About Shurangama Mantra

The Shurangama or Śūraṅgama mantra is a dhāraṇī or long mantra of Buddhist practice in China, Japan and Korea. Although relatively unknown in modern Tibet, there are several Śūraṅgama Mantra texts in the Tibetan Buddhist canon. It is associated with Chinese Esoteric Buddhism and Shingon Buddhism.
Om mani padme hum on the Gangpori (photo 1938–1939 German expedition to Tibet.

The most well-known Buddhist mantras

A mantra is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words in Sanskrit, Pali and other spiritual languages. Some have a syntactic structure and literal meaning, while others do not. One of the most ancient Buddhist mantras is the , also known as the dependent origination dhāraṇī. This phrase is said to encapsulate the meaning of the Buddha's Dharma. It was a popular Buddhist mantra .
A leaf from a Prajñāpāramitā (Perfection of Wisdom) manuscript.

Tibetan Buddhist practices – Schools, sutras & tantras

Apart from classical Mahāyāna Buddhist practices like the six perfections, Tibetan Buddhism also includes tantric practices, such as and the as well as methods which are seen as transcending tantra, like . In Tibetan Buddhism, practices are generally classified as either Sutra (or Pāramitāyāna) or Tantra ( or Mantrayāna), though exactly what constitutes each category and what is included and excluded in each is a matter of debate and .

Buddhist tantras – Manipulation of the subtle body

The Buddhist Tantras are a varied group of Indian and Tibetan texts which outline unique views and practices of the Buddhist tantra religious systems. Buddhist Tantric texts began appearing in the Gupta Empire period though there are texts with elements associated with Tantra that can be seen as early as the third century. By the eighth century, Tantra was a dominant force in North India and the number of texts increased with numerous Tantric pandits writing .
Monks attending the 2003 Kalachakra empowerment in Bodhgaya, India.

Vajrayana – Buddhist tantric traditions

Vajrayana is Tantric Buddhism, the form of Northern Buddhism that relies primarily on the Tantras, technical manuals said to have been taught by the Buddha, and offer complete enlightenment in 1, 7 or 21 lifetimes. practices are connected to specific lineages in Buddhism, through the teachings of lineage holders. Others might generally refer to texts as the Buddhist Tantras. It includes practices that make use of mantras, dharanis, , mandalas and the visualization of .