Editing Vajrayana (section)

==Place within Buddhist tradition==
[[File:Auspicious Tantra of All-Reaching Union.jpg|thumb|[[Tangut people|Tangut]] ''Auspicious [[Tantras (Buddhism)|Tantra]] of All-Reaching Union'']]

Various classifications distinguish Vajrayāna from other Buddhist traditions. Vajrayāna can be seen as a third ''yana'', next to [[Śrāvakayāna]] and [[Mahayana]].{{sfn|Kitagawa|2002|p=80}} Vajrayāna can be distinguished from [[Sutrayana]]. Sutrayana is the method of perfecting good qualities, where Vajrayāna is the method of taking the intended outcome of [[Buddhahood]] as the path. Vajrayāna can also be distinguished from the paramitayana. According to this schema, Indian Mahayana revealed two vehicles (''yana'') or methods for attaining enlightenment: the method of the perfections (''Paramitayana'') and the method of mantra (''Mantrayana'').{{sfn|Buswell|2004|p=875}}

The Paramitayana consists of the six or ten ''[[paramita]]s'', of which the scriptures say that it takes three incalculable [[aeon]]s to lead one to Buddhahood. The tantra literature, on the other hand, says that Mantrayana leads one to Buddhahood in a single lifetime.{{sfn|Buswell|2004|p=875}} According to the literature, the mantra is an easy path without the difficulties of Paramitayana.{{sfn|Buswell|2004|p=875}} Mantrayana is sometimes portrayed as a method for those of inferior abilities,{{sfn|Buswell|2004|p=875}} but the practitioner of mantra must still adhere to the [[Bodhisattva vow]].{{sfn|Buswell|2004|p=875}}