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Few religious traditions have been as widely misrepresented and misunderstood as Tantra is today. If you search for "Tantra" online or in bookstores, most of what you’ll encounter will likely revolve around sex. Over the past few decades, "Tantric sex" has become a trend, to the point where Tantra is almost exclusively associated with sexuality in popular culture. This is true not only in the West but also in India, where Tantra often carries negative connotations. It's associated not just with sexuality but also with magic and occult practices, resulting in a somewhat tarnished reputation. However, Tantra is far more than these superficial understandings. In reality, it is a significant religious, spiritual, and intellectual tradition that has influenced not only various aspects of Hinduism but also Buddhism, Jainism, and most religious traditions in India. Although aspects like sexual rituals or magical practices are part of the Tantric tradition, their role has been grossly exaggerated, which has obscured the depth and richness of one of the most fascinating movements in India's religious history. Let's take a moment to dispel these myths and ask a broader question: What is Tantra?

The term Tantra, like many concepts in this field, is broad and difficult to define. It can mean many things. In its most general sense, "Tantra" means a teaching or doctrine. Early on, it was used to describe any authoritative text providing instruction. However, when we talk about Tantra today, we are often referring to a body of texts that emerged between the 5th and 8th centuries. These texts were distinct from the Vedic texts of the Brahmanical tradition and stood in contrast to them. The Tantric texts became widely significant because they were accessible to a broad range of people, crossing social boundaries like caste, gender, and class. While the Vedas were written in the more elitist Sanskrit, Tantra texts were often in more accessible languages, and thus more inclusive.

It’s also important to note that the term "Tantrism" is a modern Orientalist construct. The term was coined by Western scholars in the 19th century, who had limited knowledge of India and misunderstood the broad and diverse nature of the Tantric tradition. They saw it as an exotic and marginal phenomenon, sharply contrasting with what they considered the "respectable" field of Indian philosophy and religion. However, with the progress of studies, it became clear that Tantra was not a narrow or limited phenomenon but something vast, diffuse, and incredibly difficult to define satisfactorily.

So, we face the challenge of defining Tantra, an incredibly complex and diverse tradition. There are many different schools and traditions, each often very different from the others, making it hard to pin down a single definition of Tantra. But for now, we'll use the term as it is commonly understood today and explore what people refer to when they talk about Tantra.

As the Tantric texts emerged, they became especially associated with Shaivism, the religious tradition that worships Shiva as the supreme god. However, we should remember the broad and sometimes slippery nature of terms like "Hinduism." Hinduism is a relatively modern umbrella term for a vast diversity of religious traditions in India. Some even argue that the different traditions under this umbrella could be considered entirely separate religions. While I wouldn't go that far, it’s important to stress the enormous diversity within Hinduism. Shaivism, which places Shiva at the center of worship, is one of these traditions. Followers of Shaivism also worship other deities associated with Shiva, like Ganesh, Parvati, and Kali.

What sets Shaivism apart from other Hindu traditions is its less hierarchical nature. Unlike the Vedic tradition, which revolves around the highest Brahmanical caste and its rituals, Shaivism has roots in more folk-based traditions and appeals to people from all walks of life. Rather than the Vedas, Shaivism is rooted in the scriptures of the Agamas and Tantras. In this way, the Tantric texts often stand in contrast to the Vedas. Nevertheless, these traditions have influenced each other over time. While Tantra is most closely associated with Shaivism, it has influenced many other religious traditions, including Buddhism and Jainism. For example, Vajrayana Buddhism, which is dominant in Tibet, is deeply tantric in nature. This illustrates Tantra’s vast reach, as there are Shaiva Tantras, Buddhist Tantras, Vaishnava Tantras, Jain Tantras, and more.

So, what is Tantra really about? Many would say that one of its defining features is its practicality. Like the school of Yoga, Tantra places a huge emphasis on the body and sensory experience as tools for achieving liberation. It isn’t just speculative philosophy but a practice-oriented tradition that teaches techniques to reach the divine and, in some cases, to merge with it. Some key aspects that define Tantra include its esoteric nature and emphasis on initiation. Tantric teachings are often secret, passed down only to those who are initiated by a guru. The guru plays a central role in transmitting the teachings and guiding students on their spiritual journey.

Another key feature of Tantra is its focus on non-dualism or monism. Many Tantric practices aim to unite the practitioner's consciousness with the divine or the essential oneness of the universe. Techniques include the use of mantras, meditation, visualization, mandalas, breathing exercises, and theories about energy centers in the body called chakras. The famous Kundalini energy is another concept closely linked with Tantra. Some of these practices, like mantras and mandalas, may already be familiar to you.

Mantras, for example, are a crucial part of Tantric practice, but their use predates Tantra. The Vedic Upanishads mention mantras, such as the syllable "Om," which is described as the fundamental cosmic sound that underpins the universe. In Tantra, mantras are essential, and their meanings can range from clear and symbolic to esoteric and known only to the initiated. Other Tantric practices include the visualization of mandalas, which represent complex spiritual concepts and deities. Mandalas can be highly intricate and serve as powerful tools for meditation and spiritual insight.

