Editing Vajrayana (section)

==Traditions==
[[File:Buddhist sects.png|thumb|Map showing the dominant [[Schools of Buddhism|Buddhist tradition]] throughout Asia. Vajrayana (in the form of Tibetan Buddhism) dominates the Himalayan regions and in the [[Mongols#Geographic distribution|Mongolian]] regions.]]
[[File:Nilakantha Dharani stele at Fo Ding Shan Pilgrim Monastery Temple 20170820.jpg|thumb|The [[Nīlakaṇṭha Dhāraṇī]] engraved on a stele. Temple Fo Ding Shan Chao Sheng in Sanyi Township, [[Taiwan]]. Erected in June 2005.]]Although there is historical evidence for [[Vajrayana Buddhism in Southeast Asia|Vajrayāna Buddhism in Southeast Asia]] and elsewhere (see [[#History|History of Vajrayāna]] above), today Vajrayāna exists primarily in the form of the two major traditions of [[Tibetan Buddhism|Indo-Tibetan Buddhism]] (in [[Tibet]] and other parts of the [[China|PRC]], [[Bhutan]], [[India]] and also internationally) and [[Shingon Buddhism|Japanese Esoteric Buddhism]] (mostly in [[Japan]]), which is found in the [[Shingon Buddhism|Shingon]] (literally "True Speech", i.e. ''[[mantra]]'') and [[Tendai]] schools.

Other traditions like contemporary [[Chinese Buddhism]], [[Japanese Zen]], [[Korean Buddhism]], and [[Buddhism in Vietnam|Vietnamese Buddhism]] also make use of esoteric (Chinese: mijiao, Japanese: [[Mikkyō|mikkyo]]) or mantrayana methods to a lesser extent. In many Asian Mahayana Buddhist traditions, esoteric methods are used as a complement, not as the central practice. This mainly involves the recitation of mantras (like the [[Ten Small Mantras|ten small mantras]]) and various popular [[dharani]]s. However, certain revival movements have attempted to establish new esoteric schools in mainland East Asia such as [http://www.kmkt.org.tw/index.html Mantra School Bright Lineage] (in China) and the South Korean [[Jingak Order]].

There was strong connection between the [[Pala Empire|Palas]] in [[Bengal]], [[Srivijaya Empire|Srivijaya]] in [[Nusantara (term)|Nusantara]], and the kingdoms in [[East Asia]] through the sea route. Medieval monks were a prime factor in the spread of esoteric Buddhism.<ref>{{cite book | last = Acri | first = Andrea | year = 2016 | title = Esoteric Buddhism in Mediaeval Maritime Asia; Networks of Masters, Texts, Icons | publisher =
ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute | url = https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/esoteric-buddhism-in-mediaeval-maritime-asia/A5B46A561DC9C3AB31FEB133BFEE7763 | isbn = 9789814695091}}</ref>

[[File:Esoteric Buddhism in Southeast and Eastern Eurasia.png|thumb|A map depicting the spread of Esoteric Buddhism in Southeast and Eastern Eurasia]]

The distinction between mantrayana traditions is not always rigid. For example, the [[tantra]] sections of the [[Kangyur|Tibetan Buddhist canon of texts]] sometimes include material not usually thought of as tantric outside the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, such as the widely recited ''[[Heart Sutra]]''{{sfn|Conze|1978}} and even versions of some material found in the ''[[Pali Canon]]''.{{refn|group=lower-alpha|{{harvnb|Skilling|1998|p=78}}, speaks of the tantra divisions of some editions of the [[Kangyur]] as including Sravakayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana texts.}}

=== Chinese Esoteric Buddhism ===
{{main|Chinese Esoteric Buddhism}}
[[File:Jing'an,_Shanghai,_China_-_panoramio_(7).jpg|thumb|The [[Jing'an Temple]] in [[Shanghai]], China, which promotes the Chinese Zhenyan (Mantrayana) tradition.]]
Esoteric and Tantric teachings followed the same route into northern [[China]] as [[Buddhism]] itself, arriving via the [[Silk Road]] and Southeast Asian Maritime trade routes sometime during the first half of the 7th century, during the [[Tang dynasty]] and received sanction from the emperors of the Tang dynasty. During this time, three great masters came from India to China: [[Subhakarasimha|Śubhakarasiṃha]], [[Vajrabodhi]], and [[Amoghavajra]] who translated key texts and founded the ''Zhenyan'' (真言, "true word", "[[mantra]]") tradition.{{sfn|Baruah|2000|p=170}}

