Korea Journal of Buddhist Studies ISSN:1598-0642(Print) 불교학연구

From the viewpoint of outer presentation of Buddhist rites, the Madhyamaka School and Esoteric Buddhism are regarded to have developed controversial doctrines and practices in the history of Indian Buddhism. However, in fact, the Madhyamaka School had a vital influence on the foundation of Esoteric Buddhism, and Acaryas of Esoteric Buddhism brought the doctrine to realize in the actual rite. It is possible to say that Esoteric Buddhism could not succeed in the history of Indian Buddhism without the devotion of the Madhyamaka School. The formation of Esoteric Buddhism firstly began by the adoption of religious elements from ancient religions of India. Among those elements, mantra and dharani contain lots of efficient expedients and tools to help the Dhyana and Samadhi of Buddhist practice, regardless of the religious background. Meanwhile, the practice system of the Madhyamaka School was built on the foundation of Yogacara practices, which were composed of listening and contemplating practices, which afterwards abridged to the practice of Samatha and Vipassana. In the early age of Mahāyana Buddhism, the practice to attain Buddhahood was to read and memorize sacred scriptures, but afterwards it adopted the mantra, dharani, mudra and maṇḍala as a Ālambana (所緣) to help the practice of Yogacara like Samatha and Vipassana. At first the Ālambana meant just a phenomenal externality of a practitioner’s mind, but soon those Ālambana became important elements of Accomplishment found in Buddha’s body of Nirmaṇa-kāya and Saṃbhoga-kāya. So lots of evidence has been found that the advent of Esoteric Buddhism in the history of Indian Buddhism did not originate from the outer Indian religions, but from internal and gradual process of ripening Buddhist expedients suggested by the masters of the Madhyamaka-yogacara School.