Tantra-The Basics root and rituals
Time ,the old gypsy man is a restless wanderer. It never tarries even for a while. Empires rise and fall ,sea -bed deposits are flung up as mountains and river -beds become sandy stretches. time marches on unconcernedly . Heroic figures enter and exit on the stage of world -theatre ,time marches on with a stance of I care two hoots. Like the brook of Tennyson it says, ' for men may come and men may go but I go on for ever . Yes ,Time is the only permanent reality. It is the eternal flow without a beginning and without an end. And yet time changes Times change. This change is manifest not only in the bigger segments of seasonal flux or comparatively small rotational moves but in the awareness of the sentient beings who people time . For without the spectators and recorders of the time march there would have been no History. The Tantra concept of the never -ending flow of time seems to bee at conflict with the present view-point which regards present times as the progressive culmination of the undeveloped phase in the past . From primitive tools and barbaric sets of social principles man is moving spirally towards an egalitarian society by bringing the causative energy in nature under the control and the day is not far off when he will become the supreme master of the universe. This view point continued to dominate man's thought till the forties in the twentieth century. But the discovery of the inseparable oneness of matter and energy has put a brake and now new explanation are being offered and the role of intelligence has come under a challenge. in Tantra Parashiva ,the transcedent , reveals its-one-two the energy matter combine by initiating the spanda process. This process stratifies parashiva in to Shiva and Shakti . The creative movement starts and the universe is created. But still by and large the scientific approach sticks to the view that modern age is the most progressive stage in human History and for the first time in known existence man has the means to feed , clothe and shelter all living humans. The globe is a village now and space -travels have greater mysteries and thrills in store than the miracles contained in holy books. There is much truth in these assertions and it would be cynical to deny the phenomenal progress. Technical , material and civilizational that modern age has registered what however modern world lacks is the moral will to go the ladder of spiritual awakening and without moral will there is little chance of the emergence of global consciousness. The end result might be utter chaos-a return to wilderness and primitivity . And who knows man may disappear from the universal stage altogether because some of the evolutionary trends indicate that man was not in the central scheme of evolution but came only as by product. So,when studied in depth the concept of time-march in Tantra Shastra is not as unscientific as it looks. Rather it is science with a deeper sense. It does not say that Kaliyuga has less of technical or manufacturing skill. It simply states that in kaliyuga Dharma is only a quarter of what it was in Satayuga. In tantra there was three quarters of it and in Dwapara only a half of it. This seems a perfectly valid observation in the light of things as seen today. Indian tradition accepts the view -point that each age has its scripture,yuga sastra,governing and leading the life of people in the rightful direction. In the Satyayuga ( Golden Age ) says that Kularnava Tantra the scripture is Sruti , the revealed word the Veda , In the Treta ( Silver Age ) Smritis , in the Dvapara ( Cooper Age ) the Purans ,treatises which convey the doctrines of the Vedas and Smritis in a popular garb ,myth and story,In the Kali (Iron Age) the Tantra .A search light therefore must be thrown on the special features of Tantra. A search light therefore must be thrown on the special features of Tantra that make it a yuga sasatra of modern times. Tantra let me assert it without any fear from orthodox quarters ,is more broad -based or catholic than the Vedas. The study of the Vedas was not open to everyone. Certain classes of people were denied acess to it . There are stories a galore in a number or religious text,s that speak of the exclusive nature of the vedic studies. It is possible that restrictions might have been placed in a historical context and the cross cultural currents of the time might have justified them. But the fact remains that a large section of masses was not only kept outside the centers of Vedic studies but was considered dull-wittedand un worthyof the understanding of this sacred literature. What is more surprising is the fact that women as a class did not have the universal acceptance of the right of vedic studies the way men of the exclusive classes had. The fact gives a greater shock when we realize that many hymns in Rigveda and later sacred invocations were inspired utterances of exceptionally learned women , just a few years back on of the shankaracharyas objected to the reciting of vedic hymns by a learned woman in a distinguished gathering. Doggedness of this nature still persists in certain sections of Hindu society . Tantra Sastra gave the right of study and practice to all sections of the society. It did not stand on false prestige and made it clear that all hymen beings had the right to realize the inner spiritual strength underlying their psyche. It was catholicity of the highest order and genuine attempt towards universalisation of religion. Women got a place of pride in the study and practice of Tantra Sastra. Sakti being the mother figure of of the Tantra cult, women gurus were considered more effective and Tantra can be cited as an effective example of sex equality, with a preference towards women.
