Tantric scriptures describe ritual and contemplative systems that may include mantra, mandala, deity practice and initiation.
They develop within a Mahāyāna setting and draw on its philosophical and ethical inheritances. A tantra is not simply a synonym for sūtra.
Shingon emphasizes the Mahāvairocana and Vajraśekhara textual traditions transmitted through China. Tibetan traditions preserve different and overlapping bodies of tantric literature.
Texts are usually interpreted with lineage instruction. A summary of their historical role is different from a complete set of practice instructions.
This page is an orientation to the work or collection, not its full text.