Folk rituals predating the earliest Tantric practices are
thought to have formed the basic substrate for Classical Indian
culture, in the Indus River valley. The earliest manuscripts
referred to as Tantras date back only to about 800 A.D. The word
Tantra may have a number of meanings, but scholars seem to agree
that the primary referent is to the idea of “weaving” – the
weaving together of teachings, and the weaving together of
sensory experiences.
Tantra above all is focused on the senses as the primary path to “enlightenment.” The early teachings encourage the practitioner
to delight in the senses, without judgement. Ancient Tantra was
not even primarily focused on sex; but as sexuality brings some
of the most intense sensory experiences we may have, the most
powerful ceremonies and rituals involved sexual practices.
Modern Tantra is an amalgam of some of these ancient practices
combined with the insights of modern humanistic psychology. It
is not a religion or belief system. It is more properly
understood as a meditative approach to sexuality, with great
mindful awareness focused on the internal experience of sexual
energy. Tantric practice with a partner involves each
practitioner being mindful of his or her internal experience,
while at the same time being intricately connected with the
partner’s experience, so that sexual energies are moved within
the practitioner’s body, and circulated between the partners.
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