''Zhenyan'' was also brought to [[Japan]] as [[Shingon]] during this period. This tradition focused on tantras like the [[Mahavairocana tantra]], and unlike Tibetan Buddhism, it does not employ the antinomian and radical tantrism of the ''[[Anuttarayoga Tantra]]s.'' The prestige of this tradition eventually influenced other schools of [[Chinese Buddhism]] such as [[Chan Buddhism|Chan]] and [[Tiantai]] to adopt various esoteric practices over time, leading to a merging of teachings between the various schools.<ref>Orzech, Charles D. (general editor) (2011). Esoteric Buddhism and the Tantras in East Asia, Brill, Page 296.</ref>{{sfn|Sharf|2002|p=268}}<ref>Faure, Bernard (1997) ''The Will to Orthodoxy: A Critical Genealogy of Northern Chan Buddhism'': p. 85</ref> During the [[Yuan dynasty]], the [[Mongol]] emperors made [[Tibetan Buddhism]] the official religion of China, and Tibetan lamas were given patronage at the court.<ref name="Nan Huaijin 1997. p. 99">Nan Huaijin. ''Basic Buddhism: Exploring Buddhism and Zen.'' York Beach: Samuel Weiser. 1997. p. 99.</ref> Imperial support of Tibetan Vajrayana continued into the Ming and Qing dynasties.
[[File:國家古蹟大和街三仙亭中元普渡法會 01.jpg|thumb|The [[Vajracharya|vajrācārya]] of a Yujia Yankou ritual performing a mudrā while wearing a Five Buddha crown adorned with images of the [[Five Tathāgatas]]]]
Today, esoteric traditions are deeply embedded in mainstream Chinese Buddhism and expressed through various rituals which make use of tantric mantra and dhāraṇī and the veneration of certain tantric deities like [[Cundi (Buddhism)|Cundi]] and [[Acala]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Orzech|first=Charles D.|date=1989|title=Seeing Chen-Yen Buddhism: Traditional Scholarship and the Vajrayāna in China|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1062679|journal=History of Religions|volume=29|issue=2|pages=87–114|doi=10.1086/463182|jstor=1062679|s2cid=162235701|issn=0018-2710|access-date=2021-05-14|archive-date=2021-04-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421004132/https://www.jstor.org/stable/1062679|url-status=live}}</ref> One example of esoteric teachings still practiced in many Chinese Buddhist monasteries is the [[Śūraṅgama Sūtra]] and the dhāraṇī revealed within it, the [[Shurangama Mantra|Śūraṅgama Mantra]], which are especially influential in the Chinese Chan tradition.<ref>Shi, Hsüan Hua (1977). ''The Shurangama Sutra'', pp. 68–71 Sino-American Buddhist Association, Buddhist Text Translation Society. {{ISBN|978-0-917512-17-9}}.</ref> Another example is the popular tantric [[Yujia Yankou]] ritual, where monastics take on the role of a [[Vajracharya|vajrācārya]] and performs [[deity yoga]] through the usage of [[Mantra|mantras]], [[Mudra|mudrās]] and [[Mandala|maṇḍala]] offerings in order to help facilitate the nourishment and ultimate liberation of all [[Sentient beings (Buddhism)|sentient beings]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Lye, Hun Yeow, Department of Religious Studies, University of Virginia |title=Feeding Ghosts: A Study of the Yuqie Yankou Rite |url=https://libraetd.lib.virginia.edu/public_view/b8515n64w |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=libraetd.lib.virginia.edu}}</ref> In particular, the usage of [[Mantra|mantras]], [[Mudra|mudrās]] and [[Mandala|maṇḍalas]] in the ritual correspond directly to the concept of the "Three Mysteries" ([[Traditional Chinese characters|Chinese]]: 三密; [[pinyin]]: ''Sānmì'') in [[tantric Buddhism]]: the "secrets" of body, speech and mind.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite book |title=Esoteric Buddhism and the tantras in East Asia |date=2011 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-90-04-20401-0 |editor-last=Orzech |editor-first=Charles D. |series=Handbook of oriental studies Section 4, China volume 24 |location=Leiden Boston |editor-last2=Sørensen |editor-first2=Henrik H. |editor-last3=Payne |editor-first3=Richard K.}}</ref> This ritual is commonly performed during or at the end of regular religious temple events such as [[repentance]] rites, [[Nianfo|Buddha recitation]] retreats, the dedication of a new monastic complex or gatherings for the transmission of [[monastic vows]]. It is also widely performed as a post-mortem rite within Chinese society during funerals and other related occasions such as the [[Ghost Festival]].<ref name=":0" /> A related ritual that also involves esoteric practices is the extensive [[Shuilu Fahui]] ceremony, which involves setting up [[Mandala|maṇḍalas]] of esoteric deities such as the [[Wisdom King#The Ten Wisdom Kings|Ten Wisdom Kings]] as well as the invocation of those deities to the ritual space via [[Mantra|mantras]], [[Mudra|mudrās]] and visualization.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bloom |first=Phillip |date=2013-09-24 |title=Descent of the Deities: The Water-Land Retreat and the Transformation of the Visual Culture of Song-Dynasty (960-1279) Buddhism |url=https://dash.harvard.edu/entities/publication/73120378-b849-6bd4-e053-0100007fdf3b |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Water -Land Dharma Function Platform ritual and the Great Compassion Repentance ritual - ProQuest |url=https://www.proquest.com/openview/1e7f2eadff4d9baec078f55f48fd3dc7/1 |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=www.proquest.com |language=en}}</ref>

