Spiritual Movement of Tantra - Research Paper Example

?Spiritual Movement of Tantra Tantra, which is translated in Sanskrit as “principle, system, doctrine” (Samuel 9), is an inter-religious spiritual movement that became known in India and ran rampant throughout during the fifth century. Tantra is considered to be inter-religious because of the impact that it had on all of the major Asian religions of medieval times, such as Islam and Jainism. Even in modern day religions, or in religions that have been altered by New Age adaptations, like Tibetan Buddhism and branches of Hinduism, elements of Tantra are widely implemented and very evident. Since Tantra does not focus on cosmology and deities, it is easily combined with other religious and spiritual practices. Given its widespread use, especially in the Western world, Tantra has more than one definition, and many of them clash with one another. Western scholars define Tantra as a form of western scholarship, and not in any relation to a religious system. They place little to no significance on its origination in Asia, nor on its connection with other spiritual practices. Those who actually practice Tantra openly reject this definition, insisting that Tantra is merely the teachings and practices found in the scriptures known as tantras. Furthermore, practitioners of Tantra believe that Tantra cannot be defined as a whole, as the Western world has tried to do, but based on each individual tantra scripture. As such, Tantra is not just a philosophy, which is the belief of many Westerns, but also a spiritual way of life. The tantra scriptures are the most vital parts of the Tantra path. A tantra is considered a tantra when it “elaborates copious and profound matters, especially relating to the principles of reality and sacred matters, and because it provides salvation” (Jain 37). Tantras refer not only to the designated scriptures that started the movement, but scriptures, practices, and rituals that were created subsequent to the origination of Tantra. Further tantras were created when practitioners had perused the primary Tantric scriptures, which are known as the agama. The agama is made up of four parts: descriptions of metaphysical knowledge (jnana), contemplative procedures (yoga), ritual regulations (kriya), and religious and ethical commands (charya). When new tantras are designed, if they are able to be placed within one of these four categories, they are usually accepted by other practitioners. These many scriptures are, in essence, the guidebook of being Tantric. The purpose of Tantra and of following these scriptures is to reach a higher level of existence, one that can be obtained by individuals other than ordained monks, which is the appeal of Tantra. Ordinary people are not exempt from achieving the highest and greatest level of existence. Tantra’s belief system focuses on reality as a whole, coupled with a single Divine Consciousness, a consciousness that individuals have, yet share with others. Moreover, as Tantra erased the line between the spiritual and the mundane, practitioners are able to experience spiritual realization in every aspect of their day-to-day lives. Tantra allows laymen to have access to the Divine Consciousness and the liberation and salvation that comes with adhering to the tantra scriptures in a normal, nonspiritual setting. The overall spiritual goal of Tantra is to “bring about an inner realization of the truth that ‘Nothing exists that is not Divine’” (Guenther & Trungpa 41). Buddhist Tantra explains it best, claiming that we are all in union with universal energy; we have everything that we need to be complete within us right now, but we just need to learn how to recognize it. This is where Tantra comes in. Every individual has the ability to be Divine, as this is their true nature, albeit untapped. It is through Tantra that individuals can reach this state of divine existence. Tantra brings liberation ignorance and from suffering, which is a common goal in Eastern-based religions, with an emphasis on the individual being the one that holds their own salvation. This is fully accomplished when the mind, body, and spirit are completely linked; the tantra scriptures in their four distinctive parts aim at liberating these separate, yet linked, aspects of human beings. Going hand-in-hand with the scriptures are the practices and rituals of Tantra. These practices and rituals are many, and while they vary from one another, they are also intimately connected. All rituals can be categorized as either an Ordinary Ritual or a Secret Ritual. An ordinary ritual involves the use of mantras and yantras, which are symbolic processes that are used to invoke Hindu deities (White 128). Mantras are verbally executed while yantras are the physical aspects of the ritual. The second part of an ordinary ritual is to identify with the deities. As previously stated, Tantra does not hold deities in the same regard as other religions, but they are still involved in helping individuals center themselves during meditation and yoga. To invoke and identify these deities, the practitioner may worship them with flowers or incense, or through singing and dancing. The aspiration of this portion of the ritual is for the individual to visualize themselves as the deity that they are invoking. The Secret Ritual can be undergone with elements from the ordinary ritual, but if focuses more on sensate rites, or elements that make use of the five senses. Such rites include having a feast (representing sustenance), engaging in sexual intercourse (representing procreation), or charnel grounds (representing death). Sexual rites play a huge role in secret rituals, which has long since prompted the creation of tantric sex, the practice of sexual intimacy as a spiritual experience. The purpose of tantric sex is to “bring about infinite awareness for both individuals involved” (Landaw 72).” Ordinary ritual brings about visualizations of deities and a secret ritual allows participants to experience symbolically what it means to be a divine being. The more that these rituals are practiced, the closer individuals get to becoming fully liberated. Tantra has its history steeped into medieval Asia, but its presence has since been felt throughout the entire world. Even though Western practitioners have made their own alterations to Tantra, its original purpose is still the central focus of Tantric practices. To free the mind, body, and spirit, practitioners adhere to the scriptures of Tantra and engage themselves in the practices and rituals that work to help individuals find their divine selfs. Since very little is put into stock in regard to deities and creation, followers of other religious and spiritual paths are able to combine practices for a path that works for them. Though Tantra may be mingled with Christianity, Islam, or Judaism, the goal of ultimate liberation and a deeper connection with the universe remains the same. Works Cited Guenther, Herbert V., and Chogyam Trungpa. The Dawn of Tantra. Boston: Shambhala Publications, Inc., 2001. Print. Jain, Chandra. Tantra: The Supreme Understanding. London: Baird & Duncan Publishers, 2009. Print. Landaw, Jonathan. Introduction to Tantra: The Transformation of Desire. 2nd ed. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2001. Print. Samuel, Geoffrey. The Origins of Yoga and Tantra. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2008. Print. White, David Gordon. Tantra in Practice. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2000. Print. Read More