The Origin and History of Tantra

Why is Tantra more relevant today than ever before? The Origin and History of Tantra.

Ancient wisdom, living experience, a return to the essence.

In an era that constantly pressures us towards performance, speed, and mental overload, Tantra offers what most of us long for: to slow down, to perceive, to feel, to return to ourselves.

Tantra is an ancient, often misunderstood, and multilayered teaching. If you ask ten people what Tantra is, you will likely get ten different answers. And no wonder. Its roots go back thousands of years, many texts have been lost, and most of the tradition was passed down orally.

The good news is that you don't have to know its entire history to reap its benefits. Nevertheless, it can be remarkable to look into where Tantra comes from and why it is more relevant today than ever before.

What Does the Word Tantra Mean?

Tantra as "Weaving" and Interconnectedness

The word Tantra comes from Sanskrit and originally means "loom" or "weaving".
This is a beautiful metaphor: the universe as a fabric, in which everything mutually influences, complements, and interweaves into one whole.

"Tan-tra" as a Tool for the Expansion of Consciousness

Another interpretation explains the word as a conjunction of "Tan" (to expand) and "Tra" (instrument/tool).
Tantra is thus a tool for the expansion of consciousness. It is a path that leads us toward deeper perception, being, and presence.

Tantra as a Process, Ritual, or System

In Sanskrit, it can also denote a "continuous process," a doctrine, a ritual, or a system. This is why you will encounter this term in many different texts that may not be directly related to each other.

 

When and Where Tantra Originated

Matriarchal and Shamanic Roots of Tantra

According to some scholars, the earliest roots of Tantra date back 3,000 – 5,000 years to periods when rituals connecting the body, nature, and energy were common. Thus, Tantra grows out of a very ancient spiritual experience of humanity.

6th Century India: The Birth of Tantra in the Form We Know Today

The form of Tantra we are currently familiar with began in India in the 6th century during a period of cultural flourishing. At that time, the dominant religions in India were Buddhism, Jainism, and various Vedic traditions (which we now call Hinduism), and all were segregated by gender and caste.

Tantra appealed to the rising middle class, who were undesirable in these religions precisely because of Tantra's emphasis on gender and caste equality. In this sense, Tantra was a personal spiritual quest that functioned as a kind of socio-political revolt.

In contrast to the established religions, Tantra offered:

• a direct relationship with the teacher / guru,

• powerful rituals,

• sometimes the absence (or even provocative disregard) of traditional religious and cultural rules,

• it accepted people of most castes and genders,

• it allowed direct participation in or embodiment of the divine,

• it advocated the belief that the sensory experiences of the body are an effective and legitimate path to enlightenment.

Tantra also believed that enlightenment could be achieved in this lifetime, without the need for reincarnation. It was a path of freedom, equality, and direct experience – values that still resonate today.

Tantra as a Living and Secret Tradition

Lost Texts and Oral Transmission

Innumerable Tantric texts were lost during the periods when Tantra was persecuted and pushed underground. Many other teachings were never written down – they were passed on orally, from guru to disciple, often conditionally and based on a vow of complete secrecy.

Why Tantra Was "Secret"

Tantra was not secret to create an elite or protect privilege. The secrecy was a form of protection:

• It protected the disciples from misunderstanding,

• It protected the techniques from misuse,

• It protected the teachings from those who were not ready to handle them.

Tantra worked with consciousness, energy, the mind, and sexuality. These were (and still are) areas that are easily distorted.

Tantra and Sexuality: What Was the True Role of Sex

Sex Occupied Only a Small Part in the Original Texts

Today, Tantra is most commonly associated with sexuality. Historically, however, the role of sexuality in Tantric practice appears in the original texts only rarely and briefly. There were many different Tantric sects, and only some practiced the multi-day ritual known as Maithuna, which involved sexual intercourse and consciousness-altering substances.

More important than the ceremonial intercourse with highly initiated partners (Dākinīs, "vessels of divine energy") were the intensive ritual programs involving:

• Ecstatic meditations,

• Mantras,

• Energy work,

• Visualizations (Yantras),

• Very complex yogic postures,

• Teachings on the union of consciousness and energy (Shiva and Shakti) ,

• And finally, the ability to practice the divine union with oneself.

Sexuality was merely one of many means, and often a symbolic one.