The history of Tantra, and, hence, kundalini yoga

[Guest guest]

This piece partially explains, in some way, the passage of kundalini

yoga - as a " right hand tantra " path - from the fog of history to

today's world.

 

Obviously, there's more to the story than presented here, and of

course this story potentially has flaws.

 

http://www.newstatesman.com/200710100002

 

The Faith Column

 

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The history of Tantra

 

* Posted by Leora Lightwoman

* 10 October 2007

 

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Tantra is not a religion, although Tantric symbology and practices

have emerged throughout history in all religions and cultures.

Representations of the sacred union of the masculine and feminine

principles, and the non-duality of this " sacred inner marriage " can be

found as far back as 2000 BC in the Indus Valley civilization and the

Egyptian old kingdom. Tantric principles are inherent in mystical

Judaism (Kabbalah), Christianity and Sufism. Chinese Taoism is another

strand of Tantra.

 

Tantra most obviously emerged in India, between 300 and 400 CE, when

the first Hindu and Buddhist Tantric texts were written down, as

poetic metaphors pointing to oneness and Divine love. These first

writings were purposely obscure so that only initiates could

understand them. Before that time, Tantric teachings were closely

guarded and transmitted orally from master to disciple only after long

periods of preparation and purification.

 

Tantra reached its climax in the 11th and 12th centuries, when it was

practiced widely and openly in India. Tantra refuted the prevalent

notion that liberation could be attained only through rigorous

asceticism and by renunciation of the world. Tantrikas (tantric yogis)

believed that human suffering arises from the mistaken notion of

separation. It advocated celebration of the sensual and through so

doing transcendence of the physical.

 

Tantra has been and still is practiced in three main forms: the

monastic tradition, the householder tradition and by wandering yogis.

Whereas Hinduism had many rules and laws, including strict divisions

of caste, Tantra was totally non-denominational and could be practiced

by anyone, even within daily life.

 

Thus meditations on weaving, for example, could be practiced by

weavers, as they contemplated the interwoven and undifferentiated

nature of existence, whereas mediations on eating, drinking and

lovemaking could be practiced by kings and queens.

 

With the invasion of India in the 13th century came widespread

slaughter of Tantrics and destruction of their manuscripts. Tantra

went underground, where it has predominantly remained since. Tantric

Buddhism was notably preserved in the monasteries of Tibet. After the

Chinese invasion of Tibet, when monks and nuns were murdered and

manuscripts destroyed, those who escaped have found ways to

sensitively disseminate this knowledge more widely.

 

It is customary to divide Tantric paths into two sectors. Those where

the individual practitioner works with his/her own sexual energy,

mostly internally, are called " right-handed " paths or " white Tantra " .

Then there are Tantric approaches that do involve direct sexual

contact between love partners, and these are called " left-handed "

Tantra or " red Tantra " . These terms, however, are themselves part of a

more modern system of classification.

 

In the west, today, traditional Tantric practices can be found within

the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, and via the Kundalini and Kriya yoga

schools, all of which are right-handed paths. There is also the Taoist

tradition, which has only slightly been modified, and this is a

left-handed path. Daniel Odier was initiated by Lalita Devi in the

Himalayas, in the lineage of Kasmimir Shaivism.

 

The main practices that he teaches are sitting meditation, the

" tandava " , a form of very subtle free movement, where practitioners

contact more and more refined states of the " divine tremoring " a

resonance with the essence of life, and Kashmiri energy massage.

 

Traditionally, Tantric masters did not advertise themselves, and this

is mostly still true today. Many exist, particularly in India, and I

am sure in the west too, but you will not find too many Tantric

masters via the internet!