History of Tantra from Classical to Neo

Tantra Basics Part 2: History of Tantra from Classical to Neo

The Story of Tantra So Far…

(continued from Part 1 )

So we are starting to get this picture now of Tantra possibly developing from very early, almost prehistoric, primitive, shamanic, pre-Vedic traditions, that seem to have been prevalent in ancient India, and then gradually becoming a popular alternative to the mainstream Vedic traditions of that period.

The orthodox teachings of the Vedas from that era, demanded self-mortification and renunciation. On the other hand, the more fringe and transgressive proto-tantric traditions, provided more accessible methods of devotion and spiritual practice without requiring that people deny the natural inclination for enjoyment of food, drink, and sex.

Early Tantra Borrowed Stuff From the Vedas

In addition to including things that were prohibited by the Vedas, Tantra also incorporated many concepts taken from the Vedas.

For example, central to Tantra are teachings about the chakras, nadis, and kundalini… that is the subtle energy centres and mystical energy channels that conduct the flow of kundalini around the physical body and energy body. These are clearly concepts that have been borrowed from the earlier Vedas.

Other practices prevalent in the Vedas also became important components of Tantra, such as the meditation postures, and techniques of sense withdrawal and breath control. The scholar David Gray talks about this in his 2016 publication Tantra and the Tantric Traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism. He tells us that this borrowing includes a complete adaptation of the key Vedic ritual of fire sacrifice, known as homa, and also the transformation of the Vedic ritual of royal consecration, into the Tantric ritual of initiation and consecration, known as abhisheka.

So it looks like Tantra probably evolved alongside the Vedas, borrowing some of their best teachings and leaving out the more elitist, and exclusive elements that made it difficult for the common people to access spirituality.

Other Influences in the History of Tantra

It’s likely that the development of Tantra was also influenced by other things going on in India during that period.

There was the rise of the world-renouncing Shramana movement, around the middle of the first millennium BCE. In that movement ascetics and renunciates employed specific meditations and yoga to achieve liberation. As David Gray describes, Tantric traditions inherited many of those practices, and incorporated them into its world-embracing approach, an approach in which it’s not necessary to renounce material things in order to be able to gain enlightenment.

History of Tantra

Essentially, those early followers of the Tantric traditions took some things from the Vedas, and said, look I’m not a Brahmin, I don’t want to renounce the world, but I want to train and do these spiritual practices, I want to discover a connection to God, just like you elitist Brahmin boys. So I’m going to just go ahead and do this stuff without following your rules, ok. Thank you very much, bye bye.

In addition to those contemplative practices of meditation and yoga, Tantra also features a rich devotional aspect, with chanting, singing, and music. According to David Gray these devotional practices were borrowed from the Hindu Bhakti movement which arose in India around the same time as the early Tantric traditions, during the first part of the first millennium CE.

Another important influence on the development of Tantra comes from the Indian Puranas… the large body of Indian literature which was composed during the period between 350 CE and 750 CE.

In the Puranas we see plenty of stories and mythology, especially featuring Goddesses. In fact the Puranas glorify the Goddesses much more than the Vedas do, and the female deities found in the Puranas bear more resemblance to the goddesses we see in the Tantra traditions.

So it’s very likely the Tantra traditions drew some of its mythology and deity worship from the Puranas.

The 10 Mahavidyas
The 10 Mahavidyas – Tantric Goddesses.

The First True Tantric Traditions

So the first fully developed Tantric traditions emerged during the fifth century. And we have definitive historical evidence for this, as we have mentioned already in Part 1, such as the Gagadhar stone inscription, and the palm leaf tantra, the Niśvāsa-tattva-samhitā from Nepal.

These first distinct Tantra traditions initially appeared among the unorthodox Shaiva traditions. During the fifth century the Shaiva traditions were composed of several different groups and sects, widespread across India. Some of them were quite shocking and transgressive in their practices. For example, the Vidyāpīṭha Tantras of the 6th and 7th centuries… According to historian Alexis Sanderson (cited in Gray, 2016), those tantras featured erotic practices, consumption of liquor, rituals performed on funeral sites where dead bodies were left to decompose, acquisition of supernatural powers, and generally breaking taboos in very extreme ways.


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Kashmir Shaivism in the History of Tantra

By the 9th and 10th centuries a very important Tantric tradition was starting to emerge in the north-western region of India known as Kashmir. Alexis Sanderson tells us that at this time there was quite a battle going on between the non-dualist transgressive cults and the more orthodox dualist Śaiva Siddhān­ta tradition (Goodall, et al., 2015).

