara.
Vajrayana Buddhism developed out of Mahayana teachings in Northwest India. It is also known as Tantric Buddhism, due to its reliance on sacred texts called tantras.
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