A Wisdom Archive on Tantra

Introduction and links to related topics

Below are some short introductions. Click on the blue hyperlinked word to get more related articles.


Tantra - Tantra (noun) refers to a Hindu or Buddhist spiritual Sadhana, that is performed using Yantra, Mantra, and specific rituals. One of the ways in which Tantra is explained is : Tanu trayate itii Tantra (which liberates from the limitations of the body). From point-of-view of spiritual practice, Tantra means :

Yantra ku Mantrare Bhediba hiin Tantra (Oriya), i.e. To pierce through an Yantra by applying a Mantra is Tantra.

One who practises Tantra is a Tantrik (also Tantric).

Tantra is infact the best way of Spiritual practice to attain Siddhis. In the times of Guru Matsyendranath, Guru Gorakhnath, Guru Viswamitra etc., tantra was a much respected and evolved science. However, with time, tantra became a Taboo, partly because of misuse-of-capabilites by certain Greedy individuals, and partly because the real knowledge was made very confined due to the fear of misuse and slowly got extinct. In recent times, the word has been associated with a variety of strange things, by people with orientation-less or poor imagination, which has nothing really to do with Tantra.

Tantra is a vast Science, with many different ways, Siddhis, rituals and know-hows of six-abilites: Shanti, (peace), Vashikaran (hypnotism and control), Stambhan (paralyze someone), Vidveshana (create conflict between persons), Uchhatan (driving away), and Maarana (destroy or kill someone). It is the misuse of such capabilities that led to extinction of the divine knowledge, however, these are never the main aims of tantra. The fear of tantra-practising is unfounded.

The construction of the Jagannath temple at Puri is based on the principle of Tantra. The temple is constructed in the form of Shri-Yantra and the deities are placed on Maha-Vairabh Yantra which was designed using 100000 special black stones (saalagrama).

The word dates back from the 7th century (at least) or earlier and the origin is from Sanskrit (from tan ''stretch''). [The word is accepted in New English Oxford Dictionary].€€€

Tantras - Tantras (Sanskrit) Loom, the warp or threads in a loom; a rule or ritual for ceremonial rites. Religious treatises teaching mystical and magical formulas for the attainment of magical powers, and for the worship of the gods; treating of the evolution of the universe and its destruction; the adoration of the divinities; the attainment of desired objects, especially of six superhuman faculties; and methods of union (usually given as four) with the supreme divinity by contemplative meditation. They are mostly composed in the form of dialogues between Siva and his divine consort or sakti Durga, who is worshiped as a personified female power.

The tendency of these works for long ages has been towards black magic. "The origin of the Tantras unquestionably goes back to a very remote antiquity, and there seems to be little doubt that these works, or their originals, were heirlooms handed down from originally debased or degenerate Atlantean racial offshoots. There is, of course, a certain amount of profoundly philosophical and mystical thought running through the more important tantrika works, but the tantrika worship in many cases is highly licentious and immoral" (OG 17;1).

Yantra - A linear design or mandala depicting the vectors, power-zones or sound-waves (mantram) of the formula of a spirit, force or deity. Cinematic yantras have recently begun to enjoy some vogue. These are videos repeating the same short movement or action in an endless loop. Since they are movements, we might call them tantras, but cinema is actually a form of writing or symbolic representation, whereas tantra involves the actual, physical movement of the yogi in the flesh. Perhaps cinematic yantra/tantras should have a name of their own: tanayantra ("daughter mode").

Tantraloka - (Sanskrit) One of the most comprehensive and authoritative expositions of Kashmir Saivism, written by Abhinavagupta.
See: Abhinavagupta, Kashmir Saivism.

Tantrika - Tantrika (Sanskrit) Ceremonies connected with the above worship. Sakti having a two-fold nature, white and black, good and bad, the Saktas are divided into two classes, the Dakshinacharis and Vamacharis, or the right-hand and the left-hand Saktas, i.e., "white" and "black" magicians. The worship of the latter is most licentious and immoral.

Tantrism - The religious window dressing added to Tantra.

Tantrika - (Sanskrit) (Anglicized: tantric.) Adjectival form for practices prescribed in the Tantra traditions. The name of a follower of any of the tantric traditions.
See: tantra, tantrism.

Tantric - Tantric, Tantrika The adjectival form of tantra; sometimes employed to signify one who is deeply versed in some study -- a scholar; but more accurately pertains to the Tantras themselves and the doctrines in them.