In Indian thought -Chronology one more positive aspect of Tantra Practice was the fact, that if one got the right type of Guru, one did not need to undergo long period of the preparatory training. The critics can pick a point here and say that by opening the doors to laity Tantra Sastra fell down a step or two from the high pedestal it stood on and got itself polluted. But let them remember that the quest for one's inner energy is the fundamental right of every individual and not the monopoly of the privileged few.
One of the most weighty factors that establishes the supremacy of the Tantra Sastra in the modern context of life standards is its balanced approach towards Samsara-the material world with all its paraphernalia. Unlike the great Shankara's philosophy of treating the world as illusion-Maya and as suchto be shunned and discarded Tantra treats it is a stepping stone towards higher bliss. True , that the world is not the ultimate end-truth , that sensuous pleasures are not a enduring substance yet they have to be lived and enjoyed without getting lost in them and they have to be made the stimulants of higher mental activities that would lift a true Sadhaka from morass to sublimity in due course of time. Samsara is not a hill for a Tantric. He knows that it is there and it would continue to be there. It can not be escaped as imaginary escapes lead to boomeranged bondages. The universe is not Maya but an expression of Brahman in the eyes of a Tantric rightly perceived it never veils but reveals Brahman . It is the required material and chosen field for Sadhana. Tantra Sastra does not see a hell in women. It takes her to be an embodiment of divinely charged components. It is through the sensuous that supersensuous is to be attained. This attitude in its sweep and range can provide even a non-practising Tantra believer with the ideal code of conduct for the journey of life. A Tantric ,it is widely believed , gets acquainted with the supersensuous powers of nature. These Powers like the woven matrix of the universe are both good and bad. He, if he has learnt to walk on the razor's edge-a spiritualbalancing of the highest order,teaches himself how to utilize the services of the high towards off the evils of the low. After all , the path thad leads to ultimate reality, is through the crowded happenings of the material world,and impediments on the way have to be cleared off. This knowledgeis essential for the pilgrim on the path to Shaktipeeth Tantra Shastra therefore is not total renunciation . It is not an exclusive penance of total isolation. It is a sastra to be made applicable to the happpenings around with a view to increasing the total goods against the total evil. A Tantric therefore is a highly gifted versatile individual who is adept at numerous techniques of sublime order and has a very deep acquaintance with related disciplines of Alchemy, Astronomy, Astrology, Herbiology and Metallurgy. He is in touch with the cosmic laws of nature . He was first in the world to use Mercury, snake- poison and the metals as medicine. But before he becomes an adept , a sidha, a divinity in human form , a Bodhi Sattva in Buddist tradition, he must have got the blessing and transmitted Tejas -superior energy of a true preceptor -a guru . Let us have a look at the concept of Guru outlined in tantra texts. Infact , the importance of Guru was already there in Vedanta and Tantra being a Pratyaksha sastra neededa guru all the more. In Taittiriyopanishad Acharya has been placed on equal pedestal with mother and father. ' Matra Devo Bhav. " " Pitra Devo Bhav. " " Acharya Devo Bhav. " In Tantra Sastra Guru is the manifesation of Mahakala . He rises a step higher from Vedantic hierarchy.This might be because of excessive increase in the number of bliss seekers most of whom must have been men and women without roots in the spiritual traditions.