A recent development is known as the "tantric revival movement" (mijiao fuxing yundong 密教復興運動) which involved the revival of Chinese Esoteric schools by Chinese students of Japanese Shingon.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bahir |first=Cody |date=2021 |title=From China to Japan and Back Again: An Energetic Example of Bidirectional Sino-Japanese Esoteric Buddhist Transmission |journal=Religions |volume=12 |issue=9 |pages=675 |doi=10.3390/rel12090675 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Some important figures of this revival include Wang Hongyuan 王弘願 (1876–1937), and Guru Wuguang (悟光上師 (1918–2000), both trained in Shingon and went on to spread Shingon teachings in the Chinese speaking world.<ref>Bahir, Cody R. [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330425088_Replanting_the_Bodhi_Tree_Buddhist_Sectarianism_and_Zhenyan_Revivalism_Pacific_World_Third_Series_Number_20_2018_95-129 Replanting the Bodhi Tree: Buddhist Sectarianism and Zhenyan Revivalism.] Pacific World: Third Series Number 20 (2018): 95-129.</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=An |first=Saiping |date=July 2023 |title=The Reception of the Mantra of Light in Republican Period Chinese Buddhism |journal=Religions |language=en |volume=14 |issue=7 |pages=818 |doi=10.3390/rel14070818 |issn=2077-1444 |doi-access=free}}</ref> These revivalist lineages exist in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Malaysia. Though they draw mainly from Shingon teachings, they have also adopted some [[Tibetan Buddhism|Tibetan Buddhist]] elements.<ref>Bahir, Cody R. (2018) [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325771272_Reformulating_the_Appropriated_and_Relinking_the_Chain_Challenges_of_Lineage_and_Legitimacy_in_Zhenyan_Revivalism Reformulating the Appropriated and Relinking the Chain: Challenges of Lineage and Legitimacy in Zhenyan Revivalism]</ref>

Another form of esoteric Buddhism in China is the related but unique tradition of [[Azhaliism]], which is practiced among the [[Bai people]] of China and venerates [[Mahakala]] as a major deity.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Huang | first1 = Zhengliang | last2 = Zhang | first2 = Xilu | title = Research Review of Bai Esoteric Buddhist Azhali Religion Since the 20th Century | journal = Journal of Dali University | date = 2013 | url = http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTotal-DLSZ201307000.htm | ref = none | access-date = 2016-08-18 | archive-date = 2016-08-22 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160822075446/http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTotal-DLSZ201307000.htm | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last = Wu | first = Jiang | year = 2011 | title = Enlightenment in Dispute: The Reinvention of Chan Buddhism in Seventeenth-Century China | publisher = Oxford University Press | location = USA | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=d7Dg5N4tSWgC | isbn = 978-0199895564 }} p. 441</ref>

=== Japanese esotericism ===
[[File:Portrait of Kobo Daishi (Kukai), 14th century Art Institute of Chicago.jpg|thumb|Portrait of [[Kūkai|Kobo Daishi (Kukai)]] holding a vajra and a mala, 14th century, Art Institute of Chicago]]

