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Chinese Tantric Buddhism
Sile
Veteran
The tantric Buddhism of East Asia has a fascinating history--just found this audio lecture by Dr. Charles Orzech on tantric Buddhism in China, looking particularly at the tantric themes, deities and rituals that flourished during the Song Dynasty:
http://podcast.shin-ibs.edu/?tag=esoteric-buddhism
Orzech is the author of the book Esoteric Buddhism and the Tantras in East Asia:
In all likelihood, it was the form of Buddhism labeled “Esoteric Buddhism” that had the greatest geographical spread of any form of Buddhism. It left its imprint not only on its native India, but far beyond, on Southeast Asia, Central Asia, including Tibet and Mongolia, as well as the East Asian countries China, Korea and Japan. Not only has Esoteric Buddhism contributed substantially to the development of Buddhism in many cultures, but it also facilitated the transmission of religious art and material culture, science and technology. This volume, the result of an international collaboration of forty scholars, provides a comprehensive resource on Esoteric Buddhism and the Tantras in their Chinese, Korean, and Japanese contexts from the first few centuries of the common era right up to the present.
http://www.brill.nl/esoteric-buddhism-and-tantras-east-asia
http://podcast.shin-ibs.edu/?tag=esoteric-buddhism
Orzech is the author of the book Esoteric Buddhism and the Tantras in East Asia:
In all likelihood, it was the form of Buddhism labeled “Esoteric Buddhism” that had the greatest geographical spread of any form of Buddhism. It left its imprint not only on its native India, but far beyond, on Southeast Asia, Central Asia, including Tibet and Mongolia, as well as the East Asian countries China, Korea and Japan. Not only has Esoteric Buddhism contributed substantially to the development of Buddhism in many cultures, but it also facilitated the transmission of religious art and material culture, science and technology. This volume, the result of an international collaboration of forty scholars, provides a comprehensive resource on Esoteric Buddhism and the Tantras in their Chinese, Korean, and Japanese contexts from the first few centuries of the common era right up to the present.
http://www.brill.nl/esoteric-buddhism-and-tantras-east-asia
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Comments
E Asian Tantra was different from Tibetan Tantra, as far as I can tell, in that it didn't have the consort practice, except for one form of Japanese Buddhism, which has died out.
Some experts say that esoterism mingled with Buddhism even as far back as the Buddha's time, and certainly afterwards, as local "folk" traditions merged with Buddhism. So that even Theravada has tantric influence (use of mantra, for ex.)
It's a fascinating topic.