Vajrayana

Refers to the religious movement and doctrine that flourished from the 6th to the 11th century, embodying both the Yogacara discipline that emphasizes the ultimacy of the mind and the Madhyamika philosophy that emphasizes the rejection of any relativistic principle. This form of Buddhism also marks the transition from Mahayana speculative, abstract thought to the practical application of Buddhist ideas to everyday life. The first part of the term, 'vajra', alludes to the Sanskrit for 'diamond' or 'thunderbolt' and signifies the absolutely real and permanent in an individual; 'yana' refers to the spiritual pursuit of the valuable and impervious. This form of Buddhism emphasizes the use of the mantra as a way to purify and focus the mind, featuring symbolic language in its scripture that purports to evoke an experience similar to Gautama Buddha's Enlightenment.