Do you also think that Tantra yoga is a form of sex? Do you also lack proper knowledge about Tantra? If Yes, here is a blog that will tell you what Tantra is and how it became a path towards enlightenment.
Tantra has always been a controversial term in politics or religion. It has always been misunderstood and misinterpreted. Therefore, now is the time to unveil what authentic Tantra is.
Here is a five-minute read that can clear your years of misconceptions.
History Of Tantra Yoga
Birth Of Tantra
Tantra emerged in India during 300-500 CE. By the 700s, Hindu and Buddhist monasteries used to study Tantra. Tantra was present in the instructional texts describing rituals for invoking all-powerful deities as a set of philosophies and practices.
Tantra challenged religious orthodoxy and romantic notions of purity and grew out of an impulse among the lower classes to claim ways of worship that the priestly castes were not dictating.
Spread Of Tantra
During 600-1500A, Tantra started spreading across Asia. Various kings and kingdoms emerged and claimed to provide spiritual and worldly power due to the influence of Tantra. You would be astonished to read that after the start of Tantra, practices inspired a range of new deities and triggered the dramatic rise of goddess worship. It also commissioned magnificent temples enshrining Tantric deities, particularly from AD 900.
Transmission Of Tantra Studies
From 700 AD, Tantric masters started spreading tantric studies from India to Tibet. Several schools of thought started developing in 1000-1300AD. A Japanese monk named Kukai brought Tantric teachings from China to Japan and established the Shingon (mantra or ‘true word’) tradition in 800AD.
Tantra And Revolution In Colonial India
Tantra remained in the limelight of Hindhu and Muslim rulers. One form of Tantric yoga practiced named Hatha yoga (yoga of force) started gaining importance because that harnesses the body as the sacred instrument. It was that point in time when the Mughals dominated India for 200 years.
Starting Of Counter Culture
Staring Time of Tantra is considered the worst period. It was the time when Tantra yoga was misinterpreted as black magic and sexual depravity. Soon after, Bengali revolutionaries played on these anxieties and reimagined Kali and other Tantric goddesses as figureheads of anti-colonial resistance.
There were two sectors of Tantric paths. Those where the individual practitioner works with their sexual energy, mostly internally, are called “right-handed” paths or “white Tantra.”
Then there are Tantric approaches that involve direct sexual contact between love partners, called “left-handed” or “red Tantra .” These terms, however, are part of a more modern classification system.
Tantra Today
Tantra was and still is practiced in three primary forms: the monastic tradition, the householder tradition, and wandering yogis. Whereas Hinduism had many rules and laws, including strict caste divisions, Tantra was non-denominational and could be practiced by anyone, even daily.
Tantra is considered the “tandava,” a form of subtle free movement, where practitioners contact more and more refined states of the “divine tremoring,” which resonates with the essence of life.
Now we can define Tantra according to two primary and fundamental principles:
First, Tantra is the science and study of energy, and secondly, Tantra is the comprehensive spiritual path for the evolution of the human soul and consciousness.
Let us study the two principles in detail.
Tantra: The Science And Study of Energy
We all are aware of the fact that everything is made up of energy. Energy is nothing but a universal force within us. Energy has immense power to draw us toward the spiritual path. Thus Tantrics are more interested in energies to decode, utilize and deploy the energy correctly.
Different types of energies operate in the universe—some specific laws govern every energy. When you unlock these locks, you will get the power to control these energies. This is what Tantra is about.
Just give a thought if all the energies of love, life, ideas, car, health, and house are uncovered, then what will happen? Eventually, we will become the masters of our life. And even the master of the universe. It will help a person to decide their destiny. In a true sense, it will be regarded as absolute freedom or spiritual liberation.
Understanding Chakras
The concept of chakras is not a new-age concept; instead, it is the most profound age-old wisdom. To understand energies effectively, it is essential to understand chakras. There are seven chakras present in our bodies.
These energy centers of human beings serve as antennas that allow us to communicate, coordinate, resonate and attenuate with the universe. Ancient Tantric masters studied all the tantric universal energies and laws that govern them. They understood how energies work within human beings within the prism of chakras. Chakras are the only binding force that connects the finite(human being) to the infinite (universal energy). Chakras have the potential to be harnessed and utilized for a spiritual purpose.
Tantra: A Comprehensive Spiritual System For Evolution
Spiritual thinking and traditions have always believed that spiritual liberation and perfection can only be attained through rigorous asceticism and renunciation of the world. But Tantratics has given us another way out.
It is true to believe that human suffering arises from the separation of the earthly world and the spiritual world. In a simple sense, we have issues and sadness in our lives because of the lost connection with the super soul. Tantra says one can connect to the spiritual world by celebrating the sensual and material dimensions.
It would not be wrong to say that reality is beyond good or bad and is merely an expression of divine energy. Therefore, according to the ancient tantric texts, all of reality – including the physical body, food, sexuality, laughter, emotions, joy, pain, relationships, and many other facets connected to human beings can be used to reach the Divine Absolute. This is paradoxical to most, if not all, religions.
Tantra says that the physical body is the most excellent spiritual tool. If the device that is the physical body is used intelligently and ingeniously, you can access something that is beyond reality and physicality.
Therefore, the main idea of Tantra’s philosophy is to use the body to reach the ultimate purpose(Godhead). It says that our human goal is to mingle with our true nature again, and Tantra helps you do so.
