A History of Indian Literature v2.c19.s6.t5.80

v2.c19.s6.t5.80

The earliest Tantras are difficult to distinguish from the Mahāyāna-Sūtras. It may be that Mahāyāna doctrines mingled with Tantric rites, or perhaps works which were originally Sūtras, were remodelled into Tantras. Among the earlier Tantras we have the Tathāgata-Guhyaka or Guhyasamāja, which was a very authoritative work as early as in the 7th century. It was an authority for Indrabhūti,¹ and even in the Śikṣā-Samuccaya a Tathāgata-Guhya-Sūtra is quoted several times.² The passages quoted, however, teach a pure Mahāyāna morality, and appear to have been culled from a Mahāyāna-Sūtra rather than from a Tantra, for instance: