An Introduction to Tantric Buddhism c7.2

c7.2

Fragments of Mahāyānic 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. In adopting Mahāyāna Buddhism and the cognate monistic thought the Buddhist Tantras show little power of assimilation and systematisation. The loose speculations show a marked mixture of ideas, and the concepts are freely used more often in their traditional vagueness than in their precise philosophical connotation. The study of these philosophical fragments has no value by itself, for, as we have said, they say nothing new. The really important and interesting study will be the study of the history of the transformation of these philosophical ideas into esoteric theology and doctrines and their association with the esoteric practices with which the Tantras in general abound. Nevertheless, we are giving below some specimen of philosophical discussions from some of the representative Buddhist Tantras just to give the reader an idea as to how they occur in these texts.