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Tantrism: Its Secret Principles and Practices
Tantrism in its highest reaches can be regarded as part of the traditional religioius complex of the East. But in this book Benjamin Walker is concerned less with the acceptable face of Tantrism than with its more unconventional and often terrifying aspects - the secret 'left-hand' forms and the bizarre sacramental features that many in the West find so abhorrent. This compact but authoritative survey covers the history of Tantrism, its demonology and practices - including the use of mandalas, asanas, magical gestures, breath control, sexual rites and the cult of the ugly. There is also a survey of tantrik influences in the West on such figures as J. K. Huysmans, Aleister Crowley and Austin Spare, and an extensive bibliography.
176 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1983
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November 3, 2014
In origin, Tantrism was perhaps a reaction to the austerities of the ruling brahmanic caste. As a formal doctrine, the earliest of the Tantras do not appear to antedate the 5th century of our era. However, in its prototypical forms as Goddess worship and shamanism, it is ancient, with roots alleged to extend back to an undisclosed area within Afghanistan (According to the author, Tantrism is neither Hindu nor Buddhist in origin.) Legend relates that this locale was known as Tartary, the very namesake of the Tartaros of ancient Greek cosmology.
The Tantras, which are the established canon of Shaktist literature, were written with the understanding that man has entered into his final epoch, the Kali Yuga, or age of vice. For the Tantric, the Vedas, the well-established literary canon of the Hindus, written and compiled during the cosmic Golden Age, are considered to be a relic that is, at most, four eons removed from man's current temporal position. Hence, Tantrism is a practice that accommodates its contextual excesses and vulgarities.
But while Tantric methods range from the sensual to the oblique, its intentions are no different from its dextral polarity; to exhaust the ego in an intuition of oneness. In Tantra, there is no tolerance for preference or prejudice - All things are One, there is no difference. The valuable is valueless, and, yet, so is the converse perfectly and simultaneously acceptable. Once again, soteriology concerns a liberation (moksha) from rebirth (samsara) by way of an enlightenment to disassociation and detachment in neutrality.
Such connaturality even concerns the very nature of divinity itself; Shiva is Shakti, Shakti is Shiva, and neither could be without the other. It should be noted, however, that Tantrism places greater emphasis on the Goddess, Shakti, the kinetic aspect coupled with Shiva, the static. A well known aphorism among Shaktists is "Shiva without Shakti is a corpse." The term Tantra itself seems to allude to the spinning wheel of the Great Goddess.
The relationship between the divine masculine and divine feminine is best understood using the Aristotelian terminology of "potentiality and actuality". Shiva represents the metaphysical; the timeless essence of all potential phenomena constitutive of reality. Shakti is phenomenal reality, or actuality. Regarding this, the Tantras emphatically express that "the world is real", separating it markedly from other Oriental (and, also, Occidental) schools of philosophy which promote the world as illusory (Maya).
The divine marriage, which is a central principle, is presented in the symbol of the hexagonal star with central bindu which adorns so many mandalas that are so important to Eastern mysticism. This star really consists of two transposed triangles, one "mounting" the other, and is intended to suggest the principles of Shiva (the mounted) and Shakti (the mounter) locked in perpetual conjunction. Abstractly, it is the cosmos, or relative psyche (as per the macro- micro- equation), infinitely cycling between the static and kinetic, - or subconscious and conscious - spheres, and is referred to as a formative matrix or womb. The bindu in the center is the "seed" within the womb. Pedagogically, this seed is the static self submerged within the subconscious; germination or gestation to its proper Form consubstantial with the Absolute depends upon an acquaintanceship between the nocturnal and diurnal divisions of the psyche. This is analogous to Gnosticism.
The Tantric heaven, the final reward for one's moksha from samsara, is described as a perpetual orgasm. (Wow!) This remains in perfect consonance with the predominance of sexuality within Tantrism, and while there are reformed sects that interpret Tantra's sensuality as figurative, many do still believe that a particular focus on eroticism and arousal does exacerbate the psychic centers to expedited results.
With regard to the aforementioned, Tantrism has no patience for preference or prejudice, since all things are neutralized. One initiated into Tantrism must swear total allegiance to their guru, and even consider him as a god incarnate. Whatever ordeal the guru contrives for the initiate, they are to participate willingly, showing no sign of hesitation. Such ordeals or rituals vary from the comparatively innocuous consumption of semen and menses as sacraments, to the more shocking demands of incest, adultery, necrophilia, cannibalism, scatological consumption, and even murder. (The disclosure of such practices and incidents are the primary intention of the book.) Because of such controversial incidents, officials within India during the latter half of the 19th century had made it a point to suppress such sects, and most Hindu philosophers do not recognize Shaktism as a legitimate philosophical branch along with Vaishnavism and Shaivism. Let me state for the record that most contemporary Shaktists are not murderers, nor do they sit down to a heaping bowl of feces for breakfast.
Tantrism: Its Secret Principles and Practices was written in the early 80s at a time when its author, and the entire Western world, was still experiencing culture shock from the steady introduction of Eastern mysticism throughout the late 60s and whole of the 70s. The book has a rather impartial tone, focused preponderantly on the negative aspects of sinestral ritual and mysticism. At one point the author even attempts to draw a link between Tantrism and Nazism, extrapolating from the notion that Hitler was allegedly an avid reader of Aleister Crowley's "The Book of the Law"; Crowley's religious views being strongly influenced by Tantrism. But this is fairly absurd taking into account Nazism's fanatical devotion to rigid orthodoxy, doctrinal conformity, and austere or non-sensual character. And while Tantrism does concern the unwavering devotion to an ambiguous guru, "Hitlerism", I would argue, is actually the negative consequence of a patriarchal or dextral extremity. I suppose both the left and right are quite similar when at their individual worst.
