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From: steiny@scc.UUCP (Don Steiny)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: Re:  Meditation, prayer, & fasting
Message-ID: <270@scc.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 5-Dec-84 13:56:22 EST
Article-I.D.: scc.270
Posted: Wed Dec  5 13:56:22 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 7-Dec-84 01:46:24 EST
References: <2564@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Organization: Personetics, Inc. - Santa Cruz, Calif.
Lines: 38

**

>  there are no female divinities or prophets
> having leading positions today.  

	the author of this line went on to point out that this
rule is not absolute.  Of interest:

	"Buddhism had by now [4th century] spread well beyone
the frontiers of India, into central AsZJ China,
and south-east Asia.  In India, the *Mahayana* branch had
practically driven out the *Hinayana*  except in a few 
restricted areas.  The fifth century saw the coming of a
new and  curious cult which began with the worship of
female deities, associated with the fertility cult; they
became the nuculeus of a number of magical rites which
in  a later form are called Tantricism.  Buddhism was influenced 
by *Tantric* rites, and in the seventh century A.D. a new
branch of Buddhism emerged with its centre in eastern India
called  *Vajrayana* (Thunderbolt Vehical) Buddhism.  The
*Vajrayana* Buddhists gave female counterparts to the
existing male figures of the Buddhist pantheon, and
these counterparts were termed Taras (or Saviouresses).
The cult of Taras remains prevalent in Nepal and Tibet.

		A History of India
		Romila Thapar
		Penguin Books, 1966
		pps 159-160

-- 
scc!steiny
Don Steiny - Personetics @ (408) 425-0382
109 Torrey Pine Terr.
Santa Cruz, Calif. 95060
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