A Conversation about Tantra
- Rob Millenaar
- May 7
- 12 min read
Updated: May 9
Writing about Tantra is an ambitious undertaking. The range of awareness in people about this ancient spiritual path ranges from 'heard about it, sounds scary or aloof', to scholars having studied its rich history and practices old and new. The latter often with the realisation that they're unlikely to be able to grasp it fully. This makes it difficult to strike the right balance of tone, depth, and practicality to aid in an understanding of what people seek to know about Tantra, and what it can mean in their daily life. The word Tantra is usually interpreted to mean 'system', 'doctrine' or 'work', but has changed its literal meaning over the past two millennia, and even before.
I think it's only fair to provide the reader with a cautionary warning and an excuse. For people completely new to Tantra it will be a challenging read. That is because of the complex history of Tantra, with terms and concepts that are alien in sound and meaning to Western ears. For me it requires a shift in mindset, sometimes forgetting what I already 'know' and opening up to what the tantrik masters and teachers have given the world. And what a gift it is: A loosely woven, yet beautiful tapestry of spirituality, tantrik study, practices and ways for modern followers to enhance their lives.
A Spirituality
The first thing I would like to point out is that Tantra finds its roots in spirituality. Since the dawn of humankind people have been looking for answers about the mysteries of their existence and the world they find themselves in. Failing readily available and helpful answers, they looked for guidance from the spirits. The concepts of higher beings who are the makers and rulers of all the phenomena that people cannot comprehend, originate from this vacuum of understanding. All ancient and modern day spiritualities stem from this: spirits and Gods filled the vacuum. In the ancient and geographically widely dispersed cultures spirituality understandably developed and evolved along differing lines, leading to the many beliefs we recognise in history and the ones we see today.
Restricting ourselves to the fields of spirituality that have laid down the foundations of Tantra, we see that Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Jainism (in recent times collectively known as Hinduism), and Buddhism, each in their local variations, centred around India, emerged in the first century; as far back as we can find Sanskrit scriptures or archeological artefacts that tell this story. Till today these variations of Tantra live on. Within the Indian subcontinent alone we can recognise variants of Tantra in the North, close to the Himalayas, and in Kashmir, and also in the South. Further influences in contemporary Tantra extend mainly to Tibet, Nepal and Southern China.
In a section about spirituality the two central deities of Tantra, Shakti and Shiva, cannot remain unmentioned. They represent two different aspects of reality: Respectively femininity and masculinity, God Mother and Father, living energy that manifests the whole universe, and pure consciousness that underlies everything. Expressed like this they appear to represent opposites ('duality'), but in some Tantra lineages the philosophy is that there is no separation between the perceived opposites: All is one, one is all, not one without the other; therefore the term 'non-duality' ('advaita') as a general principle makes a lot of sense. For example, a man also has a feminine side and a woman also a masculine side. The beauty of Tantra is that this is seen as self-evident, unlike some religions and social constructs where this idea is suppressed. More on the fluid distinction between dualism and non-dualism in Tantra in the endnotes.
It is safe to note that nowadays many people see Tantra as a way to guide their lives, more than a spiritual dogma to follow and believe in. At the same time the modern day teachings and practices of Tantra span from the original principles of the East to the free expression of Neo Tantra in the West. More about this will follow, but first this:
The Yoga Connection
During the same epoch that Tantra developed the emergence of Yoga took place, as deeply interconnected practices. Tantra, Yoga and meditation went hand in hand, to bring stability in body and mind, and to raise personal awareness. In particular, the flow of energy in the body, from and through centres of bodily energy ('chakras'), can be harnessed and directed by the yogi or yogini (male or female practitioner of Yoga), to achieve heightened life force ('prana', see the endnotes) or to channel the powerful source of sexual energy. As such Yoga can be seen as a living tradition, profoundly rooted in Tantra.
