What is Tantra?
The Sanskrit root verb "tan" literally means "to expand". The word tantra is derived as: tan + trae + d'a. Tra [trae + d'a] means "that which liberates." So Tantra means the science which shows the path for the emancipation of the human entity through psycho-spiritual expansion. In other words, the spirit of Tantra is ever to continue expanding, or vistara in Sanskrit, from which we get the word "vista" in most Western languages.
Similarly there is an acoustic root ta. Ta represents dullness or lethargy. So literally tantra [combining two derivations] means “a systematic and scientific process which brings about first expansion, and thereafter liberation from the bondages of dullness and lethargy”. This liberation is called Tantra in Sanskrit. Tantra means “liberation from bondages”.
When progressively evolving people hear of the Tao [Dharma],
they try hard to live in accordance with it.
When the mediocre type hear of the Tao,
they seem to be aware and yet unaware of it.
When the crudest type hear the Tao,
They break into loud laughter - working against it as an enemy.
Is Tantra scientific?
The practical process of Tantra begins with the physical and progresses to the physico-psychic, to psychic, then to the psycho-spiritual, then ultimately results in merger with[the supreme spiritual stance] ensconcement in the átmá [self]. This scientific progression sets it apart from many other schools. Strictly speaking, theoretical knowledge cannot be called Tantra. Tantra is a practical science. Hence in Tantra the importance of book knowledge is secondary.
“The realization Ahaḿ Brahmásmi [”I am Brahma“] is the only way to dispel the darkness of ignorance. But if this knowledge of Brahmásmi remains confined to mere words, it will not serve any practical purpose.” To gain knowledge of Brahma, one’s ideation will have to be continuous. Continuous ideation is not possible through mere parrot-like repetition of a mantra or scripture verse. This subtle science of psycho-spiritual practice is the discovery of Tantra.
A kaola sádhaka (one who practises the science of raising the kulakuńd́alinii, that is, one who is adept in purashcarańa [the process of moving upwards the kuńd́alinii shakti]), is called kuliina. Only such a person can be a kula guru [preceptor of kaola sádhaná].
“Under ordinary circumstances all are animal-like in the initial stage. When spiritual thirst awakens in animal-like people they become viira, and when they are fully established in viirabháva they become devatás [gods].” The science of Tantra is based on this truth. Hence there is no contradiction between Tantra and science.
People are found at all different stages, according to their ideation – animal-like, heroic, or god-like – as they ascend on the scale of evolution. A competent preceptor imparts lessons to disciples after considering thresholds of their spiritual and psychic transcendence.
How is Tantra related with Yoga?
What is yoga? Sadáshiva, the optimizer of Tantra nearly 7,000 years ago, describes yoga this way: "Saḿyoga yoga ityukto jiivátmá Paramátmánah." That is, “The unification of the unit soul, the jiivátmá, with the Universal Soul, that is, Paramátmá, is yoga.” This seems to be the best, most accurate, definition.
How can this unification of unit being with the cosmology come to being? While it is always so, for the individual being to experience such unity, progressively developed practices for cultivating and polishing every realm of human beings has evolved through Tantra, the oldest extant, and most progressively evolved shamanic practice on Earth.
So, yoga is the attainment of union while tantra is the methodology for such attainment. Preparing oneself, cultivating and activating one's innate potentialities in this rare opportunity of human birth is the ultimate engagement of thought, word and deed in a progressive manner, and will surely deliver one into the ubiquity of love infused throughout the universe enveloping us in its embrace.
Is Tantra a Religion?
Tantra is the science and practice of expansion, and this expansion is nothing but a liberation from the bondage of all sorts of dullness, staticity, crudity. A person who, irrespective of caste, creed or religion, aspires for transpersonal or spiritual expansion or does something concrete in such realms, is a Tantric.
Tantra in itself is neither a religion nor an ism. Tantra is fundamental intuitional science, affecting both the physical, psychic and transpersonal or spiritual realms of human life.
Such an exploratory, expansive, and practical exercise of Tantra is scientifically disposed. While Tantra operates in both the physical, psychic and spiritual realms, architecture can serve as an excellent analogy.
Our planet has a history of many different styles of architecture, many of them are round, while others more rectangular, and there's today's tall rectangular glass-covered skyscrapers pioneered by I. M. Pei. Many different styles, intents, principles, yet, what do they all have in common? Geophysics, local weather, customs, beliefs are among major reasons why architectures throughout history and around the world may be different, though what they all have in common is 'physics'.
Tantra is to religion what physics is to architecture. The greater magnanimity of physics, in contrast to how it is used, is akin to the all-inclusiveness inherent in Tantra in contrast to the vested interests of the maintainers of the various religions. Tantra is anchored in the steady relationship of each individually and all collectively with the universe in contrast to the vociferously myopic interests at the whims of sectarian elitists.
So wherever there is any spiritual practice it should be taken for granted that it stands on the Tantric cult, Tantric intent, principles and continuities.
“What is the nature of the progress unique to human beings?"
The bondages and mental limitations that afflict human beings exist not in the external sphere, but in the internal sphere. One whose mind is very narrow tends towards mean-mindedness, whereas one whose mind is broad becomes a great person. Tantric practice broadens and enlarges the mind. How? It is the innate characteristic of the human mind to become as it thinks – Yádrshii bhávaná yasya siddhirbhavati tádrshii [“As you think, so you become.”]
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| Ahaḿ Brahmásmi |
To associate oneself with the core and breadth of the universe, to conjugate this most sublime relationship is true Tantrika practice. There is nothing greater than Parama Puruśa, and so, when the mind ideates in rapport with it, our mind expands, enveloping the entirety of the Universe and all its sublimity.
Tantra is Integral to Human Evolution
At the birth of every human being, at the dawn of humanity itself, a longing for infinity, exploring the outer perimeters of possibilities, the inner depths of potentialities, and the pursuit of happiness have motivated individuals and humanity at large to fathom the infinite, both in their, our outer world and their, our inner world.
Whatever the mysteries as to what, why and how this universe manifested, its continuities are learnable as we progress in our explorations of such and launch ourselves into greater thresholds of excellence optimizing ourselves and each other ethically through what we experience. Such are among the essentialities of tantra, which is 98% experiential.
It is self-evident that we have both physical realm, psychic realm, and the more all-inclusiveness of the transpersonal or spiritual realm of each and every being and the universe en whole. Each of these realms have continuity, including architectures through which such continuities operate, flow. In the physical world much exploration has been done of the characteristics of physicality, principles have been discovered, challenged, and assumed accurate until they are either disproved or exceptions to their realm of functionality are discovered and subtler realms, often involving exceptions to those principles, continue to be explored, such as 'relativity' transcending and exceeding the boundaries of Newtonian physics, while 'quantum' physics transcends the outer limits of 'relativity'.
Psychology, more precisely 'Western' psychology, has explored, somewhat, our human potential in psychic realms, whereas the integration of body and mind continues to be dismissed or further consideration undermined by petrific dispositions and dogma anchored in Newtonian physics as the measure of mind, thus making explorations into subtler realms of our being -- both body, mind and transpersonal -- dismissed, denied or even aggressively challenged, suppressed, exploited for profit while leaving people vulnerable through misinformation or disinformation, or even proactively destroyed. Little is done to even consider as well as to properly respect and cultivate psycho-spiritual or transpersonal potentialities as part of the birthright of human beings and being integral to the essential wholeness of self and optimal health. Such misguidance is anchored in misinformation, underinformation and outright predation through ideological sectism.
