What is Tantra?
We can trace back the roots of proto-Tantra impulses back to the Harappan/Indus Valley societies as early as 3000 BCE in the form of Goddess worship, earth-based shamanic practices, ritual chants, protective prayers found in pre-Vedic/Indus Valley sites and indigenous Indian tribal groups. These villages followed local folk traditions outside the influence of urban priests and official religion.
Tantra gave shape to these primal stirrings. These ideas, rituals, and cultural elements that developed over centuries eventually influenced the emergence of organized Tantric traditions in India around the 6th century CE.
Buddhist Tantra is grounded in ancient traditions emphasizing truth and seeing things as they are. Its practices encourage examining root causes, sincere spiritual cultivation, systemic analysis, and emotional transformation to honor the sacred, interdependent nature of reality. Tantra recognizes the existence of subtle energies and higher planes of reality beyond the physical. Without understanding these metaphysical realms and principles, the practices lose their context and potency.
Neo Tantra
Tantra is often enveloped in mystery and misconceptions in the modern era. There is a vast difference between the ancient Indian Tantric tradition and the recently invented "Neo Tantra" in the West. Neo Tantra was created in the 20th century by Westerners like Aleister Crowley and Pierre Bernard, who appropriated partial Tantric concepts they had heard of but completely lacked authentic understanding or practice of this path.
Classical Tantra is a rigorous spiritual path that emphasizes truth telling, honoring, humility, focus on emotional work, compassion for others, and strong boundaries. It employs advanced yogic and meditative practices along with rituals and deity worship for enlightenment and self-realization under the guidance of a qualified teacher.
In contrast, Neo-Tantra lacks this grounding. Rather than examining root causes, it focuses on peak experiences and emotional bypassing. Seeking pleasure, neo-spirituality can feed individual egos through spiritual materialism. Bypassing systemic analysis, its practices frequently reflect capitalist values of consumption and extraction. Furthermore, the blurred boundaries between teachers and practitioners in in Neo-Tantra, especially amidst unresolved trauma, have resulted in abuse. By examining some common misconceptions propagated in the modern day, we can uncover Tantra's true essence and purpose while dispelling dangerous myths.
Misconceptions about Tantra
Misconception 1: Tantra is Primarily Sexual
Because of the Neo Tantra propagated by these two white men, one of the most widespread misconceptions is the reduction of Tantra to mere sexual practices designed for pleasure. While Tantra does acknowledge the powerful role of sexual energy in spiritual transformation, it is a grave mistake to confine it to this aspect alone. Tantra encompasses a vast array of practices, including meditation, mantra chanting, ritualistic worship, and the cultivation of awareness in all aspects of life.
Misconception 2: Tantra Offers a Shortcut to Spiritual Powers
Another myth is the notion that Tantra provides a fast track to spiritual powers or siddhis. This belief undermines the rigorous discipline, dedication, and years of meticulous practice Tantra demands. True Tantric practice is not about acquiring supernatural powers but about self-realization and the union of individual consciousness with the divine. The path requires unwavering commitment, ethical living, and the guidance of a knowledgeable guru to navigate its complexities safely and effectively.
Misconception 3: Tantra Involves Dangerous or Dark Practices
The tantric’s forthright dismissal of oppressive social structures, as they tackled injustices tied to caste, gender, class, and education, underscored their commitment to an accessible, genuine, and inclusively spiritual path. This approach frequently brought them into contention with entrenched religious bodies, subjecting them to aggression, hostility, and systematic exclusion.The portrayal of Tantra as involving dangerous or dark practices is another significant misconception brought about by elite people in power in ancient India. While Tantra does include the veneration of fierce deities such as Kali Maa, and the use of ancient sacred rituals, these elements are not 'dark' but aspects of the divine that represent transformative forces. The ultimate goal is liberation and enlightenment, and living a life of alignment to the Divine.
Misconception 4: Tantra is Non-Vedic and Outside Mainstream Hinduism
To further discredit the tantric’s, the elite powers did propaganda that Tantra is separate from Vedic traditions and mainstream Hinduism and is ‘fringe’. This view overlooks the integrative nature of Tantra, which, while distinct in its methodologies and practices, shares the universal goals of spiritual liberation and enlightenment found in Vedic traditions. Tantra and Vedic practices often intersect and complement each other, contributing to the rich diversity of Hindu spiritual practices. Tantra is not an outlier but an integral part of the broader spectrum of Indian spirituality, with its unique contributions to the understanding and experience of the divine.
