Vajrayana Buddhism

Vajrayana emerged in the 7th century CE as a subset of Mahayana sometimes seen as the third major stream of Buddhism. This tradition is most prominent in Tibet and its surrounding regions, although forms of it are found in China and Japan. Vajrayana, literally the “Diamond Vehicle” or the “Thunderbolt Vehicle,” understands itself to be an esoteric, Tantric form of Buddhism which embraces the teachings and fulfills the methods of both the Theravada and Mahayana traditions.