title: Luis Ortiz (Cuban boxer)

text: A day later it was revealed that he would be part of the 22 April undercard of the Shawn Porter vs Andre Berto world title eliminator at the Barclays Center, New York, against 36 year old journeyman Derric Rossy (31–12, 15 KOs) in a scheduled 10 round bout. Prior to this bout, Rossy had only won two of his last six fights but was well known for giving opponents a tough fight. Ortiz injured his right thumb during training. After receiving reports back from the doctor, on 14 April the fight was called off.


title: Luis Ortiz (Cuban boxer)

text: On 18 July 2017, it was reported that a deal was being worked out for Deontay Wilder (38-0, 37 KOs) to make his sixth defence of his WBC title against Ortiz. Wilder's promoter, Lou DiBella, had put the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on hold for 14 October and 4 November 2017. According to sources, Don King, promoter of Bermane Stiverne, mandatory challenger for Wilder, had reported to be working out a step aside fee from Wilder and Ortiz's advisor Al Haymon. Stiverne announced he had hired James Prince and attorney Josh Dubin as his managers, who were best known to have worked for Andre Ward, Shakur Stevenson and Bryant Jennings. Stiverne told Boxing Scene that Don King had not been given any permission to negotiate a step aside fee and he would work with his management team to ensure he challenges for the WBC title in his next fight. WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman worked on a deal to finalise Wilder vs. Ortiz for 4 November 2017. According to TheRing.tv, Stiverne agreed a mid six-figure payday to allow the fight to take place. In a phone interview, Stiverne mentioned the step-a-side fee and reported he could fight former world title challenger Dominic Breazeale next.


title: Luis Ortiz (Cuban boxer)

text: On 12 September it was reported by Showtime that the fight was a done deal, awaiting official announcement for the fight to take place on 4 November at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Showtime revealed the card would include Daniel Jacobs as chief support. On 18 September the fight was made official, pending the official press conference, which would take place the next day. ESPN was advised that Stiverne would fight Breazeale on the undercard in a title eliminator.


title: Luis Ortiz (Cuban boxer)

text: It was reported on 29 September 2017, Ortiz had failed a drug test carried out by VADA, part of the WBC clean fighters programme. The drugs found in Ortiz's sample were diuretics chlorothaizide and hydrochlorothiazide, which are used to treat high blood pressure but can also be used as masking agents for performance-enhancing drugs. The urine sample was taken on 22 September in Miami. Ortiz never informed VADA that he had been on medication.


title: Luis Ortiz (Cuban boxer)

text: On 4 October, the WBC withdrew its sanction on the Wilder vs. Ortiz fight and immediately ordered Wilder to fight mandatory challenger Bermane Stiverne (25–2–1, 21 KOs). Ortiz's manager Jay Jimenez clarified the situation regarding the WBC, stating that their decision wasn't to punish Ortiz, but rather they were concerned about his health. He said, "The WBC will schedule a visit with one of their approved physicians to check Luis' health, and make sure he is 100% healthy and fit to fight, and that the blood pressure pills will not affect him physically."


title: Luis Ortiz (Cuban boxer)

text: On 9 October, Eddie Hearn, promoter of Anthony Joshua, stated that Ortiz could remain mandatory challenger for the WBA. Ortiz had until 20 October to request a 'B' sample. The WBA waited on this date before they would decide to take any action. On 20 October, the WBA suspended Ortiz. Ortiz and his handlers were notified that he would serve at least a six-month suspension, his mandatory status removed and would be removed from the rankings effective immediately.


title: Luis Ortiz (Cuban boxer)

text: On 2 November the WBA officially handed Ortiz a one-year suspension, immediately removing him from their rankings and making him ineligible to fight for any WBA title for that period. Mendoza stated that Ortiz never asked for a 'B' sample to be tested accordingly, instead doing so verbally. WBA president Gilberto Mendoza later stated that the longevity of the ban was also due to Ortiz being a repeat offender, having previously failed a test in 2014 for anabolic steroids. A final ruling was set by the WBC on 30 November where Ortiz was fined US$25,000, however was given a pass, meaning he would remain in the rankings.


title: Luis Ortiz (Cuban boxer)

text: Ortiz wasted no time returning to the ring. On 4 December 2017, it was announced that he would appear on a special Friday night edition of Premier Boxing Champions on 8 December at the Hialeah Park in Miami, Florida, his first fight in Florida in three years, against journeyman Daniel Martz (16–5–1, 13 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round bout. The fight was a late addition due to Chad Dawson-Edwin Rodriguez being cancelled after the former suffered an injury in training. Ortiz made quick work of Martz, knocking him down in the first round with a body shot before getting the knockout victory in round 2, sending Martz face-first to the canvas from a left hook to the head. After the fight, Ortiz called out Wilder, who was sat near ringside, calling commentary. Wilder said to Ortiz, ”I guarantee you, you'll have the fight.”


title: Luis Ortiz (Cuban boxer)

text: On 19 December, negotiations resumed between Ortiz and Wilder, with a potential fight for Wilder's WBC heavyweight title to take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on 3 March 2018. According to RingTV on 30 December, an agreement had been reached. Terms were agreed on 12 January and the fight was officially announced on 23 January. Wilder weighed his lowest since turning professional in 2008, at 214 pounds. Ortiz came in at 241¼ pounds.


title: Luis Ortiz (Cuban boxer)

text: Wilder overcame difficulty and knocked Ortiz out in round 10 to retain his WBC title in front of a crowd of 14,069. Both boxers started the fight cautious with Wilder throwing the jab, however Ortiz seemed to do more in the opening 4 rounds, counter punching and throwing combinations. Wilder took control in round five, knocking Ortiz down once. Wilder was hurt badly in round 7 by a right hook and left hand from Ortiz. Wilder was then trapped against the ropes, taking head and body shots from Ortiz. Referee David Fields kept a close eye on Wilder, who at one point, looked to be almost out on his feet, but managed to make it to the end of the round. Despite Ortiz not managing to drop Wilder in round 7, all three judges scored the round 10–8 for Ortiz. Wilder used rounds 8 and 9 to recuperate and managed to avoid any further punishment. Wilder hurt Ortiz with a right hand at the end of round 9. Wilder then unloaded on Ortiz in round 10, who at that point looked tired, dropping him twice before the match was halted by referee David Fields. The official time of the stoppage was at 2:05 of round 10.


title: Luis Ortiz (Cuban boxer)

text: At the time of stoppage, all three judges had their scorecards 85–84 in favor of Wilder. After the fight, Wilder spoke about his win and praised Ortiz, "'King Kong' ain't got nothing on me. A true champion always finds a way to come back, and that's what I did tonight. Luis Ortiz is definitely a crafty guy. He put up a great fight. We knew we had to wear him down. I showed everyone I can take a punch. When Ortiz leaves tonight, he can hold his head high. He gave the fans a hell of a fight." Ortiz also gave his thoughts on the fight. Speaking through a translator, he said, "I feel fine. I did receive a right hand, but I'm OK. I was listening to the directions that my corner was giving me. In this sport, any punch can end a fight. It was a great fight and I performed well." According to CompuBox Stats, Wilder landed 98 of 346 punches thrown (28%) and Ortiz landed 87 of his 363 thrown (24%). For the fight, Wilder earned a career-high payday of $2.1 million and Ortiz received a $500,000 purse. The event was the Barclays Center's second-biggest boxing crowd after Thurman vs. García, which was attended by 16,533 in March 2017. The fight averaged 1.1 million viewers and peaked at 1.2 million on Showtime. The last time Showtime did over 1 million viewers was in 2015 when Wilder defeated Stiverne for the WBC title.


title: Luis Ortiz (Cuban boxer)

text: On 7 July 2018, it was rumored that Ortiz would return in a 10-round bout on 28 July, on the undercard of the WBC and IBF lightweight unification fight between Mikey Garcia and Robert Easter Jr., against Joe Hanks (22–2, 14 KOs) at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Three days later, it was officially announced that Ortiz would fight on that card, however would instead fight former world title challenger Răzvan Cojanu (16–3, 9 KOs). Ortiz won the fight via knockout in round 2. Ortiz used the first round landing clean right hooks and left hands to Cojanu's head. After being taunted a number of times in the beginning of round 2, Ortiz caught Cojanu with a right followed by a left hook to the head which sent him down face first. Cojanu was able to beat the count but looked badly hurt. The referee stopped the action at 2 minutes and 8 seconds. After the fight, speaking through a translator, Ortiz said, "I want to fight [unified titleholder Anthony] Joshua, but he only fights boxers he's sure he can defeat. I'm going to ask the government to put me on disability, maybe that way Joshua will fight me [...] I won't shy away from any challenge. I'm ready." The WBC stated they would not force the Wilder vs. Dominic Breazeale mandatory fight until the end of 2018, so a rematch between Wilder and Ortiz would be acceptable before then. The fight averaged 583,000 viewers and peaked at 606,000 viewers.


title: Luis Ortiz (Cuban boxer)

text: On 24 October 2018, Ortiz's manager Jay Jimenez announced that a deal had been reached for Ortiz to fight American boxer Travis Kauffman (32–2) on the Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury Showtime PPV card on 1 December at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The fight, along with the rest of the card was finalized on 9 November. Before the fight was announced, Ortiz and Dillian Whyte called each other out. Ortiz offered Whyte a fight on the 1 December card and Whyte offered Ortiz a chance to fight him on 22 December in London. Ortiz accepted Whyte's offer, however promoter Eddie Hearn stated Dillian Whyte vs. Derek Chisora made more sense in the UK. In the build up to his fight against Ortiz, Kauffman questioned Ortiz's wins on his resume after multiple failed drug tests. At the same time, he also praised Ortiz's boxing skills. Ortiz stepped on the scales at 241 pounds and Kauffman weighed 229 pounds. For the fight, Ortiz was guaranteed $375,000 compared to Kauffman's $125,000 purse. On fight night, Ortiz dropped Kauffman three times before winning the fight via TKO in the final round. The official time of stoppage was 1 minute and 58 seconds of round 10. Ortiz dominated every round leading to the stoppage, however Kauffman was always standing in front of him and showed a good chin and heart, even switching to the southpaw stance, where he had some success. Ortiz was twice warned for low blows. In round 6, Ortiz landed an overhand left which dropped Kauffman to the canvas. Ortiz, believing he won, stood on the top ropes and did his signature chest pounding. Kauffman beat the count and finished the round. Another overhand left, this time to Kauffman's jaw, dropped him for a second time in the first minute of round 8. Kauffman slowly got up and again beat the count and saw out the remainder of the round. In the first minute of round 10, Ortiz landed another overhand left, dropping Kauffman a third time. After Kauffman beat the count, Ortiz piled on the pressure with numerous power shots, mostly unanswered, forcing referee Thomas Taylor to step in and stop the fight. Ortiz landed 135 punches in comparison to the 37 punches landed by Kauffman. Ortiz landed 69 power punches in total. After the fight, Ortiz stated he was looking for fight Wilder. British boxer Joe Joyce, who also boxed on the card, called out Ortiz. Ortiz later accepted, stating he does not turn down a challenge.


title: Luis Ortiz (Cuban boxer)

text: On 16 January 2019, it was announced that Ortiz would next fight German heavyweight contender Christian Hammer (24–5, 14 KOs) 2 March at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Ortiz stated his goal was to still become a world champion and this bout would be to 'stay active' and 'clean out' the remainder of the division. The fight was made official the next day, to take place on the Erislandy Lara vs. Brian Castaño undercard, live on Showtime. The bout was scheduled for 10 rounds. The fight was Hammer's American debut as he weighed in at 257 pounds. Ortiz weighed 238.75 pounds, his lightest weight in nearly 3½ years. Hammer was ranked #12 by the WBO at the time. There was an announced crowd of 7,329 fans in attendance at the Barclays Center. Ortiz was taken the distance for only the third time in his professional career, easily outpointing Hammer over 10 rounds. The three judges scored the bout 100–90, 99–91, and 99–91 in Ortiz's favour. Ortiz controlled the bout from the opening bell, hurting Hammer with body shots in round 2. Both boxers had a bloodied nose by the midway point. Hammer managed to back Ortiz up with a right hand. With his jab, power and movement, Ortiz remained in control of the bout. Although Hammer landed some solid shots of his own, he failed to follow up with further punches.


title: Luis Ortiz (Cuban boxer)

text: In September 2019, it was announced that a rematch between Ortiz and WBC champion Deontay Wilder had been confirmed on 23 November 2019. On the weigh in Ortiz weighed in at 236 1/2 pounds, and Wilder weighed in at 219½ pounds. In the fight, Ortiz outboxed Wilder for most of the fight and was leading on all three judges' scorecards 58–56, 59–55, and 59–55, but was ultimately stopped by a straight right and knocked out in the 7th round.


title: Luis Ortiz (Cuban boxer)

text: On 7 November 2020, Ortiz fought Alexander Flores. Ortiz floored Flores 45 seconds into the fight with a body shot, from which Flores was not able to recover, ending the fight with a first-round KO.


title: Luis Ortiz (Cuban boxer)

text: On November 15, 2021, it was revealed by ESPN that Ortiz and one-time IBF heavyweight titleholder Charles Martin had come to an agreement to face each other on January 1, 2022, after both fighters had spent the entire 2021 without a single fight. The fight was officially announced two days later, as the main event of a FOX PPV. Ortiz entered the fight as the favorite, with most odds-makers having him as a -450 to -350 favorite. Ortiz justified his role as the betting favorite, as he won the fight by a sixth-round stoppage. He staggered Martin with an overhand left, before knocking him down with a flurry of punches. Although Martin was able to beat the ten count, he was quickly knocked down for the second time after the action resumed, which prompted the referee to wave the fight off. Martin had a good start to the fight, as he managed to knock Ortiz down twice early in the fight, in rounds one and four. Martin was leading on the scorecards at the time of the stoppage, with scores of 48–45, 48–45 and 47–46. Ortiz earned $1.5 million for the fight, with a $500,000 guaranteed purse and an additional $1 million from PPV shares.


title: Vajrayana

text: Vajrayāna (, "thunderbolt vehicle", "diamond vehicle", or "indestructible vehicle"), along with Mantrayāna, Guhyamantrayāna, Tantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, are names referring to Buddhist traditions associated with Tantra and "Secret Mantra", which developed in the medieval Indian subcontinent and spread to Tibet, Nepal, other Himalayan states, East Asia, and Mongolia.


title: Vajrayana

text: Vajrayāna 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, mudras, mandalas and the visualization of deities and Buddhas.


title: Vajrayana

text: Traditional Vajrayāna sources say that the tantras and the lineage of Vajrayāna were taught by Śākyamuni Buddha and other figures such as the bodhisattva Vajrapani and Padmasambhava. Contemporary historians of Buddhist studies meanwhile argue that this movement dates to the tantric era of medieval India (c. 5th century CE onwards).


title: Vajrayana

text: According to Vajrayāna scriptures, the term "Vajrayāna" refers to one of three vehicles or routes to enlightenment, the other two being the Śrāvakayāna (also known pejoratively as the Hīnayāna) and Mahāyāna (a.k.a Pāramitāyāna).


title: Vajrayana

text: There are several Buddhist tantric traditions that are currently practiced, including Tibetan Buddhism, Chinese Esoteric Buddhism, Shingon Buddhism and Newar Buddhism.


title: Vajrayana

text: In Tibetan Buddhism practiced in the Himalayan regions of India, Nepal, and Bhutan, Buddhist Tantra is most often termed "Vajrayāna" (Tib. རྡོ་རྗེ་ཐེག་པ་, "dorje tekpa", Wyl. "rdo rje theg pa") and "Secret mantra" (Skt. "Guhyamantra", Tib. གསང་སྔགས་, "sang ngak", Wyl. "gsang sngags"). The vajra is a mythical weapon associated with Indra which was said to be indestructible and unbreakable (like a diamond) and extremely powerful (like thunder). Thus, the term is variously translated as Diamond Vehicle, Thunderbolt Vehicle, Indestructible Vehicle and so on.


title: Vajrayana

text: Chinese Esoteric Buddhism it is generally known by various terms such as "Zhēnyán" (Chinese: 真言, literally "true word", referring to mantra), "Tángmì" or "Hanmì" (唐密 - 漢密, "Tang Esotericism" or "Han Esotericism")", Mìzōng" (密宗, "Esoteric Sect") or "Mìjiao" (Chinese: 密教; Esoteric Teaching). The Chinese term "mì" 密 ("secret, esoteric") is a translation of the Sanskrit term "Guhya" ("secret, hidden, profound, abstruse").


title: Vajrayana

text: In Japan, Buddhist esotericism is known as Mikkyō (密教, "secret teachings") or by the term Shingon (a Japanese rendering of "Zhēnyán"), which also refers to a specific school of "Shingon-shū" (真言宗).


title: Vajrayana

text: Tantric Buddhism is associated with groups of wandering yogis called mahasiddhas in medieval India. According to Robert Thurman, these tantric figures thrived during the latter half of the first millennium CE. According to Reynolds (2007), the mahasiddhas date to the medieval period in North India and used methods that were radically different from those used in Buddhist monasteries, including practicing in charnel grounds.


title: Vajrayana

text: Since the practice of Tantra focuses on the transformation of poisons into wisdom, the yogic circles came together in "tantric feasts", often in sacred sites ("pitha") and places ("ksetra") which included dancing, singing, consort practices and the ingestion of taboo substances like alcohol, urine, and meat. At least two of the mahasiddhas cited in the Buddhist literature are comparable with the Shaiva Nath saints (Gorakshanath and Matsyendranath) who practiced Hatha Yoga.


title: Vajrayana

text: According to Schumann, a movement called "Sahaja-siddhi" developed in the 8th century in Bengal. It was dominated by long-haired, wandering mahasiddhas who openly challenged and ridiculed the Buddhist establishment. The mahasiddhas pursued "siddhis", magical powers such as flight and extrasensory perception as well as spiritual liberation.


title: Vajrayana

text: Many of the elements found in Buddhist tantric literature are not wholly new. Earlier Mahāyāna sutras already contained some elements which are emphasized in the Tantras, such as mantras and dharani. The use of protective verses or phrases actually dates back to the Vedic period and can be seen in the early Buddhist texts, where they are termed "paritta". The practice of visualization of Buddhas such as Amitābha is also seen in pre-tantric texts like the Longer "Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra".


title: Vajrayana

text: There are other Mahāyāna sutras which contain "proto-tantric" material such as the "Gandavyuha" and the "Dasabhumika" which might have served as a central source of visual imagery for Tantric texts. Later Mahāyāna texts like the "Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra" (c. 4th–5th century CE) expound the use of mantras such as Om mani padme hum, associated with vastly powerful beings like Avalokiteshvara. The popular Heart Sutra also includes a mantra.


title: Vajrayana

text: Vajrayāna Buddhists developed a large corpus of texts called the Buddhist Tantras, some of which can be traced to at least the 7th century CE but might be older. The dating of the tantras is "a difficult, indeed an impossible task" according to David Snellgrove.


title: Vajrayana

text: Some of the earliest of these texts, Kriya tantras such as the "Mañjuśrī-mūla-kalpa" (c. 6th century), teach the use of mantras and dharanis for mostly worldly ends including curing illness, controlling the weather and generating wealth. The "Tattvasaṃgraha Tantra" ("Compendium of Principles"), classed as a "Yoga tantra", is one of the first Buddhist tantras which focuses on liberation as opposed to worldly goals. In another early tantra, the "Vajrasekhara" (Vajra Peak), the influential schema of the five Buddha families is developed. Other early tantras include the "Mahāvairocana Abhisaṃbodhi" and the "Guhyasamāja" (Gathering of Secrets).


title: Vajrayana

text: The Guhyasamāja is a Mahayoga class of Tantra, which features forms of ritual practice considered "left-hand" ("vamachara") such as the use of taboo substances like alcohol, consort practices, and charnel ground practices which evoke wrathful deities. Ryujun Tajima divides the tantras into those which were "a development of Mahāyānist thought" and those "formed in a rather popular mould toward the end of the eighth century and declining into the esoterism of the left", this "left esoterism" mainly refers to the Yogini tantras and later works associated with wandering yogis. This practice survives in Tibetan Buddhism, but it is rare for this to be done with an actual person. It is more common for a yogi or yogini to use an imagined consort (a buddhist tantric deity, i.e. a yidam).


title: Vajrayana

text: These later tantras such as the "Hevajra Tantra" and the "Chakrasamvara" are classed as "Yogini tantras" and represent the final form of development of Indian Buddhist tantras in the ninth and tenth centuries. The "Kalachakra tantra" developed in the 10th century. It is farthest removed from the earlier Buddhist traditions, and incorporates concepts of messianism and astrology not present elsewhere in Buddhist literature.


title: Vajrayana

text: According to Ronald M. Davidson, the rise of Tantric Buddhism was a response to the feudal structure of Indian society in the early medieval period (ca. 500-1200 CE) which saw kings being divinized as manifestations of gods. Likewise, tantric yogis reconfigured their practice through the metaphor of being consecrated ("abhiśeka") as the overlord ("rājādhirāja") of a mandala palace of divine vassals, an imperial metaphor symbolizing kingly fortresses and their political power.


title: Vajrayana

text: The question of the origins of early Vajrayāna has been taken up by various scholars. David Seyfort Ruegg has suggested that Buddhist tantra employed various elements of a “pan-Indian religious substrate” which is not specifically Buddhist, Shaiva or Vaishnava.


title: Vajrayana

text: According to Alexis Sanderson, various classes of Vajrayāna literature developed as a result of royal courts sponsoring both Buddhism and Shaivism. The relationship between the two systems can be seen in texts like the "Mañjusrimulakalpa", which later came to be classified under Kriya tantra, and states that mantras taught in the Shaiva, Garuda and Vaishnava tantras will be effective if applied by Buddhists since they were all taught originally by Manjushri.


title: Vajrayana

text: Alexis Sanderson notes that the Vajrayāna Yogini tantras draw extensively from the material also present in Shaiva Bhairava tantras classified as "Vidyapitha". Sanderson's comparison of them shows similarity in "ritual procedures, style of observance, deities, mantras, mandalas, ritual dress, Kapalika accouterments like skull bowls, specialized terminology, secret gestures, and secret jargons. There is even direct borrowing of passages from Shaiva texts." Sanderson gives numerous examples such as the "Guhyasiddhi" of Padmavajra, a work associated with the Guhyasamaja tradition, which prescribes acting as a Shaiva guru and initiating members into Saiva Siddhanta scriptures and mandalas. Sanderson says that the Samvara tantra texts adopted the pitha list from the Shaiva text "Tantrasadbhava", introducing a copying error where a deity was mistaken for a place.


title: Vajrayana

text: Ronald M. Davidson meanwhile, argues that Sanderson's arguments for direct influence from Shaiva "Vidyapitha" texts are problematic because "the chronology of the "Vidyapitha" tantras is by no means so well established" and that "the available evidence suggests that received Saiva tantras come into evidence sometime in the ninth to tenth centuries with their affirmation by scholars like Abhinavagupta (c. 1000 c.e.)" Davidson also notes that the list of pithas or sacred places "are certainly not particularly Buddhist, nor are they uniquely Kapalika venues, despite their presence in lists employed by both traditions." Davidson further adds that like the Buddhists, the Shaiva tradition was also involved in the appropriation of Hindu and non-Hindu deities, texts and traditions, an example being "village or tribal divinities like Tumburu".


title: Vajrayana

text: Davidson adds that Buddhists and Kapalikas as well as other ascetics (possibly Pasupatas) mingled and discussed their paths at various pilgrimage places and that there were conversions between the different groups. Thus he concludes:The Buddhist-Kapalika connection is more complex than a simple process of religious imitation and textual appropriation. There can be no question that the Buddhist tantras were heavily influenced by Kapalika and other Saiva movements, but the influence was apparently mutual. Perhaps a more nuanced model would be that the various lines of transmission were locally flourishing and that in some areas they interacted, while in others they maintained concerted hostility. Thus the influence was both sustained and reciprocal, even in those places where Buddhist and Kapalika siddhas were in extreme antagonism.Davidson also argues for the influence of non-Brahmanical and outcaste tribal religions and their feminine deities (such as Parnasabari and Janguli).


title: Vajrayana

text: According to several Buddhist tantras as well as traditional Tibetan Buddhist sources, the tantras and the Vajrayana was taught by the Buddha Shakyamuni, but only to some individuals. There are several stories and versions of how the tantras were disseminated. The "Jñana Tilaka Tantra", for example, has the Buddha state that the tantras will be explained by the bodhisattva Vajrapani. One of the most famous legends is that of king Indrabhuti (also known as King Ja) of Oddiyana (a figure related to Vajrapani, in some cases said to be an emanation of him).


title: Vajrayana

text: Other accounts attribute the revelation of Buddhist tantras to Padmasambhava, saying that he was an emanation of Amitabha and Avaloketishvara and that his arrival was predicted by the Buddha. Some accounts also maintain Padmasambhava is a direct reincarnation of Buddha Shakyamuni.


title: Vajrayana

text: According to Louis de La Vallée-Poussin and Alex Wayman, the philosophical view of the Vajrayana is based on Mahayana Buddhist philosophy, mainly the Madhyamaka and Yogacara schools. The major difference seen by Vajrayana thinkers is the superiority of Tantric methods, which provide a faster vehicle to liberation and contain many more skillful means ("upaya").


title: Vajrayana

text: The importance of the theory of emptiness is central to the Tantric Buddhist view and practice. The Buddhist emptiness view sees the world as being fluid, without an ontological foundation or inherent existence, but ultimately a fabric of constructions. Because of this, tantric practice such as self-visualization as the deity is seen as being no less real than everyday reality, but a process of transforming reality itself, including the practitioner's identity as the deity. As Stephan Beyer notes, "In a universe where all events dissolve ontologically into Emptiness, the touching of Emptiness in the ritual is the re-creation of the world in actuality".


title: Vajrayana

text: The doctrine of Buddha-nature, as outlined in the "Ratnagotravibhāga" of Asanga, was also an important theory which became the basis for Tantric views. As explained by the Tantric commentator Lilavajra, this "intrinsic secret (behind) diverse manifestation" is the utmost secret and aim of Tantra. According to Alex Wayman this "Buddha embryo" ("tathāgatagarbha") is a "non-dual, self-originated Wisdom (jnana), an effortless fount of good qualities" that resides in the mindstream but is "obscured by discursive thought." This doctrine is often associated with the idea of the inherent or natural luminosity (Skt: "prakṛti-prabhāsvara-citta", T. "’od gsal gyi sems") or purity of the mind ("prakrti-parisuddha").


title: Vajrayana

text: Another fundamental theory of Tantric practice is that of transformation. In Vajrayāna, negative mental factors such as desire, hatred, greed, pride are used as part of the path. As noted by French Indologist Madeleine Biardeau, the tantric doctrine is "an attempt to place "kama", desire, in every meaning of the word, in the service of liberation." This view is outlined in the following quote from the "Hevajra tantra":


title: Vajrayana

text: Those things by which evil men are bound, others turn into means and gain thereby release from the bonds of existence. By passion the world is bound, by passion too it is released, but by heretical Buddhists this practice of reversals is not known.


title: Vajrayana

text: The "Hevajra" further states that "one knowing the nature of poison may dispel poison with poison." As Snellgrove notes, this idea is already present in Asanga's "Mahayana-sutra-alamkara-karika" and therefore it is possible that he was aware of Tantric techniques, including sexual yoga.


title: Vajrayana

text: According to Buddhist Tantra, there is no strict separation of the profane or "samsara" and the sacred or "nirvana", rather they exist in a continuum. All individuals are seen as containing the seed of enlightenment within, which is covered over by defilements. Douglas Duckworth notes that Vajrayana sees Buddhahood not as something outside or an event in the future, but as immanently present.


title: Vajrayana

text: Indian Tantric Buddhist philosophers such as Buddhaguhya, Vimalamitra, Ratnākaraśānti and Abhayakaragupta continued the tradition of Buddhist philosophy and adapted it to their commentaries on the major Tantras. Abhayakaragupta's "Vajravali" is a key source in the theory and practice of tantric rituals. After monks such as Vajrabodhi and Śubhakarasiṃha brought Tantra to Tang China (716 to 720), tantric philosophy continued to be developed in Chinese and Japanese by thinkers such as Yi Xing and Kūkai.


title: Vajrayana

text: Likewise in Tibet, Sakya Pandita (1182–28 – 1251), as well as later thinkers like Longchenpa (1308–1364) expanded on these philosophies in their tantric commentaries and treatises. The status of the tantric view continued to be debated in medieval Tibet. Tibetan Buddhist Rongzom Chokyi Zangpo (1012–1088) held that the views of sutra such as Madhyamaka were inferior to that of tantra, which was based on basic purity of ultimate reality. Tsongkhapa (1357–1419) on the other hand, held that there is no difference between Vajrayāna and other forms of Mahayana in terms of "prajnaparamita" (perfection of insight) itself, only that Vajrayāna is a method which works faster.


title: Vajrayana

text: Various classifications are possible when distinguishing Vajrayāna from the other Buddhist traditions. Vajrayāna can be seen as a third "yana", next to Śrāvakayāna and Mahayana. Vajrayāna can be distinguished from the Sutrayana. The "Sutrayana" is the method of perfecting good qualities, where the "Vajrayāna" is the method of taking the intended outcome of Buddhahood as the path. Vajrayāna can also be distinguished from the paramitayana. According to this schema, Indian Mahayana revealed two vehicles ("yana") or methods for attaining enlightenment: the method of the perfections ("Paramitayana") and the method of mantra ("Mantrayana").


title: Vajrayana

text: The "Paramitayana" consists of the six or ten "paramitas", of which the scriptures say that it takes three incalculable aeons to lead one to Buddhahood. The tantra literature, however, says that the "Mantrayana" leads one to Buddhahood in a single lifetime. According to the literature, the mantra is an easy path without the difficulties innate to the "Paramitayana". "Mantrayana" is sometimes portrayed as a method for those of inferior abilities. However the practitioner of the mantra still has to adhere to the vows of the Bodhisattva.


title: Vajrayana

text: The goal of spiritual practice within the Mahayana and Vajrayāna traditions is to become a "Sammāsambuddha" (fully awakened Buddha), those on this path are termed Bodhisattvas. As with the Mahayana, motivation is a vital component of Vajrayāna practice. The Bodhisattva-path is an integral part of the Vajrayāna, which teaches that all practices are to be undertaken with the motivation to achieve Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings.


title: Vajrayana

text: In the vehicle of Sutra Mahayana the "path of the cause" is taken, whereby a practitioner starts with his or her potential Buddha-nature and nurtures it to produce the fruit of Buddhahood. In the Vajrayāna the "path of the fruit" is taken whereby the practitioner takes his or her innate Buddha-nature as the means of practice. The premise is that since we innately have an enlightened mind, practicing seeing the world in terms of ultimate truth can help us to attain our full Buddha-nature. Experiencing ultimate truth is said to be the purpose of all the various tantric techniques practiced in the Vajrayana.


title: Vajrayana

text: Vajrayāna Buddhism is esoteric in the sense that the transmission of certain teachings only occurs directly from teacher to student during an empowerment ("abhiṣeka") and their practice requires initiation in a ritual space containing the mandala of the deity. Many techniques are also commonly said to be secret, but some Vajrayana teachers have responded that secrecy itself is not important and only a side-effect of the reality that the techniques have no validity outside the teacher-student lineage.


title: Vajrayana

text: The secrecy of teachings was often protected through the use of allusive, indirect, symbolic and metaphorical language (twilight language) which required interpretation and guidance from a teacher. The teachings may also be considered "self-secret", meaning that even if they were to be told directly to a person, that person would not necessarily understand the teachings without proper context. In this way, the teachings are "secret" to the minds of those who are not following the path with more than a simple sense of curiosity.


title: Vajrayana

text: Because of their role in giving access to the practices and guiding the student through them, the role of the Vajracharya Lama is indispensable in Vajrayāna.


title: Vajrayana

text: Some Vajrayāna rituals traditionally included the use of certain taboo substances, such as blood, semen, alcohol and urine, as ritual offerings and sacraments, though some of these are often replaced with less taboo substances such as yogurt. Tantric feasts and initiations sometimes employed substances like human flesh as noted by Kahha's "Yogaratnamala".


title: Vajrayana

text: The use of these substances is related to the non-dual ("advaya") nature of a Buddha's wisdom ("buddhajñana"). Since the ultimate state is in some sense non-dual, a practitioner can approach that state by "transcending attachment to dual categories such as pure and impure, permitted and forbidden". As the "Guhyasamaja Tantra" states "the wise man who does not discriminate achieves Buddhahood".


title: Vajrayana

text: Vajrayāna rituals also include sexual yoga, union with a physical consort as part of advanced practices. Some tantras go further, the "Hevajra tantra" states "You should kill living beings, speak lying words, take what is not given, consort with the women of others". While some of these statements were taken literally as part of ritual practice, others such as killing were interpreted in a metaphorical sense. In the Hevajra, "killing" is defined as developing concentration by killing the life-breath of discursive thoughts. Likewise, while actual sexual union with a physical consort is practiced, it is also common to use a visualized mental consort.


title: Vajrayana

text: Alex Wayman points out that the symbolic meaning of tantric sexuality is ultimately rooted in "bodhicitta" and the bodhisattva's quest for enlightenment is likened to a lover seeking union with the mind of the Buddha. Judith Simmer-Brown notes the importance of the psycho-physical experiences arising in sexual yoga, termed "great bliss" ("mahasukha"): "Bliss melts the conceptual mind, heightens sensory awareness, and opens the practitioner to the naked experience of the nature of mind." This tantric experience is not the same as ordinary self-gratifying sexual passion since it relies on tantric meditative methods using the illusory body and visualizations as well as the motivation for enlightenment. As the "Hevajra tantra" says:


title: Vajrayana

text: Feminine deities and forces are also increasingly prominent in Vajrayāna. In the Yogini tantras in particular, women and female yoginis are given high status as the embodiment of female deities such as the wild and nude Vajrayogini. The "Candamaharosana Tantra" ("viii:29–30") states:


title: Vajrayana

text: In India, there is evidence to show that women participated in tantric practice alongside men and were also teachers, adepts and authors of tantric texts.


title: Vajrayana

text: Practitioners of Vajrayāna need to abide by various tantric vows or pledges called "samaya". These are extensions of the rules of the Prātimokṣa and Bodhisattva vows for the lower levels of tantra, and are taken during initiations into the empowerment for a particular Unsurpassed Yoga Tantra. The special tantric vows vary depending on the specific mandala practice for which the initiation is received and also depending on the level of initiation. Ngagpas of the Nyingma school keep a special non-celibate ordination.


title: Vajrayana

text: A tantric guru, or teacher is expected to keep his or her "samaya" vows in the same way as his students. Proper conduct is considered especially necessary for a qualified Vajrayana guru. For example, the "Ornament for the Essence" of Manjushrikirti states:


title: Vajrayana

text: While all the Vajrayāna Buddhist traditions include all of the traditional practices used in Mahayana Buddhism such as developing bodhicitta, practicing the "paramitas," and meditations, they also make use of unique tantric methods and Dzogchen meditation which are seen as more advanced. These include mantras, mandalas, mudras, deity yoga, other visualization based meditations, illusory body yogas like tummo and rituals like the goma fire ritual. Vajrayana teaches that these techniques provide faster path to Buddhahood.


title: Vajrayana

text: A central feature of tantric practice is the use of mantras, and seed syllables ("bijas"). Mantras are words, phrases or a collection of syllables used for a variety of meditative, magical and ritual ends. Mantras are usually associated with specific deities or Buddhas, and are seen as their manifestations in sonic form. They are traditionally believed to have spiritual power, which can lead to enlightenment as well as supramundane abilities ("siddhis").


title: Vajrayana

text: According to Indologist Alex Wayman, Buddhist esotericism is centered on what is known as "the three mysteries" or "secrets": the tantric adept affiliates his body, speech, and mind with the body, speech, and mind of a Buddha through mudra, mantras and samadhi respectively. Padmavajra (c 7th century) explains in his "Tantrarthavatara" Commentary, the secret Body, Speech, and Mind of the Buddhas are:


title: Vajrayana

text: These elements are brought together in the practice of tantric deity yoga, which involves visualizing the deity's body and mandala, reciting the deity's mantra and gaining insight into the nature of things based on this contemplation. Advanced tantric practices such as deity yoga are taught in the context of an initiation ceremony by tantric gurus or vajracharyas (vajra-masters) to the tantric initiate, who also takes on formal commitments or vows ("samaya"). In Tibetan Buddhism, advanced practices like deity yoga are usually preceded by or coupled with "preliminary practices" called "ngondro", consisting of five to seven accumulation practices and includes prostrations and recitations of the 100 syllable mantra.


title: Vajrayana

text: Vajrayana is a system of tantric lineages, and thus only those who receive an empowerment or initiation ("abhiseka") are allowed to practice the more advanced esoteric methods. In tantric deity yoga, mantras or bijas are used during the ritual evocation of deities which are said to arise out of the uttered and visualized mantric syllables. After the deity's image and mandala has been established, heart mantras are visualized as part of the contemplation in different points of the deity's body.


title: Vajrayana

text: The fundamental practice of Buddhist Tantra is "deity yoga" ("devatayoga"), meditation on a chosen deity or "cherished divinity" (Skt. "Iṣṭa-devatā," Tib. "yidam"), which involves the recitation of mantras, prayers and visualization of the deity, the associated mandala of the deity's Buddha field, along with consorts and attendant Buddhas and bodhisattvas. According to the Tibetan scholar Tsongkhapa, deity yoga is what separates Tantra from Sutra practice.


title: Vajrayana

text: In the Unsurpassed Yoga Tantras, the most widespread tantric form in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, this method is divided into two stages, the generation stage ("utpatti-krama") and the completion stage ("nispanna-krama"). In the generation stage, one dissolves one's reality into emptiness and meditates on the deity-mandala, resulting in identification with this divine reality. In the completion stage, the divine image along with the illusory body is applied to the realization of luminous emptiness.


title: Vajrayana

text: This dissolution into emptiness is then followed by the visualization of the deity and re-emergence of the yogi as the deity. During the process of deity visualization, the deity is to be imaged as not solid or tangible, as "empty yet apparent", with the character of a mirage or a rainbow. This visualization is to be combined with "divine pride", which is "the thought that one is oneself the deity being visualized." Divine pride is different from common pride because it is based on compassion for others and on an understanding of emptiness.


title: Vajrayana

text: The Tibetologist David Germano outlines two main types of completion practice: a formless and image-less contemplation on the ultimate empty nature of the mind and various yogas that make use of the illusory body to produce energetic sensations of bliss and warmth.


title: Vajrayana

text: The illusory body yogas systems like the Six Dharmas of Naropa and the Six Yogas of Kalachakra make use of energetic schemas of human psycho-physiology composed of "energy channels" (Skt. nadi, Tib. "rtsa"), "winds" or currents (Skt. "vayu", Tib. "rlung"), "drops" or charged particles (Skt. "bindu", Tib. "thig le") and chakras ("wheels"). These subtle energies are seen as "mounts" for consciousness, the physical component of awareness. They are engaged by various means such as pranayama (breath control) to produce blissful experiences that are then applied to the realization of ultimate reality.


title: Vajrayana

text: Other methods which are associated with the completion stage in Tibetan Buddhism include dream yoga (which relies on lucid dreaming), practices associated with the bardo (the interim state between death and rebirth), transference of consciousness ("phowa") and Chöd, in which the yogi ceremonially offers their body to be eaten by tantric deities in a ritual feast.


title: Vajrayana

text: Another form of Vajrayana practice are certain meditative techniques associated with Mahāmudrā and Dzogchen, often termed "formless practices" or the path of self-liberation. These techniques do not rely on deity visualization per se but on direct pointing-out instruction from a master and are often seen as the most advanced and direct methods.


title: Vajrayana

text: Another distinctive feature of Tantric Buddhism is its unique and often elaborate rituals. They include pujas (worship rituals), prayer festivals, protection rituals, death rituals, tantric feasts ("ganachakra"), tantric initiations ("abhiseka") and the goma fire ritual (common in East Asian Esotericism).


title: Vajrayana

text: An important element in some of these rituals (particularly initiations and tantric feasts) seems to have been the practice of ritual sex or sexual yoga ("karmamudra," "desire seal", also referred to as "consort observance", "vidyavrata," and euphemistically as ""puja""), as well as the sacramental ingestion of "power substances" such as the mingled sexual fluids and uterine blood (often performed by licking these substances off the vulva, a practice termed "yonipuja").


title: Vajrayana

text: The practice of ingestion of sexual fluids is mentioned by numerous tantric commentators, sometimes euphemistically referring to the penis as the "vajra" and the vagina as the "lotus". The "Cakrasamvara Tantra" commentator Kambala, writing about this practice, states:The seats are well-known on earth to be spots within the lotus mandala; by abiding within it there is great bliss, the royal nature of nondual joy. Therefore the lotus seat is supreme: filled with a mixture of semen and uterine blood, one should especially kiss it, and lolling with the tongue take it up. Unite the vajra and lotus, with the rapture of drinking [this] liquor.According to David Gray, these sexual practices probably originated in a non-monastic context, but were later adopted by monastic establishments (such as Nalanda and Vikramashila). He notes that the anxiety of figures like Atisa towards these practices, and the stories of Virūpa and Maitripa being expelled from their monasteries for performing them, shows that supposedly celibate monastics were undertaking these sexual rites.


title: Vajrayana

text: Because of its adoption by the monastic tradition, the practice of sexual yoga was slowly transformed into one which was either done with an imaginary consort visualized by the yogi instead of an actual person, or reserved to a small group of the "highest" or elite practitioners. Likewise, the drinking of sexual fluids was also reinterpreted by later commentators to refer illusory body anatomy of the perfection stage practices.