====Shingon Buddhism====
{{main|Shingon Buddhism}}
The Shingon school is found in [[Japan]] and includes practices, known in Japan as ''[[Mikkyō]]'' ("Esoteric (or Mystery) Teaching"), which are similar in concept to those in Vajrayana Buddhism. The lineage for Shingon Buddhism differs from that of Tibetan Vajrayana, having emerged from [[India]] during the 9th–11th centuries in the [[Pala Dynasty]] and [[Central Asia]] (via [[China]]) and is based on earlier versions of the Indian texts than the Tibetan lineage. Shingon shares material with [[Tibetan Buddhism]] – such as the esoteric sutras (called [[Tantras (Buddhism)|Tantras]] in Tibetan Buddhism) and [[mandala]]s – but the actual practices are not related.

The primary texts of Shingon Buddhism are the ''[[Mahavairocana Sutra]]'' and ''[[Vajrasekhara Sutra]]''.  The founder of Shingon Buddhism was [[Kukai]], a Japanese monk who studied in China in the 9th century during the Tang dynasty and brought back Vajrayana scriptures, techniques and mandalas then popular in China. The school was merged into other schools in China towards the end of the Tang dynasty but was sectarian in Japan. Shingon is one of the few remaining branches of Buddhism in the world that continues to use the ''[[Siddhaṃ script|siddham]]'' script of the [[Sanskrit]] language.

====Tendai Buddhism====
{{Main|Tendai}}
Although the Tendai school in China and Japan does employ some esoteric practices, these rituals came to be considered of equal importance with the exoteric teachings of the ''[[Lotus Sutra]]''. By chanting [[mantras]], maintaining mudras, or practicing certain forms of meditation, [[Tendai]] maintains that one is able to understand sense experiences as taught by the Buddha, have [[faith in Buddhism|faith]] that one is innately an enlightened being, and that one can attain enlightenment within the current lifetime.

===Korean ''milgyo''===
Esoteric Buddhist practices (known as ''milgyo'', 密教) and texts arrived in [[Korea]] during the initial introduction of Buddhism to the region in 372 CE.<ref name="congress.aks.ac.kr">{{Cite web|url=http://congress.aks.ac.kr/korean/files/2_1358319390.pdf|title=Georgieva-Russ, Nelly. Esoteric Buddhist Ritual Objects of the Koryŏ Dynasty (936-1392)|access-date=2017-09-01|archive-date=2017-09-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901201145/http://congress.aks.ac.kr/korean/files/2_1358319390.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Esoteric Buddhism was supported by the royalty of both [[Unified Silla]] (668–935) and [[Goryeo Dynasty]] (918–1392).<ref name="congress.aks.ac.kr" /> During the Goryeo Dynasty esoteric practices were common within large sects like the [[Korean Seon|Seon school]], and the [[Hwaeom]] school as well as smaller esoteric sects like the Sinin (''mudra'') and Ch'ongji (''Dharani'') schools. During the era of the Mongol occupation (1251–1350s), Tibetan Buddhism also existed in Korea though it never gained a foothold there.<ref name="Sørensen 2006, pp. 55-94">{{cite journal |last= Sørensen |first= Henrik H. |date= September 2006 |title= Esoteric Buddhism under the Koryŏ in the Light of the Greater East Asian Tradition |url= https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=1221a2941036d5de61c2a9db01d57053367fc595 |journal= International Journal of Buddhist Thought & Culture |volume= 7 |pages= 55–94}}</ref>

During the [[Joseon dynasty]], Esoteric Buddhist schools were forced to merge with the Seon and Kyo schools, becoming the ritual specialists. With the decline of Buddhism in Korea, Esoteric Buddhism mostly died out, save for a few traces in the rituals of the [[Jogye Order]] and [[Taego Order]].<ref name="Sørensen 2006, pp. 55-94" />

