When we listen to the word tantric, we immediately think of a person in a black dress, sitting with a skull and bones around him or a person doing black magic to bring out a ghost from the body of a person by hitting that person with a broom. This is what the image of a tantric we have in our minds.
Are tantriks the ghost busters?
No, tantriks are not Ghostbusters, they are the ones who practice the spiritual traditions called, TantraVidya, found in Hinduism. TantraVidya is the science of systematic quest for salvation and fostering divine residing in one's own body. It is a system of obtaining spiritual excellence by realizing the divine presence in our bodies. Tantriks have been presented in the wrong way by our society as the people practicing black magic to take control of the conscience of other people and make them their slaves. This too happens with the people involved in occult practices, but in reality, tantriks are worshippers of Goddess Kali and Lord Shiva, and they do not intend to rule anyone's conscience and make them their slaves.
They meditate to have a rondeau with the divine inside their body so that they can attain salvation. Tantra can be called as the practical aspect of the Vedic traditions. Tantrikstoo seek the same what Vedic followers do. The religious attitude of both is the same. Both are the branches of the same Vedic tree. Only the aggressive aspects of the Vedic traditions were carried forward by the tantriks. Aggressive traditions are like sacrificesor ‘bali’ of an animal. It is just because of this aspect normal devotees avoid the tantric form of worshipping.
Tantra means to weave, to expand, and to spread. Tantriks believe that if all the threads of life are not woven properly according to the designed pattern by nature, one cannot attain true and everlasting fulfillment. Every aspect of the human body and human life like worldly desires and pleasures are taken together into account by tantriks while delving into ways of tantra to reach salvation. While other Vedic traditions only take up worldly desires and pleasures into account against spiritualty.
TantraVidya is practiced to weave the torn fabric of life by indulging in various practices of Hath Yoga like pranayam, mudras, kundaliniJagran, nada sadhna, sadhna, and samadhi. They also practice alchemy, Ayurveda, and astrology to reach their goal.
Thus, but for a few ones, tantriks are not the ghostbusters rather they are the fierce practitioners of the aggressive aspects of Vedic traditions.
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