title: Vajrayana

text: Vajrayāna uses a rich variety of symbols, terms, and images that have multiple meanings according to a complex system of analogical thinking. In Vajrayāna, symbols, and terms are multi-valent, reflecting the microcosm and the macrocosm as in the phrase "As without, so within" ("yatha bahyam tatha ’dhyatmam iti") from Abhayakaragupta's "Nispannayogavali".


title: Vajrayana

text: The Sanskrit term ""vajra"" denoted a thunderbolt like a legendary weapon and divine attribute that was made from an adamantine, or an indestructible substance which could, therefore, pierce and penetrate any obstacle or obfuscation. It is the weapon of choice of Indra, the King of the Devas. As a secondary meaning, "vajra" symbolizes the ultimate nature of things which is described in the tantras as translucent, pure and radiant, but also indestructible and indivisible. It is also symbolic of the power of tantric methods to achieve its goals.


title: Vajrayana

text: A vajra is also a scepter-like ritual object ( "dorje"), which has a sphere (and sometimes a gankyil) at its centre, and a variable number of spokes, 3, 5 or 9 at each end (depending on the sadhana), enfolding either end of the rod. The vajra is often traditionally employed in tantric rituals in combination with the bell or ghanta; symbolically, the vajra may represent method as well as great bliss and the bell stands for wisdom, specifically the wisdom realizing emptiness. The union of the two sets of spokes at the center of the wheel is said to symbolize the unity of wisdom (prajña) and compassion (karuna) as well as the sexual union of male and female deities.


title: Vajrayana

text: Representations of the deity, such as statues ("murti"), paintings ("thangka"), or mandala, are often employed as an aid to visualization, in deity yoga. The use of visual aids, particularly microcosmic/macrocosmic diagrams, known as "mandalas", is another unique feature of Buddhist Tantra. Mandalas are symbolic depictions of the sacred space of the awakened Buddhas and Bodhisattvas as well as of the inner workings of the human person. The macrocosmic symbolism of the mandala then, also represents the forces of the human body. The explanatory tantra of the "Guhyasamaja tantra", the "Vajramala", states: "The body becomes a palace, the hallowed basis of all the Buddhas."


title: Vajrayana

text: Mandalas are also sacred enclosures, sacred architecture that house and contain the uncontainable essence of a central deity or "yidam" and their retinue. In the book "The World of Tibetan Buddhism", the Dalai Lama describes mandalas thus: "This is the celestial mansion, the pure residence of the deity." The Five Tathagatas or 'Five Buddhas', along with the figure of the Adi-Buddha, are central to many Vajrayana mandalas as they represent the "five wisdoms", which are the five primary aspects of primordial wisdom or Buddha-nature.


title: Vajrayana

text: All ritual in Vajrayana practice can be seen as aiding in this process of visualization and identification. The practitioner can use various hand implements such as a "vajra", bell, hand-drum ("damaru") or a ritual dagger ("phurba"), but also ritual hand gestures ("mudras") can be made, special chanting techniques can be used, and in elaborate offering rituals or initiations, many more ritual implements and tools are used, each with an elaborate symbolic meaning to create a special environment for practice. Vajrayana has thus become a major inspiration in traditional Tibetan art.


title: Vajrayana

text: There is an extended body of texts associated with Buddhist Tantra, including the "tantras" themselves, tantric commentaries and "shastras", "sadhanas" (liturgical texts), ritual manuals (Chinese: 儀軌; Pinyin: "Yíguǐ"; Romanji: "Giki"), dharanis, poems or songs ("dohas"), termas and so on. According to Harunaga Isaacson,Though we do not know precisely at present just how many Indian tantric Buddhist texts survive today in the language in which they were written, their number is certainly over one thousand five hundred; I suspect indeed over two thousand. A large part of this body of texts has also been translated into Tibetan, and a smaller part into Chinese. Aside from these, there are perhaps another two thousand or more works that are known today only from such translations. We can be certain as well that many others are lost to us forever, in whatever form. Of the texts that survive a very small proportion has been published; an almost insignificant percentage has been edited or translated reliably.Vajrayāna texts exhibit a wide range of literary characteristics—usually a mix of verse and prose, almost always in a Sanskrit that "transgresses frequently against classical norms of grammar and usage," although also occasionally in various Middle Indic dialects or elegant classical Sanskrit.


title: Vajrayana

text: In Chinese Mantrayana ("Zhenyan"), and Japanese Shingon, the most influential esoteric texts are the "Mahavairocana Tantra" and the "Vajraśekhara Sūtra".


title: Vajrayana

text: In Tibetan Buddhism, a large number of tantric works are widely studied and different schools focus on the study and practice of different cycles of texts. According to Geoffrey Samuel,


title: Vajrayana

text: The Dunhuang manuscripts also contain Tibetan Tantric manuscripts. Dalton and Schaik (2007, revised) provide an excellent online catalogue listing 350 Tibetan Tantric Manuscripts] from Dunhuang in the Stein Collection of the British Library which is currently fully accessible online in discrete digitized manuscripts. With the Wylie transcription of the manuscripts they are to be made discoverable online in the future. These 350 texts are just a small portion of the vast cache of the Dunhuang manuscripts.


title: Vajrayana

text: Although there is historical evidence for Vajrayāna Buddhism in Southeast Asia and elsewhere (see History of Vajrayāna above), today the Vajrayāna exists primarily in the form of the two major traditions of Tibetan Buddhism and Japanese Esoteric Buddhism in Japan known as "Shingon" (literally "True Speech", i.e. "mantra"), with a handful of minor subschools utilising lesser amounts of esoteric or tantric materials.


title: Vajrayana

text: The distinction between traditions is not always rigid. For example, the tantra sections of the Tibetan Buddhist canon of texts sometimes include material not usually thought of as tantric outside the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, such as the "Heart Sutra" and even versions of some material found in the "Pali Canon".


title: Vajrayana

text: Esoteric and Tantric teachings followed the same route into northern China as Buddhism itself, arriving via the Silk Road and Southeast Asian Maritime trade routes sometime during the first half of the 7th century, during the Tang dynasty and received sanction from the emperors of the Tang dynasty. During this time, three great masters came from India to China: Śubhakarasiṃha, Vajrabodhi, and Amoghavajra who translated key texts and founded the "Zhenyan" (真言, "true word", "mantra") tradition. "Zhenyan" was also brought to Japan as Shingon during this period. This tradition focused on tantras like the Mahavairocana tantra, and unlike Tibetan Buddhism, it does not employ the antinomian and radical tantrism of the "Anuttarayoga Tantras." The prestige of this tradition eventually influenced other schools of Chinese Buddhism such as Chan and Tiantai to adopt various esoteric practices over time, leading to a merging of teachings between the various schools. During the Yuan dynasty, the Mongol emperors made Tibetan Buddhism the official religion of China, and Tibetan lamas were given patronage at the court. Imperial support of Tibetan Vajrayana continued into the Ming and Qing dynasties.


title: Vajrayana

text: Today, esoteric traditions are deeply embedded in mainstream Chinese Buddhism and expressed through various rituals which make use of tantric mantra and dhāraṇī and the veneration of certain tantric deities like Cundi and Acala. One example of esoteric teachings still practiced in many Chinese Buddhist monasteries is the Śūraṅgama Sūtra and the dhāraṇī revealed within it, the Śūraṅgama Mantra, which are especially influential in the Chinese Chan tradition.


title: Vajrayana

text: Another form of esoteric Buddhism in China is Azhaliism, which is practiced among the Bai people of China and venerates Mahakala as a major deity.


title: Vajrayana

text: The Shingon school is found in Japan and includes practices, known in Japan as "Mikkyō" ("Esoteric (or Mystery) Teaching"), which are similar in concept to those in Vajrayana Buddhism. The lineage for Shingon Buddhism differs from that of Tibetan Vajrayana, having emerged from India during the 9th–11th centuries in the Pala Dynasty and Central Asia (via China) and is based on earlier versions of the Indian texts than the Tibetan lineage. Shingon shares material with Tibetan Buddhism – such as the esoteric sutras (called Tantras in Tibetan Buddhism) and mandalas – but the actual practices are not related. The primary texts of Shingon Buddhism are the "Mahavairocana Sutra" and "Vajrasekhara Sutra". The founder of Shingon Buddhism was Kukai, a Japanese monk who studied in China in the 9th century during the Tang dynasty and brought back Vajrayana scriptures, techniques and mandalas then popular in China. The school was merged into other schools in China towards the end of the Tang dynasty but was sectarian in Japan. Shingon is one of the few remaining branches of Buddhism in the world that continues to use the "siddham" script of the Sanskrit language.


title: Vajrayana

text: Although the Tendai school in China and Japan does employ some esoteric practices, these rituals came to be considered of equal importance with the exoteric teachings of the "Lotus Sutra". By chanting mantras, maintaining mudras, or practicing certain forms of meditation, Tendai maintains that one is able to understand sense experiences as taught by the Buddha, have faith that one is innately an enlightened being, and that one can attain enlightenment within the current lifetime.


title: Vajrayana

text: Shugendō was founded in 7th-century Japan by the ascetic En no Gyōja, based on the "Queen's Peacocks Sutra". With its origins in the solitary "hijiri" back in the 7th century, Shugendō evolved as a sort of amalgamation between Esoteric Buddhism, Shinto and several other religious influences including Taoism. Buddhism and Shinto were amalgamated in the "shinbutsu shūgō", and Kūkai's syncretic religion held wide sway up until the end of the Edo period, coexisting with Shinto elements within Shugendō


title: Vajrayana

text: In 1613 during the Edo period, the Tokugawa Shogunate issued a regulation obliging Shugendō temples to belong to either Shingon or Tendai temples. During the Meiji Restoration, when Shinto was declared an independent state religion separate from Buddhism, Shugendō was banned as a superstition not fit for a new, enlightened Japan. Some Shugendō temples converted themselves into various officially approved Shintō denominations. In modern times, Shugendō is practiced mainly by Tendai and Shingon sects, retaining an influence on modern Japanese religion and culture.


title: Vajrayana

text: Esoteric Buddhist practices (known as "milgyo", 密教) and texts arrived in Korea during the initial introduction of Buddhism to the region in 372 CE. Esoteric Buddhism was supported by the royalty of both Unified Silla (668–935) and Goryeo Dynasty (918–1392). During the Goryeo Dynasty esoteric practices were common within large sects like the Seon school, and the Hwaeom school as well as smaller esoteric sects like the Sinin ("mudra") and Ch'ongji ("Dharani") schools. During the era of the Mongol occupation (1251–1350s), Tibetan Buddhism also existed in Korea though it never gained a foothold there.


title: Vajrayana

text: During the Joseon dynasty, Esoteric Buddhist schools were forced to merge with the Seon and Kyo schools, becoming the ritual specialists. With the decline of Buddhism in Korea, Esoteric Buddhism mostly died out, save for a few traces in the rituals of the Jogye Order and Taego Order.


