Tantra: the union of male/female forces in the body that evokes the wisdom principle and hence higher spiritual awareness. Often distorted into lower sex yoga practices.

The vajrayana teachings given by the Buddha in his sambhogakaya form. Literally 'continuity' tantra means the buddha nature, the tantra of the expressed meaning. Generally, the extraordinary tantric scriptures, which are exalted above the sutras, the tantra of the expressing words. Can also refer to all the resultant teachings that take the result as path.

mystical techniques followed in worship in order to accomplish a material objective.

An esoteric spiritual discipline involving resolution of the polar opposites.

Meditative sexual union, female active, male passive, in Hindu tantra; male active, female passive, in Buddhist tantra. Tantra is a spiritual science divided into four divisionsKriya, ritual; Carya, conduct; Yoga, meditation; Anuttara, wisdom.

a secret or esoteric spiritual practice known only to those who are confidentially instructed in its use. There are a wide range of tantric techniques, which include physical postures (asanas); applying pressure to chakras through squeezing or striking (bandhas; sustained ritual coitus (maithuna); hand gestures (mudras); special breathing techniques (pranayama); use of elaborate visualizations, which may be combined with use of mantras; or secret methods to open the chakras and awaken the kundalini. Tantric practices often work with the unconscious band of the mind. Practitioners of tantric practices commonly embrace a Dionysian, ecstatic approach to spirituality—they practice an experiential mysticism. Their mysterious jargon and their techniques are not comprehensible to those who have not initiated into the secret tantric practices of their sect.

In the West, this term is typically used to refer to sexual yoga. May also refer to a mystical philosophy of India and Tibet, or the warp and weave of the universe itself.

To carry out work in a well organised manner. Hence Tantra in Sadhana means the confluence of Mantra and Yantra through which one can accomplish a Sadhana in a systemised way.

An Eastern system of spiritual development through sexual energy.

an ancestral spiritual concept meaning 'liberation through extension'

Yogic sexual practice that seeks to raise awareness by moving energy from the lower to higher chakras through the sexual act.

(literally a tissue weft). Sacred esoteric scriptures, sometimes secret. Certain Tantra texts teach tantric yoga practices. Their purpose is the transformation (let's rather say transmutation) of the energies which govern the body working. These practices use special methods, as well as rituals, mantra, pranayama, etc., which require to be teached by a qualified Master (guru) to a qualified disciple, unless they could be corrupted towards undesirable and dangerous powers (sexual, magical, etc.)

Tantric teachings are distinguised from Sutra teachings in that they reveal methods for training the mind by bringing the future result, or Buddhahood, into the present path. Tantric practitioners overcome ordinary appearances and conceptions by visualizing their body, environment, enjoyments and deeds as those of a Buddha. Tantra is the supreme path to full enlightenment. Tantric practices are to be done in private, and only by those who have received a Tantric empowerment. Synonymous with "Secret Mantra".

1. a yogic system which is in its nature synthetical and starts from a great central principle of Nature, a great dynamic force of Nature: in the Vedic methods of yoga [i.e. the trimarga] the lord of the yoga is the purusa, the Conscious Soul, but in tantra it is rather prakrti, the Nature-Soul, the Energy, the Will-in-Power executive in the universe; it was by learning and applying the secrets of this Will-in-Power, its method, its tantra, that the tantrika yogin pursued the aims of his discipline-mastery, perfection, liberation, beatitude; the method of tantrika discipline is to raise Nature in man into manifest power of spirit. 2. [a text of the tantrika system].

An ancient doctrine originated in India based on balance and unity and that sexual energy can unite men and women in spiritual harmony.

A yogic method of healing through sexual activity.

In Buddhism, Tantra generally refers the Vajrayana school. This school relies more heavily on the practice of yoga, mantras, rituals and visualizations of deities.

yogic system that promotes heightened sexual pleasure

Derived from an ancient Eastern belief system, Tantra is now commonly used to refer to a variety of different approaches to sexuality which also incorporate some form of spirituality. Some people study Tantra as part of their spiritual path, while others study it solely to enhance their understanding and appreciation of sexuality and intimacy.

any of a fairly recent class of Hindu or Buddhist religious literature concerned with ritual acts of body and speech and mind

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 Tibet

a manual of practices

a samayAchAra doctrine that emphasizes the unity of consciousness and its power (shiva and shakti)

a special kind of sex (See SEX ) which is done for spiritual reasons

a specific system of Yoga which teaches the raising of the kundalini-s'akti through ecstatic experience, self-deification, ritual, and sexual union

a system of discipline conceived for attaining the ultimate

(Tib gy¸d) (1) a ritual tradition of the Vajrayana, transmitted from guru to disciple; (2) a text associated with one or another of these traditions. There are also Hindu and Jain tantras. Important Buddhist Tantras, mostly named after their principal deity, include Guhyasamaja, Cakrasamvara, Hevajra, Yamantaka and Kalacakra. The Tibetans differentiate between OLD TANTRAS (Tib. nyingmaíi gy¸d) held to have been transmitted to Tibet at the time of Padmasambhava and mostly not existing in Sanskrit, and NEW TANTRAS (Tib. sarmai gy¸d) which were transmitted in the 11th and 12th centuries and in many cases also exist in Sanskrit versions.

