Understanding the Ecstasy of Enlightenment. Tantrism, often misunderstood, is one of the most elaborate and colourful forms of Buddhism. Believed to have originated around the 5th-century-AD in Old Bengal, Tantric Buddhism has far more to do with the sacred than the sexual. It focuses on a particular style of meditation and ritual. The Secrets of Tantric Buddhism presents translations of 46 classic texts from Caryagiti, a collection of teachings from Tantrics and Siddhas who lived during the Pala dynasty (10th and 11th century). These teachings emanate from one of the most dynamic sources of international Buddhism, at the height of its religious development. A translator of Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian and Muslim classics, author Thomas Cleary provides detailed commentaries on these ancient teachings, making them fresh and contemporary. Thomas Cleary is the preeminent translator of classic Eastern texts, such as the Essential Tao, the Essential Confucius, the Secret of the Golden Flower and the bestselling 'The Art of War'.