back groups wandering yogi magicians called mahasiddhas question origins early vajrayana taken various scholars david seyfort ruegg suggested buddhist tantra employed various elements pan indian religious substrate specifically buddhist shaiva vaishnava according indologist alexis sanderson various classes vajrayana literature developed result royal courts sponsoring buddhism saivism sanderson argued buddhist tantras shown borrowed practices terms rituals form shaiva tantras argues buddhist texts even directly copied various shaiva
Humanities Theology Buddhism