Different Branches Of Tantra
Tantra has eight types of branches that lead you to the same objective of spiritual realization. According to the Vedas, every path is correct, and it depends on what you feel like choosing for your spiritual well-being. These branches help to cultivate a global, harmonious, and powerful human being. The eight components of Tantra form a whole spiritual tree of science.
Let us learn these branches in depth.
First, Tantra Yoga
Tantra Yoga is the asana component of the Tantric path. In modern times, yoga is used to reshape and stretch the physical body. While in Tantra, the yoga body is a tool to achieve a union between the individual and the divine consciousness.
It is a practice of asanas, mudras, and bandhas that uses the physical body to connect with the subtle energy within us. Tantra yoga is very effective in providing health and healing. It purifies the physical body and amplifies willpower and unconditional love. Accordingly, it is considered the most bonafide and exceptional practice of union that you will experience in your lifetime.
Second, Tantra Meditation
Tantra meditation is done to expand the level of consciousness. Tantric meditation uses different aspects of energy like sounds, colors, mantras, vibrations, effects, and yantras that help develop and evolve the practitioner’s level of consciousness.
Tantric Meditation is the fastest and the most effective path to mental development and mental evolution. People who practice it seriously will experience focus and clarity in their lives. You will also see developing superhuman and paranormal abilities. They become masters of their minds. However, the practice takes a considerable time and instance effects to see such results.
Third, Tantra Pranayama
A pranayama is an act of controlling the prana, which is the life force of energy. It is done through rhythmic breathing practice. The act of holding the breath consciously is what makes it a Tantric tradition.
The air we inhale and exhale is present in the world, but by doing pranayama, we learn to control ourselves through prana. Thus we eventually learn to control the universal prana. As soon as we know to do the pranayam perfectly, we will feel how energy moves through the body’s subtle channels. It is a great practice that helps us control our senses and chakras.
Fourth, Kundalini Yoga
It is a branch of Tantra that uses advanced techniques which are only shared with initiates. Kundalini shakti is cosmic energy located at the spine of humans. When it is appropriately awakened, it moves up and brings it to a culmination point at the crown of the head. It gives a vast remodeling experience in every aspect of the person. It takes you on the path of becoming a great spiritual master.
The phase of achieving Kundalini shakti is a phase of enlightenment where a person attains abundant knowledge about the spiritual reality and comes in direct contact with the Supersoul.
Fifth, Tantra Massage
A Tantra massage is a healing therapy and a pavement to the spiritual path. There is no mention of Tantra massage in texts or teachings, but it is a renowned form of healing for the people of the modern world.
The massage includes skin contact and oil that leads to the activation of key trigger points of energy. It has the potential to give you a breathtaking experience leading to a total body energy orgasm.
It is a beautiful therapy that provides quick healing, expansion of energy, elimination of blockages, deep sensual satisfaction, and an orgasmic experience. The stepping stone of tantric sex resets emotions, purifies the mind, and awakens the spirit. Massage also effectively treats sexual disorders and dysfunctions such as premature ejaculation, impotence, etc.
Sixth, Tantra Of Relationships
A tantra relationship is a powerful union that speeds up the spiritual evolution of the partners. It deepens the individual and divine relationship. The spiritual component in this kind of connection differentiates it from temporal relations, as material relationships are meant for pleasure. In contrast, the tantra relationships are made for union with the divine soul.
Tantra helps an individual reach the divine with a relationship’s help. It teaches the meaning of true love and how to cultivate it within you. In comparison, tantra relationships are misunderstood as open relationships, which is entirely false.
Seventh, Tantric Sexuality
It is harnessing the sexual energy in a way that can elevate the spiritual dimensions. It is not that the masters of tantric sex are obsessed with sex, but they are obsessed with enlightenment. These masters know that sexual energy has the quality that no other power has.
Tantric sex helps to bridge the gap between sex and spirituality. Tantric sex gives rise to more profound intimacy and connection with ourselves and others. Additionally, men and women learn how to become multi-orgasmic and experience unparalleled sexual pleasure.
Last, Kashmiri Shaivism
Lastly, Kashmiri Shaivism is the most exotic and exclusive knowledge in Tantra. People who studied Kashmiri Shaivism have high metaphysical teaching and have a more profound understanding of reality and the universe.
When one studies Kashmiri Shaivism, one understands the secret of tantric science. It creates a strong field of spiritual resonance with the crown chakra. You begin to see the transformation, start taking the seat of clarity and detachment and taste the nectar of higher consciousness. It is a practice that if one goes into it, there is no chance of returning. It is full of abundant nectar that makes you stick to Tantra practice.
Takeaways
I hope the blog has cleared many misconceptions related to Tantra. Tantra is an ultimate tool for self-realization; it portrays a philosophy that everything has a divine nature, so make our senses. Therefore, it must be celebrated because it is part of a divine vision.
One must practice Tantra genuinely, blissfully, and authentically to reach a level of self-realization. As Tantra is a non-dogmatic system that can be easily adapted to various contexts and people, thus we have rituals that remind us of the path of self-awareness. Humans tend to forget about the direction and get involved in sense gratification. So, to reach enlightenment, one must follow the authentic and authorized path. Then only one can reach their actual destination.
Bring Tantra to your life and break the old division between mundane and spiritual levels.