Vajrayana practices

religious concept in Buddhism

A yidam or iṣṭadevatā is a meditational deity that serves as a focus for meditation and spiritual practice, said to be manifestations of Buddhahood or enlightened mind. Yidams are an integral part of Vajrayana, including Tibetan Buddhism, Chinese Esoteric Buddhism and Shingon, which emphasize the use of esoteric practices and rituals to attain enlightenment more swiftly. The yidam is one of the three roots of the inner refuge formula and is also the key element of deity yoga. Yidam is sometimes translated by the term "tutelary deity".

ritual gesture, practice in Buddhism

Anuyoga (Devanagari: अनुयोग 'further yoga') is the designation of the second of the three Inner Tantras according to the ninefold division of practice used by the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. This schema categorizes various stages of practice, and Anuyoga specifically emphasizes the completion stage of Tantra. As with the other yanas, Anuyoga represents both a scriptural division as well as a specific emphasis of both view and practice. Anuyoga delves into inner practices involving the subtle body, chakras, prana (subtle energies), nadis (energy pathways), and consciousness (bindu). It

Mahāyoga (Sanskrit for "great yoga") is the designation of the first of the three Inner Tantras according to the ninefold division of practice used by the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism.

Vajrayana practice involving visualization of mental images of a deity