|
Tantra
is an ancient mystical teaching. Tantra sadhana ensures that sadhaka can obtain
moksha (spiritual liberation) and get siddhis (supernormal powers). The roots
of tantra can be traced back to the pre-vedic dravidian civilization. There are
several areas in Tantra, for example, the Indian Tantra, Buddhist Tantra, Jain
Tantra, Muslim Tantra, as well as tantra of various countries in Southeast Asia
and Oceania.
Indian Tantra is divided into the following major
areas: Tantra of Natha, Sri Vidya Tantra, Trika or Kashmir Shaivizm, Kali-vidya,
Kula, Vaishnava-tantra,
Saura-tantra, Ganapatya-tantra. Generally all these different directions with
their branches are divided into dakshinachara and vamachara. In dakshinachara
are used worship a deity and realization of siddhis through pujas (worship in
the form of rituals) with Murti (a face of the god) or yantra (a graphic image
of mystical energies of divinities). The Guru gives to disciple a diksha
(initiation) and the technique of sadhana for realization of siddhis; in the future
the disciple must practice in accordance with Guru's upadeshas. For example,
Guru may bestow a mantra of one or another divine aspect, mantra should be
repeated a certain number of times, this is called purashcharana. Then must be
committed deity worship in the fire, that is Homa. Nathas commonly use
shabar-mantras which can be either in Sanskrit or other Indian languages.
Mahayogi Matsyendranatha have received shabar-mantras from Adinatha Shiva and
later this mantras continued to spread in natha tradition. Shabar-mantras are
used by aghori and other practitioners of tantra. It is very important in
tantra to know a lot of related sciences, such as Jyotish, Mantrology,
Sanskrit, Numerology and etc. for the correct sadhana.
Another well-known variety of tantra is called
vamachara, or Left-hand path. It is so named because it uses that kind of
elements of deity worship which are not used in the orthodox religion. This known
as panchamakara (Five "M"s) five species of pleasure, namely: meat
(mamsa), cereal (mudra), fish (matsya or machli), wine (madya or madira) and
ritual sexual intercourse (maythuna). Sometimes vamachara is called kulachara.
Such practices can be both simple in appearance and difficult in technical
implementation. But this rituals can practice only people with certain
knowledge and character qualities, untrained people may harm themselves with
this practices. In vamachara practitioners of tantra appeal to a deity to come
in their own bodies instead of images of divinities, committing avahana, and
worship a deity directly in their own bodies. Thus the body becomes a temple of
divinities. Such rituals can be collective, in this case they are called
chakra-puja, sadhaka focuses more on anubhava (firsthand experience), rather
than on ritual conventionalities. However, most often before going into
practice of vamachara, Guru recommends a disciple to realize siddhis of a
mantra through dakshinachara sadhana. Whatever a tantric sadhana, dakshinachara
or vamachara, it is considered to be introductory stage to divyachara
(adherence to the divine path). This third method refers to the practice of
yoga of Nathas or siddha-yoga and can be used only by spiritually ripe people,
who are established in devotion to Guru and yogic path. At our school are
conducted tantric teachings lectures, and Guru gives suitable initiations to a
persons, who are interested in tantra yoga and are already ready for practice.
Sadhana is selected according to astrological calculations and personal qualities
of a disciple.
In addition, practice of tantra is known for its
magical techniques, which may be applied only taking into consideration many
laws. A real practitioner of tantra uses them in extremely rare and very
necessary cases, but any practitioner has to know the theory of these
processes. This shat-karma (six magic rituals): shanti-karma which forming of
peace and tranquility in the social environment, stambhana is the power of
stopping or paralyzing others negative actions, uchchatana is the power of
conjuring away lower spirits, vidveshana is the power of stirring up the
hostility between two personalities and marana is the power of killing an
enemy. However, a practitioner of tantra will never use such karma as marana or
vidveshana, except as his relatives are threatened by violence and there is no
alternative to stop asuric person. True practitioner of tantra knows the nature
of these phenomena, but did not use them, because he has bhakti (devotion to
divinities) and so is under the patronage of Ishtadeva. Therefore, the correct
goal in tantra is, first of all, bhakti and God-realization. Divya-marga means
purity of motivation, which is important both in yogic and tantric sadhanas.
|