title: Vajrayana

text: 覺). According to Henrik H. Sørensen, "they have absolutely no historical link with the Korean Buddhist tradition per se but are late constructs based in large measures on Japanese Shingon Buddhism."


title: Vajrayana

text: Vajrayāna Buddhism was initially established in Tibet in the 8th century when various figures like Padmasambhāva (8th century CE) and Śāntarakṣita (725–788) were invited by King Trisong Detsen, some time before 767. Tibetan Buddhism reflects the later stages tantric Indian Buddhism of the post-Gupta Early Medieval period (500 to 1200 CE). This tradition practices and studies a set of tantric texts and commentaries associated with the more "left hand" ("vamachara") tantras, which are not part of East Asian Esoteric Buddhism. These tantras (sometimes termed 'Anuttarayoga tantras' include many transgressive elements, such as sexual and mortuary symbolism that is not shared by the earlier tantras that are studied in East Asian Buddhism. These texts were translated into Classical Tibetan during the "New translation period" (10th–12th centuries). Tibetan Buddhism also includes numerous native Tibetan developments, such as the tulku system, new sadhana texts, Tibetan scholastic works, Dzogchen literature and Terma literature. There are four major traditions or schools: Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyu, and Gelug.


title: Vajrayana

text: In the pre-modern era, Tibetan Buddhism spread outside of Tibet primarily due to the influence of the Mongol Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), founded by Kublai Khan, which ruled China, Mongolia and eastern Siberia. In the modern era it has spread outside of Asia due to the efforts of the Tibetan diaspora (1959 onwards). The Tibetan Buddhist tradition is today found in Tibet, Bhutan, northern India, Nepal, southwestern and northern China, Mongolia and various constituent republics of Russia that are adjacent to the area, such as Amur Oblast, Buryatia, Chita Oblast, the Tuva Republic and Khabarovsk Krai. Tibetan Buddhism is also the main religion in Kalmykia. It has also spread to Western countries and there are now international networks of Tibetan Buddhist temples and meditation centers in the Western world from all four schools.


title: Vajrayana

text: Newar Buddhism is practiced by Newars in Nepal. It is the only form of Vajrayana Buddhism in which the scriptures are written in Sanskrit and this tradition has preserved many Vajrayana texts in this language. Its priests do not follow celibacy and are called "vajracharya" (literally "diamond-thunderbolt carriers").


title: Vajrayana

text: Indonesian Esoteric Buddhism refers to the traditions of Esoteric Buddhism found in the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra before the rise and dominance of Islam in the region (13-16th centuries). The Buddhist empire of Srivijaya (650 CE–1377 CE) was a major center of Esoteric Buddhist learning which drew Chinese monks such as Yijing and Indian scholars like Atiśa. The temple complex at Borobudur in central Java, built by the Shailendra dynasty also reflects strong Tantric or at least proto-tantric influences, particularly of the cult of Vairocana.


title: Vajrayana

text: Indonesian Esoteric Buddhism may have also reached the Philippines, possibly establishing the first form of Buddhism in the Philippines. The few Buddhist artifacts that have been found in the islands reflect the iconography of Srivijaya's Vajrayana.


title: Vajrayana

text: "Southern Esoteric Buddhism" or Borān kammaṭṭhāna ('ancient practices') is a term for esoteric forms of Buddhism from Southeast Asia, where Theravada Buddhism is dominant. The monks of the Sri Lankan, Abhayagiri vihara once practiced forms of tantra which were popular in the island. Another tradition of this type was Ari Buddhism, which was common in Burma. The Tantric Buddhist 'Yogāvacara' tradition was a major Buddhist tradition in Cambodia, Laos and Thailand well into the modern era. This form of Buddhism declined after the rise of Southeast Asian Buddhist modernism.


title: Vajrayana

text: This form of esoteric Buddhism is unique in that it developed in Southeast Asia and has no direct connection to the Indian Tantric Movement of the Mahasiddhas and the tantric establishments of Nalanda and Vikramashila Universities. Thus, it does not make use of the classic Buddhist tantras and has its own independent literature and practice tradition.


title: Vajrayana

text: Serious Vajrayana academic study in the Western world is in early stages due to the following obstacles:


title: Vajrayana

text: Buddhist tantric practice is categorized as secret practice; this is to avoid misinformed people from harmfully misusing the practices. A method to keep this secrecy is that tantric initiation is required from a master before any instructions can be received about the actual practice. During the initiation procedure in the highest class of tantra (such as the Kalachakra), students must take the tantric vows which commit them to such secrecy. "Explaining general tantra theory in a scholarly manner, not sufficient for practice, is likewise not a root downfall. Nevertheless, it weakens the effectiveness of our tantric practice."


title: Vajrayana

text: The terminology associated with Vajrayana Buddhism can be confusing. Most of the terms originated in the Sanskrit language of tantric Indian Buddhism and may have passed through other cultures, notably those of Japan and Tibet, before translation for the modern reader. Further complications arise as seemingly equivalent terms can have subtle variations in use and meaning according to context, the time and place of use. A third problem is that the Vajrayana texts employ the tantric tradition of twilight language, a means of instruction that is deliberately coded. These obscure teaching methods relying on symbolism as well as synonym, metaphor and word association add to the difficulties faced by those attempting to understand Vajrayana Buddhism:


title: Vajrayana

text: The term Tantric Buddhism was not one originally used by those who practiced it. As scholar Isabelle Onians explains:


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: Elektra is a 2005 superhero film directed by Rob Bowman. It is a spin-off from the 2003 film "Daredevil", starring the Marvel Comics character Elektra Natchios (portrayed by Jennifer Garner). The story follows Elektra, an assassin who must protect a man and his prodigy daughter from another assassin who was hired by The Hand.


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: For the screenplay, Zak Penn, Stuart Zicherman, and Raven Metzner received "written by" credit. Mark Steven Johnson received credit for "motion picture characters" and Frank Miller for "comic book characters". Filming started around May 2004 in Vancouver.


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: The film was released on January 14, 2005. Upon its release, "Elektra" was a commercial and critical failure, grossing $56 million against a production budget of $43–65 million. It received negative reviews from critics, who found the script and storyline lacking, but many praised Garner's performance.


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: After being killed in "Daredevil", Elektra Natchios is revived by blind martial arts master Stick. He teaches her the ancient art of Kimagure, which provides its practitioners with precognition as well as the ability to resurrect the dead. Elektra is expelled from the training compound because of her inability to let go of her rage and fear of seeing her mother's killer as a child. She leaves and uses her training to become a contract killer.


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: Years later, McCabe, Elektra's agent, receives an unusually large offer from an anonymous client wishing to hire Elektra. The only stipulation: she must spend a few days in a rented home on the island where the assassination is to be performed before the names of the targets are revealed. During the wait, Elektra catches a girl named Abby trying to steal her mother's necklace. She sends her away, and later meets and befriends her father, Mark Miller. Abby invites Elektra to dinner on Mark's behalf. Elektra develops a romantic interest in Mark but soon learns that he and Abby are the targets she has been hired to kill. Elektra spares them and leaves, but returns in time to protect them from assassins sent by The Hand, a crime syndicate of ninja mercenaries.


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: Roshi, master of The Hand, learns of the failed attempt and permits his son Kirigi to lead a new team of assassins to kill Elektra and return with Abby, referred to as "The Treasure". Elektra tries to leave Abby and Mark with Stick, but he scolds her and tells her to protect them herself. She takes Mark and Abby to McCabe's country house, but is followed by Kirigi, Typhoid, Stone, Kinkou, and Tattoo. Elektra flees with Mark and Abby through a secret underground exit to an orchard, while McCabe sacrifices himself to buy them time.


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: Kirigi and the assassins hunt down the trio in the orchard. Elektra kills Stone, while Abby and Mark kill Kinkou with one of his own daggers. As Elektra is distracted by the revelation that Abby has martial arts skills, Typhoid gives Elektra the "Kiss of Death". Abby is captured by Kirigi. Stick and his Chaste ninjas arrive, forcing Kirigi, Typhoid, and Tattoo to retreat. Stick saves Elektra from death and takes them under his protection.


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: Stick confirms that Abby is the "Treasure", a martial arts prodigy, whom the Hand seeks to use. Elektra learns that she was a Treasure herself, resulting in her mother becoming a casualty of the fight between The Chaste and The Hand. She also guesses that Stick set up the hit on Mark and Abby in order to test Elektra's propensity for compassion.


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: Elektra astrally projects herself to a meeting with Kirigi and challenges him to a fight, the winner claiming Abby for their own purpose. Elektra returns to her childhood home to face Kirigi and realizes that the horned demon who killed her mother was actually Kirigi.


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: Elektra is defeated by Kirigi. Abby arrives and engages him long enough for Elektra to recuperate. Elektra and Abby then escape and hide in a hedge maze, but Abby is captured by snakes dispatched by Tattoo. Elektra finds Tattoo and snaps his neck, releasing Abby. Elektra engages Kirigi a second time and kills him. Typhoid poisons and kills Abby, before Elektra throws her sai at Typhoid, killing her. Elektra desperately tries to wake Abby, then calms herself, lets go all of her rage, and successfully resurrects her using Kimagure.


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: Elektra gets ready to leave. She and Mark share one final kiss. Elektra tells Abby to live a normal life and that they each gave each other's life back. Elektra leaves, hoping that Abby won't grow up to be like her. Stick appears and points out that Elektra didn't turn out so bad. Elektra bows to Stick to thank him. He bows to Elektra, then disappears.


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: In 1987, after the success of Frank Miller's "," Marvel tried to adapt the graphic novel into a live-action movie. After selling the rights of Elektra to New Line Cinema, Frank Miller was hired to pen a screenplay based on the graphic novel of the same name. Later on, screenwriters Jim McBride and L.M. Kit Carson were hired to write a second script. Director Oliver Stone later signed on to direct and wanted volleyball player, model, and actress Gabrielle Reece to star as Elektra. The project was later cancelled after the rights to Elektra was sold to 20th Century Fox.


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: Garner reportedly did not want to do the film and only did it because she was legally required due to contractual obligations from "Daredevil". The film was made during Jennifer Garner's hiatus from the television show "Alias", and production was limited by that timeframe. Ben Affleck reprised his role as Matt Murdock / Daredevil in a cameo appearance, but it was cut from the final film. The scene was included on the DVD as a deleted scene.


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: Director Rob Bowman knew going into the project that the production time was going to be short and they would be limited in what they could achieve, but thought that critics would appreciate what he was able to do with the relatively small $43 million budget. Bowman saw it not as an all action spectacle but as "a story about a character learning about compassion". He said shooting and preparation made for very long days, and as little as four hours sleep a night, and that he used "every trick in the book I had to pull that movie off in that short amount of time."