Finally, Tantra places a strong emphasis on the body’s energy centers, or chakras. This system teaches that there are various energy centers in the body, and through certain practices, practitioners can activate these centers and achieve higher states of consciousness. The Kundalini, often depicted as a coiled serpent at the base of the spine, can be awakened through these practices, leading to spiritual enlightenment.

In conclusion, Tantra is a highly complex, diverse, and practical spiritual tradition that spans multiple religious contexts and has played a significant role in shaping Indian spiritual thought. Although aspects of Tantra related to sexuality and magic have been exaggerated, its deeper teachings offer profound insights into the nature of the divine, the body, and the mind.

There are various theories regarding the number of chakras, but they are typically believed to range between five and seven, starting at the base of the spine and ascending to the crown of the head.

At the spine's base lies a reservoir of divine feminine energy known as Kundalini, which means "coiled" and is sometimes symbolized by a snake deity. Much of tantric practice, including mantra recitations and other rituals, aims to manipulate this energy along the chakras within the body. When awakened, Kundalini energy rises like a snake from the base to the crown, sparking a mystical experience often referred to as a Kundalini awakening.

These practices have influenced various traditions within Hinduism, such as yoga, and continue to be present in many New Age movements. Tantra, along with related traditions like Shaivism and Shaktism, is notably practical and body-focused. This contrasts with other Hindu schools of thought, such as Vedanta, which emphasize transcending the material world and renunciation.

In tantra, the body is seen as a vital tool for achieving enlightenment, with the human form serving as a microcosm of the greater universe. Rather than rejecting the material, tantra seeks to use it as a pathway to spiritual attainment. Robert L. Brown succinctly captures this by stating that tantrism is less about doctrines and more about the manipulation of tangible elements—actions and processes that move through time and space. Ultimately, the human body, both its physical and yogic anatomy, becomes the primary tool for spiritual progress.

Most practitioners of tantra, Shaivism, and Shaktism are householders, living ordinary lives. In Shaivism, which is deeply connected to tantra, the material world is identified with the divine feminine energy, Shakti. While Shiva, the supreme deity, represents consciousness and bliss, Shakti embodies the active, creative aspect of the universe.

There are different interpretations within Shaivism. The dualistic Siddhanta Shaivites see Shiva as an external deity, while the non-dualistic Kashmiri Shaivism portrays Shiva as the ultimate reality—both male and female, with Shakti representing the material world. This dynamic, non-static understanding of Shiva is more fluid compared to the rigid Brahman concept of Advaita Vedanta. Shiva’s true form is beyond human understanding, but Shakti, as his manifest form in the material world, can be known and experienced.

Shaktism, which focuses on worshiping the goddess Shakti, is central to tantra and closely intertwines the material world with the divine. Unlike Vedanta, which views our perception of the world as ignorance, tantra and Shaivism embrace the mundane, seeing it as divine. This fusion of Shiva and Shakti—the union of the divine masculine and feminine—illustrates how tantra integrates the body and the material world into its spiritual practices.

This emphasis on bodily experience and metaphysical ideas in traditions like Kashmiri Shaivism naturally leads back to discussions of sexual practices. While modern depictions of tantra may exaggerate the role of sexual rituals, they have historically held a place, albeit less central than commonly assumed today. Tantra has often been divided into the so-called right-hand path (Dakshinachara) and left-hand path (Vamachara), distinctions that have been oversimplified in contemporary occultism and New Age movements.

The right-hand path is linked to practices that are considered more "orthodox" or that align with societal and religious norms. Common religious acts like prayer or offerings fall under this category.

On the other hand, the left-hand path is connected with heterodox practices, often seen as taboo or extreme. In tantric and Shaiva traditions, this can include antinomian spiritual practices that defy norms, such as those involving drugs, alcohol, dead bodies, or even sexual rituals.

A notable example of left-hand Shaivism is the Aghori, who perform acts like meditating on corpses and covering themselves with human ashes to dissolve the distinction between purity and impurity, aiming to realize the non-dual nature of reality and Shiva. This perspective is key in some tantric practices, but it represents just one aspect of Shaivism, not the entire tradition.

In the Kaula school, a non-dual, Shakti-oriented form of Shaivism, sexual rituals are practiced, highlighting the body's importance in spiritual growth. Such acts, seen as mirroring the union of Shiva and Shakti, are highly symbolic, reflecting the union of masculine and feminine forces, and lead to spiritual transformation.

Sexual symbolism is prevalent in Shaiva traditions, as shown in artwork and frescoes with pronounced eroticism. These practices have often been exaggerated, with figures like Aleister Crowley and Osho in the 20th century contributing to their focus in Western esotericism, even though historically they were a minor part of a vast set of practices.

If you're keen to explore more, I recommend Angela Puka's channel, "Angela Symposium." She has a detailed video on tantra and sex magic that complements this topic.

To summarize, tantra or tantrism is a complex, broad tradition that spans Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. It's associated with specific texts and practices, with a strong emphasis on the body. We've touched on key elements of tantra, particularly its relationship to Shaivism, and we'll dive deeper into topics like Kashmir Shaivism in future episodes.

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