(Continued in next issue )
Time ,the old gypsy man is a restless wanderer. It never tarries even for a while. Empires rise and fall ,sea -bed deposits are flung up as mountains and river -beds become sandy stretches. time marches on unconcernedly . Heroic figures enter and exit on the stage of world -theatre ,time marches on with a stance of I care two hoots. Like the brook of Tennyson it says, ' for men may come and men may go but I go on for ever . Yes ,Time is the only permanent reality. It is the eternal flow without a beginning and without an end. And yet time changes Times change. This change is manifest not only in the bigger segments of seasonal flux or comparatively small rotational moves but in the awareness of the sentient beings who people time . For without the spectators and recorders of the time march there would have been no History. The Tantra concept of the never -ending flow of time seems to bee at conflict with the present view-point which regards present times as the progressive culmination of the undeveloped phase in the past . From primitive tools and barbaric sets of social principles man is moving spirally towards an egalitarian society by bringing the causative energy in nature under the control and the day is not far off when he will become the supreme master of the universe. This view point continued to dominate man's thought till the forties in the twentieth century. But the discovery of the inseparable oneness of matter and energy has put a brake and now new explanation are being offered and the role of intelligence has come under a challenge. in Tantra Parashiva ,the transcedent , reveals its-one-two the energy matter combine by initiating the spanda process. This process stratifies parashiva in to Shiva and Shakti . The creative movement starts and the universe is created. But still by and large the scientific approach sticks to the view that modern age is the most progressive stage in human History and for the first time in known existence man has the means to feed , clothe and shelter all living humans. The globe is a village now and space -travels have greater mysteries and thrills in store than the miracles contained in holy books. There is much truth in these assertions and it would be cynical to deny the phenomenal progress. Technical , material and civilizational that modern age has registered what however modern world lacks is the moral will to go the ladder of spiritual awakening and without moral will there is little chance of the emergence of global consciousness. The end result might be utter chaos-a return to wilderness and primitivity . And who knows man may disappear from the universal stage altogether because some of the evolutionary trends indicate that man was not in the central scheme of evolution but came only as by product. So,when studied in depth the concept of time-march in Tantra Shastra is not as unscientific as it looks. Rather it is science with a deeper sense. It does not say that Kaliyuga has less of technical or manufacturing skill. It simply states that in kaliyuga Dharma is only a quarter of what it was in Satayuga. In tantra there was three quarters of it and in Dwapara only a half of it. This seems a perfectly valid observation in the light of things as seen today. Indian tradition accepts the view -point that each age has its scripture,yuga sastra,governing and leading the life of people in the rightful direction. In the Satyayuga ( Golden Age ) says that Kularnava Tantra the scripture is Sruti , the revealed word the Veda , In the Treta ( Silver Age ) Smritis , in the Dvapara ( Cooper Age ) the Purans ,treatises which convey the doctrines of the Vedas and Smritis in a popular garb ,myth and story,In the Kali (Iron Age) the Tantra .A search light therefore must be thrown on the special features of Tantra. A search light therefore must be thrown on the special features of Tantra that make it a yuga sasatra of modern times. Tantra let me assert it without any fear from orthodox quarters ,is more broad -based or catholic than the Vedas. The study of the Vedas was not open to everyone. Certain classes of people were denied acess to it . There are stories a galore in a number or religious text,s that speak of the exclusive nature of the vedic studies. It is possible that restrictions might have been placed in a historical context and the cross cultural currents of the time might have justified them. But the fact remains that a large section of masses was not only kept outside the centers of Vedic studies but was considered dull-wittedand un worthyof the understanding of this sacred literature. What is more surprising is the fact that women as a class did not have the universal acceptance of the right of vedic studies the way men of the exclusive classes had. The fact gives a greater shock when we realize that many hymns in Rigveda and later sacred invocations were inspired utterances of exceptionally learned women , just a few years back on of the shankaracharyas objected to the reciting of vedic hymns by a learned woman in a distinguished gathering. Doggedness of this nature still persists in certain sections of Hindu society . Tantra Sastra gave the right of study and practice to all sections of the society. It did not stand on false prestige and made it clear that all hymen beings had the right to realize the inner spiritual strength underlying their psyche. It was catholicity of the highest order and genuine attempt towards universalisation of religion. Women got a place of pride in the study and practice of Tantra Sastra. Sakti being the mother figure of of the Tantra cult, women gurus were considered more effective and Tantra can be cited as an effective example of sex equality, with a preference towards women.
