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Black magic ?
Tantra yoga
The
Sanskrit word
TANTRA
literally means "warp (on a loom)", or "extension". It proceeds
from the verbal roots TAN - "to stretch, expound", and TRA - "to
save", which give further hints upon the other meanings of the word TANTRA.
This name is applied both for a certain category of texts of the Oriental
spirituality, and for the doctrine, and teachings which they contain. However,
the
Tantric
texts, the TANTRA-s - and there are several hundreds of them: proper TANTRA-s,
SHIVA AGAMA-s,
VISHNU SAMHITA-s,
SHAKTA NIGAMA-s, etc. - are written in a kind of "code language", so
that without an oral explanation from a competent
GURU, a lot of
passages are bound to remain unclear. Moreover, there are still many
untranslated, and secret Tantric texts under the dust of forgotten, or private
libraries. All these, plus the extremely varied, and complicated nature of
Tantrism renders
the manipulation of a single definition almost impossible. That is why, it has
been found useful to sketch some of the main features of the Tantric system in a
detailed manner.
CHARACTERISTICS OF TANTRISM
1. TANTRA
YOGA offers an alternative, and practical individual road to
salvation, called a
SADHANA, beside
the Vedic one which is often deemed to be antiquated. It is important to remark
here that the true Tantric SADHANA is accessible to people of any caste, social
status, age, women as well as men, householders as well as ascetics.
2. The TANTRA-s are presented as the most fit form of teaching for the men of
KALI YUGA, that is for the people of the "dark age", in which we live today.
KALI YUGA is often connected with the "iron age" of the Greek mythology, and
with the "age of the wolf", of the Northern Edda, deemed to have exactly the
same meaning. Therefore, nowadays, when the spirituality is declining while man
is desperately trying to reintegrate himself in a spiritual reality, it is
stated that TANTRA is the last, and best way of salvation.
3. TANTRA has a rigorous metaphysical basis, of a very non-dualist nature.
However, according to its opinion an intellectual knowledge is not enough, but
there is need of direct, personal experience, which becomes possible only
through the agency of
SHAKTI, the power, the intense energy. The concept of SHAKTI, the
feminine energy is the specific colour of the entire Tantric system.
4. TANTRA recognizes, and expounds mundane aims besides spiritual emancipation,
as a lawful goal for a practiser. Its aim is to transform the adept in a kind of
super-man, who not only has liberated himself of the Universe, reaching
Enlightment, but also - alike the Supreme Lord Himself - is able to rule over
it, and control its secret forces. This involves that Tantric methods are
applicable for various sorts of practical accomplishments, including astrology,
medicine, parapsychology, alchemy, and magic. Many written sources are
pre-occupied with the description of supernatural abilities (SIDDHI-s), and
the ways to attain them. There remains however, always a connecting thread
between the magical, and the spiritual.
5. The eminent place given to the energy entails a brilliant revalorisation of
the body. This is not meant with the sense of object of idolatry, like in the
contemporary world, but as necessary instrument, unavoidable premises of the
spiritual realization. This is due to the perpetually reminded analogy between
the
macrocosm, and the
microcosm, which is the human body: "What is here is everywhere, what
is not here is nowhere". A consequence of this fact is the appearance of the
HATHA YOGA system in the Tantric schools; system which has as goal neither the
"health", nor the "well-being", as it is commonly believed.
6. TANTRA teaches the practice of a special variety of YOGA, destined to
transform the animal instincts and functions, by creating an upward movement in
the body, along the energy- channels, NADI-s, and through the centre-s of force,
CHAKRA-s. The process is most commonly expressed as "raising the
KUNDALINI".
Connected with this YOGA is the elaboration of a subtle physiology, in which the
microcosm of the body is homologized with the macrocosm, and the world of the
gods.
7. TANTRA emphasizes the metaphysical, and
operative importance of the feminine principle. The Woman, the Goddess, SHAKTI
represents for the
TANTRIKA-s the universal Power, the energy of bondage and Liberation,
who veils and reveals, blinds and illuminates; the world is her toy, and her
mirror. Therefore we encounter here a genuine revalorisation of the woman, and
perhaps the only spiritual path that acknowledges a total equality between the
two sexes, at all levels. The importance of the female manifestations extends
on all the levels of the experience, from daily life, till metaphysics.
8.
Important are also the speculations upon the mystic nature of speech, and its
constituents; the existence is assumed of a phonic creation, parallel to the
material phenomena. These revelations are connected with the sounds of the
Sanskrit alphabet.
9. This has been developed concretely in the very frequent use of
generally short, unintelligible formulas, called
MANTRA-s and BIJA-s, correlated with
various supernormal powers, and levels of consciousness by means of definite
Yogic procedures, and which make the object of cosmic symbolism. Actually, the
MANTRA-s are the most efficient instruments, according to
TANTRA, and therefore the overwhelming
majority of the
Tantric texts deals to some extent upon
this topic, and its secrets.
10.
The general use of other concrete devices, like geometrical designs (YANTRA-s),
symbolical representations (MANDALA-s), gestures (MUDRA-s), for the practical
accomplishment or expression of metaphysical principles. The supernatural worlds
are approached by specific methods of meditation (DHYANA),
visualization, worship, etc.
11. The Tantric teachings are structured on several levels, depending on
those to whom they address; the traditional texts assert the existence of three
different human types: the "divine" one (DIVYA),
that practically doesn't exist any more in our age, the "heroic" one (VIRA),
which is the best for the Tantric initiation, though rare, and
PASHU, "the herd of the Gods", the
"animal", that swarms in our dark age. Only the VIRA-s, say the tantric texts,
the heros liberated of fear, hate, and absurd shame are qualified for receiving
the full of the Tantric revelations, while the others receive an adequate
SADHANA, which will first gradually bring
them to the heroical condition.
12. Addressing to heroic beings, TANTRA is not so very concerned with
theology, or common moral. It is not a trite anarchism that we are talking
about, but the need for transcending some of the appearances of the illusory
world, for reaching the strongest awakening. Very often the Tantric texts
themselves over-emphasize this side, for banishing the narrow-minded aspirants,
by the use of a symbolical language: "to pet the breasts of your sister" means
to arouse the
SHAKTI in
ANAHATA
CHAKRA, "to put the
LINGAM (penis) in the maternal cavity"
means to pierce the root-CHAKRA, and so on.
13. Most of the Tantric lines are
SHIVA-ite, because of the exceptional
aspects of SHIVA: Benefactor, and Terrible, Healer and Destroyer of the evil,
Supreme
Androgyne.
14. TANTRA emphasizes the absolute necessity of initiation by a qualified
spiritual guide, or teacher (GURU),
and on constantly following his (or her) directions for spiritual practice. That
is why, the Tantric texts use a special set of terminology, inaccessible for the
outsiders, and whose "key" is handed over orally by the GURU.
15. In TANTRA there often appears an ambivalence of the divine and human
existence, as complementary aspects of the same awesome, grandiose reality.
16. There is also a far-fetched categorization of the reality, especially
in the symbolism of the numbers, and speech, which leads to the mysterious
science of the breath, and
TATTVA-s, and to connections with the
ancient alchemical processes of the SIDDHA-s, and the body culture of the HATHA
YOGIN-s.
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