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: Bowman stated that the film was "literally 12 frames of film from an R-rating" due to MPAA objections to several death scenes.


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: Elektra: The Album was released in 2005 by Wind-up Records. As with many Wind-up soundtracks, almost none of the songs featured on the album were actually used in the film. "Sooner or Later" is played briefly in one scene and a remix not included on this album of "Hollow" is also played. The end credits features "Wonder", "Photograph", and "Thousand Mile Wish (Elektra Mix)": but other than this, none of the songs on the album were used in the actual motion picture. A score album was released by Varèse Sarabande containing selections of Christophe Beck's original music from the film.


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: The DVD of "Elektra" was released on April 5, 2005. It featured several deleted scenes, including one featuring Ben Affleck reprising his role from "Elektra"s predecessor, "Daredevil" (2003). It was released on VHS in May 2005.


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: An extended and slightly refined two-disc unrated director's cut DVD was released in October 2005, featuring a cut detailed for home video release. Unlike the "Daredevil" director's cut which added about thirty minutes of material not in the original theatrical release, this version only changed about seven minutes of footage, extending the total runtime by just three minutes. It was also criticized for poor video transfer.


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: A Blu-ray of "Elektra" was released on October 19, 2009, for the United Kingdom (and France) only. The US version was released on May 4, 2010. It contains only the unrated director's cut of the film.


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: "Elektra" opened on January 14, 2005, in the United States in 3,204 theatres. In its opening weekend, it ranked fifth, taking $12,804,793. In its second weekend, it took $3,964,598, a drop of 69%. Domestically the total gross was $24,409,722, at the time the lowest for a film featuring a Marvel Comics character since "Howard the Duck". The film had a worldwide total of $56,681,566.


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: The film received largely negative reviews from film critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of , based on reviews with an average rating of . The site's critical consensus reads: "Jennifer Garner inhabits her role with earnest gusto, but "Elektra" tone-deaf script is too self-serious and bereft of intelligent dialogue to provide engaging thrills." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 34 out of 100 based on 35 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "B" on scale of A to F.


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: Roger Ebert of the "Chicago Sun-Times" gave the film 1.5 out of 4, and wrote: "Plays like a collision between leftover bits and pieces of Marvel superhero stories. It can't decide what tone to strike."


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: Helen O'Hara at "Empire" magazine gave the film 2 out of 5 stars, and says "Despite oozing star quality, Garner struggles to rise above the limitations of the script." Brian Lowry of "Variety" writes: "Elektra" proves no more than fitfully satisfying, a character-driven superhero yarn whose flurry of last-minute rewriting shows in a disjointed plot."


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: Claudia Puig of "USA Today" writes "Her (Garner's) grace and mystical abilities make for a lonely burden, and we are supposed to feel her pain. Instead, we feel our own for having to sit through this silly movie." Puig concluded that Garner "is far more appealing when she's playing charming and adorable, as she did so winningly in "13 Going on 30".


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: Jonathan Rosenbaum of the "Chicago Reader" writes: "This doesn't exactly set the world on fire, but I was charmed by its old-fashioned storytelling, which is refreshingly free of archness, self-consciousness, or "Kill Bill"-style wisecracks."


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: Director Rob Bowman was somewhat surprised by the negative reviews, he accepted the difficulty of making something with mass market appeal "Everybody likes ice cream, but not everybody likes chocolate ice cream" but acknowledged the film's shortcomings and said "if you can't handle people not liking what you do, you shouldn't be in the business".


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: Garner was nominated in the category Choice Movie Actress: Action Adventure/Thriller at the 2005 Teen Choice Awards.


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: Film critic Scott Mendelson blamed the film for ruining Jennifer Garner's career, and said it killed off the notion of a female lead superhero movie for a decade.


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: In March 2005, producer Avi Arad told investors that Marvel had made a mistake rushing "Elektra" into release. "We will never do that again," he said.


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: In an email released because of the Sony Pictures hack, Marvel Entertainment CEO Ike Perlmutter cited Elektra as an example of an unprofitable female led superhero film. He wrote: "Very bad idea and the end result was very, very bad."


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: In 2016, Katharine Trendacosta at io9 reviewed the film and called it "Somehow So Much Worse Than You Remember" and said that the version of Elektra in Netflix's "Daredevil" could only be an improvement.


title: Elektra (2005 film)

text: "Elektra" was also supposed to have a video game based on the movie with support from the comics. The game was never released, as publishers felt it would not be popular enough. A game based on the film was released for mobile.


title: Belle Knox

text: Miriam Weeks, known by her stage name of Belle Knox, is an American former pornographic film actress. She is known for performing in pornography while studying at Duke University.


title: Belle Knox

text: Knox started doing pornography in 2013 to help pay for her $60,000 per year tuition costs. In late 2013, her career became publicly known on campus, and she faced extensive in-person and online harassment. Knox took a college-sanctioned break from Duke University in early 2014 and later returned to continue her studies.


title: Belle Knox

text: Knox has publicly defended her decision to do the work, as well as explained her views of feminism and rights for sex workers. She believes her experiences are indicative of the rising costs of higher education in the United States.


title: Belle Knox

text: Knox decided to enter the pornography industry because she enjoyed sex and pornography, and the job offered much better compensation and working hours. In previous work as a waitress, Knox had a boss who treated her poorly and a schedule that interfered with her studies, for less than $400 a month (after taxes). Pornography would allow her to control her schedule, and she could make about $1,300 per scene. Knox had previously tried to apply for government loans, but was told that she was ineligible; and believed private student loans would "strap her family with debt".


title: Belle Knox

text: She began working in pornography in November 2013, flying out to Los Angeles while on school breaks to perform in the films. Knox chose the name "Belle", inspired by Belle from "Beauty and the Beast" and the character of Belle from "Secret Diary of a Call Girl"; the name "Knox" is after Amanda Knox, exonerated in the murder of Meredith Kercher. In early 2015 Knox declined to comment on whether she was still filming adult movies.


title: Belle Knox

text: Weeks was a College Republican and considers herself a sex-positive feminist and libertarian. She identifies her "favorite figures in liberty" as Ayn Rand, economist Milton Friedman, and two other activists whose careers have included both sex and politics: porn actress Nina Hartley and former call girl Maggie McNeill. She has also shown admiration for both former Representative Ron Paul and his son Senator Rand Paul.


title: Belle Knox

text: She was involved in the organization Students for Liberty, an organization that bills itself as "the largest libertarian student organization in the world", and was the campus coordinator for Students for Liberty at Duke. In addition to her work with Students for Liberty, Weeks said she was appointed to the national board of directors for the Sex Workers Outreach Project. Knox had been asked to speak in Duke classes about being a sex worker, and has given speeches at other colleges besides her alma mater.


title: Belle Knox

text: While her work in porn helped fuel her political beliefs, Weeks says she began developing her ideology earlier in life. "I grew up Catholic, so I grew up in a very, very, conservative background and that, I think, really was kind of the impetus for why I wanted to become a libertarian. I was always being told to cover up my body and I was always being told to wait until marriage to have sex, that my body would go down if I didn't wait till marriage to have sex", Weeks explained, adding, "That really made me become a libertarian and become a feminist."


title: Belle Knox

text: On January 10, 2014, fellow Duke student Thomas Bagley revealed Knox's career to his fraternity brothers. Accounts of how Bagley deduced Knox's identity vary: Bagley claims that Knox revealed her work to him as a secret, whereas Knox claims that Bagley recognized her from watching porn in which she starred. The news quickly spread through the community.


title: Belle Knox

text: After returning to campus from winter break, Knox discovered that her personal Facebook account had received more than 230 friend requests. Fellow students started following her porn persona's Twitter account, at which point she realized that her porn career had been discovered. Shortly thereafter posts began to emerge on the anonymous college discussion board CollegiateACB under the thread title "Freshman Pornstar". Knox began to receive threats of violence and death in person and via social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Some posters endorsed raping and beating her; others simply wanted Duke to expel Knox.


title: Belle Knox

text: Knox believes that the public response exhibited a double standard sex workers face from those who seek their services. In February 2014 Knox gave an interview to the campus newspaper, "The Chronicle", in which she used the pseudonym "Lauren A.", and referred to her stage name as "Aurora" to avoid identifying herself. She expressed frustration over her treatment stating, "I feel like girls at Duke have to hide their sexuality. We're caught in this virgin-whore dichotomy." Knox published a similar defense on lifestyle website "xoJane", but the storm of harassment continued. Knox's identity, contact information, and location were posted, but when Knox contacted the police over the ongoing threats, the police failed to respect her concerns.


title: Belle Knox

text: On March 4, 2014, Knox decided to embrace her new reality: she wrote a second post where she revealed her stage name, and reflected on her experiences. She would later summarize her reasoning as: "I think the [sex-work] industry needs a "feminist" advocate as well."


title: Belle Knox

text: Media outlets covering the story uniformly described the public response as slut-shaming. The Poynter Institute's Kelly McBride commented on the reception for Knox's story, stating that it "[presented] a lesson in crowd behavior", noting that, "While her critics were loud and destructive, advocating that people call her dad to let him know his daughter is a porn star, no one suggested a phone campaign to inform the mother of the frat boy who outed her that her son is watching porn." According to critic and former sex worker Eric Barry, "It's impossible to separate those trying to violate sex workers' right to privacy, from those who believe sex workers somehow deserve to be devalued." Elizabeth Stoker, in "The Week", noted the "reprehensible and personal" comments of threats and harassment through social media were "odious and inexcusable", and characterized them as unjustifiable, as well as being "disproportionately aimed at women in the public sphere".


title: Belle Knox

text: At the same time, not all commentators agreed with Knox on how to interpret her decisions. Stoker found Knox's political agenda uncompelling, because it emphasizes personal freedom over quality of life. The sex industry does not have a trade union, and marketing towards male sexual desire incentivizes unsafe practices in the industry. John Rogove believes that the sex industry actually reduces freedom, by transforming its actors from people into commodities. Eliana Dockterman, writing for "Time", doubted that Knox could truly find her pornography career empowering. According to Dockterman, Knox "doesn't know how to process her newfound fame" and her decision "will likely haunt [her] for the rest of her college and professional career."


title: Belle Knox

text: A representative for Duke University issued a statement saying that while they would not comment on specific cases, the college's community standard did not have any restrictions concerning off-campus employment. Of Knox's allegations that campus police did not take the threats against her seriously enough, the representative remarked, "We are committed to protecting the privacy, safety and security of our students. Whenever we identify a student in need of support, we reach out to them and offer the many resources that we have available on campus to assist them."


