Editing Vajrayana (section)

===Mahasiddhas and the tantric movement===
Tantric Buddhism is associated with groups of wandering [[yogi]]s called [[mahasiddha]]s in [[medieval India]].{{sfn|Ray|2000|p={{page needed|date=January 2024}}}} According to [[Robert Thurman]], these tantric figures thrived during the latter half of the first millennium CE.{{sfn|Gray|2007|pp=ix–x}} According to John Myrdhin Reynolds, the mahasiddhas date to the medieval period in North India and used methods radically different from those used in Buddhist monasteries, including practicing on [[charnel ground]]s.{{sfn|Reynolds|2007}}

Since Tantra focuses on the transformation of poisons into wisdom, the yogic circles came together in ''[[ganachakra|tantric feasts]]'', often in sacred sites (''pitha'') and places (''ksetra''), which included dancing, singing, consort practices, and the ingestion of [[taboo]] substances like alcohol, urine, and meat.{{sfn|Snellgrove|1987|p=168}} At least two of the mahasiddhas cited in the Buddhist literature are comparable with the Shaiva [[Nath]] saints ([[Gorakshanath]] and [[Matsyendranath]]) who practiced [[Hatha Yoga]].

According to Schumann, a movement called ''[[Sahaja]]-siddhi'' developed in the 8th century in [[Bengal]].{{sfn|Schumann|1974|p=163}} It was dominated by long-haired, wandering mahasiddhas who openly challenged and ridiculed the Buddhist establishment.{{sfn|Kitagawa|2002|p=80}} The mahasiddhas pursued ''[[siddhis]]'', magical powers such as flight and [[extrasensory perception]] as well as spiritual liberation.{{sfn|Dowman|1985|loc=[http://keithdowman.net/essays/introduction-mahasiddhas-and-tantra.html Introduction]}}{{sfn|Davidson|2002|pp=228, 234}}