The now popular Tantra tradition known as Kashmir Shaivism integrated elements of both the transgressive, taboo-breaking, non-dualistic traditions, and also the more orthodox Śaiva Siddhān­ta. The end result was a non dualistic system in which the scandalous and transgressive elements became internalised, and not literal physical acts. In this way the practices of Kashmir Shaivism became less offensive, and probably more appealing to the general population.

One of the most well-known Tantra masters of Kashmir Shaivism was Abhinavagupta. He was alive sometime during the period of 975 CE to 1025 CE. He was a prolific author and composed major works which are still being studied today.

Abhinavagupta
Illustration of Abhinava Gupta by Elke Avis, based on Madhurāja’s 11th-century description. Credit: hareesh.org

According to Professor David White, a specialist in the history of Asian religions, Abhinavagupta bridged the divide between the conservatives and the transgressive schools of that era. He transformed the way the hard-core practices were to be understood, teaching more about sublimation and internalisation, and less  of the literal physical acts. In the place of those hard-core practices he developed soft-core contemplative exercises. This is apparently the origin of the distinction in the tantric traditions between “left handed” or unorthodox practice (vāmācāra) and “right handed” or orthodox practice (dakṣiṇācāra)(White, 2006).

Left handed Tantra also known as Red tantra, includes, but is not limited to, using sexual contact between love partners to stimulate, awaken, and elevate the Kundalini to achieve higher states of consciousness.

Right handed or White Tantra, mostly uses the energies of the physical and sublte bodies with internal, contemplative practices, using visualisation and pranayamas to awaken an awareness of our innate Divine nature.

From the Shaiva traditions, Tantra later spread to other Hindu traditions, as well as to Buddhism, with distinctly Tantric forms of Buddhism already appearing from the 7th century onwards.

The Period of Classical Tantra

Tantra really flourished around the time of Abhinavagupta, and that is the period of Tantra that we refer to when we us the term Classical Tantra, from around the year 800 CE up to about 1100 CE. After that there was something of a decline of Tantra while Islam spread and became more prominent. But then from the middle ages and onwards, through the late medieval period, interest in Tantra grows again and it had a huge influence on other yoga philosophies, such as Hatha Yoga, and modern yoga that is familiar to many people today.

Neo Tantra

Well, today, the Tantra which has become so popular in western culture, is mostly what we would call Neo Tantra.

Neo Tantra is really a sort of westernised version of original Tantra, and has a lot more emphasis on sex and sexuality. And this is what usually comes to mind when people hear the word Tantra. Modern teachings of Neo Tantra have mixed and blended with a lot of modern psychology, and includes, aside from sexuality, things like inner healing, emotional intelligence, love and relationships, and so on.

The Neo Tantra movement originated in the early 1900’s, with the works of the American Yogi, Pierre Bernard. Also contributing to this at around the same time was John Woodroffe, who wrote extensively about Tantra for a western audience. During this period there was a lot of interest in the more supernatural and sensational aspects of spirituality, and yoga, and we have the emergence of organisations such as The Theosophical Society, and The Society for Psychical Research, and so on.

Osho and his Contribution to Neo Tantra

It was later, during the 70’s and 80’s that the Indian guru Rajneesh, later known as Osho, made Neo Tantra even more popular in the west. During that era of hippies and free love, young society was rebelling against sexual repression, and the younger generation were embracing sexual and emotional freedom, a lot of that through the teachings of Indian gurus such as Osho.

Whilst many critics of Osho claim that he was nothing more than a “sex guru” who took advantage of his followers for material gains, Osho’s devotees say that he taught far more than just sexual freedom.

Osho supposedly adapted the ancient principles of Tantra to be more relevant and healing for a new era, for the modern world… a world in which material things, sex, emotions, and relationships, are an inseparable part of being human.

Osho and the history of tantra

And actually, if you dig deeper into the teachings of Osho, and you look beyond the controversies and sensational stories portrayed in the media, you can find very profound and inspiring wisdom… teachings that are really relevant to everyday modern life, and perhaps easier to relate to than thousand-year-old poems written in an ancient language. After some careful study of Osho’s teachings, you can see that he didn’t actually teach or encourage mindless promiscuous sex.

On the other hand his teachings drew on tantric principles to bring awareness to everything you do, to free yourself of conditioning and limitations, and to be open to embracing all of your human nature, but without over-indulging… without going to harmful excesses.