In Indian thought -Chronology one more positive aspect of Tantra Practice was the fact, that if one got the right type of Guru, one did not need to undergo long period of the preparatory training. The critics can pick a point here and say that by opening the doors to laity Tantra Sastra fell down a step or two from the high pedestal it stood on and got itself polluted. But let them remember that the quest for one's inner energy is the fundamental right of every individual and not the monopoly of the privileged few.
One of the most weighty factors that establishes the supremacy of the Tantra Sastra in the modern context of life standards is its balanced approach towards Samsara-the material world with all its paraphernalia. Unlike the great Shankara's philosophy of treating the world as illusion-Maya and as suchto be shunned and discarded Tantra treats it is a stepping stone towards higher bliss. True , that the world is not the ultimate end-truth , that sensuous pleasures are not a enduring substance yet they have to be lived and enjoyed without getting lost in them and they have to be made the stimulants of higher mental activities that would lift a true Sadhaka from morass to sublimity in due course of time. Samsara is not a hill for a Tantric. He knows that it is there and it would continue to be there. It can not be escaped as imaginary escapes lead to boomeranged bondages. The universe is not Maya but an expression of Brahman in the eyes of a Tantric rightly perceived it never veils but reveals Brahman . It is the required material and chosen field for Sadhana. Tantra Sastra does not see a hell in women. It takes her to be an embodiment of divinely charged components. It is through the sensuous that supersensuous is to be attained. This attitude in its sweep and range can provide even a non-practising Tantra believer with the ideal code of conduct for the journey of life. A Tantric ,it is widely believed , gets acquainted with the supersensuous powers of nature. These Powers like the woven matrix of the universe are both good and bad. He, if he has learnt to walk on the razor's edge-a spiritualbalancing of the highest order,teaches himself how to utilize the services of the high towards off the evils of the low. After all , the path thad leads to ultimate reality, is through the crowded happenings of the material world,and impediments on the way have to be cleared off. This knowledgeis essential for the pilgrim on the path to Shaktipeeth Tantra Shastra therefore is not total renunciation . It is not an exclusive penance of total isolation. It is a sastra to be made applicable to the happpenings around with a view to increasing the total goods against the total evil. A Tantric therefore is a highly gifted versatile individual who is adept at numerous techniques of sublime order and has a very deep acquaintance with related disciplines of Alchemy, Astronomy, Astrology, Herbiology and Metallurgy. He is in touch with the cosmic laws of nature . He was first in the world to use Mercury, snake- poison and the metals as medicine. But before he becomes an adept , a sidha, a divinity in human form , a Bodhi Sattva in Buddist tradition, he must have got the blessing and transmitted Tejas -superior energy of a true preceptor -a guru . Let us have a look at the concept of Guru outlined in tantra texts. Infact , the importance of Guru was already there in Vedanta and Tantra being a Pratyaksha sastra neededa guru all the more. In Taittiriyopanishad Acharya has been placed on equal pedestal with mother and father. ' Matra Devo Bhav. " " Pitra Devo Bhav. " " Acharya Devo Bhav. " In Tantra Sastra Guru is the manifesation of Mahakala . He rises a step higher from Vedantic hierarchy.This might be because of excessive increase in the number of bliss seekers most of whom must have been men and women without roots in the spiritual traditions.
(Continued in next issue )
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