A system of religious philosophy in which the Divine Mother, or Power, is regarded as Ultimate Reality; also the scriptures dealing with this philosophy.

The root scriptures of Vajrayana Buddhism. The texts are ascribed to the Buddha Shakyamuni in various of his manifestations, and each usually describes the mandala and practice associated with a particular enlightened being. The word "tantra" literally means "thread" or "continuity."

root – tan, to expand. A system of practices for achieving particular goals, awaken innate abilities and achieve union with the infinite. The meaning of the word extends in the context of weaving and expanding the fabric of life

a synonym for the `Agamic` teachings, spiritual teachings revealing meditation, ritual procedures, the history of the world, stories of deities and the many ways of worship, in the form of a dialogue between Shiva and his spouse. For the following reasons Tantra has had much popularity: Tantric practices demonstrate the sacredness inherent in all situations and events; Tantric teachings are accessible to all, independent of caste; Shakta tantrism places emphasis on the worship of the feminine force Shakti; Tantra has had much impact on the evolution of hatha yoga practises. At the same time, superficiality, commercialism, and disproportionate interest on Tantras acceptance of sexuality has also led to a certain disrepute in the west.

complex Sankrit terms with several meanings currently popularly applied as a label for sacred sex. The secondary meaning links tantra or tantrika to a number of esoteric paths developed in the Asia

The religious philosophy in which the Divine Mother of the universe or Shakti is worshiped as the ultimate Reality.

Tan” means to expand or weave, and “tra” means liberation. A vast body of related spiritual lineages that seek spiritual liberation through the remembrance of their Divine nature through inner balance, and recognition of the Divine in all things..

That literature which teaches one to reach God through occult practices, especially self-surrender and self-offering to the Ultimate Divine Nature. There are Vaisnava, Saiva and Sakta agamas or tantras. Temple construction etc., are all based on tantra-sastras. Vedic mantras are sometimes given up and substituted by other mantras like astaksari, dvdasaksari, pancaksari etc.

Yogic system that uses the energies of the body, sometimes the sexual energies(not sex), to transcend worldly attachments.

A Hindu spiritual discipline that includes a wide variety of sexual practices.

(Sanskrit) Any text from a group of later mystical writings.

Tantric lovemaking incorporates the teachings of the Kama Sutra. Kama Sutra in turn translates as “Guide of the Hindi God of Love”.

name for specific v e d i c scriptures. They are the supplementary Vedic literatures that give detailed instructions for the spiritual practice.

The term applied to a broad range of principles and practices of sexual union between a man and a woman based on Eastern philosophies of spirituality. Sanskrit for "woven together."

Origins from Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism, Tantra is an art of sacred sex. Through dance, meditation and various breathing techniques, Tantra is stimulated.

An ancient system of religious philosophy that seeks union with the Divine Mother through specific rites and practices.

(Skt.): Continuity, stream. (Continuity maintained throughout the practice.) 1. In general referring to the systems of MEDITATION described in the tantric texts; practices involving 4 PURITIES, meditation on ENERGY CHANNELS, CHAKRAS and energy drops within the body. These esoteric teachings are not found in the SUTRAYANA and require INITIATION of a tantric GURU. 2. More specific; a scripture describing a TANTRAYANA practice.

It is a non vedic form of yoga leading divine ecstasy through certain rites that emphasize the erotic and forbidden. It is also known as kundalini-yoga it is centered on the divine female power; rule, ritual, scripture, religious treatise, loom, warp.

Literally, thread, or continuity. The texts of the secret mantra teachings of Buddhism; often used to refer to these teachings themselves. Cf. Vajrayana and sutra.

Yoga-type sexual discipline.

( Skt. / Tib. gyu): Literally, "thread" or "continuity." Root scriptures of vajrayana Buddhism, this esoteric collection of texts are ascribed to the Buddha Shakyamuni in certain of his manifestations. Each usually describes the mandala and practice associated with a particular yidam. Tantra also is a synonym for vajrayana.

(Skt); rgyud (Tib). This word literally means continuum. It refers to the continuum of ground, path and result. The word is also used to describe the texts which expound the tantric teachings. It is sometimes described as the path of transformation, because it teaches techniques which enable practitioners to transmute emotions and to progress quickly from an ordinary state to a state of enlightenment. See also Vajrayana.

("Loom"): a type of Sanskrit work containing Tantric teachings; the tradition of Tantrism, which focuses on the shakti side of spiritual life and which originated in the early post-Christian era and achieved its classical features around 1000 C.E.; Tantrism has a "right-hand" (dakshina) or conservative and a "left-hand" (vama) or unconventional/antinomian branch, with the latter utilizing, among other things, sexual rituals

The science of using mantra, the sound, and yantra, the form. Refers to an esoteric Indian spiritual tradition.

Tantra (Sanskrit: तंत्र "weave"), tantricism or tantrism is any of several esoteric traditions rooted in the religions of India. It exists in Hindu, Bönpo, Buddhist, and Jain forms.