This is a quote from Osho, taken from one this many talks…

Tantric experience means neither to be repressive, nor to be indulgent. Tantric experience is possible only if you move deep into meditation, otherwise not. When you become very, very still, silent, aware, alert, then only is it possible that you will know something of Tantra. Otherwise tantra can become an excuse for indulgence –  a new name, a religious name. And you can move into indulgence behind the name of Tantra. Names won’t make much change; your being needs to change.

– Osho (1991)

Tantra as a Path for Sexual and Emotional Healing

Whether or not you agree with Osho’s approach, one thing that can ’t be denied… is that he challenged people to rethink what is sex, and how sexual healing, and sexual energy, relates to spiritual growth.

The recent growth in popularity of Neo Tantra is perhaps a much-needed catharsis in today’s society. This interest probably reflects the spiritual and psychological needs of many people in today’s modern society.

Throughout history society as demonised sexuality, especially within the context of religion and spirituality. And there has been so much harm and trauma as a result of sexual repression.

Today more and more people are becoming conscious of their sexuality, and the need to heal from the conditioning and trauma of unhealthy early experiences with sex.

Maybe Neo Tantra provides an opportunity for a healthy path, to integrate sexuality with spirituality in modern times.

Well, this topic of sex and Tantra is quite complex, and it is something that we are going to cover in more depth in future posts.

For now, I hope that you are starting to get an idea of what Tantra is and where it has come from.

Let’s just summarise everything we’ve covered so far…

The History of Tantra in a Nutshell

We’ve painted this picture of Tantra as possibly having its roots way back in prehistoric times, in the numerous primitive shamanic traditions of ancient India. Then over time proto-Tantric traditions gradually evolved as alternatives to the mainstream Vedic traditions, taking from those orthodox teachings the best practices and leaving aside the elitist and exclusive elements.

We’ve seen how the Tantric approach rejected the orthodox view that God was something beyond the material world, and instead adopted a view that the Divine is in everything and everyone.

This approach was more accessible to the common folk, allowing people to embrace their human-ness and their natural urges and desires as part of a spiritual path. Then we’ve seen the various other influences that have contributed to giving rise to the Tantra we know today.

But What Makes Tantra Tantra?

To wrap up this class then, let’s consider what distinguishes Tantra from other yoga philosophies. What makes Tantra Tantra?

In his book, Tantra Illuminated, Christopher Wallis sets out a list, collated from several different scholars, of 27 features that characterise Tantra. And there are six elements that constitute the most prominent of those 27 features…

– Yogic meditation

– Mantras

– Mandalas or Yantras

– The role of the guru

– Initiation into the teachings

– Ritual worship

If you’re thinking that you recognise some of these things from other yoga teachings you’ve seen, well that’s because Tantric teachings were the basis for much of what we know as yoga. In fact a lot of modern yoga is really Tantra yoga in another wrapper!

Anyway there is one element that is particularly important in characterising Tantra, as Christopher Wallis writes about, and that is that it embraces everything about the world and our reality as being part of the same Divine essence. As such Tantra does not reject the world or material things, and is all-inclusive in its path towards spiritual awakening.

Tantra is fundamentally world-embracing rather than world-denying

– Christopher Wallis (2015)

All other yogic traditions teach that the Divine is to be experienced beyond the physical senses, beyond the so-called “illusion” of Maya. In that sense other yogic teachings are transcendentalist, meaning that we must first achieve a higher state of consciousness before we can perceive the true Divine reality. Yogic teachings that incorporate or embrace the physical world and bodily senses are in fact borrowing from Tantra.

All other forms of yoga are transcendentalist and renunciatory in character, except where they are influenced by tantra itself

– Christopher Wallis (2015)

So whether you lean towards Classical Tantra or Neo Tantra, the common defining characteristic is the view that Divine essence is inherent in everything, everywhere, all around us, and within us. From the perspective of Tantra, anything in our day-to-day experience can potentially be spiritual and can aid us in awakening that consciousness of our Divine connection. Both Classical and Neo Tantra employ specific practices to help us really embody a deeper spiritual life. By living with a tantric approach we are able to open up to perceiving the Divine more and more in our daily life.

And one more quote from Christoper Wallis…

Tantra teaches that though the Divine is more than meets the eye, it is also everything the eye can meet (or the ear can hear, or the senses can sense, etc).

– Christopher Wallis (2015)

One notable quality of Tantra is its tendency of challenging the status quo, of exploring the forbidden, and of breaking taboos.

