Tantra
Sign in to saveTantra (; ) is an esoteric yogic tradition that developed in the Indian subcontinent, beginning in the middle of the 1st millennium CE, initially within Shaivism and Shaktism, and subsequently in Mahayana Buddhism and Vaishnavism. Tantra presents complex cosmologies, viewing the body as divine and typically reflecting the union of Shiva and Shakti. Tantric goals include Siddhi (supernatural accomplishment), bhoga, and Kundalini ascent; while also addressing states of possession (āveśa) and exorcism.
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Tantra is an esoteric spiritual tradition that emerged in India around the middle of the 1st millennium CE within various religious systems, including Shaivism, Buddhism, and Vaishnavism, and teaches that the body is divine while aiming for goals like spiritual accomplishment and the awakening of inner energy. It matters as a significant branch of Indian philosophy and practice that has shaped religious and yogic traditions for over a thousand years and continues to influence spiritual seekers today.
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Article
44 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- {{anchor|Scholastic definitions}}Definition
- Ancient and medieval era
- Modern era
- Tantrism
- Tantrika
- Features
- History
- Proto-tantric elements in Indian religions
- Proto-tantric elements in Vedic religion
- Rig Veda
- Upanishads
- Tapas and spiritualized sexual energy
- Yogini cults
- Atharvaveda
- Proto-Tantric elements in Buddhism
- Proto-Tantric elements in Shaktism and Shaivism
- Rise and development
- Vamachara and Dakshinachara
- Vamachara
- Dakshinachara
- Tantric age
- Reception and later developments
- Tantric traditions
- Hindu tantra
- Śaiva and Śākta tantra
- Vaiṣṇava
- Buddhist tantra
- Other religions
- Practices
- Worship and ritual
- Yoga, mantra, meditation
- Mandalas and yantras
- Sex and eroticism
- Tantra Diksha traditions
- Western scholarly research
- John Woodroffe
- Further development
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Sources
- Further reading
- External links
Tantra (; ) is an esoteric yogic tradition that developed in the Indian subcontinent, beginning in the middle of the 1st millennium CE, initially within Shaivism and Shaktism, and subsequently in Mahayana Buddhism and Vaishnavism. Tantra presents complex cosmologies, viewing the body as divine and typically reflecting the union of Shiva and Shakti. Tantric goals include Siddhi (supernatural accomplishment), bhoga, and Kundalini ascent; while also addressing states of possession (āveśa) and exorcism.
The term tantra in the Indian traditions also means any systematic broadly applicable "text, theory, system, method, instrument, technique or practice". The tantras focus on sādhanā, encompassing dīkṣā, rituals, and yoga, within a framework that includes bodily purification, divine self-creation through mantra, dhyana, pūjā, mudrā, and the use of yantras or maṇḍalas, despite variations in deities and mantras. A key feature of tantric traditions is the use of mantras, thus they are commonly referred to as Mantramārga ('Path of Mantra') in Hinduism, Mantrayāna ('Mantra Vehicle') and Guhyamantra ('Secret Mantra') in Buddhism.