There are five esoteric Buddhist schools in modern day South Korea: [[Jingak Order]], Jineon Order, Chongji Order, Jisong Order, and Cheonhwa Buddhism.<ref>{{cite journal |last= Kim (김/金) |first= Bang-ryong (방룡/邦龍) |date= 1998 |title= 한국불교계 신생종단의 성립과 사상 |url= https://www.dbpia.co.kr/IssueList?voisId=VOIS00569210&totCnt=55&pubId=15443&pId=&selPid=&isView=N |trans-title= Establishment and Thoughts on New Sects of South Korean Buddhism |volume= 23 |journal= Hanguk Jonggyo (한국종교) |language= Korean |location= [[Iksan]] |publisher= Wonkwang University Research Center of Religions (원광대학교 종교문제연구소) |page= 204 |quote= 密敎系 종단으로는 1) 大韓佛敎眞覺宗 2) 大韓佛敎眞言宗 3) 佛敎總持宗 4) 眞言佛敎持誦宗 5) 天華佛敎 |trans-quote= The estoteric Buddhist sects (in South Korea) are Jingak Order, Jineon Order, Chongji Order, Jisong Order, and Cheonhwa Buddhism.}}</ref> According to Henrik H. Sørensen, the Jineon and Jingak Orders, "have absolutely no historical link with the Korean Buddhist tradition per se but are late constructs based in large measures on Japanese Shingon Buddhism."<ref name="Sørensen 2006, pp. 55-94" />

=== Vietnamese Buddhist esotericism ===
[[File:HTay_ChThay_ChCa_TuDaoHanh.jpg|thumb|Statue of [[Từ Đạo Hạnh]] wearing an esoteric [[Five Tathāgatas]] Crown in the [[Thầy Temple]] near [[Hanoi]].]]
Vietnamese Buddhist esotericism is known as ''Mật giáo'' or ''Mật Tông'' and is a common part of Vietnamese Mahayana Buddhism (along with [[Pure Land Buddhism|Pure Land]] practice and [[Thiền|Thien]]).{{sfn|Thich|2007|p=51}} Commonly recited esoteric texts include ''Uṣṇīṣavijayadhāraṇī'', the ''Nīlakaṇṭha Dhāraṇī'' and the ''Śūraṅgama mantra''. According to Quang Minh Thich "at present, it is still the norm in Vietnamese Buddhist temples, both in Vietnam and abroad, that these mantras, as elements of the Mantrayana, are recited either in their distinctive chanted sessions or in conjunction with other popular Buddhist scriptures. In function, the Vietnamese Tantric practices serve as a complement to the practices of Zen and Pure Land, not as an independent tradition."{{sfn|Thich|2007|p=51}}

The first Vietnamese monk we know of who studied Vajrayana was Master Van Ky ({{circa|7th century}}) who received initiation in the kingdom of [[Srivijaya]] from a certain Jñanabhadra (Tri Hien) as reported by [[Yijing (monk)|Yijing]].<ref>Upendra Thakur (1986), ''Some Aspects of Asian History and Culture'', p. 174. Abhinav Publications.</ref> By the 12th century (under the [[Lý dynasty]]), esoteric Buddhism was widespread in Vietnam, and was especially favored by the [[Wu Yantong|Vô Ngôn Thông]] school as well as by the [[Vinītaruci|Vinitaruci]] school.{{sfn|Tai Tu|2008|pp=98-99}} One famous esoteric master of this period was [[Từ Đạo Hạnh]].{{sfn|Tai Tu|2008|pp=98-99}} He brought back various texts and practices from Burma. He became famous as a powerful magician.<ref>Thiện Đỗ (2003), ''Vietnamese supernaturalism: views from the southern region'', p. 245.</ref> He was fond of the ''[[Nīlakaṇṭha Dhāraṇī|Mahākaruṇika Dhāraṇī]]''.{{sfn|Tai Tu|2008|pp=98-99}} He also spread esoteric teachings throughout Vietnam and liberalized their practice, making them less dependent on reincarnation lineages (similar to Tibetan [[tulku]]s).{{sfn|Thich|2007|p=46}} Another promoter of esoteric Buddhism during this period was Sùng Phạm (1004-1078) of Phap Van pagoda who studied in India for nine years before returning to Vietnam and was the teacher of the influential esoteric master Tri Bat.{{sfn|Tai Tu|2008|pp=98-99}} Phap Loa (1284-1330), a leader of the [[Trúc Lâm|Truc Lam]] school, was another very influential Vietnamese esoteric master. He is known for establishing esoteric abhiseka (initiation) ceremonies as well as Huayan (''Hoa Nghiêm'') assemblies. He also wrote various texts on esoteric topics.{{sfn|Tai Tu|2008|pp=54-156}}

Chinese Buddhist esotericism also influenced Vietnamese esotericism during the medieval period, especially the [[Huayan]] Esotericism of Daoshen's ''Xianmi yuantong chengfo xinyao ji'' (顯密圓通成佛心要集 ''Collection of Essentials for the Attainment of Buddhahood by Total [Inter-]Penetration of the Esoteric and the Exoteric,'' T1955).

