A Brief History

The first texts of the Tantric tradition appear in India from 500 AD & from their outset are a complex mixture of political intrigue, spiritual revelation & societal evolution. 

Despite a fascinating history that covers many aspects of Hindu & Buddhist thought, modern consensus -largely derived from the work of occultist Pierre Bernard, largely associates Tantra with the 1960s Cult of Ecstasy & all manner of sexual exploits, a mentality that we would better call Neo-Tantra.

In reality, Tantra is a deep esoteric aspect of Hindu & Buddhist philosophy that espouses the idea that ALL aspects of the material world are infused by a Divine Feminine force known as Shakti.  Around the 6th century AD, a series of texts & manuscripts began to appear across the Indian subcontinent that outlined rituals, mudras & meditations for invoking the powerful Tantric Deities.

Usually written as a dialogue between a god & a goddess, these texts (known as Tantras) contained meditations & yoga poses designed to grant siddhis, worldly or supernatural powers. Everything from immortality to flight & even a radical new approach to enlightenment itself. As a result, the study of the Tantras is commonly referred to as Mantramārga ("Path of Mantra") in Hinduism or Mantrayāna ("Mantra Vehicle") and Guhyamantra ("Secret Mantra") in Buddhism. 

While sexual intercourse does form a part of some Tantric texts, it is by no means the defining feature of the practice. Part of what contributed to Tantra's taboo conceptions was the fact that its rituals & philosophies transgressed existing social boundaries at the time of its inception. The central philosophy of the Tantras teaches that there are no real distinctions in our world, everything is simply a manifestation or polarity of a cosmic whole. Even things we would consider traditionally "impure" in spiritual systems such as materiality, sex, alcohol and meat (for the Vedic schools which took a firmly vegetarian stance). 

The Tantras that do focus on sexual intercourse explain that sex can bring about a tremendous change in consciousness through liberation, provided both parties have internalised their own Tantric Deities & are exercising the practice with conscious awareness. 

That said, texts can frequently be interpreted literally or symbolically depending on the personal inclination or school. If taken literally, a couple will assume the role of Tantric Deities during sex (usually Shiva & Shakti) where the woman is the focus of worship, given the Feminine role as genetrix & creator in the universe. On the other hand, we can examine the texts symbolically which would yield an interpretation of visualising the union of the deities within your own mind & body, having them represent values such as wisdom, love or truth. 

When such forces are brought together, they trigger a kind of internal alchemy where the Shakti force present at the base of the spine (the Kundalini) is awakened & rises through the chakras, initiating enlightenment.

Aside from the transgressive nature of certain practices, Tantra is distinct as an esoteric tradition because it does not seek pleasure for its own sake. Rather, it teaches practitioners to harness the body's innate sensuality & eroticism in order to unite with divinity & attain transformation. 

A Philosophy of Revolution

From the 8th-14th centuries, Tantra went through its Golden Age & became incredibly popular, spreading widely across the Indian subcontinent and beyond. Buddhist monks who travelled to India to study the Tantras, even ended up bringing some of them back with them to Nepal & Tibet and founded the Vajrayana school of Esoteric Buddhism. As a distinct current of thought, Tantra began emerging after the Gupta & Vakataka dynasties collapsed, in an environment where a fractured state meant numerous small kingdoms were vying for power.

Subcontinent rulers were attracted to Tantra's promise of power and sought to elevate themselves in the eyes of the Tantric Deities by building a wide array of temples & composing eloquent poetry to praise the discipline. As a result, Tantric Deities also began to be incorporated into the established Hindu & Vedic pantheons. 

However, what made Tantra truly revolutionary was its openness. In comparison to the traditional Hindu Caste System, Tantric initiation was open to all, including women & the socially marginalised. Coupled with the influx of female deities in Tantra, stereotypical gender roles for women were revolutionised, something that continues in Neo Tantra today.

Given its acceptance of materiality, Tantric Enlightenment presents a different perspective on Illumination. Liberation via the Tantras is not done to transcend the world, but rather is concerned with physical enlightenment, within the body, granting Siddhis in this world, granting us the ability to acknowledge it as an emanation of the divine. 

Following the 1800s & the rise of the British Raj, Colonial rule centred around the province of Bengal, which also happened to be a cult centre for the goddess Kali.

Christian & British missionaries saw India as a country possessed by black magick, fierce deities & obsessed with sex. But in a move of revolution, Kali (and Tantra as a whole) swiftly became a symbol of Indian independence, with poets, artists & mystics re-imagining her as a figurehead of anti-colonial resistance. 

Kali, reimagined as a figurehead of Indian Independence with the severed heads of British Colonial Officials hanging round her neck

Through various artists, philosophers & mystics, Tantra directly inspired the Free Love movement of the 60s counterculture, and continues to bring promises of empowerment to a wide array of groups & cultures.