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Tantra

Religious schools and traditions

Tantra, or Tantrism, is a religious current within Buddhism and Hinduism. The Sanskrit word tantra is normally translated as ‘weave’, with the meaning of ‘continuum’. The first tantric currents evolved in the sixth century in north-east India; among other things, they encompassed esoteric doctrines and rituals that promised a path to salvation beyond the orthodox Hindu or Buddhist schools. In the context of Buddhism, tantric practices occur principally within the Vajrayana school.