Abstract:  
This article examines the system of philosophical-soteriological principles of Vajrayana Buddhism, interrelation between the concept of Three Vehicles of Buddhism teaching and three turns of the Dharma Wheel, as well as the main soteriological principles of Vajrayana Buddhism in the context of Mahayana doctrine. The author considers the problem of dating of the origination, establishment, and final formation of the direction of Vajrayana in India; the time of final composition of Vajrayana correlates with the process of infiltration of the extensive text of Vajrayana from India to China in the VIII century AD. In conclusion, the article provides the fundamental principles of salvation in Vajrayana Buddhism. As the accents in achieving freedom in Vajrayana Buddhism shifted from the gradual path of accumulating merits towards the ability of reaching “enlightenment” in earthly life, attention is focused on the basic principles of its achieving through using the three aspects of Buddha: body, speech, and mind; the principle of the oneness of the adept’s nature and Buddha’s nature is revealed. Reaching the ultimate soteriological goal – liberation – requires the cognition of yourself; the key significance in Vajrayana practice attains the work with personal consciousness through meditation.