Tantra, Tantra Book
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Tantra Book
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Kama Sutra -
Love teachings of the Kama Sutra
Kama Sutra Book was written by one Vatsyayana Mallanaga, about whom nothing else is known. However, from the text, it's clear that he was upper-class. He takes servants for granted, and assumes his readers have the leisure time to seduce virgins and other men's wives, and the money to buy the gifts he recommends giving to do so. Vatsyayana also claims to have written his treatise "in chastity and highest meditation." It's hard to know what to make of this. Some commentators have scoffed that, given the subject matter, this seems highly unlikely. But considering the reverence with which the ancient
These texts describe the esoteric teachings of Tantra, a belief system
which originated in India, praticed by a small number of Hindus and Buddhists.
Tantra has become a synonym in the West for unbridled sexuality; however
sexuality per se is only one facet of this elaborate spiritual practice,
as a representation of the union of the soul with the Goddess. Rather, this
attitude reflects the spiritual vacuum of mainstream Western religions when
it comes to sacred sexuality. A deep study of Tantra can take a lifetime,
and is not for the undisciplined or the thrill-seeker.
Tantra does not advocate an epicurian or libertine philosophy. Quite the
contrary, the practices which involve behavior which is regarded by conventional
Hinduism as 'sinful' (such as eating meat, drinking alcohol, and having
sexual union), normally requiring expatiatory behavior, are supposed to
only be engaged in by spiritually advanced practicioners in the appropriate
ritual context. A set of alternative practices are recommended by Tantra
for general use (substituting sweets for meat, and praying and chanting
for sexual union). (It should also be noted the Hindu concept which we describe
here as sin is somewhat different than the Christian version).
Taken with these caveats, the assertion of Tantra that sexual energy can
be harnessed to achieve union with the divine is fairly unique among world
religions. The encounter with this school of thought by western occultists
had a profound impact on the development of modern Neo-paganism.
Mahanirvana Tantra
The Tantra of the Great Liberation: Translated by
Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) [1913]
This is the best known of the Tantric scriptures. It was translated by Sir
John Woodruffe (under the pseudonym 'Arthur Avalon'), one of the few Indologists
to gain direct access to this obscure and secretive branch of Hinduism.
Framed as a conversation between the god Shiva and goddess Shaki, this text
describes the chakra, or subtle energy structure of the human body, ceremonies,
yogic practices and mantras for meditation, and a summary of the Hindu laws
(dharma) regarding sexual behavior.
The text of the Mahanirvana Tantra has been suspected
to be partially or completely fabricated by Hariharanandanatha to support
his reformist views, and apparently dates to the 18th Century A.D. This
is not to say that it is invalid, just that it is a comparatively recent
text which puts forward an unorthodox branch of Hinduism. This should be
kept in mind when reading it. Shakti and Shâkta
by Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) [1918]
This is a set of essays by Woodroffe on Tanta. |