"Tantra & Tradition"

Tantrism possibly peaked around 1000 A.D. and from that time on is richly documented in written and non-written sources. Thus, there was a great popularity of erotic sculpture in this period, though these cannot automatically be attributed to Tantric influences.

Among the important Tantrically oriented teachers were Abhinavagupta and others of the Trika school of Kashmir Shaivism. Then, according to Shakta tradition, the famous philosopher Shankara was also very influential in promoting Tantrism. He quite possibly wrote the “Saundarya-lahari”, the hymn to the goddess which established the Shrividya mantra of the “Dakshinacharins”. At any rate, according to Monier-Williams, he established a Shri-chakra (the famous Tantric yantra) in each of the four monastic centres he founded. Payne, therefore, concludes that the very fact that the Shaktas could claim him as one of their own is an indication of the strength of their sect.

Thus, the period from the eighth or ninth century to the fourteenth century was a “time of flourishing Tantric tradition, both textual and artistic. Tantric Hinduism was then in full bloom”. Then, in the fifteenth century, in the Gangetic area and in the North-East, Shakta Tantrism had to fight against rival movements like the Vaishnava revival. Despite this competition, however, Tantrism has persisted right down to modern times.

Tantrics were from all social strata. According to most Tantric texts, the rites are open to all castes and creeds all men are Shiva and all women are Shakti during the actual rites. Sometimes the texts prefer things and actions which involve the breaking of social taboos, and this was an important reason for making Tantrism disreputable with the orthodox. However, anti-caste sentiments should not be extrapolated beyond the ritual situation. It is quite possible that breaking taboos in the ritual situation was just another way to help the higher-caste Tantric get beyond his normal existential situation.

Another important feature of Tantrism is the position of women. Shaktism proclaims woman to be the manifestation of the Great Goddess. There are many references to female sadhikas, and even gurus. The fact, however, is that the chief role of women in the Shakta Tantric cult is only to be the ritual partners of the male adepts during their sadhana. The important role of women in Tantrism is thus relevant only in the ritual setting. Here again, the “liberating antinomianism” of Tantrism is in fact predicated upon the social inferiority of women.

It has often been argued that Tantrism originated in groups which belonged to the low castes, or were on the fringes of the Hinduized area. The worship of Devi's bodily parts as conducted in Kamakhya and other places may be one example of such local and agrarian cults. Thus, Bengal and Assam have been considered by some authors to be the origin of Shakta and Tantric practices.

To sum up, the Tantras did not concentrate on developing any new concepts; they often repeat truths common to Hinduism. The real difference between the Tantric and non-Tantric traditions is practical : the former provides a “short-cut to redemption”; it is a “leap philosophy”, to use Karl Potter’s terminology. Thus, Tantric ritualism is closely modeled on the normative Hindu rituals; Tantrism only juxtaposes its own variations to the normative ones. For example, Tantrics have adopted many Vedic mantras, often with very slight modifications. In short, the pan-Indian Tantric tradition can be characterized as “the psycho-experimental interpretation of non-Tantric lore”.