The fields of what could be called 'performance yoga' that are popular nowadays cannot be classified as directly based on the original source: Tantra. Closer to home are the types of Yoga that concentrate on the breath and flow of energy. Examples are Hatha Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Iyengar Yoga and Kundalini Yoga. All these use 'pranayama': breathing techniques that stimulate the flow of energy in the body.
Seeing that these types of Yoga are so tightly related to Tantra, the overwhelming majority of tantrikas ('those who practice Tantra') combine the two modalities.
This section would not be complete without mentioning two more disciplines, not far distant from the intentions of Yoga, bringing similar benefits:
Chi Gong - literally meaning 'working with life force energy'.
Tai Chi - Slow and controlled movements in this originally Chinese martial art.
Tantra lineages
Coming back to Tantra itself, many tantrikas will agree that the discipline brings many benefits. Just absorbing the writings about ancient Tantra, the mindset that this creates, with a basic understanding of the philosophy, participating in Yoga classes, like the ones mentioned above, meditation and leading a mindful and simple life can bring about inner peace. This can be life-changing. This broad category is known as the Right-Handed Path of Tantra ('Dakshinachara'), and in essence adhere to the philosophy of 'dualism', see the endnotes.
The other side of the coin can be the ability to raise one's energy levels, through conscious breathing techniques. Discovering the Tantrik way of practicing sexuality can be equally life-changing. This Left-Handed Path of Tantra ('Vamachara') is usually the first thing that comes to mind for people who have only a vague idea of Tantra and jump to the conclusion that it's all about sex. Well, it's certainly not all about it, but it is true that sexuality is embraced as the most powerful source of human energy. Left-handed Tantrik lineages have the 'non-dualistic' (see endnotes) foundations in their teachings.
What follows is a brief overview of some of the Tantric lineages that are available to us today, either through literature, teachers ('gurus') or at retreats.
Mahamudra Tantra
This is an example of right-handed path Tantra, ref. 2. It teaches deep integration of ancient concepts of Tantra into the awareness of the tantrika. These concepts largely build upon the ancient perceptions of what processes are present in the human body. These are complex notions and the texts one can find are equally complex in nature, with terms taken from Sanskrit language that are not easily mapped onto modern terminology and physiology; therefore not for the faint of heart. Nevertheless, tantrikas who want to get to the bottom of this will find great satisfaction in absorbing this knowledge and making it their own.
Kashmir Shaivism and (non-dual) Shaiva Tantra
The ancient state of Kashmir (and now, sadly, a politically troubled part of India), in the far North has been a fertile breeding ground for all Indian religions. The main distinction between Kashmir Shaivism and Shaiva Tantra is that the former is a later interpretation of the ancient texts provided by the latter, even if that interpretation became disconnected from its origin. The depth of Shaiva Tantra can be illustrated by the fact that there are lineages within this lineage, originating from different gurus, that adhere to viewpoints that can be challenging to comprehend.
Kashmir Shaivism has enjoyed an increase in devotees in recent decades, perhaps because it may seem less esoteric, or more oriented on the practices that the uninitiated are searching for. Some see and experience the teachings as a bridge towards Neo Tantra, see below. (This notion however has been criticised by some purist scholars, who claim that Neo Tantra cherry-picks from, and appropriates elements of Tanktrik culture.)
In Kashmir Shaivism a number of terms, called systems, help to illustrate what are considered central tenets in this practice:
pratyabhijna - This Sanskrit word means "to spontaneously recognise and realise your Self". The only 'doing' here is to understand yourself.
kula - Sanskrit for 'totality'. This system teaches you to live in universal consciousness - the real nature of yourself, in 'totality', understanding that there is no judgement of good or bad. It rather follows up from pratyabhijna to rise from what you perceive as lower state to a higher state in your Self.
krama - Sanskrit for 'sequence, succession, order'. Practitioners of Vinyasa Yoga will understand this intuitively, as it is based on a sequence of postures ('asanas'). The krama system sets it apart from pratyabhijna and kula (in which states you are 'beyond space and time') by providing you with a sequence for successive realisation; it is at the end, not during the process that you are beyond space and time. The krama system also encompasses the prana kundalini (see 'subtle body' in the endnotes), being a successive process, rising from one chakra to the next.
