The word “Tantra” literally means a technique or technology. These are subjective methods, not objective methods. But in the current understanding in society, the word “Tantra” refers to very unorthodox or socially unacceptable methods.
Tantra is a Sanskrit word, composed of the root word “Tan” means physicality, and “tra” means vehicle thus Tantra means a vehicle to reach our ultimate physical nature or to use the body, not as oneself, but as a stepping-stone to deliver this being to the highest possible dimension.
Tantra’s origins are still debated. Some scholars believe that it began in the Indus Valley (Pakistan and northwestern India) between 3,000 and 5,000 years ago, when the earliest yoga texts, the Vedas, were written. But Tantra did not come into common practice until the fourth century after Patanjali’s classical yoga flourished.
The tantra is understood by its respective traditions to be revealed works, initially taught by deities. In the Saiva tradition, scriptures are believed to have originated in teachings given by Shiva to his wife, Devi Parvati, these teachings were then later conveyed to human sages such as Matsendranāth.
The Sakta and Vaisnava tantric traditions, on the other hand, hold the Goddess and Visnu, respectively, to be the original divine teacher. Some Buddhist tantric traditions claim that their scriptures were taught by timeless cosmic buddhas and then revealed to masters.
These myths, while claiming that scriptures originate in a timeless divine expression, It is been realized by great masters (mahāsiddhas) who lived during the early medieval period, around the 7th through 13th centuries, more or less when most tantric scriptures actually came to light.
Tantra Vidya is a technique that connects one’s consciousness with that of the supreme one. The purpose of practising tantra is to have an audience with the deities to have our wish fulfilled.
The devotees can worship any deity that they feel connected to, Tantra Vidya is mainly associated with Adi Parashakti – the female goddess considered as the personification of ‘shakti’ or power.
Lord Shiva is regarded as the destroyer of the Universe. Popularly known as Dasha Mahavidhyas, It is a group of ten aspects of Adi Parashakti in Hindu Dharma.
Depending on the purpose of the devotee, the deity and the tantra are chosen and worshipped.
A lot of associations may come to mind when you hear the words, “Tantra Yoga.” Some words that you make think of are sexual, intimate, weird, hippie, etc. The best way to overcome these negative perceptions is to become educated on the subject itself.
The simple principle of tantra yoga is: whatever can take you down can also take you up. How a man usually sinks in his life are through food, alcoholic drinks and sexuality. Tantra yoga uses the same three vehicles to rise up.
Unlike sexuality, which tends to find release at the lower level of the energy system, tantra is about building our energies to the fountain-head of the uppermost dimension of the energy system, so that one’s energies spill from the top.
Of the different energy manifestations in the body – referred to as the 114 chakras – spilling from the top three is considered the highest.
If you want to build up to this, every basic instinct, including the sexual instinct, emotions, intellect and survival process must be used to build and hype the energy system.
The intention is to deploy all instincts for which a certain amount of energy is dedicated in the body. If one goes into an actual sexual act, the build-up and the purpose of it will be lost.
But once people start using certain substances, they must be in a certain state, otherwise, it just becomes an addiction. This needs extreme discipline, a kind of discipline which is not possible for most people to even attempt.
