No Indian tradition has been more misunderstood, relative to its deep influence on global spirituality, than Tantra.

“Tantric scriptures form the basis of almost all the various theistic schools of theology and ritual in post-Vedic India, as well as of a major strand of Buddhism (Vajrayāna). Among these schools, those centered on the Hindu deities Śiva and Viṣṇu spread well beyond the Indian subcontinent to Kambuja (Cambodia/Laos/Thailand), Champa (Vietnam) and Indonesia, while Buddhist Tantrism quickly became pan-Asian.” (Goodall, Sanderson, and Isaacson, EFEO/IFP)

“…it is fundamentally world-embracing rather than world-denying, focused on the immanent rather than the transcendent, integrated with everyday life rather than renouncing it . . . in other words life-affirming rather than life-negating. All other forms of yoga are transcendentalist and renunciatory in character, except where they are influenced by Tantra itself.”(C.Wallis)

We see a transcendence based approach to spirituality: Divine is not something that can be known through the senses. Perhaps, nothing is more bashed than the 5 senses in the status quo under the roof of spirituality. Here, Non Dual Tantra offers what can be experienced as Fresh Breeze. It says Divine is everything the eye meets, not just what the eye cannot meet. It doesn’t place Divine available on “higher states of consciousness” but a deeper awareness of the present moment which is all there ever is…the present moment. (You’re stretching the same ‘today’ when you were 2 to the day you call ‘today’, now ,and will call ‘today’,tomorrow).

This is something if you hear it the first time. Deeper awareness to what is…Being more grounded in what is. Not insulting the blessings by calling your senses limited and incapable of divine residence( Seeing your body as a Temple is Strictly a Tantrik teaching). You experience tremendous lightness and ananda( In the Tantrik tradition, there is a teaching of seven levels of ānanda. It turns out ananda can become deeper and get infused into every aspect of our day).

In west, you hear Tantra you think of sex. {For which the Term these days is Neo Tantra. We’re interested in Classical Tantra which is so much more and nuanced.} In India, we think mainly black magic. Though things like Stambana[Immobilization], Vashikaran[Subjugation], Mohana[Bewildering], Uccatana[Eradication],etc are unquestionably discussed in Uddisatantra and others too perhaps. However, the Philosophy is so rich and embracing, Tantra cannot be labeled as just Curse Calling. Although, I think it is the all embracing attitude of Tantra which created space for the ‘black magic’ to be exhaustively discussed. It must have been well guarded in closed knit traditions as it should be for common sense.

Most of us are Householders and it the Path which respects Householders, tremendously. Most of the yoga practiced today is Tantra Influenced -wherever there is embracing, there’s Tantra. Have a read, I’d say, about Classical Tantra. Super Fun. Super Rewarding.