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tantra
tan·tra T0040500 (tŭn′trə, tăn′-)n. Any of a comparatively recent class of Hindu or Buddhist religious literature written in Sanskrit and concerned with powerful ritual acts of body, speech, and mind.
[Sanskrit tantram, doctrine, loom; see ten- in Indo-European roots.]
tan′tric (-trĭk) adj.Tantra (ˈtæntrə; ˈtʌn-) n (Hinduism) Hinduism Buddhism the sacred books of Tantrism, written between the 7th and 17th centuries ad, mainly in the form of a dialogue between Siva and his wife[C18: from Sanskrit: warp, hence underlying principle, from tanoti he weaves]Tan•tra (ˈtʌn trə, ˈtɑn-, ˈtæn-)
n., pl. -tras. 1. (italics) any of several books of esoteric Hindu doctrine regarding rituals, meditation, etc., composed in the form of dialogues between Shiva and his Shakti. 2. (l.c.)the exoteric philosophy or practice based on these writings: influential in Buddhism, esp. in Tibet. [< Skt] Tan′tric, adj. Thesaurus| Noun | 1. | tantra - any of a fairly recent class of Hindu or Buddhist religious literature concerned with ritual acts of body and speech and mindSanskrit literature - Hindu literature written in Sanskrit | | 2. | Tantra - doctrine of enlightenment as the realization of the oneness of one's self and the visible world; combines elements of Hinduism and paganism including magical and mystical elements like mantras and mudras and erotic rites; especially influential in TibetTantrismBuddhism - the teaching of Buddha that life is permeated with suffering caused by desire, that suffering ceases when desire ceases, and that enlightenment obtained through right conduct and wisdom and meditation releases one from desire and suffering and rebirth |
TranslationsTantra
Tantra (tŭn`trə), in both Hinduism and Buddhism, esoteric tradition of ritual and yogayoga
[Skt.,=union], general term for spiritual disciplines in Hinduism, Buddhism, and throughout S Asia that are directed toward attaining higher consciousness and liberation from ignorance, suffering, and rebirth.
..... Click the link for more information. known for elaborate use of mantramantra
, in Hinduism and Buddhism, mystic words used in ritual and meditation. A mantra is believed to be the sound form of reality, having the power to bring into being the reality it represents. There are several types of mantras.
..... Click the link for more information. , or symbolic speech, and mandalamandala
, [Skt.,=circular, round] a concentric diagram having spiritual and ritual significance in Hindu and Buddhist Tantrism. The mandala may have derived from the circular stupa and the ritual of walking around the stupa in a circle.
..... Click the link for more information. , or symbolic diagrams; the importance of female deities, or ShaktiShakti
[Skt.,=power], in Hinduism, name given to the female consorts of male deities. The Shakti personifies the dynamic, manifesting energy that creates the universe, while the male god represents the static, unmanifest aspect of the divine reality.
..... Click the link for more information. ; cremation-ground practices such as meditation on corpses; and, more so in Hindu than in Buddhist tantra, the ritual use of wine, meat, and sexual intercourse. Tantric practices use both ritual and meditation to unify the devotee with the chosen deity. In Hindu Tantra, practice is graded into three types, corresponding to three classes of devotees: the animal, i.e., those in whom the guna, or quality, of tamas (darkness) predominates; the heroic, those in whom the guna of rajas (activity) predominates; and the divine, those in whom sattva (goodness) predominates (see Hindu philosophyHindu philosophy,
the philosophical speculations and systems of India that have their roots in Hinduism. Characteristics
Hindu philosophy began in the period of the Upanishads (900–500 B.C.
..... Click the link for more information. ). The practice of the heroic devotee entails actual use of the five elements, called the five m's: fish (matsya), meat (mamsa), wine (madya), aphrodisiac cereals (mudra), and sexual intercourse (maithuna). The animal devotee, not yet ready for the heroic practice, performs the rituals with material symbols; for the divine devotee the rituals are purely internal and symbolic. The object of the rituals, attainable only by the divine devotee, is to awaken kundalini energy, which is identified with Shakti, and merge with the Godhead. In Buddhist Tantra, or Vajrayana, in contrast to the Hindu, the female principle of "wisdom" (prajna) is seen as static, whereas the male, or "means" (upaya), is active. In Buddhism, rituals that appear to break basic moral precepts have for the most part been dropped, but the complex meditation practices have been retained. Bibliography See Y. Hakeda, Kukai (1972); A. Wayman, The Buddhist Tantras (1973); A. Bharati, The Tantric Tradition (1975); F. D. Lessing and A. Wayman, Introduction to the Buddhist Tantric Systems (2d ed. 1980); T. Goudriaan and S. Gupta, Hindu Tantric and Shakta Literature (1981); D. Brooks, The Secret of the Three Cities (1990). Tantra (religion, spiritualism, and occult)Tantra, a form of sex magic, plays an essential role in a number of magical societies. Long periods of training are a prerequisite of this highly specialized practice. Certain exercises lead to the control of various autonomic functions, such as body temperature, pulse rate, and the reflexes that trigger ejaculation. Breathing exercises are also an important part of the discipline. The word Tantra is the name of the Hindu texts in which the system is expounded. According to Tantric philosophy, the universe is built up of two basic forces personified as male and female deities, the god Shiva and his consort Shakti. The female principle is the dominant one and the male the subordinate. Women are treated on terms of complete equality with men and in many of the rites are assigned superior status, as living embodiments of the mother goddess. This makes the philosophy and practice appealing to many Wiccans. Many Tantric rituals are similar to ceremonial magic ones, with candles, incense, wands, bells, magic circles, and words of power. Awakening the "sleeping serpent" known as the kundalini power is a major part of Tantric practice. Once aroused, the kundalini travels up through the chakras of the body. The ability to open the chakras in their correct order so that the kundalini can continue its upward journey is essential to the working of Tantra. At the climax of the journey, Shakti and Shiva are united in an ecstasy that is known as "The Supreme Bliss." The Hindu texts contend that only by laying hold of the power inherent in the sex force is it possible to find the creative energy to ascend to spiritual liberation. Benjamin Walker describes one Tantric rite, "known as chakra-puja or circle worship, where the participants sit in a circle, which implies complete mutual equality among those present. Male and female participants sit next to each other on the floor, and in the middle of the circle sit another couple who represent Shakti and Shiva. Sometimes a nude girl occupies the central place as Shakti. . . . All the members partake of a ceremonial meal consisting of wine, flesh, fish, and bread, followed by a rite of sexual intercourse." In the Tantric circle worship, participants do not choose their partners; no personal preference is allowed. Various means are used to ensure that the partners pair by chance and not by choice, so a man may partner with his wife, with another man's wife, or with his sister, his daughter, or even his mother. One Tantric text says, "The man who knows the fiery form of Shiva procreates himself anew at every intercourse. His body glows, his mind is crystal clear, his spirit in harmony with heaven." Tantra
(1) A religious, philosophical and magical movement in Hinduism
(2) A yogic method of healing through sexual activitytantra
Words related to tantranoun any of a fairly recent class of Hindu or Buddhist religious literature concerned with ritual acts of body and speech and mindRelated Wordsnoun doctrine of enlightenment as the realization of the oneness of one's self and the visible worldSynonymsRelated Words |