Vajrayana

/ ˌvʌdʒrʌˈjɑːnə /

noun

1. a school of Tantric Buddhism of India and Tibet

Word History and Origins

Origin of Vajrayana¹

from Sanskrit: vehicle of the diamond or thunderbolt

Example Sentences

Stanfield took classes on Vajrayana Buddhism, attended weekly pujas, or ceremonies, and began practicing Buddhist meditation with the temple sangha, or community.

From Washington Times

Abbot James Wiseman, retired professor of theology at Catholic University, discusses the three main branches or lineages of Buddhism, Theravada, Mahayana, including Zen and Vajrayana.

From Washington Post

The majority of the population follow Vajrayana Buddhism; the Dalai Lama, of neighboring Tibet, is respected, but Bhutanese heed their own set of spiritual guides.

From Time

While at Columbia, he began to practice Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism, and in 1976, he moved to Boulder, Colo., to continue his studies with the Buddhist master Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.

From New York Times

Zendos began spreading to Middle America, and when Chogyam Trungpa died in 1987 at age 47, a contingent of lay American-born Vajrayana Buddhists was able to perform the funeral liturgy along with Tibetans.

From Time Magazine Archive