The picture depicts Kalachakra and Vishvamata in union.
Some Ideas/Views about how Tantra came into existence:
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Like most ancient teachings, Shiva's ideas were first taught in an oral form, and only later were they transcribed into books. Shiva's wife, Parvati, used to ask him various questions regarding the spiritual science. Shiva replied to these questions, and the compilation of these questions and answers are known as the Tantra Shastra (Tantric scriptures). There are two types of Tantric scriptures. The principles of Tantra are found in books known as Nigama while the practices of Tantra are contained in books known as Agama.
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He is the oldest, he was a non Aryan God of wild beasts, the pagan horned God, the husband of the Mother nature with his erect fallos, as the power of fertilization. Later people released he is a God of true realization. The knowledge of Absolute has 3 levels: intellectual, that correspond to Brahma, intuitive, that correspond to Vishnu and Real, that is the highest kind possible to man, the knowledge of transcendental nature of Isvara or Manesha, that is, Shiva. In his from of Parama-Shiva, he corresponds to that aspect of the ultimate Reality which is pure consciousness, pure subject, pure I, without even the slightest notion of "I am" or "I am this" or "I am here". In his Tantra-Loka, Abhinava Gupta refers to Shiva as "the Mother and the Father of the Universe". Shiva is the seed, or origin of the multidimensional universe, giving rise to all other ontological categories. Yet, there is no duality in Shiva because he is still completely immersed in blissful union with Shakti.His consort is the divine Mother herself, in her forms of Parvati, Uma, Kali, Sati, Amba, Durga and her other beautiful, wild and sexy manifestations. Only with Shiva the Mother Goddess is in her complete personality. Only Shiva was able to embrace her when she took a form of rotting corpse to test the Trimurti of Brahma, Vishu and Shiva. Brahma turned away and Vishnu jumped in the water. So, as her more subtle forms she is Sarasvati, the wife of Brahma and Laksmi, the wife of Vishnu. But as complete personality, she is the wife of Shiva. Mortals should definitely relate to this lesson, see who are you manifesting the most and how much more can you be.
His nature is very complex and very deep: he connects us, making us understand, our subcousiousness, fear, death, sex and mystic forces of human psyche. Tantra is known and feared as a practice of black magic by ordinary Hindus, since Shiva represents underworld and all its inhabitants: ghosts, goblins, vampires, mermaids, nymphs, etc., so he is the king of magic. However, in the west, Tantra becoming popular as a spiritual sex practice, and it is also correct, since Shiva is the god of sex and procreation. He is worshipped in the form of lingam, the erected member, that stands on the basis of yoni, the vagina of his spouse, his Shakti, the female. Shakti, the Divine Mother, who has many faces, manifested in every female in the world, is the creative power of Nature. By means of the sexual union between God and the Goddess the material world was and is constantly created. Tantric yantras, mantras and ritual sex were used since ancient times to harness Nature's creative power and promote more crops, more money and other goods. Chant this mantra to increase your sexual stamina and have orgasms similar to earthquake. This mantra will also help you to establish link between your physical body and the spirit, where sex will be a prayer. It will help you to create a truly divine union between you and your lover. Lingam is worshiped by all women in India: unmarried daughters pray to be blessed with good husband, and married once blesses with good sex. Shiva is the creator of the system of marriage, in which both partners accept equal responsibilities, disregarding caste or community. Shiva himself came from a mixed family and through his marriage to an Aryan princess helped a lot in unifying the warring fractions in India at that time.
He is also called Mahayogi, the God of Yoga. The three matted locks on the head of the Lord convey the idea that integration of the physical, mental and spiritual energies is the ideal of yoga. Yoga is a mental discipline that helps you to detach yourself from material reality: booth beauty and brutality. He refuses to be part of the wordily life and expresses it by not distinguishing between what is sacred and what is profane. He wonders in crematoria, makes no attempt to make himself presentable, he smears his beautiful body with ashes, wears garland of skulls, and let snakes slither around his neck. Snake around the neck symbolize the yogic power of Lord Shiva with which he dissolves and recreates the universe. Like a yogi, a snake hoards nothing, carries nothing, builds nothing, lives on air alone for a long time, and lives in mountains and forests. The venom of a snake, therefore, symbolizes the yogic power. A snake (Vasuki Naga) is shown curled three times around the neck of the Lord and is looking towards his right side. The three coils of the snake symbolize the past, present and future - time in cycles. The Lord wearing the curled snake like an ornament signifies that creation proceeds in cycles and is time dependent, but the Lord Himself transcends time. The right side of the body symbolizes the human activities based upon knowledge, reason and logic. The snake looking towards the right side of the Lord signifies that the Lord's eternal laws of reason and justice preserve natural order in the universe.The unclad body coverd with ashes symbolizes the transcendental aspect of the Lord. Since most things reduce to ashes when burned, ashes symbolize the physical universe. The ashes on the unclad body of the Lord signify that Shiva is the source of the entire universe which emanates from Him, but He transcends the physical phenomena and is not affected by it. Complete asketism has it downsides, since it is a little narrow, as detected by Srimad Bhagavatam: "(7) Great stalwarts [like Lord Shiva] can overcome their being overwhelmed by lust by means of their wrathful vision, but they cannot overcome their own intolerance. To that however with having Him within the lust is afraid to enter. How can it factually recur to the attention with His mind?" This is why Shiva is also a lord of Sex, his symbol is Lingam, the erect fallos. He rules both wild sexuality and pure asceticism, being complete as God.Emerging in dirt is another method to liberate yourself from false, or any, attachments, and unleash your self to the world of Spirit. Interesting parallel is to be found in Chinese folklore. In the book of Supernatural tales, by M.D. Kwan, the holy monk resides in the garbage dump, and the honorable lady, who was seeking his advice, "fighting down waves of nausea" came for a visit. "With every step she sunk deeper into the slime, sweat mixed with tears of desperation and humiliation bathed her cheeks, but, filthy and barefoot, she felt liberated". And she received the answer. Of course, she did it all out of love to her husband, who she had to save from an evil. Monk gave her a special fungi to break the spell not for nothing: fungi belong to the underworld and hold very strong magic properties, especially when you deal with bad spells, witches and other creatures from the kingdom of Shiva.
In our world, the punk movements can be identified as spiritual practices of the Left handed Tantra, that is, practice of non control. He helps us to go beyond the established borders of the society and of our mind, and become free. Of course, in this aspect, he always be in a great denial by the authorities and that's why Tantra was always a prohibited practice, since it can be dangerous in the hands of peoples untouched by spirit. And again, anything can be made into a spiritual practice when it is done with awareness. The Rig Vedic Shiva was known as Rudra Brahman, the wild god of the hymns who was so much of an outsider that he was not even entitled to a share in the fire sacrifices, yet the Vedic pantheon was in awe of this self sufficient Hunter-God.
Shiva, or Manesh, means The Auspicious One. He is Pure Consciousness, Chidanandaroopa, the form of joy, and the source of ultimate power. He is also called Mahadeva, the great God, and Bhava, existence. In the human body, the microcosm, that is build exactly like the universe with all its gods and demons, Shiva's region is the Sahasrara chacra, that is situated four fingers breadth above the top of the head and represent pure consciousness.
He is the oldest god known to mankind, a God with no lineage, Long before Aryans came to where India is now, local Indus valley people, Dravidians, worshipped a God, whose pictures are found on a seal - he is the oldest, primordial God from all Indian pantheon and represents the raw, untamed, supreme power. Forever young, he attacks like a ferocious wild beast and is a ruler of the heroes. When Aryan came and conquered, the legend says, during these inflaming times a great man was born, named Sadashiva. His name means "the one who dedicated his life to the well-being of his fellows". Sadashiva, known as Shiva, was an outstanding spiritual teacher or Guru. He was the one who first offered humanity a systematic presentation of a sheer spiritual thought. As the legend goes, he is the one to set the basis of spiritual dance and music in India and is therefore known also as Nataraga, The God of Cosmic Dance. As Nataraja, he is the lord of dance, the constant dance of death and birth, the order of eternal cycle of the Universe. He is dancing on the demon of ignorance, and show you how to be above and in control of your desires and karma. Moreover, Shiva is the founder of Hindu traditional medicine and also the provider of a system and knowledge in this field (bearing the name Vadyak Shastra). However, Shiva's most important contribution to the development of a truly spiritual civilization represents the concept of Dharma. Dharma is a Sanskrit word translated literally as "innate characteristic". Shiva explained that human beings seek and yearn for happiness placed beyond that originated in the satisfaction of the senses. The indisputable aim of all human beings, whether aware of this or not, is to obtain absolute peace and freedom, infinite knowledge and spiritual awareness. Shiva's teachings were transmitted orally at first, then in written form. Parvati, his wife used to ask him questions on topic raised by the spiritual practice he taught. The Tantric texts, writings which present the Tantric philosophy and practice, are in fact the dialogues between Shiva and his wife Parvati, dialogues in which Parvati asks questions on spiritual matters and Shiva gives divine answers.
Known as Rudra, the "terrible", in the ancient times, he was a god of storm and thunder,( he is the father of Maruts, the storm deities) the ruler of destructive and healing forces of Nature. Rudra also means "strict or uncompromising" and aksha means "eye." Rudraksha necklace worn by the Lord illustrates that He uses His cosmic laws firmly - without compromise - to maintain law and order in the universe. The necklace has 108 beads which symbolize the elements used in the creation of the world. As Rudra, he was worshipped more with a hope to keep his primordial destructive forces away "Do not cut us from the sight of the sun", say the ancient prayer. Rudra the terrible exists in the cult of Goddess, who is the Mother Nature itself. And as a husband of the Universal mother, he is therefore a God of procreation: "O, Rudra, let us be born again through our children". Rig Veda, 2.33.1 And since he is so close to nature, he is a great natural healer, they say: "Rise up our heroes with your healing medicines, I hear that of all the healers you are the best healer" Rig Veda, 2.33.5 He is the one who sends disaster, but he is the one who has the power to heal, also. The healer can be a killer, the energy is the same, the energy is neutral, it all depends on how you direct it. You can ask for healing of any types of wounds, asking for a merciful hand of Rudra, so healing and cooling, that removes the injury that comes from the gods", as from forces of nature. Rudra is a chief among: Aditi, the mother, Adityas, the dities of light, Agni, god of fire, Aryaman, god of ancestors, Dyaus, god of the sky, and Maruts, god of storm. In the same time, he is the Lord of mercy and compassion. He protects devotees from evil forces such as lust, greed, and anger. He grants boons, bestows grace and awakens wisdom in His devotees. Shiva holds Varda Mudra: the Lord's right hand is shown in a boon- bestowing and blessing pose. Lord Shiva annihilates evil, grants boons, bestows grace, destroys ignorance, and awakens wisdom in His devotees. He offers abhaya, protection, with his lower right hand and indicates salvation with the left. Shive known to be the most kind of all Gods: you don't need to worship him perpetually before he grants your wish.
Shiva is also called Neelkanth, the blue throated god who is dressed in a tiger skin, and has a knot of matted hair through which the river Ganga flows. His throt turned blue when he swallowed the poison of life to save mankind and the gods during the churning of the cosmic ocean- no other God could survive this. It shows his immune strength. Shiva means 'pure'.
He sits in meditative silence in the mount Kailas in the Himalayas, and due to the power of yoga, remains unmoved while world transforms around him. Damaru (drum) in his hand symbolizes the two utterly dissimilar states of existence, unmanifest and manifest. When a damaru is vibrated, it produces dissimilar sounds which are fused together by resonance to create one sound. The sound thus produced symbolizes Nada, the cosmic sound of AUM, which can be heard during deep meditation. According to Hindu scriptures, Nada is the source of creation. They say, the letters of Sanskrit emanated from that drum. The water pot (Kamandalu) made from a dry pumpkin contains nectar and is shown on the ground next to Shiva. The process of making Kamandalu has deep spiritual significance. A ripe pumpkin is plucked from a plant, its fruit is removed and the shell is cleaned for containing the nectar. In the same way, an individual must break away from attachment to the physical world and clean his inner self of egoistic desires in order to experience the bliss of the Self, symbolized by the nectar in the Kamandalu. Trident (Trisula) in his hand symbolizes His three fundamental powers (shakti) of will (iccha), action (kriya) and knowledge (jnana). The trident also symbolizes the Lord's power to destroy evil and ignorance. The structure in front of him is Lingam, symbolizing erect fallos, symbol of male sexual power. His vehicle is Nandi, the white celestial bull. Crescent moon on his head symbolizes periodicity and time. The waxing and waning phenomenon of the moon symbolizes the time cycle through which creation evolves from the beginning to the end. Since the Lord is the Eternal Reality, He is beyond time. The head of the woman with string of water coming down is river goddess Ganga. Rriver Ganges is associated with Hindu mythology and is the most sacred river of Hindus. According to tradition, one who bathes in Ganga (revered as Mother Ganga) in accordance with traditional rites and ceremonies on religious occasions in combination with certain astrological events, is freed from sin and attains knowledge, purity and peace. Ganga, symbolically represented on the head of the Lord by a female (Mother Ganga) with a jet of water emanating from her mouth and falling on the ground, signifies that the Lord destroys sin, removes ignorance, and bestows knowledge, purity and peace on the devotees. She recides on Shiva's head, because, according to myth, only Shiva could tamper her wildness and preserve land from destruction. This is the story of how Shiva tempers Ganga: "The Gods pleaded Bhagiratha's cause to Ganga, but Ganga was adamant. She had no wish nor desire to leave the heavens and, if compelled she would only destroy the earth by flooding it with her angry and indignant waters! The Gods were helpless and advised Bhagiratha to go to Lord Shiva, who, if he wished, could prevent the impending doom. As the matter was of grave consequence, Bhagiratha beseeched Goddess Parvati, Lord Shiva's wife, for her help. Parvati then convinces Shiva to receive the violent and angry currents unleashed by the feisty Ganga upon his head and divide the falling waters into a myriad of harmless streams through the locks of his hair. This having been accomplished, it became easy to guide the river to the center of the earth, pacify the 60,000 and lead Ganga to the ocean. Filtered through Shiva's hair, the Ganga emerges from the heavens bearing all the reviving powers of the universe. Temple cities dot her meandering course, the most important being Varanasi (considered India's holiest city and also known as Benaras or Kashi). Here, at the break of dawn, hundreds of devout Hindus flock together and await that special eternal moment when Indra, the king of the Gods and source of life, unites with the sacred, purifying, reviving waters of Ganga." Lord Shiva, also called Tryambaka Deva (literally, "three-eyed Lord"), is depicted as having three eyes: the sun is His right eye, the moon the left eye and fire the third eye. The two eyes on the right and left indicate His activity in the physical world. The third eye in the center of the forehead symbolizes spiritual knowledge and power, and is thus called the eye of wisdom or knowledge. Like fire, the powerful gaze of Shiva's third eye annihilates evil, and thus the evil-doers fear His third eye. When the Lord opens His eyes, a new cycle of creation emerges and when He closes them, the universe dissolves for creation of the next cycle. The half-open eyes convey the idea that creation is going through cyclic process, with no beginning and no end. Lord Shiva is the Master of Yoga, as He uses His yogic power to project the universe from Himself. The half-open eyes also symbolize His yogic posture. The two earrings, that he wear :Alakshya (meaning "which cannot be shown by any sign") and Niranjan (meaning "which cannot be seen by mortal eyes") in the ears of the Lord signify that He is beyond ordinary perception. Since the kundala (earring) in the left ear of the Lord is of the type used by women and the one in His right ear is of the type used by men, these Kundalas also symbolize the Shiva and Shakti (male and female) principle of creation. The celestrial bull, Nadi, is associated with Shiva and is said to be His vehicle. The bull symbolizes both power and ignorance. Lord Shiva's use of the bull as a vehicle conveys the idea that He removes ignorance and bestows power of wisdom on His devotees. The bull is called Vrisha in Sanskrit. Vrisha also means dharma (righteousness). Thus a bull shown next to Shiva also indicates that He is the etemal companion of righteousness. Shiva sitting in the cremation ground signifies that He is the controller of death in the physical world. Since birth and death are cyclic, controlling one implies controlling the other. Thus, Lord Shiva is revered as the ultimate controller of birth and death in the phenomenal world. A tiger skin symbolizes potential energy. Lord Shiva, sitting on or wearing a tiger skin, illustrates the idea that He is the source of the creative energy that remains in potential form during the dissolution state of the universe. Of His own Divine Will, the Lord activates the potential form of the creative energy to project the universe in endless cycles.
In buddhist tradition, Shiva is represented by Mahacala, the 11th face of boddhisattva Avalokiteshvara. He wished to turn himself into a wrathful deity in order to defeat more rapidly and effectively the obstacles to the happiness of others. With this thought the letter HUM in dark blue color came out of his heart. That Hum became Mahakala. It is not without significance that in the mantra 'Om Mani Padme Hum', the syllable Hum invokes energetic powers. The birth of Mahakala was followed by an earthquake and with one voice the Buddhas in the heaven declared that he would have the power to grant all wishes if the wishes were honest and good. Mahakala was the personal tutelary deity for the Mongol ruler Kublai Khan. "His terrifying imagery ultimately derives from the angry form of the Hindu god Shiva, known as Bhairava". The essential nature of Mahakala in the Tibetan pantheon can be gauged from the fact that he is worshipped as the Protector of the tent.
Shaivism presents Shiva as endowed with all the attributes of the Supreme Divinity, and therefore He is the Supreme Creator. His symbolic representation while performing the magic dance of creation is an iconographic theme quite rich in symbolism and offers us an idea about the rhythm of life of the whole creation, and as well of its destruction. We will discuss these aspects in detail further on. The name Shiva signifies "the good and the kind". Paradoxically, He is the designated God of destruction, he rapidly casts away the restraining ignorance and allows human beings to contemplate His magnificence.
His nature is very complex and very deep: he connects us, making us understand, our subcousiousness, fear, death, sex and mystic forces of human psyche. Tantra is known and feared as a practice of black magic by ordinary Hindus, since Shiva represents underworld and all its inhabitants: ghosts, goblins, vampires, mermaids, nymphs, etc., so he is the king of magic. However, in the west, Tantra becoming popular as a spiritual sex practice, and it is also correct, since Shiva is the god of sex and procreation. He is worshipped in the form of lingam, the erected member, that stands on the basis of yoni, the vagina of his spouse, his Shakti, the female. Shakti, the Divine Mother, who has many faces, manifested in every female in the world, is the creative power of Nature. By means of the sexual union between God and the Goddess the material world was and is constantly created. Tantric yantras, mantras and ritual sex were used since ancient times to harness Nature's creative power and promote more crops, more money and other goods. Chant this mantra to increase your sexual stamina and have orgasms similar to earthquake. This mantra will also help you to establish link between your physical body and the spirit, where sex will be a prayer. It will help you to create a truly divine union between you and your lover. Lingam is worshiped by all women in India: unmarried daughters pray to be blessed with good husband, and married once blesses with good sex. Shiva is the creator of the system of marriage, in which both partners accept equal responsibilities, disregarding caste or community. Shiva himself came from a mixed family and through his marriage to an Aryan princess helped a lot in unifying the warring fractions in India at that time.
He is also called Mahayogi, the God of Yoga. The three matted locks on the head of the Lord convey the idea that integration of the physical, mental and spiritual energies is the ideal of yoga. Yoga is a mental discipline that helps you to detach yourself from material reality: booth beauty and brutality. He refuses to be part of the wordily life and expresses it by not distinguishing between what is sacred and what is profane. He wonders in crematoria, makes no attempt to make himself presentable, he smears his beautiful body with ashes, wears garland of skulls, and let snakes slither around his neck. Snake around the neck symbolize the yogic power of Lord Shiva with which he dissolves and recreates the universe. Like a yogi, a snake hoards nothing, carries nothing, builds nothing, lives on air alone for a long time, and lives in mountains and forests. The venom of a snake, therefore, symbolizes the yogic power. A snake (Vasuki Naga) is shown curled three times around the neck of the Lord and is looking towards his right side. The three coils of the snake symbolize the past, present and future - time in cycles. The Lord wearing the curled snake like an ornament signifies that creation proceeds in cycles and is time dependent, but the Lord Himself transcends time. The right side of the body symbolizes the human activities based upon knowledge, reason and logic. The snake looking towards the right side of the Lord signifies that the Lord's eternal laws of reason and justice preserve natural order in the universe.The unclad body coverd with ashes symbolizes the transcendental aspect of the Lord. Since most things reduce to ashes when burned, ashes symbolize the physical universe. The ashes on the unclad body of the Lord signify that Shiva is the source of the entire universe which emanates from Him, but He transcends the physical phenomena and is not affected by it. Complete asketism has it downsides, since it is a little narrow, as detected by Srimad Bhagavatam: "(7) Great stalwarts [like Lord Shiva] can overcome their being overwhelmed by lust by means of their wrathful vision, but they cannot overcome their own intolerance. To that however with having Him within the lust is afraid to enter. How can it factually recur to the attention with His mind?" This is why Shiva is also a lord of Sex, his symbol is Lingam, the erect fallos. He rules both wild sexuality and pure asceticism, being complete as God.Emerging in dirt is another method to liberate yourself from false, or any, attachments, and unleash your self to the world of Spirit. Interesting parallel is to be found in Chinese folklore. In the book of Supernatural tales, by M.D. Kwan, the holy monk resides in the garbage dump, and the honorable lady, who was seeking his advice, "fighting down waves of nausea" came for a visit. "With every step she sunk deeper into the slime, sweat mixed with tears of desperation and humiliation bathed her cheeks, but, filthy and barefoot, she felt liberated". And she received the answer. Of course, she did it all out of love to her husband, who she had to save from an evil. Monk gave her a special fungi to break the spell not for nothing: fungi belong to the underworld and hold very strong magic properties, especially when you deal with bad spells, witches and other creatures from the kingdom of Shiva.
In our world, the punk movements can be identified as spiritual practices of the Left handed Tantra, that is, practice of non control. He helps us to go beyond the established borders of the society and of our mind, and become free. Of course, in this aspect, he always be in a great denial by the authorities and that's why Tantra was always a prohibited practice, since it can be dangerous in the hands of peoples untouched by spirit. And again, anything can be made into a spiritual practice when it is done with awareness. The Rig Vedic Shiva was known as Rudra Brahman, the wild god of the hymns who was so much of an outsider that he was not even entitled to a share in the fire sacrifices, yet the Vedic pantheon was in awe of this self sufficient Hunter-God.
Shiva, or Manesh, means The Auspicious One. He is Pure Consciousness, Chidanandaroopa, the form of joy, and the source of ultimate power. He is also called Mahadeva, the great God, and Bhava, existence. In the human body, the microcosm, that is build exactly like the universe with all its gods and demons, Shiva's region is the Sahasrara chacra, that is situated four fingers breadth above the top of the head and represent pure consciousness.
He is the oldest god known to mankind, a God with no lineage, Long before Aryans came to where India is now, local Indus valley people, Dravidians, worshipped a God, whose pictures are found on a seal - he is the oldest, primordial God from all Indian pantheon and represents the raw, untamed, supreme power. Forever young, he attacks like a ferocious wild beast and is a ruler of the heroes. When Aryan came and conquered, the legend says, during these inflaming times a great man was born, named Sadashiva. His name means "the one who dedicated his life to the well-being of his fellows". Sadashiva, known as Shiva, was an outstanding spiritual teacher or Guru. He was the one who first offered humanity a systematic presentation of a sheer spiritual thought. As the legend goes, he is the one to set the basis of spiritual dance and music in India and is therefore known also as Nataraga, The God of Cosmic Dance. As Nataraja, he is the lord of dance, the constant dance of death and birth, the order of eternal cycle of the Universe. He is dancing on the demon of ignorance, and show you how to be above and in control of your desires and karma. Moreover, Shiva is the founder of Hindu traditional medicine and also the provider of a system and knowledge in this field (bearing the name Vadyak Shastra). However, Shiva's most important contribution to the development of a truly spiritual civilization represents the concept of Dharma. Dharma is a Sanskrit word translated literally as "innate characteristic". Shiva explained that human beings seek and yearn for happiness placed beyond that originated in the satisfaction of the senses. The indisputable aim of all human beings, whether aware of this or not, is to obtain absolute peace and freedom, infinite knowledge and spiritual awareness. Shiva's teachings were transmitted orally at first, then in written form. Parvati, his wife used to ask him questions on topic raised by the spiritual practice he taught. The Tantric texts, writings which present the Tantric philosophy and practice, are in fact the dialogues between Shiva and his wife Parvati, dialogues in which Parvati asks questions on spiritual matters and Shiva gives divine answers.
Known as Rudra, the "terrible", in the ancient times, he was a god of storm and thunder,( he is the father of Maruts, the storm deities) the ruler of destructive and healing forces of Nature. Rudra also means "strict or uncompromising" and aksha means "eye." Rudraksha necklace worn by the Lord illustrates that He uses His cosmic laws firmly - without compromise - to maintain law and order in the universe. The necklace has 108 beads which symbolize the elements used in the creation of the world. As Rudra, he was worshipped more with a hope to keep his primordial destructive forces away "Do not cut us from the sight of the sun", say the ancient prayer. Rudra the terrible exists in the cult of Goddess, who is the Mother Nature itself. And as a husband of the Universal mother, he is therefore a God of procreation: "O, Rudra, let us be born again through our children". Rig Veda, 2.33.1 And since he is so close to nature, he is a great natural healer, they say: "Rise up our heroes with your healing medicines, I hear that of all the healers you are the best healer" Rig Veda, 2.33.5 He is the one who sends disaster, but he is the one who has the power to heal, also. The healer can be a killer, the energy is the same, the energy is neutral, it all depends on how you direct it. You can ask for healing of any types of wounds, asking for a merciful hand of Rudra, so healing and cooling, that removes the injury that comes from the gods", as from forces of nature. Rudra is a chief among: Aditi, the mother, Adityas, the dities of light, Agni, god of fire, Aryaman, god of ancestors, Dyaus, god of the sky, and Maruts, god of storm. In the same time, he is the Lord of mercy and compassion. He protects devotees from evil forces such as lust, greed, and anger. He grants boons, bestows grace and awakens wisdom in His devotees. Shiva holds Varda Mudra: the Lord's right hand is shown in a boon- bestowing and blessing pose. Lord Shiva annihilates evil, grants boons, bestows grace, destroys ignorance, and awakens wisdom in His devotees. He offers abhaya, protection, with his lower right hand and indicates salvation with the left. Shive known to be the most kind of all Gods: you don't need to worship him perpetually before he grants your wish.
Shiva is also called Neelkanth, the blue throated god who is dressed in a tiger skin, and has a knot of matted hair through which the river Ganga flows. His throt turned blue when he swallowed the poison of life to save mankind and the gods during the churning of the cosmic ocean- no other God could survive this. It shows his immune strength. Shiva means 'pure'.
He sits in meditative silence in the mount Kailas in the Himalayas, and due to the power of yoga, remains unmoved while world transforms around him. Damaru (drum) in his hand symbolizes the two utterly dissimilar states of existence, unmanifest and manifest. When a damaru is vibrated, it produces dissimilar sounds which are fused together by resonance to create one sound. The sound thus produced symbolizes Nada, the cosmic sound of AUM, which can be heard during deep meditation. According to Hindu scriptures, Nada is the source of creation. They say, the letters of Sanskrit emanated from that drum. The water pot (Kamandalu) made from a dry pumpkin contains nectar and is shown on the ground next to Shiva. The process of making Kamandalu has deep spiritual significance. A ripe pumpkin is plucked from a plant, its fruit is removed and the shell is cleaned for containing the nectar. In the same way, an individual must break away from attachment to the physical world and clean his inner self of egoistic desires in order to experience the bliss of the Self, symbolized by the nectar in the Kamandalu. Trident (Trisula) in his hand symbolizes His three fundamental powers (shakti) of will (iccha), action (kriya) and knowledge (jnana). The trident also symbolizes the Lord's power to destroy evil and ignorance. The structure in front of him is Lingam, symbolizing erect fallos, symbol of male sexual power. His vehicle is Nandi, the white celestial bull. Crescent moon on his head symbolizes periodicity and time. The waxing and waning phenomenon of the moon symbolizes the time cycle through which creation evolves from the beginning to the end. Since the Lord is the Eternal Reality, He is beyond time. The head of the woman with string of water coming down is river goddess Ganga. Rriver Ganges is associated with Hindu mythology and is the most sacred river of Hindus. According to tradition, one who bathes in Ganga (revered as Mother Ganga) in accordance with traditional rites and ceremonies on religious occasions in combination with certain astrological events, is freed from sin and attains knowledge, purity and peace. Ganga, symbolically represented on the head of the Lord by a female (Mother Ganga) with a jet of water emanating from her mouth and falling on the ground, signifies that the Lord destroys sin, removes ignorance, and bestows knowledge, purity and peace on the devotees. She recides on Shiva's head, because, according to myth, only Shiva could tamper her wildness and preserve land from destruction. This is the story of how Shiva tempers Ganga: "The Gods pleaded Bhagiratha's cause to Ganga, but Ganga was adamant. She had no wish nor desire to leave the heavens and, if compelled she would only destroy the earth by flooding it with her angry and indignant waters! The Gods were helpless and advised Bhagiratha to go to Lord Shiva, who, if he wished, could prevent the impending doom. As the matter was of grave consequence, Bhagiratha beseeched Goddess Parvati, Lord Shiva's wife, for her help. Parvati then convinces Shiva to receive the violent and angry currents unleashed by the feisty Ganga upon his head and divide the falling waters into a myriad of harmless streams through the locks of his hair. This having been accomplished, it became easy to guide the river to the center of the earth, pacify the 60,000 and lead Ganga to the ocean. Filtered through Shiva's hair, the Ganga emerges from the heavens bearing all the reviving powers of the universe. Temple cities dot her meandering course, the most important being Varanasi (considered India's holiest city and also known as Benaras or Kashi). Here, at the break of dawn, hundreds of devout Hindus flock together and await that special eternal moment when Indra, the king of the Gods and source of life, unites with the sacred, purifying, reviving waters of Ganga." Lord Shiva, also called Tryambaka Deva (literally, "three-eyed Lord"), is depicted as having three eyes: the sun is His right eye, the moon the left eye and fire the third eye. The two eyes on the right and left indicate His activity in the physical world. The third eye in the center of the forehead symbolizes spiritual knowledge and power, and is thus called the eye of wisdom or knowledge. Like fire, the powerful gaze of Shiva's third eye annihilates evil, and thus the evil-doers fear His third eye. When the Lord opens His eyes, a new cycle of creation emerges and when He closes them, the universe dissolves for creation of the next cycle. The half-open eyes convey the idea that creation is going through cyclic process, with no beginning and no end. Lord Shiva is the Master of Yoga, as He uses His yogic power to project the universe from Himself. The half-open eyes also symbolize His yogic posture. The two earrings, that he wear :Alakshya (meaning "which cannot be shown by any sign") and Niranjan (meaning "which cannot be seen by mortal eyes") in the ears of the Lord signify that He is beyond ordinary perception. Since the kundala (earring) in the left ear of the Lord is of the type used by women and the one in His right ear is of the type used by men, these Kundalas also symbolize the Shiva and Shakti (male and female) principle of creation. The celestrial bull, Nadi, is associated with Shiva and is said to be His vehicle. The bull symbolizes both power and ignorance. Lord Shiva's use of the bull as a vehicle conveys the idea that He removes ignorance and bestows power of wisdom on His devotees. The bull is called Vrisha in Sanskrit. Vrisha also means dharma (righteousness). Thus a bull shown next to Shiva also indicates that He is the etemal companion of righteousness. Shiva sitting in the cremation ground signifies that He is the controller of death in the physical world. Since birth and death are cyclic, controlling one implies controlling the other. Thus, Lord Shiva is revered as the ultimate controller of birth and death in the phenomenal world. A tiger skin symbolizes potential energy. Lord Shiva, sitting on or wearing a tiger skin, illustrates the idea that He is the source of the creative energy that remains in potential form during the dissolution state of the universe. Of His own Divine Will, the Lord activates the potential form of the creative energy to project the universe in endless cycles.
In buddhist tradition, Shiva is represented by Mahacala, the 11th face of boddhisattva Avalokiteshvara. He wished to turn himself into a wrathful deity in order to defeat more rapidly and effectively the obstacles to the happiness of others. With this thought the letter HUM in dark blue color came out of his heart. That Hum became Mahakala. It is not without significance that in the mantra 'Om Mani Padme Hum', the syllable Hum invokes energetic powers. The birth of Mahakala was followed by an earthquake and with one voice the Buddhas in the heaven declared that he would have the power to grant all wishes if the wishes were honest and good. Mahakala was the personal tutelary deity for the Mongol ruler Kublai Khan. "His terrifying imagery ultimately derives from the angry form of the Hindu god Shiva, known as Bhairava". The essential nature of Mahakala in the Tibetan pantheon can be gauged from the fact that he is worshipped as the Protector of the tent.
Shaivism presents Shiva as endowed with all the attributes of the Supreme Divinity, and therefore He is the Supreme Creator. His symbolic representation while performing the magic dance of creation is an iconographic theme quite rich in symbolism and offers us an idea about the rhythm of life of the whole creation, and as well of its destruction. We will discuss these aspects in detail further on. The name Shiva signifies "the good and the kind". Paradoxically, He is the designated God of destruction, he rapidly casts away the restraining ignorance and allows human beings to contemplate His magnificence.
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The Yogini Tantra is a voluminous work held in high regard by practitioners of Vamachara. In a total of 28 chapters divided into two parts, it outlines every topic familiar to the Kaula and Vama traditions. What follows is an abstract of the first nine patalas or chapters.
First PatalaThis opens with a familiar tantrik scene on Mount Kailasa where Shiva is addressed by Parvati. She says she has heard exposition of tantras before on Shri Shaila mountain, in Varanasi, in Kamarupa and in Nepal. Now she wants to hear more from Shiva, the world guru. In answer, Shiva says he will declare the great Yogini Tantra, the giver of both wealth and liberation. It is to be concealed and is unknown to all the devatas, to the asuras, to the yakshas and others but he will declare it out of love for Parvati. He starts by eulogising the goddess as the cosmic mother (Vishvamata), dark as a thunderstorm, wearing a garland and waist-band of skulls, with dishevelled hair, completely naked (digambaram). She has a rolling tongue, makes a terrifying roar, three reddened eyes, and has a wide open mouth. She wears a moon digit on her forehead, has the corpses of two boys as her earrings, and is adorned with various gems, which are of the brightness of the Sun and the Moon. Laughing loudly, she has two streams of blood pouring from her mouth, while her throat is red with blood. In her four arms she holds cleaver, head, and makes mudras dispelling fears and granting boons. She, the supreme Nitya, is seated in reverse (viparita) intercourse with Mahakala upon the corpse of Shiva. The whole scene is set in the cremation ground. After this detailed dhyana of Kali, Shiva begins to outline the tantra, declaring that he is Parvati's slave. He starts with the characteristics of the guru, who he describes as the root of all shastra, the root of this world and the very self of Parabrahma and the essence of Shiva. The guru can save a disciple where even gods and goddesses cannot intercede. The guru's family is to be considered as identical with the guru. There follows a dhyana of guru in the palace of wish-fulfilling gems on Mount Kailasa, surrounded by hosts of Bhairavas. The palace is surrounded by the seven oceans. The guru is one with Mahakala Adinatha and knows all mantras, whether they be Shakta, Vaishnava or Ganapatya. The greatness of the guru is hymned in all the shastras. Second PatalaDevi asks Shiva to speak of Kali and Tarini. Shiva says that Kalika is the greatest of the great vidyas, supreme and giving nirvana and liberation to people. Her disciples are Brahma, Vishnu and himself. If a sadhaka recites the Kali mantra, he becomes her son. Kali, Tara and Cchinna are the mahavidyas. One successful in Kali becomes similarly successful in the others. Shiva begins to speak of initiation. He says that the rosary to be used in the puja should be made of human skullbone for long-lasting success. A sadhaka or sadhika may also use crystal or ruby rosaries. A full rosary should have 108 beads. The meru, or bead to mark the beginning and the end of the mala, should be made of a king's tooth. Shiva proceeds to outline the number of times the mantra should be recited holding the rosary and the way the fingers should count. He speaks of the nature of other rosaries including pearl, tulsi (basil) when worshipping Vishnu, ivory for Ganesha, and rudraksha or red sandalwood for Tripura. Dhattura growing in a cremation ground is used for Dhumavati. He then describes ritual accessories to be used in the puja and the times in bright and dark fortnights of the moon which are favourable and unfavourable as well as other restraints due to time as well as suitable places for the rite. Third PatalaDevi asks how catastrophes including war and fever can be warded off. In reply, Shiva recites a kavacha or armour which can be used to protect against malefic influence. It is not to be revealed lightly. He then speaks of a way to subjugate the world (jagadvashyakara). Sage Narada also asked Shiva to speak of this of old. Shiva says that when she is imagined as a naked Devi, Kali is the deludress of the world. He then gives the Trailokya Mohana Kavacha (armour bewildering the three worlds). Kalabhairava is the rishi of the mantra, anushtubh is the metre, Shmashana Kali is the devata. After giving the armour, Shiva describes how to make it. It should be written on bhurja (birch) bark and worn round the person. It should be written on the eighth day of the bright fortnight and placed inside a golden container. Wearing it on different parts of the body gives different results. On the head, it destroys disease. On the right shoulder, it gives whatever is desired. Vishnu now chimes in and says Narada achieved the desires he wanted by employing this kavacha. Fourth PatalaThe Devi now wants to know of other prayogas to give dominion, knowledge and wealth. Shiva mentions the Phetkarini Tantra and the Nila Tantra as sources. One process is to draw a hexagon with the mantra of Tara within plus the sadhya (the object). Devi asks about the satkarmas, six magical acts. Shiva says these are pacifying, subduing, causing enmity, driving away, uprooting (uccatana) and causing death. He says there are six Shaktis appropriate to these acts. The Padmini is suitable for pacifying and Sankhini for subjugation. He then outlines the mantras appropriate to the six acts. Fifth PatalaShiva describes a great sadhana in the cremation ground, involving the fifteen Kali Nityas. This sadhana can also be performed in a desert, by the side of a river, on a mountain, at a crossroads, at the root of a Bilva tree, at a place where there is a single lingam, at a place where there are no people as well as in the cremation ground. Sixth PatalaDevi asks about the different classes of sadhaka. Shiva says they are divided into the divya (divine), vira (heroic) and pashu (herdlike) categories. The meditation for the divya should be concealed, Shiva speaking of vira meditation. He says a vira should meditate on the three bindus in the form of a 16 year old woman. The first is as bright as 10,000,000 dawn suns,extending from the head to the breasts. The second extends from the breasts to the hips and the third from the yoni to the feet. This is the Kamakala form, the very essence of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The vira and the divya may employ madya, mamsa, matsya, mudra and maithuna (the five 'm's) in their worship. According to Shiva, the rishis, the vasus, the daityas all became great through this puja. Shiva speaks of this worship for the four Hindu divisions (varnas) and also for the Avadhuta. Much of this material is repeated in the Yoni Tantra. He says the great nectar flows from Kundalini when it has risen to the top of the head. This is the great wine. She is the supreme Shakti within the body. Seventh PatalaDevi asks Shiva to tell her of Devi Svapnavati (she who moves in sleep). He gives the mantra. Shiva says: 'This Svapnavati Vidya is very hard to obtain in the three worlds. It is the cause of great miracles, declared by Mahakala.' It should be recited 108 times then Svapnavati visits in sleep always. A sadhaka who masters the mantra sees everything in his dreams he wishes. The god then speaks of the Mritasanjivani vidya. This appears to give the power of bringing back the dead to life. He describes other vidyas including Madhumati and the Trilokyakarshi vidya. This attracts whatever a sadhaka desires in the three worlds. Maidens will cross oceans and mountain ranges to get to him. Shiva goes on to give vidyas of Padmavati, the Vashikarani vidya. He then returns to the topic of Svapnavati. This appears to involve awakening while in the dream state (lucid dreaming?). The mantras should be concealed and given only to the devoted, the unstained otherwise hosts of Dakinis consume a person. Eighth PatalaShiva speaks of the Yoginis. They look terrifying, with blazing eyes and 50 lakhs of faces. The daitya Ghora then recites a hymn to Devi, celebrating her victory over the Daityas. Shiva chimes in, praising her greatness in battle. Towards the end of the patala, Shiva gives a meditation image of Shakti as Kali. Ninth PatalaShiva starts this lengthy chapter by speaking of the Devi as the Brahmanda, the macrocosm. In this guise, she has an immense form, with millions upon millions of arms and heads. She is the sum of everything, containing puranas, vedas, smriti and vedas. As such she is of the brilliance of millions upon millions of suns and moons and fires, consisting of all knowledge, all paths, all dharma, all bliss, all shastra, all veda and all worlds, in short, everything. Then follows a meditation on Shakti as being present in the different parts of the body. Shiva closes by saying that Kali is the form of consciousness (citrupa), the impartite absolute.
First PatalaThis opens with a familiar tantrik scene on Mount Kailasa where Shiva is addressed by Parvati. She says she has heard exposition of tantras before on Shri Shaila mountain, in Varanasi, in Kamarupa and in Nepal. Now she wants to hear more from Shiva, the world guru. In answer, Shiva says he will declare the great Yogini Tantra, the giver of both wealth and liberation. It is to be concealed and is unknown to all the devatas, to the asuras, to the yakshas and others but he will declare it out of love for Parvati. He starts by eulogising the goddess as the cosmic mother (Vishvamata), dark as a thunderstorm, wearing a garland and waist-band of skulls, with dishevelled hair, completely naked (digambaram). She has a rolling tongue, makes a terrifying roar, three reddened eyes, and has a wide open mouth. She wears a moon digit on her forehead, has the corpses of two boys as her earrings, and is adorned with various gems, which are of the brightness of the Sun and the Moon. Laughing loudly, she has two streams of blood pouring from her mouth, while her throat is red with blood. In her four arms she holds cleaver, head, and makes mudras dispelling fears and granting boons. She, the supreme Nitya, is seated in reverse (viparita) intercourse with Mahakala upon the corpse of Shiva. The whole scene is set in the cremation ground. After this detailed dhyana of Kali, Shiva begins to outline the tantra, declaring that he is Parvati's slave. He starts with the characteristics of the guru, who he describes as the root of all shastra, the root of this world and the very self of Parabrahma and the essence of Shiva. The guru can save a disciple where even gods and goddesses cannot intercede. The guru's family is to be considered as identical with the guru. There follows a dhyana of guru in the palace of wish-fulfilling gems on Mount Kailasa, surrounded by hosts of Bhairavas. The palace is surrounded by the seven oceans. The guru is one with Mahakala Adinatha and knows all mantras, whether they be Shakta, Vaishnava or Ganapatya. The greatness of the guru is hymned in all the shastras. Second PatalaDevi asks Shiva to speak of Kali and Tarini. Shiva says that Kalika is the greatest of the great vidyas, supreme and giving nirvana and liberation to people. Her disciples are Brahma, Vishnu and himself. If a sadhaka recites the Kali mantra, he becomes her son. Kali, Tara and Cchinna are the mahavidyas. One successful in Kali becomes similarly successful in the others. Shiva begins to speak of initiation. He says that the rosary to be used in the puja should be made of human skullbone for long-lasting success. A sadhaka or sadhika may also use crystal or ruby rosaries. A full rosary should have 108 beads. The meru, or bead to mark the beginning and the end of the mala, should be made of a king's tooth. Shiva proceeds to outline the number of times the mantra should be recited holding the rosary and the way the fingers should count. He speaks of the nature of other rosaries including pearl, tulsi (basil) when worshipping Vishnu, ivory for Ganesha, and rudraksha or red sandalwood for Tripura. Dhattura growing in a cremation ground is used for Dhumavati. He then describes ritual accessories to be used in the puja and the times in bright and dark fortnights of the moon which are favourable and unfavourable as well as other restraints due to time as well as suitable places for the rite. Third PatalaDevi asks how catastrophes including war and fever can be warded off. In reply, Shiva recites a kavacha or armour which can be used to protect against malefic influence. It is not to be revealed lightly. He then speaks of a way to subjugate the world (jagadvashyakara). Sage Narada also asked Shiva to speak of this of old. Shiva says that when she is imagined as a naked Devi, Kali is the deludress of the world. He then gives the Trailokya Mohana Kavacha (armour bewildering the three worlds). Kalabhairava is the rishi of the mantra, anushtubh is the metre, Shmashana Kali is the devata. After giving the armour, Shiva describes how to make it. It should be written on bhurja (birch) bark and worn round the person. It should be written on the eighth day of the bright fortnight and placed inside a golden container. Wearing it on different parts of the body gives different results. On the head, it destroys disease. On the right shoulder, it gives whatever is desired. Vishnu now chimes in and says Narada achieved the desires he wanted by employing this kavacha. Fourth PatalaThe Devi now wants to know of other prayogas to give dominion, knowledge and wealth. Shiva mentions the Phetkarini Tantra and the Nila Tantra as sources. One process is to draw a hexagon with the mantra of Tara within plus the sadhya (the object). Devi asks about the satkarmas, six magical acts. Shiva says these are pacifying, subduing, causing enmity, driving away, uprooting (uccatana) and causing death. He says there are six Shaktis appropriate to these acts. The Padmini is suitable for pacifying and Sankhini for subjugation. He then outlines the mantras appropriate to the six acts. Fifth PatalaShiva describes a great sadhana in the cremation ground, involving the fifteen Kali Nityas. This sadhana can also be performed in a desert, by the side of a river, on a mountain, at a crossroads, at the root of a Bilva tree, at a place where there is a single lingam, at a place where there are no people as well as in the cremation ground. Sixth PatalaDevi asks about the different classes of sadhaka. Shiva says they are divided into the divya (divine), vira (heroic) and pashu (herdlike) categories. The meditation for the divya should be concealed, Shiva speaking of vira meditation. He says a vira should meditate on the three bindus in the form of a 16 year old woman. The first is as bright as 10,000,000 dawn suns,extending from the head to the breasts. The second extends from the breasts to the hips and the third from the yoni to the feet. This is the Kamakala form, the very essence of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The vira and the divya may employ madya, mamsa, matsya, mudra and maithuna (the five 'm's) in their worship. According to Shiva, the rishis, the vasus, the daityas all became great through this puja. Shiva speaks of this worship for the four Hindu divisions (varnas) and also for the Avadhuta. Much of this material is repeated in the Yoni Tantra. He says the great nectar flows from Kundalini when it has risen to the top of the head. This is the great wine. She is the supreme Shakti within the body. Seventh PatalaDevi asks Shiva to tell her of Devi Svapnavati (she who moves in sleep). He gives the mantra. Shiva says: 'This Svapnavati Vidya is very hard to obtain in the three worlds. It is the cause of great miracles, declared by Mahakala.' It should be recited 108 times then Svapnavati visits in sleep always. A sadhaka who masters the mantra sees everything in his dreams he wishes. The god then speaks of the Mritasanjivani vidya. This appears to give the power of bringing back the dead to life. He describes other vidyas including Madhumati and the Trilokyakarshi vidya. This attracts whatever a sadhaka desires in the three worlds. Maidens will cross oceans and mountain ranges to get to him. Shiva goes on to give vidyas of Padmavati, the Vashikarani vidya. He then returns to the topic of Svapnavati. This appears to involve awakening while in the dream state (lucid dreaming?). The mantras should be concealed and given only to the devoted, the unstained otherwise hosts of Dakinis consume a person. Eighth PatalaShiva speaks of the Yoginis. They look terrifying, with blazing eyes and 50 lakhs of faces. The daitya Ghora then recites a hymn to Devi, celebrating her victory over the Daityas. Shiva chimes in, praising her greatness in battle. Towards the end of the patala, Shiva gives a meditation image of Shakti as Kali. Ninth PatalaShiva starts this lengthy chapter by speaking of the Devi as the Brahmanda, the macrocosm. In this guise, she has an immense form, with millions upon millions of arms and heads. She is the sum of everything, containing puranas, vedas, smriti and vedas. As such she is of the brilliance of millions upon millions of suns and moons and fires, consisting of all knowledge, all paths, all dharma, all bliss, all shastra, all veda and all worlds, in short, everything. Then follows a meditation on Shakti as being present in the different parts of the body. Shiva closes by saying that Kali is the form of consciousness (citrupa), the impartite absolute.
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The primary tantric texts, the Hindu Tantras, were written after the Puranas, in the medieval period, and are usually set in the form of a dialogue between the god Shiva and his consort Parvati, in which he explains to her the philosophy and myths underlying the tantric ritual. This ritual involves reversals of normal Hindu social practices and reversals of normal physiological processes (for instance, the drawing up of the semen out of the woman and into the body of the man). It also reverses the orthodox Hindu "five products of the cow," or panchagavya (milk, butter, curds, urine, and feces) used for purification; in Tantra, these become the "five m's": maithuna ("intercourse"), matsya ("fish"), mansa ("flesh"), mudra ("parched grain"), and mada ("wine"). Tantra was a bastion of ecstatic spirituality in a landscape of asceticism.
Soon, tantra evolved into a diverse tradition of various schools, with the sexual aspect always remaining an integral theme. Mystical experiences and altered states of consciousness were central to many of these schools. Best known to Westerners are the several strands of tantra yoga in which worship takes the form of a sexual ritual featuring slow, non-orgasmic intercourse with the intent of achieving an experience of the divine. The act of ritual lovemaking was understood as participation in the cosmic process. Another major school of Hindu tantra yoga is primarily meditational. Very similar to hatha yoga (body posture) and bhakti yoga (devotion), this form of tantra focusses mainly on visualization of deity, concentrating on yantras (glyphs), chanting mantras and the practice of tapas (austerity).
Soon, tantra evolved into a diverse tradition of various schools, with the sexual aspect always remaining an integral theme. Mystical experiences and altered states of consciousness were central to many of these schools. Best known to Westerners are the several strands of tantra yoga in which worship takes the form of a sexual ritual featuring slow, non-orgasmic intercourse with the intent of achieving an experience of the divine. The act of ritual lovemaking was understood as participation in the cosmic process. Another major school of Hindu tantra yoga is primarily meditational. Very similar to hatha yoga (body posture) and bhakti yoga (devotion), this form of tantra focusses mainly on visualization of deity, concentrating on yantras (glyphs), chanting mantras and the practice of tapas (austerity).
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Long before the Aryans came with their castes and Vedic teachings, the Lord Shiva and his Shakti (or consort) were worshipped throughout India and probably in many parts of Europe also. There is considerable evidence that the religion of Europe, before it was suppressed by Christianity, was a form of Phallus and Yoni worship, such as existed and still exists in India.
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