268 Traditions of Buddhism
The canonical Abhidharma texts, which constituted the third
division of the older Indian canons, are not included in the
Tibetan Kanjur. Tibetan study of the Abhidharma is based on
Sarvastivadin and Y ogacarin treatises included in the other great
canonical collection of Tibetan Buddhism, namely the Tenjur,
which contains over 3,500 texts (mostly translations of Indian
commentaries and treatises) in over 200 volumes.
Tantric BuddhismThe forms of Buddhist practice and teaching that were introduced
to Tibet from the seventh to the twelfth centuries were funda-
mentally those current across northern and eastern India at the
time. Tibetan Buddhist teaching and practice divides into two
main types: (I) the conve_ntional Mahayana 'gradual path' (lam
rim) of the perfections and bhumis as taught in the Mahayana
siltras and expounded by subsequent tradition; (2) the esoteric
path of the tantras (Tibetan rgyud).
Tantra represents the final development of Indian Buddhism.
It should not be regarded as a further development in Bud-
dhist thought, but is rather a particular approach to the practice
of the Buddhist path occurring within the general Mahayana
philosophical framework, as set out by the Madhyamaka and
Y ogacara, and giving special emphasis to the idea of the equi-
valence of nirval).a and saf!lsara. Tantra is also referred to as 'the
vehicle of protective spells' (mantra-yiina/sNgagstheg-pa) or 'the
vehicle of the diamond thunderbolt' (vajra-yiinalrDo-rjetheg-
pa). Tibetan tradition links its practice in India and transmission
to Tibet to a group of eighty-four siddhas (grub-thob) or 'accom-
plished ones', legendary for their extraordinary magical powers
and their eccentric and unpredictable behaviour.^27
Tantras are texts setting out certain esoteric meditation prac~
tices which present themselves as a secret teaching deriving
directly from the Buddha himself. Modern scholarship, however,
dates the production of these texts to a period over I ,ooo years
after the Buddha, and regards them as evolving as part of a wider
Indian tantric movement. The Vajrayana is seen as a powerful
and extremely effective method of practice leading directly· to