Some modern teachers and organizations focus specifically on Vietnamese esoteric Buddhism. [[Thích Viên Đức]] (1932-1980) was one important modern promoter of Esoteric Buddhism. He is known for translating a collection of Esoteric Buddhist texts, contributing to the dissemination of Esoteric Buddhism in Vietnam. Thích Viên Đức promoted esoteric Buddhist teachings as the fastest path to enlightenment. He established numerous communities in southern Vietnam and was also known as a healer. He also met with Tibetan lamas and Japanese Buddhists.<ref>[https://quangduc.com/a68765/hoa-thuong-thich-vien-duc-1932-1980- Hoà thượng Thích Viên Đức (1932-1980)], https://quangduc.com

</ref> Another modern Vietnamese esoteric organization is [[Mat Giao Friendship Association]] who publishes Phước Triệu's ''Quintessence of Esoteric Buddhism'' (2004). Esoteric practices are also currently associated with the [[Thầy Temple]] in [[Hanoi|Greater Hanoi]].  Vietnamese esotericism can also be quite sycretic, borrowing from Chinese, Japanese and Tibetan Buddhism.

=== Indo-Tibetan Buddhism ===
{{Tibetan Buddhism}}
{{main|Tibetan Buddhism}}

Vajrayāna Buddhism was initially established in [[Tibet]] in the 8th century when various figures like [[Padmasambhava|Padmasambhāva]] (8th century CE) and [[Śāntarakṣita]] (725–788) were invited by King [[Trisong Detsen]], some time before 767. Tibetan Buddhism reflects the later stages tantric [[Indian Buddhism]] of the [[Gupta Empire|post-Gupta]] [[Medieval India|Early Medieval]] period (500 to 1200 CE).{{sfn|White|2000|p=21}}{{sfn|Davidson|2002|p=2}}

This tradition practices and studies a set of tantric texts and commentaries associated with the more "left hand" (''[[vamachara]]'') tantras, which are not part of East Asian Esoteric Buddhism. These tantras (sometimes termed '[[Anuttarayoga]] tantras' include many transgressive elements, such as sexual and mortuary symbolism that is not shared by the earlier tantras that are studied in East Asian Buddhism. These texts were translated into [[Classical Tibetan]] during the "New translation period" (10th–12th centuries). Tibetan Buddhism also includes numerous native Tibetan developments, such as the [[tulku]] system, new [[sadhana]] texts, Tibetan scholastic works, [[Dzogchen]] literature and [[Terma (religion)|Terma]] literature. There are four major traditions or schools: [[Nyingma]], [[Sakya (Tibetan Buddhist school)|Sakya]], [[Kagyu]], and [[Gelug]].

In the pre-modern era, Tibetan Buddhism spread outside of Tibet primarily due to the influence of the [[Mongol Empire|Mongol]] [[Yuan dynasty]] (1271–1368), founded by [[Kublai Khan]], which ruled [[China]], [[Mongolia]] and eastern [[Siberia]]. In the [[Modern history|modern era]] it has spread outside of Asia due to the efforts of the [[Tibetan diaspora]] (1959 onwards).

The Tibetan Buddhist tradition is today found in Tibet, [[Buddhism in Bhutan|Bhutan]], northern [[Buddhism in India|India]], [[Buddhism in Nepal|Nepal]], southwestern and northern [[Buddhism in China|China]], [[Buddhism in Mongolia|Mongolia]] and various constituent [[republics]] of [[Buddhism in Russia|Russia]] that are adjacent to the area, such as [[Amur Oblast]], [[Republic of Buryatia|Buryatia]], [[Zabaykalsky Krai]], the [[Tuva Republic]] and [[Khabarovsk Krai]]. Tibetan Buddhism is also the main religion in [[Kalmykia]]. It has also spread to Western countries and there are now international networks of Tibetan Buddhist temples and meditation centers in the Western world from all four schools.