spanda - Sanskrit for 'cosmic pulsation, throbbing, palpitation, vibration, tremor, motion'. The philosophy is that nothing can exist without movement. The realisation is that there is movement in wakefulness, sleep, deep-sleep and turya (see next). It is an important practical system that celebrates states of bliss, ecstatic dance, and then returning to quiet meditation.
turya - In Shaivism the word 'turya' refers to the fourth state of consciousness (after wakefulness, sleep and deep-sleep). This is the transcendent state, for which there is no good descriptive name in current philosophy, but meaning the highest state of the soul in which it becomes one with the supreme spirit. This concept is integral in non-dual Tantra (see the endnotes).
Neo Tantra
Neo Tantra is a catch-all name for several somewhat alternative approaches to Tantra, loosely building on classical Tantra traditions, in particular Kashmir Shaivism, but specifically geared towards the modern day tantrikas, who wish to 'experience' Tantra, rather than study it - a generalisation not far from the truth. Although Neo Tantra practices include meditation and Yoga, plus concepts of pranayama, prana, and kundalini, the higher goal is the management of energy in the body, and in particular sexual energy. That this is the higher purpose is evident in the writings by several authors, (see the references and suggestions for further reading at the bottom of this blog), but even more evident by the many sexual tantrik experiences, events and retreats that are offered today. Moreover, there's early historic evidence that sexual Yoga has played a significant role in rituals and initiations, even hinting at the concept of semen retention (so much sought after by neo-tantrik men, in order to prolong love-making) and the mentioning of the yab-yum position, with Shakti seated on Shiva's lap, facing him, harmonising their energies and fostering a deep sense of unity between the partners.
There's not much wrong with the approach of neo tantra to put the sexual aspects at the forefront, because the revelation that the power of sexual energy resides in all human bodies, in itself will lead to opening doors that were shut before. And once fully aware, this may evoke the wish for further, deeper understanding of the wisdom that Tantra brings. References 4 and 5 specifically deal with the sexual aspects of Neo Tantra.
How do I integrate Tantra into my life?
This question is raised by some who feel ready to learn more and experience more, to enrich their lives. Be it the fascination about the history of Tantra, its place in the modern world, or learning about the body's energy movements, including sexual energy. It is good advise is to find a facilitator, a teacher, a guru and start with a conversation about your intentions and then to set out your path. Because there are the views by some, that Tantra, tantrik knowledge and rituals can come with personal concerns (like: Will I ever understand, will the people around me be shied away, will I stay master of my mind and my body, can I trust this facilitator, practitioner or teacher to honour my boundaries?), it is advised to inform yourself. Contacting old or current students, reading testimonials, investigating their codes of ethics will help you to feel save to embark on this wonderful journey.
Endnotes
These notes are intended to further explain some concepts, separate from the main text, to (somewhat) improve the readability and flow.
The word 'Tantra'
There exist a wide range of translations of the word 'Tantra', some of which do not appear to make much sense in the context of this blog: As mentioned before the translations to 'system', 'doctrine' or 'work' for our purpose of understanding are better than 'loom', 'warp' or 'expansion-device'.
Tantra was built from a set of texts, doctrines, practices and techniques that together form the body of knowledge. Early writings exist only in the form of manuscripts that are linguistically or physically inaccessible to most people. These basic elements are called tantras (lower case). The tantras were the basis for scriptures by gurus (teachers) who provided the world with commentaries (Sanskrit: 'bhasya'). And essentially these commentaries have become the accessible Tantrik scriptures themselves. The study of Tantrik traditions did not include significant anthropological or ethnological research.
Prana
It will be apparent that old, original principles of Tantra talk about what goes on inside the bodies of those who devote themselves to build up their life force: 'prana', a Sanskrit term literally meaning 'breath of life'. (See also the section on the 'subtle body', below.)
