Tantric Buddhism

From the Jacket: Tantrism, both traditional and Buddhist, with its vast literature containing intricate ritualistic and philosophical details occupies an important place in the religious and cultural life of India and some Asian countries. The subject however, still appears to be an enigma, notwithstanding numerous works in this field.

This volume contains informative and analytical papers by eminent scholars on different aspects of Tantric Buddhism and Tantras in general. The essays throw significant light on the so called puzzling obscurity of tantric ideas and practices especially pertaining to the Buddhist Tantras. They demonstrate the richness and variety of Buddhist Tantric literature. They also show that fragments of Mahayanic philosophical ideas lie scattered in the Buddhist Tantras, sometimes as speculations on the nature of the truth and mainly in the context of the ceremonies and secret yogic practices. These are also manifested in Tibetan and other Asiatic forms of Buddhism and in icons representing the gods and goddesses, the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and their consorts.

The papers presented in this volume also reveal that there is basically no difference in the principles, viewpoints and even contents, between the Buddhist and non Buddhist Tantras. Their contents are rooted in a single source - the spiritual and psychical consciousness of the most ancient peoples.

This volume is presented as a tribute to an outstanding pioneer in the field of tantric Buddhist studies, Dr. Benoytosh Bhattacharyya(1897-1964).

About the Editor:

Dr. N.N. Bhattacharyya recently retired from the Department of Ancient History and Culture, Calcutta University where he taught social and religious history. Dr. Bhattacharyyas' publications include the Indian Puberty Rites (1968-1980), Indian Mother Goddess(1970,1977), Buddhism in the History of Indian Ideas(1993), Ancient Indian History and Civilization: trends and perspectives(1988), History of Tantric Religion: A Historical, Ritualistic and Philosophical Study (1992,1998), Ancient Indian Rituals and their Social Contents (1976,1996), Jaina philosophy(1976), History of Researches on Indian Buddhism (1981), Medieval Bhakti Movements in India(1989), A Glossary of Indian Religious Terms and Concepts(1990), the Geographical Dictionary: Ancient and Early Medieval India(1991), Encyclopaedia of Ancient Indian Culture(1998).

Contents:

Preface

Dr. Benoytosh Bhattacharyya (1897-1964)

1.The Introduction to Jayakhya Samhita by Benoytosh Bhattacharyya and Indological Chronology
Parbhakar Apte

2.The manda and the -la of the Term Mandala
Alex Wayman

3.Representation of Asta-mahabodhisattvas from Nalanda: An Iconographic Study
Debala Mitra

4.From the Goddesses of Plaosan to the Dharani-Mandala at Alchi
Lokesh Chanra and Sudarshana Devi Singhal

5.Sanskritic Buddhism in South-East Asia
Indra Y. Junghare

6.Kula in the Indo-Tibetan Tantra Literature
Suniti Kumar Pathak

7.The Bodhisattva Ideal: A Chronological Survey
Meena V. Talim

8.Goddess Vajravarahi: An Iconographic Study
Mallar Mitra

9.History of Tantric Buddhism in Tamilnadu
G. V. Saroja

10.The Tantras: An Excursus into Origins
Pranabananda Jash

11.A new Dimension to the Study of the Buddhist Tantras
Vraj Vallabh Dvivedi

12.Colour Symbolism in Tantric Buddhism
T. K. Biswas

13.Concept of Mudra in Japanese (Shingon) Esoteric Buddhism
Kalpakam Sankarnarayan and Yoritomi Motohiro

14.Social Prespective of Tantrism: A Religion of the Kali Age
Bhaskar Chatterjee

15.The Cult of Tara in Historical Prespective
N. N. Bhattacharyya

16.Vajrayogini and Mahakala-Two most Fearful Deities in the Buddhist Tantric Pantheon
Kalpika Mukherjee

17.Parnasabari: A Tantric Buddhist Goddess
Parnasabari Bhattacharyya

18.Tantric Buddhism and the Liberation of Women: Question, Problems and Possibilities
Kumkum Roy

19.The Concept of Siddhacaryas and their Images
Shyamalkanti Chakravarti and Sipra Chakravarti

20.The basic contents of the Siddhacaryas Sayings from the Tibetan Translation
Bhakti De

21.Emergence of Neo-Religious thought in Proto-Medieval Bengal
Rangan Kanti Jana

22.The Kalacakra School: The Latest Phase of Buddhism 
Biswanath Banerjee

23.Female Deities in a Buddhist Tamil Epic
S. N. Kandaswamy

24.Kurukulla, Tara and Vajresi in Sripura
R. N. Mehta

25.The Tantric Dance of Dharma: The Mask Dances at the Hemis Festival of Ladakh
Madhu Khanna

26.Arapacana: A Mystic Buddhist Script
B. N. Mukherjee

Index

Of Related Interest:

Love and Passion in Tantric Buddhist Art (Article)

Dance of the Yogini: Images of Aggression in Tantric Buddhism (Article)

Color Symbolism In Buddhist Art (Article)

The Buddhist Mandala - Sacred Geometry and Art (Article)

The Bodhisattva Ideal: Buddhism and the Aesthetics of Selflessness (Article)

Green Tara and White Tara - Feminist Ideals in Buddhist Art (Article)

Vajravarahi (Tibetan Thangka Painting)

Mahakala (Sterling Silver Box Pendant)

Iconography of the Buddhist Deity Heruka (Book)