Tantra is an imprecise term assigned to practices characterized by rituals, rites of passage, energy work and the use of the mundane to reach the supramundane and understand the relationship between the micro and the macrocosm. These aspects of Tantra can be spiritual and/or material. A guru is often consulted to help the practitioner have a mystical experience and properly guide them through the associated rituals.
Yoga is a vital part of Tantra as it awakens the ability to reach the divine in the practitioner. An integral part of Buddhism as well, there are different forms of yoga to meet a person’s spiritual needs, ranging from vigorous movements to peaceful movements. The visualizations, evocations and mantras can also help the Tantra practitioner to reach a point of spiritual awareness.
Tantra has had roots in areas of the world such as China, Tibet, Japan, Cambodia, and Indonesia. It is closely related to religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. In Hinduism, Tantra is closely linked with the Vedic tradition, or rather with the rejection of orthodox beliefs. Practicing Tantra is meant to give the practitioner a blissful feeling of self-awareness while removing illusions.
The exact rituals associated with Tantra are difficult to pin down as they vary greatly depending on the region and the Tantric community available. Commonly employed rituals include the repetition of mantras and yantras (charms) to invoke deities. Parties and bodily functions may also be included in the rituals. Although it receives the most attention, sexual rituals play a very small role in traditional tantric practices.
The term Tantra, of course, is more familiar to Westerners because of the sexuality associated with that small portion of the rites. Sexual practices are believed to have originated early in Hindu culture as a means of forming bodily fluids that were thought to be transformative and a necessary offering to the deities of Tantra. The fluid exchange often involved a man, a woman, and a guru (also a man). The female fluid was thought to be the fluid of the clan and could be used to mark a man’s membership in that community. These Tantra rituals evolved to focus on the bliss and divinity of union.
Tantra evolved when it moved west to become what is known as NeoTantra. The sanctity of sexuality was maintained, but the involvement of a guru was abandoned, as were some of the ritual rules and meditations. NeoTantra followers favor aspects of Tantra such as full body orgasms, female worship, and many still study the non-sexual aspects of the rituals.
The history and spirituality of Tantra are so great that those simply looking for sexual excitement may want to look elsewhere. Tantric sexuality is more of a pleasurable religious act than impulsive physical satisfaction. Studying the meaning of Tantra and employing some of the rituals along with the physical acts will increase the cognitive clarity that practitioners really seek. The mental effects will last much longer than the physical pleasure, but will pave the way for future enjoyments in bodily union.