Where does “Vajrayana” come from?
Vajrayana is an English term derived from Sanskrit वज्रयान, a compound of vajra and yāna whose specific meaning in Buddhist contexts remains uncertain.
Vajrayana (English): A form of Mahayana Buddhism that emphasises esoteric practices in order to attain Buddhahood at a much quicker rate
Definitions
- A form of Mahayana Buddhism that emphasises esoteric practices in order to attain Buddhahood at a much quicker rate
Ancestry of “Vajrayana”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sanskrit | वज्रयान | Vajrayana, Tibetan Buddhism |
| 2 | Sanskrit | वज्र | "the hard or mighty one", a thunderbolt; a... |
| 3 | Sanskrit | यान | carriage, vehicle, mode of transport; moving,... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-Aryan | yáHnam | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | yáHnam | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | yéh₂-nom | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | yeh₂- | to go; to go in, enter; to ride, to travel |