title: Belle Knox

text: In May 2014, Knox announced that she would be hosting an online show called "The Sex Factor" along with four other porn performers, where they would oversee 16 contestants that would compete for the right to participate in a sex scene with Knox. In February 2015, Asa Akira replaced Knox as the show's host.


title: Belle Knox

text: A fictionalized version of Knox's story was featured in , an episode of "". Knox has also been the focus of the five-part documentary series "Becoming Belle Knox", which was produced and released by Stateless Media and Conde Nast Entertainment. In 2015, she narrated on a one-hour episode of "One Bad Choice" on MTV, also showing a dramatized version of her life. A TV docudrama based on her life titled "From Straight A's to XXX" premiered on the Lifetime network in February 2017.


title: Belle Knox

text: Knox is half Canadian and half Punjabi Indian. As of 2014, Knox was pursuing a major in women's studies and sociology and is now a women's rights activist. She identifies as bisexual.


title: Seven Seas

text: The "Seven Seas" is a figurative term for all the seas of the known world. The phrase is used in reference to sailors and pirates in the arts and popular culture and can be associated with the Mediterranean Sea, the Arabian Seven Seas east of Africa and India (as told with Sinbad's seven journeys, and Captain Kidd), or is sometimes applied to the Caribbean Sea and seas around the Americas (with pirates such as Blackbeard).


title: Seven Seas

text: The terminology of a "seven seas" with varying definitions was part of the vernacular of several peoples (as in the prior mentioned seas of Arabic literature), long before the oceans of the world became known (to those peoples). The term can now also be taken to refer to these seven oceanic bodies of water:


title: Seven Seas

text: The World Ocean is also collectively known as just "the sea". The International Hydrographic Organization lists over 23 distinct bodies of water called seas.


title: Seven Seas

text: The Arabs and their near neighbours considered the Seven Seas () to be the seas that they encountered in their voyages to The East. They were trading routes in ancient times and since the time of Muhammad, they are the places where Islam spread and is widely practised.


title: Seven Seas

text: Whoever wants to go to China must cross seven seas, each one with its own color and wind and fish and breeze, completely unlike the sea that lies beside it. The first of them is the Sea of Fars, which men sail setting out from Siraf. It ends at Ra’s al-Jumha; it is a strait where pearls are fished. The second sea begins at Ra’s al-Jumha and is called Larwi. It is a big sea, and in it is the Island of Waqwaq and others that belong to the Zanj. These islands have kings. One can only sail this sea by the stars. It contains huge fish, and in it are many wonders and things that pass description. The third sea is called Harkand, and in it lies the Island of Sarandib, in which are precious stones and rubies. Here are islands with kings, but there is one king over them. In the islands of this sea grow bamboo and rattan. The fourth sea is called Kalah and is shallow and filled with huge serpents. Sometimes they ride the wind and smash ships. Here are islands where the camphor tree grows. The fifth sea is called Salahit and is very large and filled with wonders. The sixth sea is called Kardanj; it is very rainy. The seventh sea is called the sea of Sanji, also known as Kanjli. It is the sea of China; one is driven by the south wind until one reaches a freshwater bay, along which are fortified places and cities, until one reaches Khanfu.


title: Seven Seas

text: Arab seafarers may have also considered other important seas nearby which they navigated regularly, including the Black Sea, Caspian Sea, Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and Adriatic Sea.


title: Seven Seas

text: In British Colonial times the Clipper Ship Tea Route from China to England was the longest trade route in the world. It took sailors through seven seas near the Dutch East Indies: the Banda Sea, the Celebes Sea, the Flores Sea, the Java Sea, the South China Sea, the Sulu Sea, and the Timor Sea. The Seven Seas referred to those seas, and if someone had sailed the Seven Seas it meant he had sailed to, and returned from, the other side of the world.


title: Seven Seas

text: The meaning of (Latin) in Ancient Rome is different than the phrase "seven seas" in the modern era. The navigable network in the mouths of the Po river discharges into saltmarshes on the Adriatic shore and was colloquially called the "Seven Seas" in ancient Roman times. Pliny the Elder, a Roman author and fleet commander, wrote about these lagoons, separated from the open sea by sandbanks:


title: Seven Seas

text: All those rivers and trenches were first made by the Etruscans, thus discharging the flow of the river across the marshes of the Atriani called the Seven Seas, with the famous harbor of the Etruscan town of Atria which formerly gave the name of Atriatic to the sea now called the Adriatic.


title: Seven Seas

text: The expression "to sail the seven seas" was a classical flourish signifying nautical skill. It was applied to the Venetians long before they sailed the oceans.


title: Seven Seas

text: The Babylonian Talmud mentions seven seas and four rivers that surround the land of Israel. In Tractate "Bava Batra, fol. 74b", it reads:


title: Seven Seas

text: "When R. Dimi came he said R. Yohanan said:" "What is the meaning of the verse, 'For he hath founded it upon the seas and established it upon the floods.' (Ps. 24:2)? This refers to the seven seas and four rivers that surround the land of Israel. And what are the seven seas? The sea of Tiberias, the Sea of Sodom, the Sea of Helath, the Sea of Hiltha, the Sea of Sibkay, the Sea of Aspamia and the Great Sea. And what are the four rivers? The Jordan, the Yarmuk, the Keramyhon and Pigah."


title: Seven Seas

text: Various transliterations for the sea names from Hebrew exist. For Helath: "Chelath" and "Shelyith". For Hiltha: "Chiltha" and "Chultha". For Sibkay: "Sibchi" and "Somcho". And for Aspamia: "Apamia".


title: Seven Seas

text: The 17th century churchman and scholar John Lightfoot mentions this set of seas in his "Commentary on the New Testament". A chapter titled "The Seven Seas according to the Talmudists, and the four Rivers compassing the Land" includes the "Great Sea" (now called the Mediterranean Sea), the "Sea of Tiberias" (Sea of Galilee), the "Sea of Sodom" (Dead Sea), the "Lake of Samocho" (probably the (mostly) dried-up Hula Lake, called Semechonitis by Josephus and lake Sumchi in the Talmud), also called the "Sibbichaean". Lightfoot does not comment on the remaining three seas.


title: Seven Seas

text: After the discovery of the Americas during the Age of Discovery, the "seven seas" were reckoned by some as:


title: Seven Seas

text: The last two of these are now reckoned to be part of the Atlantic Ocean, and the Mediterranean either part of the Atlantic or omitted. Splitting the Atlantic and Pacific into north and south and adding the Southern Ocean returns the list to seven.


title: Seven Seas

text: Detailed reckonings of the divisions of the world ocean into oceans and seas is not limited to lists of seven. For example, the International Hydrographic Organization recognizes many marginal seas; some saltwater lakes and the freshwater Sea of Galilee also have "sea" in their names.


title: Origen

text: Origen of Alexandria ( 185 – 253), also known as Origen Adamantius, was an early Christian scholar, ascetic, and theologian who was born and spent the first half of his career in Alexandria. He was a prolific writer who wrote roughly 2,000 treatises in multiple branches of theology, including textual criticism, biblical exegesis and hermeneutics, homiletics, and spirituality. He was one of the most influential and controversial figures in early Christian theology, apologetics, and asceticism. He has been described as "the greatest genius the early church ever produced".


title: Origen

text: Origen sought martyrdom with his father at a young age but was prevented from turning himself in to the authorities by his mother. When he was eighteen years old, Origen became a catechist at the Catechetical School of Alexandria. He devoted himself to his studies and adopted an ascetic lifestyle. He came into conflict with Demetrius, the bishop of Alexandria, in 231 after he was ordained as a presbyter by his friend, the bishop of Caesarea, while on a journey to Athens through Palestine. Demetrius condemned Origen for insubordination and accused him of having castrated himself and of having taught that even Satan would eventually attain salvation, an accusation which Origen vehemently denied. Origen founded the Christian School of Caesarea, where he taught logic, cosmology, natural history, and theology, and became regarded by the churches of Palestine and Arabia as the ultimate authority on all matters of theology. He was tortured for his faith during the Decian persecution in 250 and died three to four years later from his injuries.


title: Origen

text: Origen was able to produce a massive quantity of writings because of the patronage of his close friend Ambrose of Alexandria, who provided him with a team of secretaries to copy his works, making him one of the most prolific writers in all of antiquity. His treatise "On the First Principles" systematically laid out the principles of Christian theology and became the foundation for later theological writings. He also authored "Contra Celsum", the most influential work of early Christian apologetics, in which he defended Christianity against the pagan philosopher Celsus, one of its foremost early critics. Origen produced the "Hexapla", the first critical edition of the Hebrew Bible, which contained the original Hebrew text as well as four different Greek translations of it, and one Greek transliteration of the Hebrew, all written in columns, side by side. He wrote hundreds of homilies covering almost the entire Bible, interpreting many passages as allegorical. Origen taught that, before the creation of the material universe, God had created the souls of all the intelligent beings. These souls, at first fully devoted to God, fell away from him and were given physical bodies. Origen was the first to propose the ransom theory of atonement in its fully developed form, and he also significantly contributed to the development of the concept of the Trinity. Origen hoped that all people might eventually attain salvation, but was always careful to maintain that this was only speculation. He defended free will and advocated Christian pacifism.


title: Origen

text: Origen is considered by some Christian groups to be a Church Father though he does not have this status in Orthodox Christianity. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential Christian theologians. His teachings were especially influential in the east, with Athanasius of Alexandria and the three Cappadocian Fathers being among his most devoted followers. Argument over the orthodoxy of Origen's teachings spawned the First Origenist Crisis in the late fourth century, in which he was attacked by Epiphanius of Salamis and Jerome but defended by Tyrannius Rufinus and John of Jerusalem. In 543, Emperor Justinian I condemned him as a heretic and ordered all his writings to be burned. The Second Council of Constantinople in 553 may have anathematized Origen, or it may have only condemned certain heretical teachings which claimed to be derived from Origen. His teachings on the pre-existence of souls were rejected by the Church.


title: Origen

text: Almost all information about Origen's life comes from a lengthy biography of him in Book VI of the "Ecclesiastical History" written by the Christian historian Eusebius ( 260 – 340). Eusebius portrays Origen as the perfect Christian scholar and as a literal saint. Eusebius, however, wrote this account almost fifty years after Origen's death, and had access to few reliable sources on Origen's life, especially his early years. Anxious for more material about his hero, Eusebius recorded events based only on unreliable hearsay evidence, and frequently made speculative inferences about Origen based on the sources he had available. Nonetheless, scholars can reconstruct a general impression of Origen's historical life by sorting out the parts of Eusebius's account that are accurate from those that are inaccurate.