Earliest Reference for "Vajra"

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The_Unholy_Peasant
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Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2022 11:34 pm

Earliest Reference for "Vajra"

Post by The_Unholy_Peasant »

Does anyone know who coined the word "vajra" to describe the tantric vehicle?
Matylda
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Re: Earliest Reference for "Vajra"

Post by Matylda »

The_Unholy_Peasant wrote: Sat Apr 09, 2022 12:15 am Does anyone know who coined the word "vajra" to describe the tantric vehicle?
As fa as EA buddhism is under any consideration the term used was mantra, not vajra. i.e. mantrayana, never vajrayana. Also longer term was - secret teaching of mantra school/mantrajana.

Vajra is much broder term in EA and is used by different schools not only by vajrayana/mantrayana. the term Mantra makes clear distinction. Vajra does not.
The_Unholy_Peasant
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2022 11:34 pm

Re: Earliest Reference for "Vajra"

Post by The_Unholy_Peasant »

Thank you. Let me refine my question:

When is the earliest attested use of "mantrayana"?

(I'll ask the other in the Tibetan Buddhism forum.)
Matylda
Posts: 1065
Joined: Mon May 14, 2012 3:32 pm

Re: Earliest Reference for "Vajra"

Post by Matylda »

The_Unholy_Peasant wrote: Sat Apr 09, 2022 1:57 pm Thank you. Let me refine my question:

When is the earliest attested use of "mantrayana"?

(I'll ask the other in the Tibetan Buddhism forum.)
Most probably it arrived from the begining of the viii century, with appearance of mantra teachers like Vajrabodhi and others. Anyway in India mantra vehicle was growing in popularity at that time, so with intense exchange of monks from India and China mantrayana became spread up to Japan. Further was only ocean.
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