Tantrism - The enlightenment path outlined in the Tantra scriptures.
Tantrism is sometimes considered a parallel stream of history and tradition in Hinduism, running alongside and gradually interweaving with the Vedic brahminical tradition.
Tantrism refers to traditions, mainly within Saivism and Shaktism, that focus on the arousal of the kundalini force, and which view the human body as a vehicle of the Divine and an instrument for liberation. Tantrism''s ultimate aim is a channeling of the kundalini life force through the sushumna, the gracious channel, upwards into the sahasrara chakra and beyond, through the door of brahman (brahmarandhra) into Parasiva, either before or at the time of death. The stress is on the transformation of all spheres of consciousness, spiritual, psychic, emotional and material. It is a path of sadhana.

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

Kularnava Tantra - (Sanskrit) A leading scripture of the Kaula school of Shaktism. It comprises 17 chapters totaling 2,058 verses which focus on ways to liberation, with notable chapters on the guru-shishya relationship.

Vasana Daha Tantra - (Sanskrit) "Subconscious
purification by fire." Daha means to burn, a tantra is a
method, and vasanas are deep-seated subconscious traits or
tendencies that shape one''s attitudes and motivations.
Vasanas can be ether positive or negative. One of the best
methods for resolving difficulties in life, of dissolving
troublesome vasanas, the vasana daha tantra is the practice
of burning confessions, or even long letters to loved ones or acquaintances, describing pains, expressing confusions
and registering complaints and long-held hurts. Writing
down problems and burning them in any ordinary fire
brings them from the subconscious into the external mind,
releasing the supressed emotion as the fire consumes the
paper. This is a magical healing process.
See: lekhaprartha
havana, vasana.

Rudrayamala Tantra - (Sanskrit) Little known text dealing with worship.

Bodhi Tantra - (Sanskrit) "Wise methods; ways of wisdom."
See: sadhana, tantra.

Shakta Tantrism - (Sanskrit)
See: Shaktism, tantrism.

Mahanirvana Tantra - (Sanskrit) "Treatise on the great emancipation." An 11th-century advaita scripture dealing with mantra and esoteric rituals.

Vasana Daha Tantra - (Sanskrit) "Subconscious purification by fire."

Daha means to burn, a tantra is a method, and vasanas are deep-seated subconscious traits or tendencies that shape one''s attitudes and motivations. Vasanas can be ether positive or negative.

One of the best methods for resolving difficulties in life, of dissolving troublesome vasanas, the vasana daha tantra is the practice of burning confessions, or even long letters to loved ones or acquaintances, describing pains, expressing confusions and registering complaints and long-held hurts.

Writing down problems and burning them in any ordinary fire brings them from the subconscious into the external mind, releasing the supressed emotion as the fire consumes the paper. This is a magical healing process.
See: lekhaprartha havana, vasana.

Vasana Daha Tantra - (Sanskrit) "Subconscious purification by fire." Daha means to burn, a tantra is a method, and vasanas are deep-seated subconscious traits or tendencies that shape one''s attitudes and motivations. Vasanas can be ether positive or negative.

One of the best methods for resolving difficulties in life, of dissolving troublesome vasanas, the vasana daha tantra is the practice of burning confessions, or even long letters to loved ones or acquaintances, describing pains, expressing confusions and registering complaints and long-held hurts. Writing down problems and burning them in any ordinary fire brings them from the subconscious into the external mind, releasing the supressed emotion as the fire consumes the paper. This is a magical healing process.
See: lekhaprartha havana, vasana.

Mantra Tantra Shastras - Mantra Tantra Shastras (Sanskrit). Works on incantations, but specially on magic.

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.

Chhinnamasta Tantrika - Chhinnamasta Tantrika Chinnamasta tantrika (Sanskrit) (from chhinna severed + masta head)

Buddhist tantric sect named for the goddess Chhinnamasta, represented with a decapitated head. In their highest initiation, the adept "must ''cut off his own head with the right hand, holding it in the left.'' Three streams of blood gush out from the headless trunk.

One of these is directed into the mouth of the decapitated head . . .; the other is directed toward the earth as an offering of the pure, sinless blood to mother Earth; and the third gushes toward heaven, as a witness for the sacrifice of ''self-immolation.'' Now, this had a profound Occult significance which is known only to the initiated . . ." (BCW 4:266).

Left-handed Tantra - A euphemism for sex magick.