Informative

Evolution of Tantra series Part 1- The rising of Tantra

We wake up early in the morning. We stretch. We practice yoga or pranayama. We chant Om while doing meditation. While taking a bath, many of us chant some kind of mantra. On Diwali, we draw a rangoli, we light Diyas outside our homes. Believe it or not, all of these traditions have some connection with the almost three-thousand-year-old way of life, called Tantra.

Even though the traces  of the union of the masculine and the feminine have been found in Indus valley civilization excavation, the first actual reference of Tantra can be found in Rigveda. Rigveda was believed to be created before 1700 BC. After that, many ancient texts, carvings, rituals, and architecture have mentioned Tantra innumerous times to date.

Definitions of Tantra:

These days, just stranded in the shackles of creative ways to have an orgasm, Tantra was way more than just about sex.

Constructed 3000 years ago, Rigveda defines Tantra as a weaving.

Generated during the same time, Samaveda defines Tantra as the main part, or the core of the way of living.

2600 years ago, the text called Ashtadhyayi, constructed by the great sage Panini, defines Tantra as a wrap, engulfing life.

Hundred years later, Shatapata Brahmanas define it as an essence.

Prepared before 1700 years ago, Vishnu Purana defines Tantra as science or doctrine of the rituals. Post this, some inscriptions say it is a worship technique, some texts say Tantra is a very specific knowledge of principles of reality and rest say it is a science of living. One thing is for sure, Tantra has made its place among the commoners of the Indian subcontinent.

Evolution of Tantra:

Science is a stream of knowledge that is known to be constantly developing. Emerged three thousand years ago, Tantra acquired many practices from many sects and religions, making it a constantly improving Shastra. Rituals, philosophies from pre-Vedic to Vedic and from Buddhist to Jainism, Tantra became a conglomeration of the ideas, traces of which can be seen even today.

Later, Shaktism, Vaishnavism, and Shaivism acquired many practices from Tantra as their own. The Bhairava and Kapalika sect of Shaivism is an example of it.

Even though traces of Tantra can be found in the texts older than 3000 years, compiled texts, dedicated specifically to Tantra, started to emerge from the 8th century. After the 8th century as an exchange of the ideas began to happen between Tantra and Vaishnavism, Buddhism and Shaivism, it became a mainstream sect.

8th to 14th century- the age of Tantra

These 600 years were called the golden age of Tantra. Various tantric texts called Agamas, Samhitas, and Tantras were written in this period. Shaiva, Vaishnava, Buddhism, and Jainism, all the major sects of Hinduism were influenced by tantric traditions. Tantra traveled from the Himalayas, reached the freezing plates of Tibet, eventually reaching China.

Riding on the tides, Tantra even reached Cambodia, spread within the Khmer empire. Even Japan and Korea absorbed practices from Tantra in the 11the century. Even the sects like Yoga were not left alone by this influence. Yoga was engulfed by this powerful sect, later to be known as a separate moment, known as Hatha Yoga. Translated into several languages, Tantra spread all over Asia, crossing borders of the Indian subcontinent.

The word Tantra has been coated with heavy mysticism. Either commonly related to a cult and magic in India, or to be used in relation with sexual pleasure when it comes to western countries, Tantra is one of the most misunderstood sects in the world. It’s very painful to see a very powerful system, to reach near god, to merge with the one, without renouncing the worldly pleasure being tossed around with some superficial nonsense.

In every session, His holiness Chamunda Swamiji says, you have to just surrender to your Guru, to the feet of your Ishtadev, without running away from the worldly pleasures. Performed in the right manner, under the guidance of your beloved Guru, Tantra gives some miraculous results in a very short span of time.

This blog series is dedicated to the efforts of the Tantra Sadhaks spread all over the globe, to bring Tantra back into the mainstream, to awaken a collective consciousness, for the betterment of humanity.

Jai Mata Di.