Etymology

Vajrayana

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Today it means: A form of Mahayana Buddhism that emphasises esoteric practices in order to attain Buddhahood at a much quicker rate. Full definition →

Sanskrit वज्रयान
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The story

  1. Sanskrit · borrowed fromवज्रयान
  2. English todayVajrayana

Borrowed from Sanskrit वज्रयान (vajrayāna, literally “diamond/thunderbolt vehicle”), in reference to the supposed power, clarity, and difficulty of its methods for attaining Buddhahood.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.