Even in the early history of Tantra, the followers of various lineages were going against many of the prevailing spiritual ideas of that era.

Today Tantra continues to push back the limiting beliefs that society imposes on us, both on a global level, and internally on a personal level.

The debate between Classical and Neo Tantra is, I think, really a personal one, for you as an individual to come to your own conclusions about.

But no matter which flavour of Tantra you subscribe to, its true essence of breaking through taboos, dissolving limiting beliefs, and promoting an open-minded attitude is, I believe, what makes Tantra Tantra.

This makes the path of Tantra ideal for modern life.

Tantra: The Ancient Path for Modern Life

In ancient times, even up until relatively recently in fact, traditional spiritual life was about withdrawing from the world, becoming a monk or a celibate hermit to dedicate oneself to meditation and enlightenment.

Traditionally, spiritual practice emphasised denying oneself of pleasure, repressing desires, and controlling the body and ego through the practice of severe austerities.

With Tantra the path to Divine consciousness and enlightenment is accessible to anyone living a busy everyday life.

Tantra offers us the possibility of embracing and enjoying our desires and the pleasures of this world, whilst channeling and using our energies to bring about our own Divine awakening.

As Lama Yeshe (2014) teaches, you are already perfectly Divine. You are right now in this moment, perfect, beautiful, and eternal. You are love itself embodied. You only need to recognise that. And that is your task in this life. So don’t give up, keep going, keep practising, keep working on yourself. Ask for help from the Divine. And the Divine in you will give you glimpses of your true nature, you own radiant self, that is who you are.


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References:

Balogh, D. (2019). Inscriptions of the Aulikaras and Their Associates. Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston .

Banerji, S. C. (1988). A Brief History of Tantra Literature. University of Michigan.

Goodall, D., Sanderson, A., Isaacson, H. (2015). The Niśvāsatattvasaṃhitā: The Earliest Surviving Śaiva Tantra, Volume 1. Institut Français de Pondichéry.

Gray, D. B. (2016, April 5th). Tantra and the Tantric Traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism. Oxford Research Encyclopedia. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199340378.013.59

Lorenzen, D. N. (2002). Early Evidence for Tantric Religion. In K. A. Harper, & R. L. Brown (Eds.), The Roots of Tantra (pp. 25-36). State University of New York Press, Albany.

Osho (1991).  The Dhammapada: The Way of the Buddha, Series 10. The Rebel Publishing House, Germany.

Payne, R. K. (2002). Tongues of Flame: Homologies in the Tantric Homa. In K. A. Harper, & R. L. Brown (Eds.), The Roots of Tantra (pp. 39-55). State University of New York Press, Albany.

Wallis, C. D. (2013). Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History, and Practice of a Timeless Tradition (2nd ed.). Mattamayura Press.

Wallis C. D. (2015, August 2nd). What is Tantra?: Setting the Record Straight. Hareesh.org. https://hareesh.org/blog/2015/8/2/what-is-tantra?rq=what%20is%20tantra

White, D. G. (2006). Kiss of the Yogini: “Tantric Sex” in its South Asian Contexts. University of Chicago Press.

Yeshe, L. T. (2014). Introduction to Tantra: The Transformation of Desire (Rev. ed.). Wisdom Publications.

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Responses

  1. Thank you once again for an excellent article about the history of Tantra and the various developments within Tantra during different points of history.

    It was interesting that you brought up Osho. I’d been rather dismissive of his teachings before, but you quite rightly point out that he has some very good teachings which are accessible to the modern-day everyman.

    I particularly like this one about love.

    “If you love a flower, don’t pick it up. Because if you pick it up it dies and it ceases to be what you love. So if you love a flower, let it be. Love is not about possession. Love is about appreciation.”

    This is certainly something to put into practice.

    1. I also love that quote about the flower. Of course, I do think it’s important to have a healthy dose of caution and common sense when listening to any teacher. For sure, there are controversies surrounding Osho, but I think much of his teachings contain very profound and inspired messages, that can help everyday folk to cope with the challenges of being human. Thank you DharmaSeeker for sharing your insights here ????

      1. I’m definitely finding that Osho had a lot of good things to say despite the controversies surrounding him. For a while, I had him pigeonholed as some kind of Jimmy Savile type of figure.

        I suppose you shouldn’t throw out the baby with the bathwater.

        And as you say, one should use one’s critical faculties when listening to any guru.