Nevertheless, the book is certainly engaging and unequivocal with regard to the more incendiary aspects of its subject. It's perhaps the most blatant, legitimate work of its kind, and is presented in a concise manner. I definitely consider it to be a welcome addition to my fairly eccentric library.
The Tantras, which are the established canon of Shaktist literature, were written with the understanding that man has entered into his final epoch, the Kali Yuga, or age of vice. For the Tantric, the Vedas, the well-established literary canon of the Hindus, written and compiled during the cosmic Golden Age, are considered to be a relic that is, at most, four eons removed from man's current temporal position. Hence, Tantrism is a practice that accommodates its contextual excesses and vulgarities.
But while Tantric methods range from the sensual to the oblique, its intentions are no different from its dextral polarity; to exhaust the ego in an intuition of oneness. In Tantra, there is no tolerance for preference or prejudice - All things are One, there is no difference. The valuable is valueless, and, yet, so is the converse perfectly and simultaneously acceptable. Once again, soteriology concerns a liberation (moksha) from rebirth (samsara) by way of an enlightenment to disassociation and detachment in neutrality.
Such connaturality even concerns the very nature of divinity itself; Shiva is Shakti, Shakti is Shiva, and neither could be without the other. It should be noted, however, that Tantrism places greater emphasis on the Goddess, Shakti, the kinetic aspect coupled with Shiva, the static. A well known aphorism among Shaktists is "Shiva without Shakti is a corpse." The term Tantra itself seems to allude to the spinning wheel of the Great Goddess.
The relationship between the divine masculine and divine feminine is best understood using the Aristotelian terminology of "potentiality and actuality". Shiva represents the metaphysical; the timeless essence of all potential phenomena constitutive of reality. Shakti is phenomenal reality, or actuality. Regarding this, the Tantras emphatically express that "the world is real", separating it markedly from other Oriental (and, also, Occidental) schools of philosophy which promote the world as illusory (Maya).
The divine marriage, which is a central principle, is presented in the symbol of the hexagonal star with central bindu which adorns so many mandalas that are so important to Eastern mysticism. This star really consists of two transposed triangles, one "mounting" the other, and is intended to suggest the principles of Shiva (the mounted) and Shakti (the mounter) locked in perpetual conjunction. Abstractly, it is the cosmos, or relative psyche (as per the macro- micro- equation), infinitely cycling between the static and kinetic, - or subconscious and conscious - spheres, and is referred to as a formative matrix or womb. The bindu in the center is the "seed" within the womb. Pedagogically, this seed is the static self submerged within the subconscious; germination or gestation to its proper Form consubstantial with the Absolute depends upon an acquaintanceship between the nocturnal and diurnal divisions of the psyche. This is analogous to Gnosticism.
The Tantric heaven, the final reward for one's moksha from samsara, is described as a perpetual orgasm. (Wow!) This remains in perfect consonance with the predominance of sexuality within Tantrism, and while there are reformed sects that interpret Tantra's sensuality as figurative, many do still believe that a particular focus on eroticism and arousal does exacerbate the psychic centers to expedited results.
With regard to the aforementioned, Tantrism has no patience for preference or prejudice, since all things are neutralized. One initiated into Tantrism must swear total allegiance to their guru, and even consider him as a god incarnate. Whatever ordeal the guru contrives for the initiate, they are to participate willingly, showing no sign of hesitation. Such ordeals or rituals vary from the comparatively innocuous consumption of semen and menses as sacraments, to the more shocking demands of incest, adultery, necrophilia, cannibalism, scatological consumption, and even murder. (The disclosure of such practices and incidents are the primary intention of the book.) Because of such controversial incidents, officials within India during the latter half of the 19th century had made it a point to suppress such sects, and most Hindu philosophers do not recognize Shaktism as a legitimate philosophical branch along with Vaishnavism and Shaivism. Let me state for the record that most contemporary Shaktists are not murderers, nor do they sit down to a heaping bowl of feces for breakfast.
Tantrism: Its Secret Principles and Practices was written in the early 80s at a time when its author, and the entire Western world, was still experiencing culture shock from the steady introduction of Eastern mysticism throughout the late 60s and whole of the 70s. The book has a rather impartial tone, focused preponderantly on the negative aspects of sinestral ritual and mysticism. At one point the author even attempts to draw a link between Tantrism and Nazism, extrapolating from the notion that Hitler was allegedly an avid reader of Aleister Crowley's "The Book of the Law"; Crowley's religious views being strongly influenced by Tantrism. But this is fairly absurd taking into account Nazism's fanatical devotion to rigid orthodoxy, doctrinal conformity, and austere or non-sensual character. And while Tantrism does concern the unwavering devotion to an ambiguous guru, "Hitlerism", I would argue, is actually the negative consequence of a patriarchal or dextral extremity. I suppose both the left and right are quite similar when at their individual worst.
Nevertheless, the book is certainly engaging and unequivocal with regard to the more incendiary aspects of its subject. It's perhaps the most blatant, legitimate work of its kind, and is presented in a concise manner. I definitely consider it to be a welcome addition to my fairly eccentric library.
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