The Path of Tantra

Tantra as we know it today has its roots in ancient India and was first organized by Shiva. Shiva was born 7,000 years ago into one of the more turbulent periods in India's history. At this time the Aryans from the north were moving into India from the northwest and influencing the Tantra oriented indigenous culture. The Vedic language they brough with them was also beginning to have an influence on the indigenous Sanskrit language, which was the common language of the people.

Shiva was called Sadashiva which means "one whose only vow of existence is to promote the all round welfare of the human beings." Shiva's greatest contribution to humanity was the concept of dharma. Dharma means "innate characteristic". The Dharma of human beings is to the urge to attain the Supreme through spiritual practice and moral, ethical behavior. The highest fulfillment of dharma is the channeling of all urges for actions towards the Supreme.

This Shiva Dharma became the essential dharma of India. In Shiva Dharma no one was ignored, neither the non-Aryans, the women nor the castes that were being formed by the Aryans. Although in the Vaedik age women were treated as commodities of enjoyment, in the age of Shiva they were elevated as a class of mothers.

Tantra is the science that that expands the mind and spirit and thus liberates one from the bondage of the manifested world. Through Shiva, Tantra was compiled into 64 volumes. Tantra has two parts, principles and theories and practical aspect and practices. The principles and theories only have value if there is practical application in our lives.

The word "Tantra" comes the root "tan" which means expansion from bondage and the root "tra" means liberator. So Tantra is the theory and practice that liberates us from the bondage of crudeness so that we can experience the Supreme in our lives.

Tantra is an alchemical process. It transforms crude into subtle. Through spiritual practices our minds and bodies become more and more subtle until we understand every act we do as part of our interaction with the Supreme. The mind becoming immersed in interaction with the Supreme gets to enjoy the bliss of the Yoga (literally "union") with the Supreme Entity.

So what is Tantra? It is the theories and practices that lead us to union with the Supreme. Tantra encompasses every act of our lives: morality, social conduct, physical health, breathing, withdrawal of our senses from the distractions around us, ability to focus our mind on one point, and deep meditation. All of these are encompassed in Astaunga Yoga, or the eight-limbed path to union with the Supreme.

It is important to mention that at different times and in different social conditions there is greater interest in one particular aspect of Tantra over all of the others. However, Tantra is a balanced path. One cannot utilize or over indulge in one aspect and expect to make progress on the spiritual path. Without a base of morality and proper social conduct, a spiritual aspirant will go nowhere and can in fact do damage to themselves and others. In addition, if one concentrates on only one aspect of Tantra without regard to the other aspects their development will be off balance. One cannot build a healthy strong physical body if you put all of your concentration in strengthening only one limb. On the contrary, you will become quite imbalanced.

Tantra is the path of balance. Moral and ethical conduct is the base and union with the Supreme is the goal. With union as the goal one applies that knowledge and practice in every aspect of human life so that even the mundane actions of living in the manifested world become spiritual actions aimed at bringing us closer and closer to the Supreme. We begin to feel that the Supreme is always with me, in the supermarket in the car in the bed as well as in the meditation. The Supreme is not in the mountains or in the sky somewhere far away, you are so close I can touch you, be with you anytime, all of the time. Through the practice of Tantra sadhana (meditation, literally effort our minds become soft and sweet, our vibration becomes subtler. The spiritual energies locked in the body are free to move to their desired resting place in the very lap of the Supreme, to merge in the sweet and loving flow of that sweetest and most loving entity until you can no longer distinguish the difference between you and your goal.

*Marc Nevas
January 25, 2001