Editing Tibetan Buddhism (section)

===Tantric literature===
{{Main|Tantras (Buddhism)|Classes of Tantra in Tibetan Buddhism}}
In Tibetan Buddhism, the Buddhist Tantras are divided into four or six categories, with several sub-categories for the highest Tantras.

In the Nyingma, the division is into ''Outer Tantras'' ([[Classes of Tantra in Tibetan Buddhism#Kriyā|Kriyayoga]], [[Charyayoga]], [[Yogatantra]]); and ''Inner Tantras'' ([[Mahayoga]], [[Anuyoga]], [[Atiyoga]]/[[Dzogchen]]), which correspond to the "Anuttarayoga-tantra".<ref>"Yoginitantras are in the secondary literature often called Anuttarayoga. But this is based on a mistaken back translation of the Tibetan translation (rnal byor bla med kyi rgyud) of what appears in Sanskrit texts only as Yogānuttara or Yoganiruttara (cf. SANDERSON 1994: 97–98, fn.1)."

Isabelle Onians, "Tantric Buddhist Apologetics, or Antinomianism as a Norm," D.Phil. dissertation, Oxford, Trinity Term 2001. pg 70
</ref> For the Nyingma school, important tantras include the [[Guhyagarbha tantra|''Guhyagarbha Tantra'']], the ''[[Guhyasamāja Tantra|Guhyasamaja Tantra]],''{{sfnp|Samuel|2012|p=32}} the ''[[Kulayarāja Tantra]]'' and the 17 [[Seventeen tantras|Dzogchen Tantras]].

In the Sarma schools, the division is:{{sfnp|Samuel|2012|p=78}}

* '''''Kriya-yoga''''' – These have an emphasis on purification and ritual acts and include texts like the [[Mañjuśrī-mūla-kalpa|''Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa'']].
* '''''Charya-yoga''''' – Contain "a balance between external activities and internal practices", mainly referring to the ''[[Mahavairocana Tantra|Mahāvairocana Abhisaṃbodhi Tantra]].''
* '''''Yoga-tantra''''', is mainly concerned with internal yogic techniques and includes the ''[[Tattvasaṃgraha Tantra]].''
* [[Anuttarayoga Tantra|'''''Anuttarayoga-tantra''''']], contains more advanced techniques such as [[subtle body]] practices and is subdivided into: 
**Father tantras, which emphasize illusory body and [[Deity yoga|completion stage]] practices and includes the [[Guhyasamāja Tantra|''Guhyasamaja Tantra'']] and ''[[Yamantaka]] Tantra''.
**Mother tantras, which emphasize the development stage and [[Luminous mind|clear light mind]] and includes the ''[[Hevajra Tantra]]'' and ''[[Cakrasaṃvara Tantra|Cakrasamvara Tantra]].''
**Non-dual tantras, which balance the above elements, and mainly refers to the [[Kalacakra|''Kalacakra Tantra'']]

The root tantras themselves are almost unintelligible without the various Indian and Tibetan commentaries, therefore, they are never studied without the use of the tantric commentarial apparatus.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}