An Introduction to Tantric Buddhism c8.2

c8.2

In describing the schools of esoteric Buddhism the best thing would have been to trace historically the origin and development of the various schools with their particular faiths, doctrines and practices; but the data for such a historical survey is so scanty and confused that we do not venture to make such an attempt. Dr. Benayatosh Bhattacarya in his *Introduction to Buddhist Esoterism* has of course made an attempt at constructing some sort of a history of the Vajrayānist and the Sahajiyā preachers; but so vast and confused is the field and so scanty and doubtful are the materials that the structure does not seem to be very well built. The same remark holds good for the attempt made by Dr. Shahidullah in tracing the history of the Sahajiyā Buddhist School in his work *Les Chants Mystiques de Kanha et de Saraha*.