Shakta Tantrism: Hindu - Hinduism Dictionary on Shakta Tantrism

By Himalayan Academy

Shakta Tantrism: Brings a strong emphasis on the worship of the feminine force.

Depending on the school, this may be symbolic or literal in rites involving sexual intercourse, etc. Shakta Tantrism's main principle is the use of the material to gain the spiritual. In certain schools, historically, this implies embracing that which is normally forbidden and manipulating the forces to attain transcendent consciousness rather than lower consciousness. There are three main streams:

-       the righthand path (dakshina marga or dakshinachara) of conservative Hindu practice,

-       the left-hand path (vama marga or vamachara) involving the use of things normally forbidden such as taking intoxicants, meat, ritual sex, etc., and

-       the yogic path of the Kaula sect. Gorakshanatha followers are sometimes grouped with the latter.

See: Tantrism, Shaktism, kundalini, raja yoga, tantra.

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For more articles related to Shakta Tantrism , see: Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Shakta Tantrism , Body Mind and Soul.

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