The terms Tantra, Tantric, Tantrik refer to a philosophy, a science, an art and a way of life whereby sexual energy is consciously and creatively utilized. In it's simplest form, Tantra means paying attention 100% to what you're doing. The mystical treatises, known as the Tantras, contain a broad spectrum of practical techniques for enhancing sexual awareness and achieving transcendence. The hidden potency of sexual union is the seed of all creativity. Through an understanding of the practical teachings of Tantra, a whole new experience of life opens up. Tantra shares great similarities with the Taoist tradition of China, but derives from the Hindu teachings of India and the Tibetan Buddhist lineage, both of which trace their roots to the Tantras, texts written in ancient Sanskrit. The Tantric approach to spirituality makes use of the senses of the body rather than suggesting, as is done in other religious teachings, that these should be suppressed, in order to transcend the physical world and its desires. It is greatly useful in an individuals private path of spiritual unfoldment and enlightenment, to awaken Kundalini, and utilize it in the synergistic combination of sexuality and spirituality.
The foundations of Buddhism include written bodies of text, the Tantras, the Vedas, and the Sutras. The Tantras are Sanskrit and amongst the most ancient written languages on the planet. I don't read Sanskrit, or anything except English and Computer Languages, so I must plead ignorance, as I am dependent upon translators. The strongest tradition of Tantra is with the Tibetan Buddhist Monks, now scattered to the winds thanks to the Chinese invasion of Tibet. The 2nd living body of Tantra is intermixed with Indian Hinduism.
In the West, Tantra has been "refocussed", with emphasis upon the sex-positive aspects as being so in contrast with the sex-negative aspects of the extant religio-culture. Amongst the various Tantra teachers I studied under in the San Francisco Bay Area, there was a predominance of appealing to the glamour of the sexuality of Tantra, and a lack of rootedness, groundedness, to help people utilize Kundalini while grounded in their bodies.
My conclusion, embodied in the order I teach, is that people need a foundation of meditation with grounding to stay in their bodies while running Kundalini, and psychic clearing techniques to help them become empowered to release their blockages/issues, before they learn Kundalini/Kriya/Tantra Yoga techniques which raise the Kundalini which lights-up their issues to be dealt with. A Kriya is a spasm caused by blockages in the Kundalini channels... Thus Kriya Yoga pushes the limits and triggers clearing of the blockages in the Kundalini energy channels in the body.
Harish Johari, one of the teachers I studied with, has a number of good books out (Destiny Press ), which interpret in a Western context the foundations of Tantra, and goes beyond the sex-glamour.
I was raised atheist by an Engineer/Scientist, and so was spared the dogma of all religions except Western Science (an atheist religion). Once I blew-the-pictures that Spirit "doesn't exist", I was free to study all the world religions superficially, which I did with open 3rd eye... thus arriving at a non-denominational spiritualist paradigm relatively free of terran religious dogma. Seeking of better sex led me to Tantra, which led me to spirit, so I'm not totally down on the sex-glamour of Tantra, but I find most teachers to fail to provide their students with sufficient grounding tools, and tools for clearing-your-issues when your Tantra inspired Kundalini rises and shoves them all in your face to deal with.
Sometimes the most loving and compassionate act (Quan Yin / Tara) is to fiercly confront (Kali) the illusions of ego some poor soul has become lost in. In the Hindu and Tibetan Tantras you'll almost always find the dualistic God(desse)s... having both a benign compassionate face and a very fierce confrontive face, e.g. Tara/Kali.
There are also Taoist sex practices which are fairly indistinguishable from Tantra, so look for those too.
My Tantra Booklist is just what I had handy on my shelf... not the totality of the books I've read about tantra or seminars I've taken over time.
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