As an aside I like to mention that in modern-day speech people often use the word 'frequency' (or 'vibrational frequency') to denote the same thing. But this (mis)use of that term can mean no more than a metaphor, despite the fact that in the minds of many people it is interpreted in a literal sense, also suggesting that there are low- and high-frequency people and that one can raise their frequency by participating in certain practices or doing 'internal work'. Indeed it is semantics that we are seeing here, but the appropriation of this technical term can be rather confusing or misleading: There is no single frequency at work inside our bodies, at any scale, that can be influenced by thought or physical processes. The frequency of vibration of the elemental particles in the body is entirely fixed by temperature (or better: energy) and mass of the particle, over which the person has no control. And the vast range of masses in the body causes a cacophony of trillions of simultaneous vibrations, with differing frequencies.
Duality and Non Duality
In the context of Tantra, duality (Sanskrit: 'bhedabheda') refers to the interplay of seemingly opposing forces like Shiva and Shakti, or spirit and matter, which are not viewed as truly separate but rather as complementary aspects of reality. Dualistic lineages emphasised initiations and rituals. The rituals were predominantly centred around Shiva, the 'male' God entity, and as a result women were not treated at the same level of worship. The separation of casts, an old facet of Indian culture, between initiates in gatherings and ceremonies, is a phenomenon of duality.
Non-duality (Sanskrit: 'advaita'), or the principle of 'not-two', is a core concept in some Tantra lineages, emphasising the interconnectedness and unity of all things. It suggests that apparent dualities like subject/object, male/female, or pure/impure are ultimately illusory and represent different facets of a single underlying reality. Tantric practices aim to realise this non-dual nature, often through experiencing the divine within oneself and the world. Non-dualistic practices emphasise the acquisition of experiential knowledge, whether through contemplation, meditation or other practices. The role and status of women in non-dualism Tantra are more aligned with current thinking: Worship and inclusion of the feminine, through Shakti and an entire procession of goddesses.
The differences between dual and non-dual Tantric beliefs run much deeper than can be described here. Reference 1 is an excellent source to explore this further.
The physical body versus the subtle body
In my writings so far I have alluded to concepts from the ancient tantrik teachings about physiology that are often dismissed by contemporary understanding of how the human body "works". This fact, however, does not diminish the value of these concepts of Tantra, as seen from a historic perspective and, more importantly, from the rich heritage of spirituality and humanity it has brought into the world.
Over eons past much has been written and taught about the 'subtle body', (Sanskrit: Sūksma-śarīra), and to this day it forms an important element of Tantra and (Hatha-like) Yoga. The subtle body, also called the 'body of light', concentrates on the idea that the human body harbours a range of focal points, the 'chakras', which are connected by channels ('nadis') through which a subtle breath flows: prana, the force of life itself. These ideas stem from prehistoric sources.
Likewise, the concept of Kundalini is an aspect of the subtle body. At the base-chakra (first and lowest chakra) it is thought that there's a snake-like feature, waiting to be unleashed, and then rising up the spine, while unblocking the higher chakras along the way (the 'krama' system). In Tantra and Yoga practitioners are encouraged to study (or rather visualise) this subtle body system, including kundalini, and use that knowledge to raise their energetic levels and states of consciousness, by using breathing techniques - pranayama. It cannot be denied that many practitioners benefit from this, even if there is little contemporary anatomic proof of the physiological reality of the subtle body.
References and further reading
C.D. Wallis - Tantra Illuminated 2013 second edition
Geshe Kelsang Gyatso - Mahamudra Tantra, The supreme heart jewel nectar, 2005
Kashmir Shaivanism, The Secret Supreme -Swami Lakhmanjoo, edited by John Hughes, 1958
Sexual Awakening for Women, A Tantric Workbook - Dr Shakti Malan, 2012
The Heart of Tantric Sex, A unique Guide for Love and Sexual Fulfilment - Diana Richardson
Yoga Spandakarika - Daniel Odier, translated by Clare Frock, 2005
©2025 Rob Millenaar, May 2025
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