===Bengali Buddhism===
{{main|Bengali Buddhists}}

[[File:MET 39 DP310521R1 61D.jpg|thumb|12th century stone statue of [[Chakrasamvara]] in [[yab-yum|sexual union]] with [[Vajravarahi]] from Bengal]]

Bengal was a thriving centre of Vajrayana under the patronage of the [[Pala dynasty]]. Many mahasiddhas hailed from the [[Eastern South Asia|Eastern zone of the Indian subcontinent]], with the ''[[Charyapada]]'', a collection of songs composed by these mahasiddhas, containing early references to Vajrayana as well as being an early written record of [[Eastern Indo-Aryan languages|Eastern Indic languages]]. Bengali Vajrayana scholar [[Atiśa]] played a vital role in revitalizing [[Buddhism in Tibet]] following its persecution by the [[Bon]] emperor [[Langdarma]] and onset of the [[Era of Fragmentation]]. Another Bengali Vajrayana scholar [[Abhayakaragupta]] also had a profound impact on Tibetan Buddhism. However Vajrayana declined by the time the [[Sena dynasty]] came to power. Vajrayana was further affected by the [[Islamic conquest of India]] & consolidation of [[Bengal Sultanate|Muslim rule in Bengal]], with many of its adherents converting to Islam & later [[Gaudiya Vaishnavism]], which lead to creation of new groups like [[Vaishnava Sahajiya|Sahajiya]]s. Today Buddhism in Bengal is followed only by a small minority of [[Jumma people]] who are followers of [[Theravāda Buddhism]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bechert |first=Heinz |author-link=Heinz Bechert |year=1970 |title=Theravada Buddhist Sangha: Some General Observations on Historical and Political Factors in its Development |journal=The Journal of Asian Studies |volume=29 |issue=4 |pages=761–778 |doi=10.2307/2943086 |jstor=2943086|s2cid=154554678 }}</ref>

===Nepalese Newar Buddhism===
{{main|Newar Buddhism}}

Newar Buddhism is practiced by [[Newars]] in [[Nepal]]. It is the only form of Vajrayana Buddhism in which the scriptures are written in [[Sanskrit]] and this tradition has preserved many Vajrayana texts in this language. Its priests do not follow celibacy and are called ''[[vajracharya]]'' (literally "[[vajra|diamond-thunderbolt]] carriers").

=== Indonesian Esoteric Buddhism ===
{{Main|Indonesian Esoteric Buddhism}}

Indonesian Esoteric Buddhism refers to the traditions of Esoteric Buddhism found in the Indonesian islands of [[Java]] and [[Sumatra]] before the rise and dominance of [[Islam]] in the region (13–16th centuries). The Buddhist empire of [[Srivijaya]] (650 CE–1377 CE) was a major center of Esoteric Buddhist learning which drew Chinese monks such as [[Yijing (monk)|Yijing]] and Indian scholars like [[Atiśa]].<ref>J. Takakusu (2005). A Record of the Buddhist Religion : As Practised in India and the Malay Archipelago (A.D. 671-695)/I-Tsing. New Delhi, AES. {{ISBN|81-206-1622-7}}.</ref> The temple complex at [[Borobudur]] in central Java, built by the [[Shailendra dynasty]] also reflects strong Tantric or at least proto-tantric influences, particularly of the cult of [[Vairocana]].<ref>Levenda, Peter. Tantric Temples: Eros and Magic in Java, page 99.</ref><ref>Fontein, Jan. Entering the Dharmadhātu: A Study of the <Gandavyūha Reliefs of Borobudur, page 233.</ref>

{{Gallery
| title        = Influences and movements into Java
| File:Lankapura in Java.png
 | Esoteric Sinhalese Buddhism spreading to Java.
| File:Gurjara pilgrims in Java.png
 | Gurjara pilgrims in Java}}

Indonesian Esoteric Buddhism may have also reached the [[Philippines]], possibly establishing the first form of [[Buddhism in the Philippines]]. The few Buddhist artifacts that have been found in the islands reflect the iconography of Srivijaya's Vajrayana.<ref>Laszlo Legeza, "Tantric Elements in Pre-Hispanic Gold Art," Arts of Asia, 1988, 4:129-133.</ref>

[[File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Temperaschilderij voorstellende de Borobudur als bedevaartsoord TMnr 75-2.jpg|thumb|A painting by G.B. Hooijer ({{circa|1916}}–1919) reconstructing the scene of Borobudur during its heyday]]