Tantra is one of the many systems of Hindu philosophy and spiritual practice. It differs from Brahminical Vedism in several ways.
Meaning of “Tantra”:
“Tanyate, vistāryante jñānam anena, iti Tantra”. — That system by which knowledge is spread is called “tantra.”.
• Tan = thread, web, stretch, spread or expand
• Tra = tool or instrument
• Tatri = Support, adjunct
• Tantra: a tool for expansion or weaving. Through tantric practice, one can experience an expansion of consciousness and recognize the interconnectedness of the web of existence.
Tantra Literature.
The vast Tantric literature deals with 21 topics.
1. Sṛṣṭhi — Cosmic Evolution
2. Pralaya — Cosmic Involution
3. Upsana, or Deity Yoga, or various forms of ritual worship
4. Sādhana — Spiritual practice
5. Puracarana— retreat programs for yoga and meditation
6. Ṣaṭ-karma—6 desiderative ritual activities for accomplishing material goals.
7. Yoga/Dhyāna— yoga āsana and meditation practice
8. Siddhānta — Metaphysics
9. Brahma-jñāna — Theology
10. Mantras — linguistic occultism
11. Yantras — mystical diagrams for meditation
12. Mudras: seals or gestures
13. Ilpa— architecture of temples, public buildings and sculpture
14. Pratiṣṭha — consecration of temples
15. Archana — worship of the deities enshrined in temples
16. Dīkṣa — initiation of spiritual aspirants
17. Dharma — rules of social conduct and ethics
18. Saṁskāras — sacraments and domestic observances
19. Utsavas — public festivals and celebrations
20. Indrajāla: Practical occultism
21. Prayaścittam — Atonements and Penances
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Tantra, in its most generic sense, is the Agama Tantra is the practical side of spiritualism and the tradition of more than 80% of families. Its texts, therefore, are hundreds of times greater in quantity and volume than Nigama texts like the Shruti.
All Hindu traditions are essentially family traditions. It is why you have so much diversity in your philosophies and practices.
We understand Hindu philosophy as a roadmap to the “one truth” and different interpretations of what that roadmap might look like based on individual experiences.
However, spiritual experiences and the texts that capture spiritual experiences are all personal experiences (Nigama). How can that be applied to day-to-day life? What are the practical aspects of spirituality? What about families that have had no such spiritual experience yet? How do they even begin to understand this “truth”?
The Agama traditions are about how spirituality can be extended to daily life and to the things we “can practice” daily to live our lives to achieve the four purushartha.
Human motivation comes from our triguna, and as the word describes, it is of three kinds. Everyone has all three, so there is no such thing as a pure sattvik, a pure rajasik, or a pure tamasik. And the objective is really to get a balance of all three qualities. The process of getting our triguna into balance, or equilibrium, is known as karma. The point at which the three qualities come into equilibrium is moksha. Life, after all, is about fine balance—work, family, meaning, and other competing interests and desires.
So if Nigama traditions are entirely intellectual and spiritual (sattva, man, mantra), what about Agama traditions?
Our physical or material body can be considered to be comprised of three components: body, mind, and intellect. The trigun is the result of these three components. What are the characteristics of the motivation that derive from these three components?
Intellect: Individuals who “live in the intellect” are intellectuals—those cerebral, knowledge-driven individuals who have a flair for abstract thinking!
Mind: Individuals who “live in the mind” are great schemers, go-getters, planners, manipulators, and influencers who will use their talents and skills to “get ahead”!
Body: This is the vast majority of us. We don’t even think of ourselves as having “components,” nor do we check to see “where we live”! The body is the body; the mind and intellect are integral parts of the body, just as all the other parts are! We have no interest in knowledge beyond what we need to earn a living; we don’t mull ponderous philosophical questions like “Who am I?” “Where do we come from?” and “Where are we going?” If you ask a “body-type” of these questions, you will get simple, practical, and straightforward answers: “I am Ajay,” “I am from Jhajjar,” “I’m just going to the market!” and so on.
No matter the type of personality or their motivation, is there a need to educate people on how to live right? Now look at this matrix, the combination of varna (personality) and trigonal (motivation):
There are 16 different outcomes for varna and triguna. However, if you analyze the incidence, you will find that there are four peaks in these distributions. So BS, KR, VR, and ST would cover 80% of the people.
As you can see, intellectuals can come from any varna. And these 16 categories don’t give you the full picture. Take a look at these two case studies of two different individuals scored based on trigonal weights. Can you determine what their interests are and which line of career they are most likely to choose? (Give it a shot.)
CASE A:
CASE B:
That said, it is the practical aspects of spiritualism for those who are not seeking the truth through knowledge (jnana), that is, the rajasik (karma) and tamasik (bhakti), that have a greater market share, so to speak.
There are three schools of Agama traditions: Shaiva (Northern/Kashmira Shaiva and Southern/Tamil Shaiva), Vaishnava, and Shakta. All agamas cover four aspects of daily life: kriya (aspects of worship), jnana (knowledge of the truth), yoga (self-control), and karya (approach to daily duties).
Every Agama Tantra text will give you techniques for all four aspects.
The purusharthas are its objectives, and Mukti is its culmination.
