. tibetan buddhism in mongol-yuan china (–) 549
Buddhism was demonized as pure sorcery that brought calamity to the
country and the people, and it was blamed for the rapid destruction of
the Mongol dynasty. Because of the secret teaching of supreme bliss,
the yogic practice of the path and fruit teaching and that of the six
doctrines of Nāropa were viewed simply as “the art of bedchamber.”
These negative images of Tibetan lamas and Tibetan Buddhism left
by Yuan Chinese literati have had a far-reaching and lasting impact
on Chinese perceptions of Tibetan Buddhism. In late Chinese literary
works, Tibetan tantric Buddhist practices lost their religious meaning
as a whole. The tantric practices were described as nothing other than
a religious excuse for the shameless pursuit of sexual pleasure. Tibetan
lamas were said to be skilled only at performing sorcery or selling
drugs to stimulate male potency, or for seeking fame and deceiv-
ing people. Yet, despite these negative images, the spread of Tibetan
tantric Buddhism in China did not abate. The Han Chinese rulers of
the Ming were at least as enthusiastic as their Mongol predecessors
toward Tibetan tantric Buddhism, and it penetrated much deeper into
Chinese society during the Ming dynasty.